Jumbo

[jackassdave]

that was two weeks ago ....keep up

 

[biking photographer]

Clifton's earlier post
"I'm sure there have been heated discussions in the board room over the years but I'm glad HD has taken the approach of simply improving (for the most part) their traditional line rather than completely redesigning them. I've thought it'd be nice if they were lighter but doing so would be difficult without changing what many of us like about them. I hope they can keep the big old 45* air cooled V-twin line going for a while longer."

Judging by a recent report by Uk Motorcycle journalist Adam Child, HD are hitting it right on the nail at the moment. He put the Road Glide Special ahead of both the Victory Cross Country, and the Honda GL1800 bagger F6B. Apparently the latest HD bikes handle very well. Didn't you recently buy a new Road King?

 

[Clifton]

.... He put the Road Glide Special ahead of both the Victory Cross Country, and the Honda GL1800 bagger F6B. Apparently the latest HD bikes handle very well. Didn't you recently buy a new Road King?

I can see that. Interesting that Honda has only given the GL1800 one minor refresh since it came out in 2000 while Harley tourers have evolved with quite a number of improvements over the same period, including Delphi fuel injection, 96ci motor, 103 ci motor, 103 Rushmore motor, Brembo brakes, ABS, 6 gallon fuel tank, TBW, new frame, revised suspension, larger forks and more rigid steering head, larger wheels and tires, the list goes on.

Back in 1999 I was considering a new Electra Glide for riding with my wife. I changed my mind after talking with my friend who had rented a carbureted dresser in Colorado for a week the year before for he and his wife to ride. He said solo they're ok especially the lighter frame bikes but was put off with the dresser 2-up. While it was comfortable it suffered in three critical areas. It was severely underpowered especially loaded down at higher elevations, imprecise high speed handling, and very weak brakes. I held off and the following year I bought the all new GL1800 which had none of those problems. It suffered through a number of recalls but overall a nice two-up tourer with great passenger accommodation but just so so for me. The riders seat is too shallow and my knees contacted the fairing and to be honest I was never really comfortable with the riding position. The huge seat is one piece and aftermarket replacements were very expensive so I just suffered through it. It had gobs of torque so it seemed like it could be geared taller because I was always searching for the non existent 6th gear. When the wife quit riding in 2005 I sold the Wing.

Fast forward to 2009 my same friend tested a new EG Ultra and was very impressed. He called "you should try one, all three of my previous gripes have been remedied". I did and was impressed enough that I ordered a new EG Standard. Handling and brakes are every bit on par with the Gold Wing. A Gold Wing will still smoke it but overall power was now adequate and the power delivery perfect. Most importantly the riding position was perfect. And there's something about steel fenders and chrome that I can appreciate. I really enjoyed that bike but decided two Harley's were too many, so I sold the Super Glide and traded the FLHT in on a 15 RK which splits the difference. LOL I bought it just in time to park it for the winter but initial impression after 500 miles is that it's going to be a nice piece. I always liked RK's touring frame platform with the option of removing the shield in hot weather, basically it's the original Electra Glide before they stuck a batwing on them. Wind management with and w/o the shield is fine. The 103 Rushmore definitely runs a little better than the stock 96. There are two things I don't like; the stock 20" windshield is too tall, and the seat has me sliding toward the tank. Both have been remedied with a new 18" shield and C&C Solo seat which I can't say enough good about. In fact here's their site if anyone is thinking of a new seat. http://www.ccseats.com/Harley.htm

My least favorite thing about Harley's are some of the riders themselves over here. The stereotype of poser, slow riding in groups, and obnoxiously loud pipes, is somewhat deserved. To be honest I've never ridden with anyone else who was on a Harley because my riding buds ride other brands or I'm riding alone. Of the ones I stumble on to out on the road, at bike camps, etc., the ones riding Tourers seem most likely to be what I'd call normal. Not dressed like pirates, fairly good riders, and they're out there riding a lot. Also noticing more Tourers with stock exhaust or something just slightly louder. So maybe Harley riders are evolving as well?

 

[WEE BOAB]

Some interesting points there Clifton, I've thought about swapping my GL 1800 for a Harley Tourer on a few occasions but I love the honda engine in the Wing and I think I would miss the smoothness and the torque, if I was to make the change I would most likely go for the RK, my local Harley dealer has a very nice CVO in at the moment .

 

[Clifton]

You're right about that Wee, Honda's engine is a gem. Plus the Gold Wing has the trunk and offers a little more weather protection than a RK. I've never paid much attention to CVO's but if you want all the stuff that's on them they're probably not a bad deal.