The Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special, first introduced six years ago, is one of the best all-round big cc tourers on the market. We take the 2023 model in Baja Orange and crank up the volume...
The mighty Road Glide Special is one of our all-time favourite two wheelers here at BikeReview HQ. Over the past few years we have tested the Special, the ST and done a Road Glide V Street Glide comparison. Now we have the latest 2023 Special in for review…
Out on the open road, soaking up the miles, not a care in the world. This is the place to be on the Road Glide Special…
The FLTRXS Road Glide Special comes in at $43,995 Ride Away this year and has been a touring hit since it was introduced six years ago. With power to match the size, lots of luxury comforts and stacks of style, the Glide is popular. Now with RDRS since 2021 (Reflex Defensive Rider System) standard here in Australia, the Road Glide Special is jam packed with goodies.
Still powered by the stunning Milwaukee-Eight 114 V-Twin, with 120ft-lbs of torque and long, wide gears, the Road Glide Special is fast, flowing and satisfying to ride. It is also well equipped with a multi-language multi-function analogue and digital full colour TFT display, handlebar mounted controls, central screen, Boom Box 6.5GT audio system with GPS and touchscreen, charging port in fairing, LED lighting all around, Cruise, Cornering ABS, Traction Control, Hill Hold, and Torque Slip Control.
Our stunning press bike was in the Baja Orange Chrome Finish. It’s certainly loud! RRP is $43,995 ride away…
You can find out more about the RDRS here. In short, it is a full blown safety pack with cornering ABS and cornering TC and lots of other features. To find out the difference between Road Glide versions, click here, and you can also read about 2023 optional extras.
Check out all of our Road Glide content here…
I rode to Harley on my 1985 RG250, which was funny, and I left it there. Arrived on the smallest bike around, left on the biggest! I headed off on the trip up the coast, mid weeks and nice and quiet, I decided to take the Old Road. As I always feel on a Road Glide by the first stop, which was for a quick Boss Coffee, I was smiling and impressed with the bike. How could near on 400kg handle that well?
As I enjoyed my cold can of coffee, I looked over the huge big Jaffa orange beast. The paint, machining, welds, fit and finish is all very high quality and, actually, pretty stunning. The size is enormous and the bike is intimidating. Looking at it parked there I couldn’t understand how it handled so well… And by the looks on the faces of the Panigale riders I carved up, neither could they… In fairness, they would not know that the Jaffa was being ridden by an A Grader but still, it should not be possible to beat a sportbike on a big lump of metal like this.
Looking at it parked there I couldn’t understand how it handled so well… And by the looks on the faces of the Panigale riders I carved up, neither could they…
But it is, even with the limited ground clearance. Honestly, until you punt one of these hard, you won’t believe it either. It defies logic. Over the speed of 15km/h, the Road Glide Special is easy work. A light clutch, smooth throttle and commanding ride position help. Sure, it was hard to ride in the initial low speed light traffic, some start and stop and so on, however, it was only the weight that made ultra low speed balancing tricky. Linked brakes don’t help at low speeds either.
The Road Glide Special is an excellent handling tourer. With more modern, inverted forks perhaps like on the Sport Glide, it would be even better.
As soon as I reach the country road, I have to admit, I was feeling quite happy on the Road Glide Special. The effortless way the engine ticked over and has bulk torque from low rpm, the high gearing and ultra smooth ride is just so flowing on the motorway, too. With cruise set to 110km/h and some great tunes cranked to max volume, I rode up to the picturesque Yarramalong Valley Road…
“I began leaning into it more and more and before long I was carrying more corner speed than I had on just about any other HD bar the Sport Glide”…
After a short but pleasant stint soaking up the luxury of the RGS on the freeway I indicated left and exited off for the local favourite loop. It was midday but I pretty much had the road to myself. I began leaning into it more and more and before long I was carrying more corner speed than I had on just about any other HD bar the Sport Glide and definitely more than on many other grand tourers.
The Road Glide Special has an impressive 32º of cornering clearance, wide’ bars that I personally like but I read that many people change, and a foot position that allows the use of ‘peg/board inputs but be careful not to let your boot catch the road and pull your foot off the board. This, combined with the narrow-ish tyres and balanced chassis, makes the bike a capable and fun cornering motorcycle.
Through long open turns, getting the RGS from full lean angle, onto the other side, for a direction change isn’t as hard as you would imagine for a big machine. And there is no sudden drop into turns, or stand-up mid corner, the Glide is consistent throughout direction change and settles quickly once at full lean angle. It also gives OK feedback through the tyres and you can feel high mechanical grip.
