2017 Harley-Davidson Road Glide, Road King review, test ride

While navigation this motorcycle through crowded streets and narrow alleys there is an overwhelming sense of being a whale in an aquarium, but out in the ocean or the open highways so to speak, this bike personifies all things Harley-Davidson. The weight and the cumbersomeness all melt away. The generous seat, the footboards and the ergonomics make it feel like a brilliantly balanced armchair on two wheels. The new engine is definitely more refined with an almost buttery feel to it as it accelerates through the rev range. The distinct Harley burble is still there but it I could hear it rather than feel it, and that is quite an indication about how much smoother this engine really is. And the bags of torque and rapid acceleration for what is essentially a 387kg motorcycle are very creditable. This bike is on song cruising at about 120kph and on an open stretch of road, opening the throttle up will have the speedo sweep on past 160kph.

I was riding the Road Glide on that section of NH8, between Ajmer and Udaipur, where the road goes through a series of delightful corners and it became at once apparent that on this bike that is meant to cruise on straight highways there is a knack to tackling corners. You can really lean into a corner hard as long as you continue smooth throttle input into, through and out of the corner. The first few times trepidation might strike mid-corner and cause you to lift off and brake but the ABS is in its element precisely for moments like this and there are no surprises waiting for you around the corner so to speak. While the torque on this engine lets you be lazy about gearshifts, the new slip and assist clutch also allows rapid yet smooth gear changes with no jarring thunks or false neutrals.

The new suspension (featuring Showa dual-bending valves in the front forks and an easier preload adjustment system in the rear suspension) is good for fantastic handling of this behemoth, though I found it a little too stiff especially on sections of highway where tar has creased into ripples thanks to the hot Rajasthani summer. Big potholes do cause a jarring thud. This is also partly due to the low profile tyres featured on the bike.

2017 Road King

I hopped off the Road Glide and jumped onto the new Road King with the Milwaukee Eight engine, and within a few kilometres I was convinced that I would pick the Road King over the Road Glide. Even though the Road Glide featured a Screamin’ Eagle pro-tune package that made it sharper in acceleration and quicker in pace than the stock Road King, the latter feels like a more sorted motorcycle over long distances. The suspension is a tad softer, I liked the unrestricted view since there was no infotainment console, and the Plexiglas windshield largely reduced wind buffeting. Besides that, I prefer that sense of barebones long-distance motorcycling that the Road King exudes. Comfortable seat, a good smooth engine, well positioned handlebars and two wheels – no other complexities.

In tune with its tradition of staying away measuring 0 to 100 runs in seconds, Harley claims that the Milwaukee Eight Road King will beat the older Road King by 2 to 3 bike lengths in a 0 to 100kph dash.