U.S. 6 East, Provincetown, MA, 3205 Miles." That sign, on the outskirts of Bishop, California, reads like an invitation. And with Harley's new Street Glide waiting to go for a ride, I decided to accept it. Being a Westerner, I needed a map to learn that Provincetown was at the tip of Cape Cod.
The Street Glide brings Harley's touring motorcycles into the third millennium. Though basic elements are plainly culled from the Electra Glide parts bin, the FLHX Street Glide cleans up its profile and details, creating a sleeker, more purposeful Harley bagger. It wears no fender bumpers, tip lights or rails. There are no spotlights. The batwing fairing sprouts just the briefest windshield and mounts black mirrors behind the wings instead of stalks. The saddle has a smoother, lower profile, especially the passenger section. Hard nylon saddlebags without the traditional full-height chrome roll bars ahead of them have color-matched latches (which a remarkable number of people commented on favorably). Extensions carry the rear fender farther down and give a more integrated appearance. Additional details-Streamliner floorboards and controls with matching passenger pegs, a stretched console atop the tank, slash-down muffler tips, a license and taillight lower on the fender-further tidy up its looks. The largest functional difference is the low-profile rear suspension, offering a meager 2.0 inches of travel instead of the Electra Glide Standard's more adequate 3.0.
All told, the FLHX leaves behind about 13 pounds of stuff that the similar Electra Glide Standard includes, although the Street Glide gets the Harman/Kardon 40-watt AM/FM audio system standard.
Harley offers optional modules you can plug into the audio system, including a GPS with a monochrome non-map display ($1100), a high-output amplifier ($446), a rider-passenger intercom ($106), CB radio ($300) and a Bluetooth cellphone interface ($496). That last item is probably a bad idea considering all the evidence that talking on a phone, even handsfree, is a serious distraction. I still wanted to try the XM satellite radio ($496), however.
I wondered if the seat would be as comfortable at the end of the day, much less after 7000 miles, as it had been after a few hours. I was also dismayed to see that my sample had the optional Chromed Aluminum Profile laced wheels with tube-type tires instead of the standard black slotted cast alloy wheels and tubeless tires. Harley's fleet-center rep opined that I would likely want a taller windshield. As it turned out, the 4.5-inch-tall smoked windshield was one of my favorite features. It thoroughly deflected wind from my chest and shoulders, but did not obstruct my view of the road significantly.
My ride home from the fleet dealer wasn't long enough to allay any concerns. That night I checked over and loaded the bike up for two weeks on the road, wishing for a few more anchor points for bungee cords around the passenger seat. Shortly before noon, I shut off my computer and headed north for Bishop. I used a GPS to calibrate the speedometer, which turned out to be barely more than one mph optimistic at 70. The odometer/tripmeter proved to be equally accurate.
In the desert heat, I was grateful that the Street Glide has no lowers. I experimented with different leg positions on the floorboards and passenger pegs to find how to deflect the most and least air up behind the fairing. The fairing effectively turns away wind between your knees and the top of the helmet, but with my legs arranged to catch the air, I was still able to get significant cooling flow.
I got to Bishop a bit after 4:00 pm, having confirmed that the Street Glide had enough range with the 5.0-gallon tank topped with premium to make the 170-mile run from my first stop on U.S. 6 at Tonopah, Nevada, to Ely on the east side of Nevada. (During the trip I'd learn the tank's capacity was more like 5.4 gallons.)
Though simple and comparatively small (this was a 2006 1450cc model), the twin-cam engine has plenty of power for climbing the 7000-foot passes I encountered that day, easily passing slower traffic. It's stronger than some bigger V-twins, and the simple air-cooled two-valve twin gets impressive fuel mileage. Heavily loaded and going fast, the FLHX delivered an average mileage of almost 39 mpg, hitting 46 on the rare occasions when I slowed to a steady 55-60 mph. Premium fuel negates any savings, but good mpg and respectable fuel capacity give reassuring range when gas stations are scarce. Holding the bike upright during fueling ensures that maximum fuel gets into the center-filler tank.
The gearbox and clutch are about average for big twins in terms of shift ease and certainty and better for clutch effort and engagement. The six-speed (see sidebar) is an improvement, though.
It always takes a few miles to get to trust a bike, but aside from the Street Glide's unsophisticated chassis performance, I had no complaints. The saddle and my glutes formed a happy alliance, and even after almost 1000 miles in 18 hours, I suffered no backside distress. The seat offered a margin of wiggle, and the variety of foot positions on the floorboards, passenger pegs and engine guards offer options for adjusting posture and pressure points. If I were bit taller than my 5 feet 10 inches or longer than my 32-inch inseam, I might have wished for more legroom, but as I am, the Street Glide fits me perfectly. The handlebar has a near-perfect bend for me as well.
Passengers don't have deluxe seating. You'd want to slip on a cushier saddle for a long ride two-up. Back-seaters also don't have a lot of space, particularly if they're tall. Harley's relatively short 63.5-inch wheelbase makes steering more responsive and improves cornering clearance slightly. The tradeoff is less space than that on a longer bike.
Despite a solid shudder right off idle, vibration wasn't a comfort issue. Rubber mounts thoroughly squelch the shakes before they reach the rider as soon as the revs rise slightly.
Riding into the mountains east of Delta, Colorado, to visit friends on my second night, I was pleased with how effectively the high beam illuminated the road and shoulders. And the instrumentation-speedo, tachometer and fuel, oil-pressure and air-temperature gauges-is well lighted and readable at night. My wish list includes a second taillight/brake-light bulb for backup if one fails. Although I think Harley's two-button turn-signal activation compromises your right hand's more important duties, I'm impressed by how well the self-cancellation system works.
Winding over 8735-foot-high McClure's Pass, nice twisty roads highlighted flaws in the Street Glide's chassis performance. The bike shimmies during high-speed (65 mph and above) cornering with changes in pressure-a bump in the road, steering inputs, a sharp change in throttle setting or a shift in rider position. The faster you go, the more forcefully it oscillates. I deliberately wiggled the handlebar to set it off at speeds up to 100 mph in a straight line, and though it never got out of hand, it took longer to stabilize than most other brands' cruisers in the same situation. I also knew just to hold a steady speed, throttle setting and cornering arc and let it settle down. Additional bumps will make it continue or amplify it, though. In my opinion, the biggest danger this creates is to startle the rider into straightening up, which could cause him to run out of his lane, especially in an off-camber corner. There are some aftermarket kits available to correct this problem, which happens in part because the swingarm attaches to the rubber-mounted engine.
I was worried the FLHX was too low to lean over adequately in corners, but although it doesn't offer as much cornering clearance as an Electra Glide, it leans farther than baggers from most other brands. The sidestand drags first, but has plenty of give. You can keep leaning until the floorboard touches. The floorboard is also the first thing down on the right.
Steering is impressively light and predictable, allowing the Street Glide to steer more responsively than most cruisers-even non-tourers. Low-speed handling is exceptionally good, and the FLHX makes U-turns on narrow roads or threads through tight spots with ease. This is one of the nicest things about the bike.
Topping 11,990-foot Loveland Pass, the temperature gauge warned that the melted snow on the road was near freezing, making me slow down and straighten up. At that altitude, I was grateful for electronic fuel injection, which better adjusts for thin air than a carburetor (which was standard in 2006, but no longer available for 2007). Though power dropped noticeably, it was still smooth and responsive and not as weakened as I'd expected. Passing traffic was still no problem. The locals may remind you that the thin air effectively decreases compression ratio, permitting fuel with lower octane.
The canyons east of Denver were the only place where the XM signal was sketchy for any period of time. It was also blocked under gas-station canopies, in tunnels, etc. It does live up to the promise of listening to the same stations from coast to coast. Above 55-60 mph, wind noise overwhelmed the audio. I could tell what song I was listening to, but I couldn't make out enough words to make news or weather stations worthwhile on the interstates. I'd add the high-output amplifier, and a taller windshield might also help.
Route 6 through the plains of eastern Colorado and Nebraska is unremarkable, and I wished for the optional $340 cruise control as I tried to maintain an even speed. It was hilly enough that the thumbwheel-operated throttle lock wouldn't do it. Throttle pressure is light and comfortable and didn't tire my hand or wrist. Smaller grip diameters would be nice, even for my size-L paws.
When I drove into a heavy rain approaching Iowa, I was thankful for the cut-down windshield, which didn't cloud my line of vision with two layers of water droplets. The rain seemed to hit from the armpits up and somewhere below the knees, but I stayed mostly dry.
Rougher roads in Illinois highlighted the Street Glide's limited rear suspension travel. The inch of rear-wheel travel it gives away (compared with the Electra Glide Standard) lowers the seat by 3.4 inches when it's unladen, but only an inch when you're sitting on it. However, the Street Glide doesn't have as much travel to absorb bumps and potholes as the other Harley Touring models. Overall, the ride at the rear was better than I expected for two inches of travel, but I still rode around bumps.
I learned to leave my helmet on with the faceshield down when unpacking the bike in the dark, as the black antenna is invisible and just at the right height to poke you in the eye. If I owned the bike, I'd put some brightly colored flag or ball on the antenna's end so I and others wouldn't be inflicted with antenna-eye syndrome. After unpacking, I'd bend the antenna under the grab strap to make sure no passersby were poked.
Just into Pennsylvania, I met another Harley rider planning to ride Route 66. His "waterproof" gloves were soaked, making me appreciate how effectively the Street Glide's fairing had been keeping rain off my gloves. I also liked the unique mirrors mounted on the backs of the wings. Besides being cleaner than long-stemmed mirrors, they provide a good view. I didn't have to worry about loosening them at their mounts when I readjusted them, and they seem to be out of harm's way if you tipped over. The only disadvantage I can see is that handlebar changes could block them.