If you had the choice, which would you choose and why?

Please keep it to the two choices as, that’s what I have available to me… 🙂

Owned a HD for many years and rode a few SL’s and SLR’s, much preferred the HD. Slacker, stiffer, ever so slightly longer and took everything I ever threw at it. Brilliant bike and kind of still wish I had it in all honesty.

Do you want a light trail bike (SLR) or a longer travel bike?

IIRC you can run a HD in reduced-travel 650b mode too, which is a factor Id consider for future proofing and that

You can run both as 650b, but the HD does have better clearance.

To be honest 160 vs. 140mm travel will really make little difference to me.

you can run a shorter shock on the HD so it has 130ish mm travel (not the 140 as they stated at the time) thats how I ran mine with a 150mm fork, awesome all round bike. Personally wouldn’t bother running it as 650b, clearance is naff all with a 26×2.35 Hans Dampf so by the time you fit a 650b tyre it’ll be a 2.1/2.2 and a skinny one at that max.

I have the 650b Swingarm from the HDR which has much more clearance. This would likely be going onto whichever frame I go for…

you may as well get the HD, its barely any heavier than the SLR, but gives you many more options in terms of travel/forks, size of tyres.

I owned an HD for 4 years, was a good bike.

HD.. Had an SL, then upgraded to HD and now (yesterday) bought an HD3 frame. Depending on what size you want I’ll have my HD frame for sale next week or so.

Either way. HD every time. It’s so capable.

HD.. Had an SL, then upgraded to HD and now (yesterday) bought an HD3 frame. Depending on what size you want I’ll have my HD frame for sale next week or so.

Either way. HD every time. It’s so capable.

What size/colour is it out interest, Philstone?

Matte black, medium, with red links..

ive got a matte black hd frame in medium with two shocks and limbo chips if anyone else wants one

Lester

The HD is a great bike and so capable. SLR more of a whippet XC machine

Original HD? Might be opening a can of worms here but my testride just went “XC bike with lyriks, this is shit”. It’s just very very short, it makes no sense in a long travel bike imo. (the XL in its longest form is still shorter than my everyday mediums, and the reach on the medium I rode was titchy)

YMMV and loads of people do like them but I couldn’t get off it fast enough. And I did want to like it, because they’re gorgeous and I’m a weightweenie. Can you try before you buy?

Mrs rickmeister has a HDR set up as 650b, replacing a vintage orange 5 and it is ace..

They do size on the small side though, worth checking that.

Just to add some context: