Motorcycle specifications Harley-Davidson1870 Road Glide Special FLTRXS 2023 Navire des highways

Since 2021, the band of 'Specials' has been enjoying a renewed sense of style from its progenitors. Or the marketing guys... The Road Glide is one of them, catching the eye of the most curious. They won't have missed the 'Bar & Shield' badge on each side of the tank. But it's not until you climb aboard that you appreciate the migration of the filler hole. Moving to the right, it allows the central console to be redesigned.

Where things get tricky is in the color palette. More choice with more nuances, as some black components can be replaced by chrome parts (optional). A series of elements that are enough to turn this hot-rod bagger from a shade of darkness into light: exhausts, handlebars, engine, forks, mirrors, footpegs, wheelstick machining, foot controls, levers, indicators, air filter and crash-bars. These last two parts have also changed. The height of the protective tubes has been reduced by 28 cm. The filter element is now a Ventilator model, giving more presence to the big engine.
Just goes to show, you can make paragraphs out of paragraphs, but you can't break 3 legs on a duck...

These little additions reinforce the idea that the 'Special' designation is perhaps Harley's most restless one. That's not to say that the bike evolves very regularly, as if it always needed THE little something extra. For 2019, the big twin 114 has made itself at home. Dismissing the 107, barely installed for two years, this Road Glide leaps from 150 to 158 Nm (Euro5 has eaten a bit of it). Enough to give you more power at all levels, and make light work of the 387 kilos on board.

just more muscle?! Not quite. The Road Glide Special's change of mechanics has made it easy for it to take part in Harley's top-of-the-line entertainment. We're talking about the Boom Box GTS. What is it? The Boom Box GTS is an evolution of Harley's multimedia console, with a much improved level of user comfort.

Its 6.5" TFT color screen is more resistant, more intuitive to the touch, with greater contrast and higher resolution. Navigation between functions has been simplified, while computing power and memory have been boosted. The Boom Box starts up much faster, calculates routes quicker and boosts the wide range of functions it's equipped with: GPS, Bluetooth, intercom, music playback via USB / SD card / iPhone / iPod, 25 watts per channel, voice recognition system, and Apple CarPlay. In 2020, connectivity is the order of the day with the installation of H-D Connect. The motorcycle is linked to a smartphone app via the cellular network. This provides information on the bike (location, trip kilometers, range, battery charge, impact or movement of the vehicle, fuel level, etc.) and allows remote monitoring. The service is offered for one year, after which a subscription is required - around 14 euros per month.

Barely before all this, in 2018, this vessel was already craving modification. The look, the spirit, the vision didn't change much, but a few things put her in the dark clan. It began with a pair of 'Talon' rims, 19" and 18", now replaced by 'Prodigy'. The saddlebags were stretched at the bottom, visually bevelling the exhausts and making the stern more receding - a design trait first seen on the Road King Special. A whole series of chromes had disappeared, to blend into the black: the engine guard, fork tubes, handlebars and controls, mirrors, indicators, tank console, engine covers, air filter cover and exhaust baffles. A more aggressive echo, for a Touring that makes no secret of its ambitions. 2020 offers a technological leap forward in terms of driving assistance. ABS is now coupled with a system that adapts braking pressure according to the angle of the bike. Coupled braking also benefits from this sensitivity, modulating force between front and rear.

who would have guessed that this imposing Tourer also knows how to work its motricity with the help of electronic chips? The RDRS platform not only optimizes braking, but also features TCS traction control in two modes - Standard for dry surfaces and Rain for wet. This can be switched off if the rider wishes, and is also sensitive to inclination.
An anti-dribble system is also included, intervening on engine torque when the rear wheel returns too much energy, for example when downshifting too optimistically. A hill-start assistant and tire-pressure monitoring system complete the technology package.

genesis

After tempting travelers with a CVO version and then in a more affordable declination, the Road Glide took another step forward in 2017 with the grafting of a heart full of displacement, twice as many valves as usual and a nice dose of evolution: the Milwaukee Eight. Back on the French market with the same impetus as the Rushmore project, the Road Glide is now available in a version called Special. Why Special? For its carefully added equipment. But does this overshadow the charm of the Bog Block? Certainly not.

less vibration at idle and more efficiency on the suspension side. Forks and shocks are from Showa, providing more consistent damping and easier rear-end adjustment.
Recently, the Road Glide benefited from the Rushmore project. The experience of all to benefit the Harleys of tomorrow. The brakes benefit from ABS and the Reflex coupled system. Safety is guaranteed by 3 x 300 mm discs, all backed up by 4-piston calipers.

The Road Glide's look has changed somewhat. Normal, its eyes are much more efficient Daymaker LED headlights. The brand says it loud and clear in figures: 85% wider and 6% more power in low beam, 35% wider and 45% more power in high beam.

But what you'll appreciate most is the optimization of the top fairing, the famous Shark Nose. Subtly redesigned after numerous wind tunnel and road tests, it features a triple vent to equalize pressure in front of and behind the windscreen. As a result, the rider can cut through the air with a quietude unknown on a Harley, while enjoying an improved riding position. In fact, the handlebars have been moved 22 cm closer to the rider. Comfort also comes in the form of "One-touch" opening suitcases, cruise control, improved instrument readability and more ergonomic controls.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos