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British Review of new Harley-Davidson Street Glide ST

By General Posts

by Geoff Hill from https://www.mirror.co.uk/

Another icon of the American dream

It weighs as much as a small tank, goes like stink and handles very nicely for such a beast, so even though it costs more than an average UK hatchback, for Harley fans it’s a metal and rubber incarnation of their mythical aspirations

I was having a beer one night in Los Angeles in 2013 with the head of Triumph USA when we got to talking about Harleys.

He’d been sent to LA in advance of that year’s launch of the Thunderbird LT, an extremely capable cruiser which Triumph hoped would convince American riders that there was more than one type of bike in the world.

On his first weekend there, his Harley counterpart took him to an open day at Bartels, the city’s biggest Harley dealership, where hundreds of riders and their families were enjoying a free hog roast, burgers, raffles, gifts, music, beer or soft drinks and test rides.

“See? This is what you’re up against. It’s not just about the motorcycles,” said the Harley guy.

I was reminded of it in 2018, when I rode a Harley from Oxford to Prague for a three-day bash to celebrate the company’s 115 th anniversary to find 60,000 Harleys and 100,000 riders and partners, all with leather waistcoats, tattoos and chains, proclaiming their particular allegiances with patches saying Naples Military Chapter, Hanoi Chapter, Jeddah Chapter and so on.

It is, of course, all harmless fun – middle-aged men who during the week are Reg in Accounts, but at the weekends become Rebel Reg, King of the Road, riding west on his iron steed into the setting sun for a burger and beer with his sweetheart in a Route 66 diner.

And while non-Harley fans who have never ridden one wrongly condemn them as basic and agricultural ridden by chaps wearing chaps with tassels, no other motorcycle make in the world earns such astonishing passion and camaraderie.

And it’s not just from patriotic Yanks – there were Harley fans there from 75 countries, all of them walking, talking expressions of an infinite yearning for the innocence of an American dream which the rest of us may think blossomed into its fullest fruition in the Fifties, then died in the Sixties and Seventies after Kennedy and Vietnam, but which was still alive in the heart and soul of everyone walking around Prague on those sunny days.

On a slightly smaller scale, my biking buddy Gareth and I rode down on his Kawasaki Versys 650 and my BMW R 850 R to the recent open day at the local dealers. It’s called Belfast Harley, and it’s in Antrim. You need to be Irish to understand that.

We arrived to find the expected chapter members with their patches, leather and denim and tattoos, and a small woman looking slightly terrified as she tried to reverse her large Road Glide into a parking space.

“Help, I’m going to fall over!” she muttered. We strode manfully over to help, and she finished the job and got gratefully off.

“I’ve only had it two weeks. It’s very heavy, but I love it when it’s moving,” she said.

“Just don’t stop, then,” I said helpfully, and Gareth and I went inside to see Wilmer the boss about the two bikes we were going to take out for a test ride – Gareth the Pan America and me the new Street Glide ST.

ROAD-TEST REVIEW:

The ST is basically a standard Street Glide on steroids, with the 1868cc engine thrown in the bin and replaced by a 1923cc version, increasing the power and torque from 93bhp and 117 ft lb to 103bhp and 124 ft lb.

And, er, the price from a sharp-intake-of-breath £25,795 to a get-me-to-the-defribillator-on-time £27,795. No wonder Harleys are mostly sold on PCP. Still, they hold their value, so you get a good deal when you trade them in for a new one after three years.

The standard Glide is a beefy 375kg wet, and although the ST has shaved off 6kg to 369kg, that’s like a sumo wrestler claiming he’s gone on a diet by only having 10 chickens for lunch instead of 11.

I was just glad I wasn’t a small woman trying to reverse it as I trundled carefully out of the car park and opened the throttle.

Well, heavens to Betsy, that’s impressive. In spite of weighing the same as a small tank, it soared towards the horizon with surprisingly alacrity, helped by a bottomless well of creamy torque and a solid but precise gearbox which was light years away from the agricultural clank factories of Harleys of old.

