Street Glide Special First Impressions

[Stoneman]

Love mine, I put my slim EZPASS transponder in one of the side pouches, cell phone in the middle, keys and random shit in the other side

Do the receivers pick up the EZPass or do you just yank it out when needed?

EDIT: Yeah, I saw it after I posted it...

[JohnnyV]

Do the receivers pick up the EZPass or do you just yank it out when needed?

EDIT: Yeah, I saw it after I posted it...

I take it out

[Stoneman]

Nothing new to add, but I hit the 6000 mile mark on my way to work this morning. That's about 5000 more miles than I did the last five years combined when I had a sportbike.

[01xj]

I really want to take my tour pack off but it's so freakin useful. Went to the store to make brunch for the famiky plus my father in law. Took the bike and a dozen eggs survived in the trunk. Ordered salads and sides from takeout tonight. Picked it up on the bike. Last week I picked up dry cleaning on it. Folded it once and everything fit in the trunk.

[Stoneman]

I really want to take my tour pack off but it's so freakin useful. Went to the store to make brunch for the famiky plus my father in law. Took the bike and a dozen eggs survived in the trunk. Ordered salads and sides from takeout tonight. Picked it up on the bike. Last week I picked up dry cleaning on it. Folded it once and everything fit in the trunk.

A tour pack is the next thing I'ma looking into. I absolutely HATE how they look on bikes, so quick detach is a must. But Big Shirl feels the need to take every fuckin' jacket she owns on every single ride as well as pack the saddle bag cooler. I find myself quickly running out of space when she's along.

[Stoneman]

Oh, I hit 6700 miles this morning on my way to work. I don't think I'll hit the 10,000 mark that I once bragged to my friends about, but 7500 will be easily doable.

Turns out the Bluetooth connects really quickly automatically to the phone. But for some reason it still takes forever to access the media files on it. I also fixed the latch on the media door on the inner fairing that holds the phone. Amazingly, it was only a $5.00 part. You basically just break the existing latch assembly, let if fall out and push this one in. Good as new.

Now the search for tires & fluids for a servicing. I got it with 5000 miles on it, so it's basically overdo for it's 10,000 mile do up (currently sits at 11,700). Servicing seems pretty simple & straight up though.

[union]

Now the search for tires & fluids for a servicing. I got it with 5000 miles on it, so it's basically overdo for it's 10,000 mile do up (currently sits at 11,700). Servicing seems pretty simple & straight up though.

You'd think so but after all it's a Harley. The oil filter sucks to remove. Just be prepaid to make a mess. Draining the engine oil, primary oil and transmission oil is pretty straight forward. Refilling can be interesting especially the primary. They make a special funnel for it which I have that does make it less messy.

[nhbubba]

Metzler ME888 seems to be the crowd favorite if you push the bike in any way, shape or form. I always say brakes and tires are the two places I choose to screw around the least. So until I hear of a higher performance tire for these things I'll be running those. I chucked the factory dunlop front at like 10k miles. Now the rear looks done too at like 13k. I expected the tires to last a lot longer.

I just took mine for a hardware store rip then the twisty way home. Still love mine.

This years blingage upgrade was OE heated grips. They are marvelous.

[JohnnyV]

Oh, I hit 6700 miles this morning on my way to work. I don't think I'll hit the 10,000 mark that I once bragged to my friends about, but 7500 will be easily doable.

Turns out the Bluetooth connects really quickly automatically to the phone. But for some reason it still takes forever to access the media files on it. I also fixed the latch on the media door on the inner fairing that holds the phone. Amazingly, it was only a $5.00 part. You basically just break the existing latch assembly, let if fall out and push this one in. Good as new.

Now the search for tires & fluids for a servicing. I got it with 5000 miles on it, so it's basically overdo for it's 10,000 mile do up (currently sits at 11,700). Servicing seems pretty simple & straight up though.

You'd think so but after all it's a Harley. The oil filter sucks to remove. Just be prepaid to make a mess. Draining the engine oil, primary oil and transmission oil is pretty straight forward. Refilling can be interesting especially the primary. They make a special funnel for it which I have that does make it less messy.

Yea not bad at all. First time you do it, it's a WTF moment but then you get used to it. If possible, get a filter with a nut on the end of it as getting a strap wrench or cup on the end of the filter is a bitch. And I use a funnel with a hose on the bottom which makes filling a lot easier.

[jasnmar]

Tires, if you go with the M888s use the care when ordering.
Some guys on the GL forums have confused the 180/60 R and the 180/60 B (and I don't know what type of ply these need, or what size, but know the Meltzer makes both radial and bias ply tires in the same size) and you shouldn't swap them without knowing what you are doing (I don't know what I'm doing).

[nhbubba]

Well I'll be. I never realized I was riding bias ply tires. But I am!
Seems bias tires are spec'ed for both ends of my RK.
Maybe that's why they don't last.

[01xj]

This might be a little knit picky but whatever. I bought the HD oil filter wrench for my bike (88cu/in). It has a small cutout that one of the oil lines fits into when unscrewing the filter. That only allows you to turn it about 1/8 of a turn at a time. Kind of a pain in the ass since the way I've found to make the least amount of mess is to spin it off quickly and just get it outta there. The first time I did it, the oil poured out as soon as I broke the seal and the filter wrench got stuck on the line. Made quite a mess. I'll probably switch to K&N filters with the nut on them to make it easier.

[JohnnyV]

This might be a little knit picky but whatever. I bought the HD oil filter wrench for my bike (88cu/in). It has a small cutout that one of the oil lines fits into when unscrewing the filter. That only allows you to turn it about 1/8 of a turn at a time. Kind of a pain in the ass since the way I've found to make the least amount of mess is to spin it off quickly and just get it outta there. The first time I did it, the oil poured out as soon as I broke the seal and the filter wrench got stuck on the line. Made quite a mess. I'll probably switch to K&N filters with the nut on them to make it easier.

I got in the habit of draining the pan first and then waiting 5 or so minutes before touching the filter.

[Sheppo]

Metzler ME888 seems to be the crowd favorite if you push the bike in any way, shape or form. I always say brakes and tires are the two places I choose to screw around the least. So until I hear of a higher performance tire for these things I'll be running those. I chucked the factory dunlop front at like 10k miles. Now the rear looks done too at like 13k. I expected the tires to last a lot longer.

I just took mine for a hardware store rip then the twisty way home. Still love mine.

I am a HUGE fan of the Metzler ME888 I ran a lot of different tires on my bike and a few years ago settled on these. They are incredible for making the 900lb ballerina dance. I am at the end of life on this pair, I'll get the rest of the season out of these, but I put 150 miles on yesterday and I still have confidence in them when I am leaned over on the throttle. I have convinced others to try them and have converted them over. You typically can get a good price on them if you watch for sales.
Bubba, I get about 11-13k and replace them as a set.

[nhbubba]

Sheppo, your opinion was pretty easy to back up through other channels. You aren't alone. Your comments are part of why I bought 'em. I've ridden Metzeler tires in other applications and been happy with them too. So it wasn't a jump for me.

11-13k is underwhelming though. I think I expected twice that. At least from the front.

But that is what it is. The dunlops seem to be wearing as fast if not faster. I had a very new looking rear on when I took delivery @ 4k miles. I think they replaced the original tire before I bought the bike. So I now have just under 10k on that dunlop rear and it is nearly done.

[Stoneman]

I have almost 12K on the factory Dunlops - no complaint on the mileage really. But I'm always up for trying something new.

A friend has all the necessary do-dads & tools to cleanly & effectively do the fluid changes.

Shepp - do you run bias or radials?

[Sheppo]

I have almost 12K on the factory Dunlops - no complaint on the mileage really. But I'm always up for trying something new.

A friend has all the necessary do-dads & tools to cleanly & effectively do the fluid changes.

Shepp - do you run bias or radials?

Radials.

I do tend to ride harder than most on my rolling couch.

[nhbubba]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/4895...60257854131659

Used HD heated grips for $50. I wish I'd paid that little. I just installed these a week or so ago. They are toasty.

[01xj]

Sheppo- How the ME 888's in the rain? I rode most every day this summer to work and then if it rained, I just rode home in the rain. I will probably be doing tires over the winter or early spring and was going with either the ME 888's or the Michelin Commander III's.

[Sheppo]

Sheppo- How the ME 888's in the rain? I rode most every day this summer to work and then if it rained, I just rode home in the rain. I will probably be doing tires over the winter or early spring and was going with either the ME 888's or the Michelin Commander III's.

they are great in the rain. I have never felt more confident in a tire. They have come out with a long distance ME 888 I have not tried it yet. I will need tires next season and plan on trying it out then.

[nhbubba]

Radials.

I do tend to ride harder than most on my rolling couch.

Are radials spec for your setup? My book says bias belted for everything it covers (2014 FLHxx).

What do we know about switching to radials?

[Sheppo]

Are radials spec for your setup? My book says bias belted for everything it covers (2014 FLHxx).

What do we know about switching to radials?

I'd have to look now I guess. I am not sure, I thought I was using radials but maybe not. I'll run out at lunch and check.

[Stoneman]

I'd have to look now I guess. I am not sure, I thought I was using radials but maybe not. I'll run out at lunch and check.

???

[Sheppo]

???

yea I still haven't checked.. LOL They are black, round and stick to pavement when I want them to.
Its home in the garage, I'm at my desk at work, there is a pretty good chance I'll forget to check when I get home too.... Stay tuned

[Stoneman]

yea I still haven't checked.. LOL They are black, round and stick to pavement when I want them to.
Its home in the garage, I'm at my desk at work, there is a pretty good chance I'll forget to check when I get home too.... Stay tuned

Sounds like a typical answer from ME!