Say what you like about Harley-Davidson, but one thing is undeniable. The company knows how to spot a trend—and sometimes how to start one. When the (thankfully) short-lived chopper craze hit a few years back, it brought out the Rocker, which it’s probably safe to say did not meet expectations. Before that, it was the Cross Bones, before that the Street Bob, before that the Springer, and so on.

One of the most popular platforms the company uses to revamp its lineup is the Softail. From its inception back in 1984, the Softail has been the starting point for innumerable variations.

One of the latest is the Softail Slim, or FLS, which debuted last year. As is often the case with Harley-Davidson, the Slim is essentially a custom treatment of an existing model, this time around with an eye on the current (and somewhat mystifying) retro/bobber/nostalgia/rat-bike trend. In a nutshell, the idea seems to be “less is more,” with wild, expensive paint jobs supplanted by hard-core attitude and an emphasis on presence and innovation rather than how much money you’ve spent.

Not that the Slim can be described as a rat bike by any stretch. This is a thoughtfully styled, nicely crafted, evocative cruiser that takes you back to the 1940s. Leather saddlebags, cross-braced handlebars, footboards, beefy front end, bobbed fenders, traditional round air cleaner, cut-down windscreen, and oversized tires front and back convey an image of solidity and nostalgia in one hard-to-ignore package. I think Lee Marvin was riding one of these when Marlon Brando kicked the crap out of him in The Wild One, and if Bettie Page were around, she’d look right at home on this one.

Power, as ever, is provided by a fuel-injected, air-cooled V-twin that in this configuration displaces 1,690 cc and is mated to a six-speed gearbox, with belt final drive and chain primary. This engine still has pushrods, although it’s now equipped with twin camshafts and torque output is set at about 99 foot-pounds at 3,000 rpm—which, according to my calculations, translates to around 56 horsepower. Not much by today’s standards, but very much in keeping with this type of motorcycle. By way of comparison, Kawasaki’s Vaquero develops 108 foot-pounds, and the Yamaha Roadliner is good for 123 foot-pounds. This market is all about grunt, as opposed to high-rev, screaming horsepower. Probably not the quickest bike in this market, the 305-kilogram Slim will still take care of business and has buckets of reserve power.

That said, this isn’t an all-day cruiser. Yes, there is a windscreen, but the seat has zero back/lumbar support and is about as small as you can get away with. After an hour or two, it starts to feel like dental floss; this one ain’t built for comfort or speed. I also have mixed feelings about the low “Hollywood-style” handlebars. They look way cool but tend to spread you out so you catch the wind at any speed over 50 kilometres per hour.

For short hauls and boulevard cruising, the Slim fits the bill. The “half-moon” footboards are a nice touch, and the gear shifter has a traditional heel-toe configuration. Pull in that meaty-feeling clutch, prod the forward lever, and the transmission bangs into gear with a reassuring ka-thud. High-tech types who insist on cutting-edge engineering and whisper-silent drive trains will likely be aghast at the crudeness of Harley’s shift mechanism, but I love it. When I change gears, I want the shifter to bang it in there—up or down. Call me a Luddite.

Speaking of short, riders who are inseam-challenged will feel right at home here. Saddle height is a tiny 615 millimetres, making this one of the lowest-slung bikes on the market. Your butt will be closer to the ground than with any of Harley’s other models, and that includes the Sportster and Fat Boy Lo.

It also adds to this bike’s visual appeal, in my opinion. I think this is one of the sharpest-looking models in Harley’s stable right now—especially in Ember Red Sunglo, although Black Denim, Big Blue Pearl, and Vivid Black are also available. (Where do they get these names?)

Here’s something I kind of like. With all its throwback ambience and—er…traditional technology, the Slim is still pretty good on gas. It delivers a combined fuel economy rating of 5.6 litres per 100 kilometres, which is in Toyota Prius territory. Trust me, the Slim is a lot more fun. For a bike of this size and character to be so easy on gas is pretty remarkable.

Prices for the Slim start at $17,829, and you can get an antitheft security package for another $1,360, which is probably a good idea.