With that weight on board, handling is never going to be quicksilver, but it’s agile enough for such a big beast, allowing you to dip and sway through A-road bends with happy precision, particularly as the Showa suspension is set firm for good handling, although at the expense of comfort on rough roads, as I found when it bottomed out on one bouncy stretch and left my spine an inch shorter.

The Brembo brakes haul it in so briskly and smoothly that, unlike most big Harleys, I didn’t need to call on the rear brake for assistance when steaming a bit hot into a corner.

As for the details, the mirrors are excellent, the traditional analogue dash is supplemented by a large TFT screen for the entertainment and comms systems, and the speakers in the fairings are pointless, like all speakers on all bikes anywhere.

The batwing fairing and sliver of screen, meanwhile, do a surprisingly good job of keeping the wind at bay, since I still have nightmares of a turbulent 90mph dash through France at night on a Harley with a batwing fairing while wearing an open-face helmet and shades.

So if you’ve got the dosh and like the whole Harley social thing, it’s significantly better than the standard Street Glide.

Oh, and Gareth loved the Pan America, so he got on the Versys and rode home to tell his wife that they’re selling the house, her mother, the dog and the camper van.

I haven’t heard from him since, so he’s probably buried in a shallow grave in the garden, and if anyone’s looking for a tidy used Versys, get your people to talk to my people about his wife’s people.

SPECS (price in British Pounds currency)
Harley-Davidson Street Glide ST
Engine: 1923cc air-cooled V-twin
Power: 103bhp @ 5,450rpm
Torque: 124 ft lb @ 3,500rpm
Colours: Black; grey
Price: £27,795

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All Things Motorcycling ? All About Big V-Twins ? Have a look at www.Bikernet.com

Four Corners Motorcycle Rally Announces ‘Roll Now, Rock Later’ Sweepstakes

By General Posts

Legendary Rock Bands Slipknot, Disturbed, Godsmack, and Five Finger Death Punch Join Four Corners Motorcycle Rally To Help Raise Funds For Worthy Charities

Named one of seven best motorcycle rallies in the United States by Motorcyclecruiser.com
DURANGO, Colo. (September 22, 2020) – Four Corners Motorcycle Rally is proud to announce that they have teamed up with legendary rock bands Slipknot, Disturbed, Godsmack, and Five Finger Death Punch for the ‘Roll Now, Rock Later’ Sweepstakes.

“I have been lucky to have had the chance to make friends with a ton of people from different walks of life throughout my career,” says John Oakes, managing partner of Four Corners Motorcycle Rally. “With what the world is dealing with this year, I felt it to be critically important to do what I can to do something positive in the middle of all the craziness. After reaching out to friends in the motorcycle and music industries, I am excited about what we are making happen together!

One lucky person and a guest will get their choice of a VIP Side of Stage experience at a future concert with our friends Slipknot, Disturbed, Godsmack, or Five Finger Death Punch and receive a custom 2020 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special all while raising money for three great causes.”

Starting today, fans can visit www.FourCornersMotorcycleRally.com to make a donation benefitting Building Homes For Heroes, Unite The United, and Scars Foundation. Donations can be made in denominations of $10, $25, $50, up to $100 – the higher the pledge, the exponential increase in entries*. Entries will close on October 23, 2020.  One winner will be chosen at random to win the following grand prize:

**Custom 2020 Harley-Davidson® Street Glide® Special, from Durango Harley-Davidson customized by Jeff G. Holt from V-Twin Visionary, custom paint from Taylor Schultz with parts and accessories from Arlen Ness, Motorwitch, and more.

**VIP show tickets, round trip airfare, and 2 nights hotel accommodations to a 2021 or 2022 show of the winner’s choice in the continental United States for either Slipknot, Godsmack, Disturbed, or Five Finger Death Punch. The winner will enjoy their band of choice’s headlining set FROM THE STAGE!
**Alternate price at winner’s discretion of $25,000 cash

“I am incredibly grateful to the bands for their participation and all of the partners involved in building us this bike, and cannot wait to raise a bunch of money for the people that rely on these charity groups,” Oakes added.

Fans can visit www.FourCornersMotorcycleRally.com and DONATE NOW!

