Demo truck is in town so I took out a new Heritage and a new Road Glide Ultra. The Heritage was fun, responsive, handled well. Burned my fat thigh on that big rear cylinder head. Always liked the speedometer in the tank look but found it a pain to look down, and revs & gear indicator were hard to see. A soft tail probably isn't for me but I see why some like them. The B motor vibration got to my hands pretty quick. Felt like I was holding on to the fat end of a baseball bat.

My 1st time on Road Glide. The touring frame felt familiar and I decided its what I prefer over the soft tail. The new suspension was better than my stock 2014 Ultra Limited, but not a game changer at least on the test ride. The fixed fairing was no issue at all compared to the batwing but I didn't expect it to be as I have had two previous fixed fairing bikes. The sharknose had more wind but its seemed to be a smooth laminar flow. We only got up to 50 mph. I like the the gage package on the batwing better but overall either fairing would work for me on the next bike.

Question for M8 owners with hydraulic clutches - I noticed a lot of feedback through the clutch lever every time I shifted, either up or down and in any gear. The clutch performed fine but with every gear change I could feel it through the lever with the clutch pulled in. Almost made me think there is some housing or assembly flexing and you feel it through the hydraulic system. I double checked and my 103HO with hydraulic clutch doesn't do it all. Is this a normal thing on touring bikes with the M8?

Overall, nice bikes, great engine, but I preferred my 2014 Ultra Limited - more than enough stock power, familiar, comfortable, well broke-in, every thing works well at 35,000 miles.

 

Speaking as someone who owned and rode an Evo Softail for 223,000 miles and now ride a 2019 Heritage I have no idea what you mean by vibration. The M8 Softail does not vibrate. At least not that I can tell.

I also feel the shifts in the clutch lever on mine if everything isn’t executed perfectly. I have no idea exactly what is happening or why.

 

The shift feel through the clutch lever is normal for an M8, I think.

Could be I'm just getting used to it with time but I hardly notice it anymore.

 

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Yes. Like you I never think about or notice it either.

 

The feedback through the clutch lever and IMO the shifting process should be smoother, my only complaint with my 19 Road King.

 

Harley was about 15 years late on the hydraulic clutch but it sure is nice. No more oiling the cable all the time

 

If you have feedback through the clutch lever while moving you're riding the clutch way too much. My 17 Road King felt weird for a while as I'd never used a hyd. clutch before, that went away with some time & miles and all the shifting stiffness smoothed out. .

 

As someone who has 250,000+ miles on mostly Harleys - though not just one like Uncle G, I can say that the M8 Road Glide is the best Harley I've ever owned. Despite the apparently design flaws, quality control issues and chasing their tail fixes to issues that are laughable in light of how good today's motorcycles are industry-wide, I am doubling down on the M8 platform and picking up a new Low Rider next week.

In fact - these two engines will be the first Harleys that I have ever left bone stock ... or at least for two years. Reason being that I want my warranty intact, still have my concerns about whether or not I got (or will get in the case of the Low rider) a sumper or a "bad one") and, at least for my ever aging self, the stock 107 in the Road Glide pulls just fine for me and my riding style; can't wait to see how that same engine pulls in a much lighter Low Rider!

 

Just picked up my 19 limited Saturday, I know what you’re talking about with the clutch feedback, weird, hope it’s nothing serious