There is a colour for everyone, but we all agreed there’s something cool about this Baja Orange. A bit Dukes of Hazzard!
The long but as mentioned too narrow (I assume to increase lean angle a little) boards touch the road smoothly, letting the rider know you are on the limit, but – my foot was yanked off the board a few times when it gripped the tarmac, it has happened to me on all bikes with boards and I blame myself, but just watch it as it could cause a big crash… Just something to remember for those new to footboards.
The braking package is exceptionally good. Two large stoppers up front and a big stopper on the rear. The Road Glide Special tips the scales at 387kg wet and the front rotors are only 300mm, small by most standards, while the rear, also 300mm, is huge for a back rotor of any other class. But with the four-piston calipers up front, help of the intelligent ABS system, the braking performance is a highlight.
Like I did last time I had one, the first day I got to take time away from my desk, I climbed on the Road Glide Special, with no plan, a full tank of gas, and eight spare hours. When I arrived at the on ramps to the Motorway, I chose to head south this time. With cruise set to 110km/h and some music I sat back and took the ride in. I ended up riding all the way to Goulburn for lunch, then turning around…
With cruise set to 110km/h and some music I sat back and took the ride in. I ended up riding all the way to Goulburn for lunch, then turning around…
The Road Glide Special is comfortable, at least for this rider, with an easy to live with rider triangle. I like the bend of the handlebars myself, with elbows in and slightly dropped, others do not. It’d be nice if the screen was adjustable and taller for cruising, some vent changes have not solved buffeting, it was a small issue for me at 187cm tall. A little more rear suspension travel would work wonders, too.
“With cruise set to 110km/h and some music I sat back and took the ride in. I ended up riding all the way to Goulburn for lunch, then turning around… “
When I arrived home and parked the Jaffa in my garage, I opened a cold bevvy and sat down, like before, and just admired the bike and had a think about my own motorcycling journey and how I have gone from MX bikes to two-stroke road racers, Supersport, Superbike, Sportsbikes, Custom Bikes and now I am feeling the love for big tourers like the Road Glide. I really could have one in the shed…
Over the coming weeks I used the Road Glide Special as my daily ride, until Covid-19 hit the family and it had to be picked up and returned to HD HQ (special thanks to Paul from Prestige Motorcycle Transport for that, and returning my RG250 safely). The bike is a big beast to live with daily, as you would expect. But I managed, and I enjoyed it. Open commutes, yeah, city traffic, no thanks…
If you are after a big twin tourer and want to enjoy some proper cornering, this is a cracker of an option for you. To find your local Harley dealership, click here…
Tech Talk
The Milwaukee Eight has been the heart for many Harley-Davidson models for years now, and it’s still an awesome engine.Retaining the classic 45-degree V-Twin cylinder angle, the Milwaukee-Eight engine produces 10 percent more torque (varies per model) than previous year models and features four-valve cylinder heads that offer 50 percent more intake and exhaust flow capacity.
The Milwaukee-Eight engine is counter-balanced to cancel 75 percent of primary vibration at idle, retaining the classic feel of a Harley V-Twin while being very smooth at highway speeds. A new heat management strategy for all Milwaukee-Eight engines improves rider and passenger comfort.
2023 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine.
Four-valve cylinder heads (two exhaust and two intake valves per head, eight total) promote airflow through the engine and contribute to power output, and dual spark plugs ensure more complete combustion to maximise power and efficiency. Advanced cylinder head design, dual knock sensors, and precision cooling allow a 10.5:1 compression ratio for strong torque output and acceleration, while a single camshaft helps reduce mechanical noise so a richer exhaust tone can predominate.
Emulsion-technology rear shock absorbers feature a single knob to hydraulically adjust pre-load for optimal ride and control. The 49mm forks with dual bending valve suspension technology deliver linear damping characteristics for a smooth ride. Reflex linked Brembo brakes with ABS are standard.
Electronic cruise control holds a steady speed for comfort on long rides. A Daymaker LED headlamp pushes out an impressive punch with a bright-white beam that lights up the road. Smart Security System with proximity-based, hands-free security fob offers peace of mind.
Introduced first onto the 2020 model, Harley-Davidson’s RDRS assist system adds an even further degree of safety for the rider. The functions are as follows:
- Electronically Linked Braking (ELB) applies braking effort to both wheels when the rider uses either the hand lever (front) or foot pedal (rear) brake control, which can help many riders achieve better braking performance.