About the bike:
2020 H-D® Street Glide Special from Durango Harley-Davidson customized by Jeff G. Holt of V-Twin Visionary at Collective Phoenix; House of Kolor custom paint by Taylor Schultz from Schultz Designz; 129” Leading Edge Big Bore Kit, Engine; Engine Cover Kit, Calipers and Rotors by Arlen Ness; FXR Division – Streetwitch Bars; Speed Merchant Seat by Saddlemen; Bassani Road Rage 2 Exhaust; full Legend Suspension; Jade Affiliated Wheels; Klockwerks Windshield; Greene Brothers Design Axle Kit and Shift Shaft Link; Rogue Rider Industries Lighting.

About the bands:
Disturbed – disturbed1.com
Godsmack – godsmack.com
Slipknot – slipknot1.com
Five Finger Death Punch – fivefingerdeathpunch.com

About the benefit:
Building Homes For Heroes – buildinghomesforheroes.org
Unite The United – unitetheunited.com
The Scars Foundation – scarsfoundation.org

About Four Corners Motorcycle Rally:
Four Corners Motorcycle Rally happens annually over Labor Day Weekend on Friday, Saturday and Sunday centered in Durango, Colorado with events, entertainment, and activities including Hooligan Racing, Concerts, Motorcycle Stunt Shows, Charity Rides, Bike Shows, Wheelie Pig’s Hill Climb Challenge, Fishing Derby, Camping and more spread across the Four Corners Region at locations including Durango Harley-Davidson, Sky Ute Casino Resort, Rattlesnake Gulch, Historic Downtown Durango, Million Dollar Highway Saloon, Purgatory Ski Resort and more. Named after the Four Corners Monument where the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet, which is the only point in the United States shared by four states. Four Corners Motorcycle Rally is known as the “Best Riding Rally in America” because of the diverse riding terrain and it is the home of the legendary Million Dollar Highway with 284 turns in 71 miles, reaching 11,018 feet of elevation cutting through historic mining towns on the San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway. 2021 event dates are Friday, September 3 – Sunday, September 5. Visit FourCornersMotorcycleRally.com for more details.

About John Oakes:
John Oakes is an entertainment entrepreneur, executive, and marketer based in Southern California. Oakes founded his music, entertainment, event, and marketing consulting company, Freeze Management, in 2002, while managing rock band Story of the Year. He specializes in producing music festivals, concerts, car shows, motorcycle shows and events, and developing marketing programs benefiting live events, brands, artists, partners, and fans. Oakes has spent 20 years as an entrepreneur in the music industry, representing a diverse group of musicians selling millions of records and tickets worldwide. Oakes, with his company Freeze Management, has also developed effective strategies and implemented successful marketing programs for an assorted group of well-known companies, including Rockstar Energy Drink, Ram Trucks, AT&T Wireless, Samsung Mobile, Ford, Jägermeister, Lucas Oil, Coors Light, Harley-Davidson and many more.

 

Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special Possibly the best big cruiser in the world

By General Posts

by Fraser Addecott from https://www.mirror.co.uk

A huge engine with oodles of torque on tap, plus all the latest electronic wizardry – including sound system – make this Harley one of the ultimate touring bikes

If your idea of what defines a Harley-Davidson motorcycle is a big, powerful, laid-back tourer, this is surely it.

The Street Glide Special is all of the above – and more.

In fact, big and powerful are understatements.

Harley’s best-selling model is driven by the awesome air/oil-cooled Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine.

That 1868cc V-twin pumps out 120ft lb of torque.

But this bike is not just about muscle – there’s refinement too.

irst of all it looks stunning, with lusciously deep paintwork (in a range of seven colours) and on-trend blacked-out everything else.

Climb aboard and settle into that plush seat, and you’re presented with a console which resembles something you might find on an aircraft.

Grouped behind the batwing fairing are four clocks, a large touchscreen infotainment display, two speakers and even the two mirrors.

That 6.5in Boom! Box GTS screen has pinch, drag and swipe functions, even with gloves on, so you can move through the navigation, music, communications and weather options.

It’s all connected to your phone via Bluetooth or can be plugged in.

With the key fob safely in your jacket pocket, hit the start button and that V-twin roars into life sounding the way only a big Harley can sound.

