Already ridden! The new Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special 2019
The Vivid Black paint isn't really dry yet and the new Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special 2019 model year is already ready for testing at Lake Faak.
It's very easy for me to make a general judgment about the Road Glide, I've ridden the Ultra version a lot, but I've also ridden the Special version.
Harley-Davidson is still holding back with the blatant model changes for the tourers; every year there are always smaller changes and of course improvements.
Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special engine
The 2019 model shines with the new Milwaukee-Eight 114cui V2 engine, which has 13 NM more torque than the 107cui engine. On the other hand, the new one weighs approx. 3 kg more, the power has increased by 1 hp, which is now available a little earlier at 5020 rpm (previously 5450 rpm) (data according to manufacturer).
The powerful 114cui engine now works in the Special
The 114cui engine runs very smoothly, the high torque of 163 NM has plenty of pressure from the bottom out, whether the heat development at high outside temperatures is as positive as with the 107 Milwaukee-Eight engine I unfortunately could not test in Austria.
According to the manufacturer, fuel consumption is slightly higher, but in my experience I was able to achieve a higher consumption with the Milwaukee-Eight engine even consume less gasoline than the manufacturer claims, despite driving quickly.
With a tank capacity of 22.7 liters and a fuel consumption of approx. 6 liters, these are ideal conditions for a tourer.
The differences between the Road Glide Special and the Street Glide Special
The difference between these models is the cladding and the lighting.
While the fairing of the Road Glide Special is fixed to the frame, the fairing of the Street Glide is attached to the handlebars and thus moves with the steering movements, resulting in a weight difference of approx. 15 kilos on the handlebars.
The cockpit is determined by taste
The cockpit is designed differently, the wind protection is also ok, you can still feel the wind. The windshield is more of a narrow lip on both versions.
It can also be replaced later with a larger lens, such as the Ultra version, but this only makes sense for long tours or problems with turbulence on the helmet.
The turbulence settles at some point when you have finally found the right riding position on the bike, and anyone who has ridden the first 100 kilometers on them will notice how you slowly adjust your position behind the fairing and sink in a little.
I couldn't find a real explanation for this either, but it was never due to the helmet or the windshield, but only to my posture when I had a lot of turbulence on the helmet.
The LED reflector LEDs on the Road Glide are unbeatable
The biggest difference is the lighting: the Road Glide Special is fitted with double reflector LEDs, whereas the Street Glide can only be fitted with the additional spotlights available as accessories.
This is a very big safety factor for me, the double LEDs simply look cool and have illuminated my way in the most remote corners of Europe so far and continue to inspire me.
The new Boom! Box GTS infotainment system
If you have a thing for technology, you'll love the new Boom! Box GTS.
The navigation system finally runs smoothly and is displayed in full color, Apple Car Play and the digital radio system have also been introduced, and the sound comes from slightly larger speakers, but this is not visually noticeable.
The display is very easy to read
I was able to read the display very well even in strong sunlight, the entire operation is clearer and has certainly become easier for many people.
The display can be operated by touch, and multilingual voice recognition also enables control with voice commands, or conveniently via switches on the left and right of the handlebars.
This was already possible in the BoomBox II, but now everything looks a little nicer and what is particularly good is the processor and more power for smoother data processing.
Take a look at my video on YouTube.
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More InformationExternal web link to Harley-Davidson
