[Tray]

Hello all,
I am thinking of purchasing a Harley. I currently ride a 1100 sport touring bike. Of the HD bikes I have seen I like the Road Glide the best I believe.
How do you like yours? What do you like/dislike about it? Any known problems?
How does it handle? Is it comfortable for a passenger?
I usually ride single but the wife usually takes short day trips and maybe 2-3 long rides each year (more than 500 mile trip)
I rode around 34000 miles last year. I would like to buy a 2001 or maybe a 2002 model to keep the price down.
I have been told that you can get teh tour pack with quick connects to enhance the passengers comfort level. Do any of you use this?
Any and all info much appreciated!

Thanks,
Tray

 

[HIPPO]

Best kept secret in Harleydom. It truly is the best bike Harley makes and most of the factory engineers and serious racers choose this model, including WillieG. LOL

I would strongly suggest a 02 over a 01, as there were significant changes, but after seeing the 03 colors they might be very hard to come by.

Yes, you can add all the equipment from the Electra Glides.

The only real bit(h is the fit and finish of some of the fairing parts and the poor headlites.

 

[Sidewalk]

[embarrassment]I rode passenger on one a while ago.[/embarrassment]

I sat on back of my friensds for about 30 miles from my work to the dealer to pick up my bike. I was really surprised on how comfortable it was! Rode like a Caddy, great tone, comfy seat (mind you, I ride an X1), looks great, runs great, and damn you gotta love that cruise control.

My wife gets a new bike next, so it will be awhile before I get mine, but that is what I have in mind. I just can't decide on whether I want the Road Glide, or an Electra Glide, damn tough decision. Sucks that I have to wait several years before I get the chance to find out.

 

[Tray]

Good info all.
Hippo, where can I find the differences between the the model years?

Thanks,
Tray

 

[HIPPO]

They are mostly chassis differences. Much stronger swing arm, larger rear axle, retuned engine mounts, in short a much stiffer bike that handles much better. If you go for the EFI they also have the Delphi injection as opposed to the 01's that had the old Marelli.

The front forks also have what HD calls cartridge legs, actually only one of them is a cartridge and the other is conventional, but there is a significant difference in feel.

The rest, unless I forget something right now, are just running production updates, but for example the 02 engines are much quieter then the previous ones as they started using the "B" lifters, and some materials where revised in the sealing of the oiling system. Just the sort of stuff you find when you take them apart as they will not tell you about it.


A week ago it would have been easy, but they already have the 03 bikes on their website.

 

[yzf996fxdwg]

picked up a 2002 road glide a couple of weeks ago and me and my girl did a 2500 mile trip down to Carmel CA from Vancouver Canada. After my wide glide this bike was a dream. Highly reccomended. Handles great very comfy (back seat with backrest and luggage rack was good too). Could use some more power but that is in the works. The EFI motor was great for all the elevation changes we went through. Good luck!

 

[hdsplace]

have an 02 road glide, bought new have 36,000 on it, not one problem..none...period. Rode to sturgis from NC 2 years. Its slick and very strong stock, mine is carb and will beat the EFI by 1/4 tank gas. Only basic concerns are the gauges (fuel, oil, etc) will eventually fog up on you. I've replaced mine twice. Speedo and tack are no problem. Run a taller windsheild, the air buffs the passenger more than my Ultra. I agree with the above..the 02 is the better year, geared lower, but will fly.

 

[PR3VS56]

Well... 6 years later, what the heck!! Oh it's great, go ahead and get yourself one (if you're still alive).

 

[PastorJohn]

Wow - I just looked at the dates of the original post! Haven't seen or heard of that fellow around, and with just 4 posts, looks like he might have come and gone. That's the problem with Road Glides - you take off to go down to the corner store for a quart of milk and end up across the country on tour!

 

[2005fltri]

have an 05 roadie it can be dressed up to a full tourer or dressed down to a sleak
dragster in about 3 minutes if you use detachable tour pack.
runs great down the interstate at 80 plus if you choose to and there is a place for that
toll booth transponder on the windshield.

Brian

 

[dog155]

I'm predudice,the FLH/FLT family of Harleys for me are the best choice.First off,love the look dressed,but also without the bags and stuff when the need for speed hits.These can be made to be very fast with big inch motors and can be serious sleepers.

 

[bacon225]

He bought the bike took off to the corner store for a gallon of milk and was never heard from again.

Talk about bringing a thread back from the dead.

 

[Gary37601]

Road Glide

Well I don't own one but I rented one for a day and here is my take on it (for what little it is worth). I was riding a 1800 Goldwing at the time which is like a big sport bike (yes, it handles that well) so I wanted to see how the RG would do after reading so much about it. I picked it up and went straight to Deal's Gap (the Dragon). I have to say I was impressed. I rode it almost as fast as I could on the Wing but I did have to work a bit harder to do so but you have to remember that the Wing has killer brakes and that single sided frame (almost no flex) which makes it pretty easy to go into the turns pretty hot, take off some speed and not have the bike flex much if any. I would suspect a good rider on the RG could go as fast thru it as I'd ever want to go. In real world riding I really liked it. Took it on the interstate and it felt better to be behind trucks than I remember from riding my friend's Ultra (which I also like). I think it need a taller windshield as I did get knocked around some (the faring is farther away from you than a Ultra). Lots don't like the shark nose faring but I sort of do (not like everyone else in the parking lot). I wish it came with the trunk like the Ultra as I really like that. You can add one but of course more money. What 1100 sport touring bike are you on now? I ride a FJr but have had 2 ST1100's and a ST1300 (love sport touring bikes).

Gary

 

[Road Glider]

This thread is great. A blast from the past so to speak.

My first RG was an '02 I really enjoyed that bike. Here is a pic of her.

 

[MountainMan]

Some people must get a perverse kind of pleasure from digging up 6 year old posts and then watching innocent people respond in all seriousness.

Maybe Tray has been holding out all these years for the 09 SERG? :hystria:

MM

 

[sifularson]

I have over 10K on mine in a year. I have mine set up for 2up distance riding. I've actually turned mine into an "tour glide." Keep in mind that it takes time, money, and effort to do that. Otherwise you should just buy an Ultra and be done with it.

I also had a SERT/dyno tune done along with the stage 1 to cure the lean run/heat issue.

Just got back from a 150 mile ride. Love the bike.
Steve

 

[nytryder]

Leaving for Wisconsin soon. Just got back from S Carolina. Kind of a tune up trip. Added Tour Pack and Sundowner seat w/ 1" memory foam. The stock 08 seat is a real POS! Averaging 45-50 MPG and very pleased w bike so far.

 

[GreatEscape]

RoadGlide

The FLTRI is the true mothership of the H-D line. The Electraglide is the nostalgia bike, but the RoadGlide has it all. :clap: