Street Glide Special First Impressions

[01xj]

I ordered some of those cheap XMFT brand lowers off amazon. They showed up yesterday and I fit one side this morning. Shockingly, they were packed extremely well. Finish on the outside vivid black side is fantastic. Mounted up easily and the snaps on the little storage area are somewhat robust. Overall, for something that's going to take a ton of rock hits I think they were a good deal for 65$. Over winter I plan to pull them back off and rattle can them to match my paint.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[JohnnyV]

Put those on mine, just with the speaker pods instead of storage. Really good quality considering price.

[Stoneman]

I ordered some of those cheap XMFT brand lowers off amazon. They showed up yesterday and I fit one side this morning. Shockingly, they were packed extremely well. Finish on the outside vivid black side is fantastic. Mounted up easily and the snaps on the little storage area are somewhat robust. Overall, for something that's going to take a ton of rock hits I think they were a good deal for 65$. Over winter I plan to pull them back off and rattle can them to match my paint.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Good to know!

[Stoneman]

Nothing more to add other than after a month or so of some really trying family shit, I hit the 7000 mile mark. After pretty much sitting while we dealt with some shit, I finally got myself to get it out. It sat long enough that the battery wouldn't spin the engine, but it only took a few minutes on the tender to thumb it to life. In the few weeks it sat idle, I almost forgot how much I love the thing. So much so, I decided to order new lids for the saddlebags so I can add speakers to them.

Between hunting trips to the props this weekend, it'll finally get a good bathing. By the following week I'll have all the fluids dumped & changed.

[01xj]

I went to swap wheels a few days ago. Wanted to go with mag wheels as I prefer the look over spokes. Also don't particularly like cleaning chrome or needing to tighten/ true a spoke wheel. Go to put it on and the axle doesn't go through. Started doing some research and come to find out harley used 3 different sized axles/ spacer/ bearing combos. So I guess now it's off to find a bearing driver set, new bearings and spacers. The part that kills me is that it's off by millimeters. I have a 1 inch axle (25.4mm) and the new wheel/ tire is a 25mm set up. The 25mm is 0.984252 inches.

[Stoneman]

I went to swap wheels a few days ago. Wanted to go with mag wheels as I prefer the look over spokes. Also don't particularly like cleaning chrome or needing to tighten/ true a spoke wheel. Go to put it on and the axle doesn't go through. Started doing some research and come to find out harley used 3 different sized axles/ spacer/ bearing combos. So I guess now it's off to find a bearing driver set, new bearings and spacers. The part that kills me is that it's off by millimeters. I have a 1 inch axle (25.4mm) and the new wheel/ tire is a 25mm set up. The 25mm is 0.984252 inches.

Yeah, I've learned swapping wheels on Harleys isn't necessarily a plug & play thing. Thankfully, I haven't learned the hard way!

Although, I really like the look of laced wheels...

[01xj]

Yours if you want them.

[Stoneman]

Yours if you want them.

Thanks man. But I LOVE the enforcer wheels on my Street Glide.

[PinHead]

I was bummed mine didn’t have laced wheels!

[loudbeard]

Did the memes thread go away? Anyway, I made this special for it so I guess this is the next logical spot.

[Stoneman]

Did the memes thread go away? Anyway, I made this special for it so I guess this is the next logical spot.

So true. It drives me fuckin' nuts. I yell at people I'm with when they pull that shit.

[GearHd6]

That's hilarious. It's funny though, nothing sounds better than a Harley just lumping away at idle, especially and old carbed models. Then they ruin it by cracking revs every 2 seconds like it's going to quit if they don't.

[Stoneman]

That's hilarious. It's funny though, nothing sounds better than a Harley just lumping away at idle, especially and old carbed models. Then they ruin it by cracking revs every 2 seconds like it's going to quit if they don't.

A lot of the knuckleheads that do that have no idea that they are designed to run that way. Part of that POTATO-POTATO-POTATO sound is because on every stroke it "wastes" a spark. It's part of the design!