For me, the big fairing and console create a psychological impression that the front end is going to be heavy and unmanageable.

The Glide is by no means light and it’s true home is out on the open road as opposed to nipping in and out of traffic around town, but it’s actually more manoeuvrable and controllable than you might think.

That’s helped by the low seat height, which means you can always get your boots firmly planted on the tarmac.

The engine is a delight, with oodles of torque on hand when you twist the throttle in any of the six gears, and shifting smooth but firm.

The suspension is as plush as the rest of the bike looks, with non-adjustable Showa Dual Bending Valve front forks and manually adjustable rear set-up.

At speed, the bike is beautifully stable and through the bends, well, obviously this is no sportsbike, but it performs admirably, holding a line with no cause for concern.

The Glide comes with Harley’s Reflex Defensive Rider System.

This includes ABS and electronically linked front and rear braking, cornering traction control, drag-torque slip control – which prevents the rear wheel slipping under harsh deceleration – hill-start control and tyre pressure monitoring.

As with all Harleys, none of this comes cheap, but it’s a fantastic all-round package and you’ll be riding one of the best big cruisers on the planet.

The Facts: H-D Street Glide Special

Engine: 1868cc V-twin

Max power: 89bhp

Max torque: 120ft lb

Price: £22,895

CCE Bagger Thunderbolt Is a Whole Lot of Name for a Custom Harley Street Glide

By General Posts

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com

The Harley-Davidson Street Glide is one of those bikes you should not mess with. Described by its maker as a stripped down version of a hot-rod bagger, the no-nonsense bike has been made with long trips in mind.

But baggers have also been favorites of the custom industry. Either reshaped from stock motorcycles or made from scratch on a custom frame, custom baggers are a common sight on American roads.

We’re not sure how many of them are in Europe, but you can count at least one, this one here. The work of a German shop that goes by the name Thunderbike, it takes a stock Harley Street Glide to whole new levels of cool.

The build is based on 2017 Street Glide Special, still packing the original Milwaukee-Eight engine. But other than that everything about it is enhanced, including the name.

Using custom parts made all over the world, Thunderbike kept the overall appearance of the motorcycle, but increased the size and reach of most of the hardware on the bike, from the front fender to the saddlebags at the rear. The fairing at the front, the fuel tank behind it, and the wheels – including the barely visible one at the rear – are of course custom, and contribute to giving the bike a retro-style look.

Thunderbike, who has been in the business of engineering motorcycles for the past 25 years, is usually very good at naming its creations too. And even if the name of this one might seem a bit pompous, there’s a reason for that.

The CCE in the name stands for Custom Chrome Europe, a parts wholesale company founded in 1986, while Thunderbolt is the creative side of the project.

So, no matter how you call it – Thunderbike CCE Bagger Thunderbolt or Harley-Davidson CCE Bagger Thunderbolt – this one is a mouthful.

2019 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special Review

By General Posts

Wild hogs can’t be broken

No name in American motorcycling looms as large as Harley-Davidson, the longest continually operating motorcycle brand in the States. While it’s experienced its share of problems over the last decade or so, it’s continually working on updating and innovating.

What is it about the Street Glide that makes it such a special machine? It’s got a massive 114 cubic-inch Milwaukee Eight engine that produces just 90 horsepower.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REVIEW ON BIKERNET.COM

Screamin’ Eagle High-Flow Exhaust System and the Complete H-D Experience!

By General Posts

Installing a High Flow Exhaust System On A 2019 Street Glide

Back in September 2018 I had the Harley-Davidson Screamin Eagle Exhaust sitting in a box waiting to go on my new 2019 Street Glide. While out doing some break-in miles, I was struck by a driver illegally making a left-hand turn. While still in my recovery I decided to look for another bike for the exhaust. It’s usually the other way around but hey, what the heck.

I went into Space Coast Harley Davidson, the largest dealer in the world, and met Jon Estep the Sales Associate, a straight shooter and knows his bikes. He helped me browse around the 2019 and 2020 Street Glides, based on my preferences I went with a Vivid Black 2019 Street Glide Special with Tony Ane, the sales manager giving me a great deal without all the haggling.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE TECH ARTICLE IN THE CANTINA