VOLUME ISSUE AUGUST , P109
adjustment should have been
a given for these chart-topping
CVOs. Knobs and spring collars
are not revolutionary technology,
and I can't think of why electron
-
ic springers weren't fitted when
there are other machines in the
Harley family that have them.
That being said, the ride qual-
ity is quite good, but I only rode
both the Road and Street Glide
CVOs on flat, smooth Wisconsin
roads with no luggage, so the
jury is still out on touring ride
handling with a passenger.
The main difference between
the Road and Street Glide is
the fork-mounted fairing on the
Street and the lower-set handle-
bars. The Road Glide's fairing
is attached to the frame, which
gives it a lighter feeling at the
handlebars. The wind buffeting
is also less on the Road Glide
thanks to the wider, taller screen
and fairing that protects the
rider's shoulders more, and both
bikes come with closeable side
deflectors that direct hot air
away from the rider. The higher
handlebars on the Road Glide
are nowhere near as uncomfort
-
able as I thought they'd be, and
I much preferred them over the
cramped position I found with
the Street Glide.
However, I found both bikes
to have a slightly awkward posi-
tion for the floorboards in that
they were about three inches
too far forward for my liking.
This in turn put too much strain
on my lower back, making for an
uncomfortable ride after an hour
on board.
The revised seat is fantas-
tic for short trips but if I were
buying either the Street or the
Road Glide, I'd be investing in a
custom seat, pronto.
Both bikes have a claimed
32° lean angle and weigh north
of 800 pounds, so you need
to be careful not to crunch the
floorboard when you're on your
next big tour. That being said,
you can hustle these bikes
along well, but don't go pretend
-
ing you're Kyle Wyman on his
particular King of The Baggers
Mini ape-hangers
on the Road Glide
offer a more
comfortable ride
than the lower-
set bars on the
Street Glide.