- Cornering Electronically Linked Brakes (C-ELB) takes into account the motorcycle lean angle. C-ELB will alter the proportioning of brake pressure between the front and rear brakes when braking while cornering in an attempt to improve the ability of the bike to maintain the rider’s intended path.
- Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) is designed to prevent the wheels from locking under braking and helps the rider maintain control when braking in a straight-line, urgent situation.
- Cornering Anti-lock Braking System (C-ABS) is a variant of ABS that takes into consideration the lean angle of a two-wheel motorcycle, or the lateral acceleration of a Trike model. The brake pressure required to limit wheel slip when cornering is typically or lower than the pressure required under straight line operation.
- Drag-Torque Slip Control System (DSCS) is designed to reduce excessive rear-wheel slip under deceleration, which typically occurs when the rider makes an abrupt down-shift gear change or decelerates on wet or slippery road surfaces.
- Cornering Drag-Torque Slip Control System (C-DSCS). On models equipped with C-DSCS the action of DSCS may be tailored when cornering, based on detected lean angle (two-wheel motorcycles) or lateral acceleration (Trike models).
- Traction Control System (TCS) is designed to prevent the rear wheel from excessive spinning under acceleration when travelling in a straight line.
- Cornering Traction Control System (C-TCS) is designed to prevent the rear wheel from excessive spinning under acceleration when going straight or cornering.
- Vehicle Hold Control (VHC). The primary function of VHC is to keep the motorcycle from rolling, making it easier to ride away when starting on a hill, a bridge or a parking ramp.
Everything is controlled through Harley-Davidson’s awesome 5.25 full colour TFT screen. Options can be changed through the tactile buttons on the bars, which also controls the cruise control, or the touch-screen itself. Your smartphone can be connected via Bluetooth to display notifications and play music. Other features include a Tyre Pressure Monitoring system (TPMS) and a USB charging port.
2023 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special Specifications
Price: From $43,995 (ride away)
Colours: Vivid Black, Baja Orange, Gray Haze, Billard Blue/Gray, Atlas Silver Metallic, Prospect Gold, Industrial Yellow/Vivid Black and Heirloom Red Fade
Warranty: Two-years unlimited km
Service: 1600km then every 8000km
Claimed Fuel Consumption: 6.1L/100km (approx 350km range)Claimed Fuel Consumption: 6.1L/100km (approx 350km range)
Claimed Power: 69kW@ 5250rpm
Claimed Torque: 158Nm
Wet Weight: 387kg
Fuel capacity: 22.7L
Engine: Air-cooled Milwaukee-Eight 114 V-Twin, 1868cc (114 cu. in.), 102 x 114mm bore x stroke, 10.5:1 compression ratio, ESPFI two-into-one-into-two exhaust
Gearbox: Primary drive: 34/46. Six-speed – 1st: 9.593, 6.65, 4.938, 4.0, 3.407, 6th: 2.875 Final Belt 32/68, Wet multi-plate, cable actuation
Chassis: Mild steel; tubular frame; two-piece stamped and welded backbone; cast and forged junctions; twin downtubes; bolt-on rear frame with forged fender supports; MIG welded.
Rake: 26° Trail: 173mm
Suspension: 49mm dual bending valve forks, 117mm travel, premium low hand-adjustable, 54mm travel.
Brakes: 300mm rotors, Four-piston fixed calipers (f), 300mm rotor, two-piston floating caliper (r), ABS
Wheels & Tyres 130/60 – 19in (f), 180/55 – 18in (r), Dunlop
Dimensions:
Wheelbase: 1625mm
Seat height: 715mm
Ground clearance: 140mm
Overall Length: 2405mm
Lean Angle: 32/31 degrees
Instruments: Multi-language multi-function touch screen digital full colour TFT display, handlebar mounted controls, Central Screen, BOOM! Audio System with GPS and touchscreen, charging port in fairing, LED lighting all around.
Editor’s Note: If you are reading this article on any website other than BikeReview.com.au, please report it to BikeReview via our contact page, as it has been stolen or re-published without authority.
The Verdict | Bike Review | 2023 Harley-Davidson FLTRXS Road Glide Special
Awesome!
Is the Road Glide Special all about big miles, sitting back, relaxing on cruise and taking in the scenery? I thought so, until I reached the hills and realised what a capable and versatile motorcycle this big beast is…
The Author
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