As motorcycle road tests go, it was IOL Motoring’s longest yet - 2635km in five days - but it was probably the best way of finding out why Harley-Davidson riders feel the way they do about their bikes.
The bike was the 2013 Street Glide, a lighter, easier-to-handle version of the Electra Glide. It has the same 1690cc long-stroke, pushrod engine pushing out a lazy 53.7kW at 5500rpm and 134Nm at 3500rpm through a six-speed gearbox and belt final drive, the same relaxed 1635mm wheelbase and the same Brembo brakes.
But it also has a lower screen, no riding lights, only two speakers for the Harman Kardon sound system, no top box and a smaller, more thinly padded pillion seat that’s actually tapered the wrong way. It must actually be as uncomfortable as it sounds, because Harley-Davidson Africa wouldn’t let the bike go out without a neat pillion backrest from their accessory catalogue.
None of which makes any difference when you’re riding solo, as I was. What does make a difference, however, is that the Street Glide is 45kg lighter than its fully-dressed sibling – and that 45kg is almost all behind the rear axle. As a result the Street Glide has lighter, quicker, more accurate steering than the Ultra, noticeably more mid-range grunt and returns measurably better fuel economy.
LONG LEGS
The Motor Company’s trademark V-twin engine was first laid out more than a century ago, and by today’s standards it is very undersquare at 98.4 x 111.1mm. This gives it a strong midrange and long legs, but the 103 engine sounds and feels a little strained over 5000rpm, and only a rider totally lacking in mechanical sympathy would take it to the power peak, right on the redline at 5500rpm.
As a result, even when overtaking on a national road I would always change up just under 5000 revs, trading top end power for midrange torque. I think most riders do the same, which probably accounts for the Harley-Davidson reputation for longevity.
By the same token, the engine runs most efficiently at low revs; on the first day of the ride I made good time from Cape Town to Oudtshoorn, cruising Route 62 at an average speed of 122km/h, according to Mr Garmin and his friends in the sky - which meant I was running the bike at a steady 2900 - 3200rpm, with 130km/h or more showing on the speedometer most of the time.
On that day the Street Glide’s fuel consumption was 6.33 litres per 100km/h, heavy by motorcycle standards but not outrageous for a 1690cc V-twin.
However, on Day Four I ambled through the back roads of northern KwaZulu-Natal, enjoying the stunning scenic beauty of the area, averaging less than 80km/h over the whole day’s riding and rumbling up hill and down dale at little more than 2000rpm. Between Harrismith and Jozini I squeezed 462km out of 20.24 litres, for an astonishing average of 4.38 litres per 100km.
Fuel consumption over five days and 2635km averaged out at 5.18 litres per 100km, considerably lower than I had expected.
STRAIGHT-LINE STABLILITY
Harley SA technical guru Serge Konigsberg had set the rear suspension (which lacks the air assistance of the Ultra) a little harder than the factory’s median settings to allow for my weight (106kg) and the high average speeds he expected me to maintain.
This made the ride a little choppy, despite the bike’s dry weight of 355kg (close to half a tonne with rider, a week’s worth of gear and a full tank of fuel aboard) but after the first day I never noticed it. I was very glad, however of the extra straight-line stability it afforded when overtaking two or even three trucks in close formation on national roads.
I would nail the throttle, lean forward a little to take advantage of the protection afforded by the ‘batwing’ fairing and watch the speedometer needle climb (surprisingly quickly) to the naughty side of 160km/h without any misbehaviour from the chassis.
The tiny screen, less than 50mm high in the middle, had very little effect on airflow; I would always be looking over, never through it, and I never experienced any buffeting (which most big tourers are prone to) nor would my visor slam shut unexpectedly when I preferred to ride with it open.
Although sports riders are taught to avoid fairings that move with the handlebars, in this case the extra weight of the fairing, instruments and sound system seemed to have little or no effect on the steering, although that may due in part to the leverage afforded by the high, wide handlebars – so wide, in fact that on full lock the outside ‘bar end was out of reach from the saddle.
Paddling around in car parks usually had me standing over the bike, rather than sitting on it, in order to reach the handlebars during tight turns.
BACK-ROADS RIDER
The front seat looks the same as that of the incredibly comfortable Ultra (whose nickname, the Couch, is well-deserved) but is not, in fact, as deeply padded, which is why the saddle of the Street Glide is 25mm lower than that of its full-dress sibling.
Nevertheless, its shape is an ergonomic marvel, lending itself to long days in the saddle without complaints from the rider’s rear end.
And that’s really what the Street Glide is all about, an agreeable, friendly companion for the lone rider who would rather take the time to enjoy the country he rides through than focus on “making miles”.
It’s a bike for the back roads rather than the freeways, with a gentle gait that seems to say, “Relax, dude, the best is yet to come”. And somehow, it always is.
Price: R264 000
Bike from: Harley-Davidson Africa
SPECIFICATIONS: HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHX STREET GLIDE
Engine:1690cc Air-cooled four-stroke V-twin.
Bore x stroke:98.4 x 111.1mm.
Compression ratio:9.6:1.
Valvegear: Pushrod with two overhead valves per cylinder.
Power:53.7kW at 5500rpm.
Torque:134Nm at 3500rpm.
Induction: Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection with one 46mm Delphi throttle body.
Ignition: Digital electronic.
Starting: Electric.
Clutch: Cable-operated multiplate wet clutch.
Transmission: Six-speed constant-mesh gearbox with final drive by toothed belt.
Front Suspension:41.3mm conventional cartridge forks.
Rear Suspension: Dual hydraulic shock absorbers air-adjustable for preload.
Front brakes: Dual 300mm discs with Brembo four-piston callipers and ABS.
Rear brake:300mm disc with four-piston calliper and ABS.
Front tyre:130/80 - 18 tubeless.
Rear tyre:180/65 - 16 tubeless.
Wheelbase:1635mm.
Seat height:715mm.
Dry weight:355kg.
Fuel tank:22.7 litres.
Fuel consumption (measured):5.18 litres per 100km