10
I managed to get about 50 miles on the Street Glide yesterday. Got so damned ramped up about it, I didn't even realize I forgot to grab my helmet until I was about 15 miles from home. Good stuff...
Remember, after essentially not riding street for about five years I went out and bought a Low Rider towards the end of last summer. Fun bike, took some getting used to, but I only logged about 600-700 miles on it. The first time I put Big Shirl on the back, I knew I made the wrong choice. But in my defense, she originally said she had no interest on being on the back of a motorcycle any longer when I was looking. The only other complaint would be lack of luggage options that appealed to me. Almost immediately, I was keeping my eyes open for something more tour worthy. If nothing else, that Low Rider definitely put the spark back in me that I REALLY needed to get back on the street. No bad memories there.
The Milwaukee-8 107 pulls like a tractor. From the moment the clutch is engaged to as high as I desired to stretch the RPM's, that fucker just pulled & pulled. Not that I was setting to break any land speed records or win any holeshots, but the torque curve is amazing (claimed 110+ lb. ft.) and didn't really hit a flat spot in any RPM range I took it. Very impressive.
The hydraulic clutch is very abrupt. There's no in between, it's either engaged or not. And once you release that lever, you're well underway. The slipper clutch is a nice touch and should help avoid that typical dickhead crackling and popping on downshifts, not to mention control any wheel chatter. Clutch feel is great though and even though hydraulic, it still takes a bit more effort than I would have expected.
Throttle response is spot on. No choppiness at low speeds and super responsive. The fuel injection was seemless throughout, even when trying to fuck with it a bit by chopping it, rolling on sharply, etc. Very impressed at the low end response and lack of jerkiness. It seems to pull through the RPM range with little effort.
I didn't really get to put the linked ABS Brembos to any real test, but I couldn't really feel the linking. The duel discs up front have pretty fuckin' good stopping power, and the single disc out back compliments the fronts perfectly. Rather than rely on simply using one lever over the other, I preferred to use both as usual. Maybe that's why I couldn't really feel the linked characteristics? I dunno, maybe that's the point of linked brakes. I have never really looked into it.
Acceleration was tons more than I could have ever expected. Again, I wasn't going for the holeshot into turn 1, but I got a chance to launch from one of the few traffic lights in my area. By the time I was mid-range in 3rd gear, I actually laughingly yelled out loud "holy fuck!". It wasn't earth shattering by any means, but it was incredibly impressive. Sure, maybe I was expecting less. But it accelerates much stronger than I was expecting. On the roads I was on, 5th gear at 60MPH was effortless. Pop it into 6th at that speed and you've just wasted your time - kick it back down to 5th.
Much like the brakes, I didn't really get to put the suspension nor handling in general thru any real test. I guess the suspension was one of the things that got the work-over for my year. Hydrualic preload for the rear and Showa's then new valving for the front. I did get to hit one of our traffic circles at a decent speed in 2nd gear. Truth be told, I was curious as to whether I could scrape the floorboard. Nope, not this time. Other than that, not much to report. Although maneuvering at low speeds is going to take some work and getting used to.
The ergo's are almost perfect for me. It's an easy reach to the stock handlebars, and combined with the seating position keeps my back nice & upright. The floorboards are just about just where I need them to keep my knees bent to a comfortable position. The rear brake lever is a bit awkward though and you really need to bend your ankle at a weird angle if you leave your heel on the floorboard. The front portion of the heel/toe shifter is a bit long for me. I may have to look into something shorter, time will tell.
Even at my height, I'll be installing a taller windscreen soon. I was kind of expecting the worse, but buffeting wasn't bad. I only got it up to about 80MPH for a short stretch, but given the speed limit was 40-50 I figured I wouldn't push it just yet. But a taller windscreen is a must. I found it incredibly comfortable, although I fully expected that.
I didn't really bother fucking around much with the radio/infotainment/nav/blah-blah-blah. Honestly, that's at the bottom of the list. But it seems comparable to any car or truck system I've used, so other than getting used to the thumb controls, it should be pretty self-explanatory.
All in all, I'm happy with my choice. It'll definitely take some getting used to - it ain't no daisy. This thing weighs about double of any sportbike I've ever owned, so I definitely need seat time. Big Shirl already bought her backrest and is looking at tour packs. She actually had A LOT to do with my choice this time - yeah, she decided she liked being on the back again. I was originally looking at used Sport Glides, but she hated the passenger seating position - it does kinda leave her up there,so this is where we're at.
Will it keep the spark going? Absolutely. Comfort is huge for me and not being sore or in pain means the world. This puts my back where I need it, with very little feedback up through the chassis. With my knees at a comfy greater than 90 degrees, I can last all day on it. Can't wait for the weather. That little blast yesterday has me wanting more, and I mean NOW.