My 2012 Gold Wing is in the shop, having experienced a pulse generator failure just as we were ready to roll out for a 3- for 4-day cruise. This is a big shop job to repair, so not something I can fix in my garage.
Unwilling to concede a day's riding, I spent yesterday afternoon on a 2018 Harley-Davidson FXLR Low-Rider Classic, rented from our local Eagle Rider establishment. (The Road King Classic I'd reserved on the website turned out to be unavailable, so this was the only option.)
Other than the availability glitch, the reservation process was professional and easy. I'd called my insurance company, Erie, and confirmed that my motorcycle policy covered rental bikes just like my auto policy, so I declined the supplemental offers. Thus I was required to provide a $5000 deposit, to be refunded upon return.
I chose a 160-mile country route that's very familiar, a loop from Fairfax County VA to Boonsboro MD and home via Charlestown WV. Except I accidentally did it backwards, because... umm, well, there was no GPS to alert me when my turn arrived as I was contemplating how different this ride is from my normal ride :-). The route included a variety of lovely easy-ride 2-lane roads, a few narrow unlined roads through the woods, and a 10-mile stretch of 65 mph 4-lane. My impressions of the ride fall into two categories: the machine; the ride.
First, the machine. This retro-looking machine has thoroughly modern components with keyless start, electronic ignition; the new "Milwaukee-8" water-cooled 107 cu in (1746 cc) engine; monoshock rear suspension that preserves the retro hardtail look; a small multifunction display that cycles through all the display modes; a security system; LED headlight (one each); and, on this model, ABS braking. It features throttle-by-wire. It weighs 633 pounds so it feels like a toy compared to my 900-pound Gold Wing. At 64.2 inches, the wheelbase is more than two inches shorter than the Wing's. Seat height is 26.2 inches, deserving of the moniker "Low Rider."
This model as equipped had only a vestigial passenger seat, no fairing or windshield, and absolutely zero storage capacity, not even a place for the registration card. (The emailed contract from EagleRider served that function.)
Finally, the ride. The big twin engine rumbled to life instantly when pressing the start button. A loping, irregular engine firing sequence is a characteristic of Harley-Davidson engines at rest, but it was only by the end of ride that I actually didn't worry about whether it would stay running at a stoplight! I found it smoother than I expected but after more than four hours my hands were tingling. It's a very strong-running machine with tons of low-end torque and an extremely a favorable power-to-weight ratio. When I cranked hard on the throttle, the visceral deep-down shake of two big cylinders accompanied by the characteristic authoritative growl from the exhaust was exhilarating and, I suppose, one of the things that H-D riders cherish about their rides. I liked that part of it. A lot. The hand tingling, not so much.
Throttle tip-in is very gentle but responsive. One thing I didn't like was the stiffness of throttle rotation, which made it difficult to feather the throttle to make tiny adjustments. I kept overshooting and correcting. Steering is quicker than the Wing (rake is almost the same at near 30 degrees, but trail is several inches greater because of the bigger 19" wheel with a higher-profile tire.) I found it eager to attack curves but it didn't stay in its lane with the same relaxed line driven by the Wing.
I was baffled by the suspension. It was much stiffer than I'm accustomed to, yet it was surprisingly forgiving and never harsh. For a bike of this design (whatever that means), I think they probably got it right. The monoshock rear suspension is adjustable but I didn't mess with it.
Seating position of a cruiser, with forward-placed footpegs and higher handlebar positioning, is so much different from my upright long-distance touring position that I can't even describe it. In riding position, the seat curves up around the lower part of the back for support. At first the riding position felt uncomfortable but four hours later, without a single break, I was still doing ok, although my butt was a little numb. It wouldn't work for me for all-day, multi-day riding that comprises most of my trips.
Other than my teen-age years, my entire riding career has been behind a fairing. Since then, this was my first exposure to road speeds with no wind protection. I'd put in a pair of ear plugs from a set my wife had gotten back in the day when I was a snorer (that's another story) but even so the wind noise was intense. I have a Shoei RF-1100 helmet, which is generally considered to be an excellent noise-damping helmet. But even at 40 mph it drowned out the puny horn on this bike, and at 65 mph on the 4-lane stretch, it was distractingly, annoyingly, loud, filling my whole dimension of conscious thought. If I had a bike like this, even if I only did Saturday afternoon cruising, wind protection would be the very first thing I would need to add.
It was a fun afternoon and I enjoyed the different experience. But there was nothing about the ride that I enjoyed more than I would on my Wing. The Harley-Davidson big-twin sound was fun. For an afternoon. I didn't enjoy the wind noise but that's not a negative attribute of the bike, it's just physics that can easily be fixed. I can see why riders have a great degree of loyalty to Milwaukee Iron. I had a fine afternoon cruise. I'll be glad to get back my Wing, with its cruise control, GPS system, XM Radio/Traffic/Weather, well equipped to head out on the Long Road.