Then you have the other ones that just like to shake every vehicle at every intersection. Drives me fuckin' nuts!

[nhbubba]

Wasted spark isn't unique to Harley. My SV is a wasted spark design too. I'm told most are.

Maybe I just suck at all things. But I find it a lot easier to get underway from a stand-still if I give it a blip before engaging the clutch. The clutch is stiff, heavy. And there is just so much flywheel effect to that motor. It doesn't want to get off idle when loaded.

I find a blip is almost mandatory to wake it up if it is a hot day and the cylinder deactivation is active.

[Stoneman]

Wasted spark isn't unique to Harley. My SV is a wasted spark design too. I'm told most are.

Maybe I just suck at all things. But I find it a lot easier to get underway from a stand-still if I give it a blip before engaging the clutch. The clutch is stiff, heavy. And there is just so much flywheel effect to that motor. It doesn't want to get off idle when loaded.

I find a blip is almost mandatory to wake it up if it is a hot day and the cylinder deactivation is active.

I quick little blip on take off doesn't bother me. It's when they sit there cracking the throttle constantly while stopped. Or when they use the clutch & throttle like they're taking off in a semi.

I have yet to use the cylinder deactivation. The heat from the M8 hasn't bothered me yet and Big Shirl's only make a couple comments on it.

[nhbubba]

My 103 is very hot. Honestly I was warned about heat from all kinds of motorcycles, even the FJR and 1290-ADV. But I think the 103 is exceptional here. My friend that upgraded from a 103 TC to a 107 M8 commented that the heat is much less of a factor. And I believe he had de-catted his 103 as well. I understand why they added the deactivation feature, especially for warmer climates.

I still like to tickle the throttle now and then, even at a stop. I lack maturity.

All that said I have an entirely stock exhaust and fueling systems. I strongly doubt that my bike and I are the droids those memes are looking for.

[Stoneman]

HUGE difference between this and the Low Rider I had for a short while. That fucker was hot and the few times she was on the back, she hated that (among many other things). She was only on it a few times, but even in the autumn she'd mention how hot it was. She's only mentioned it a couple times on the Street Glide, but she says it's nothing like the Low Rider.

The heat hasn't really bothered me. It bothers me less than my TL-R in fact. And I did a good bit of riding this summer.

[Stoneman]

It seems as though Harley merch as gifts is very much a thing. I've bought myself ONE Harley shirt, ONE Harley hoodie, and ONE Harley textile jacket (all on clearance). Yet between Father's Day, Chanukah, and my birthday I have a draw full of Harley shirts, a Harley button down "shop shirt", and a pile of Harley hoodies. I guess once you buy one everyone thinks it's the go-to gift.

I get the thing where people give you shirts from other dealerships. I actually think that's pretty cool. But holy shit!

[FriskyDingo]

Well if you're luck perhaps you'll receive one of these for fathers day:

[Stoneman]

Well if you're luck perhaps you'll receive one of these for fathers day:

You wouldn't catch me with one of those!

[Stoneman]

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.

All I'm finding in the ME888's are Ultra Marathons. Is that the same tire? I'd really like to get these ordered before it's too late and they're all on backorder!

[nhbubba]

Yes. Same tire : https://www.metzeler.com/en-us/produ...marathon-ultra

I agree with Sheppo; good tire. Have a front mounted now and will look to put one on the rear soon as well.

[Stoneman]

Yes. Same tire : https://www.metzeler.com/en-us/produ...marathon-ultra

I agree with Sheppo; good tire. Have a front mounted now and will look to put one on the rear soon as well.

I'm gonna just g'head and order the set now before they disappear.

[nhbubba]

Where'd you find a good price? I may as well hit go as well.

[Stoneman]

Where'd you find a good price? I may as well hit go as well.

$375 at RevZilla (19" front wheel). All the usuals were pretty much the same - some included shipping, some didn't. But a lot of places had them on backorder. I didn't want to be left jumping through hoops to get them, so I just did it.