Does ANYONE Like Their M8??
Road Master
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 1,143
Likes: 433
From: Menifee, CA
Mine was super tight at delivery last March. I left it there, thinking, for sure, the factory folk set it that way ON PURPOSE because the belt and drive components would break in over the first few hundred miles and relax to normal tension. At 510 miles I rode the bike from Santa Fe to LA, and as I rode into the LA area I could hear a howl had developed on the left side. Once I got home, I checked tension again, at 1500 miles, and found it still way too tight, deflecting 5/16" at the tightest spot. I adjusted the belt according to spec. That solved the howl problem. So, a tight belt may cause a noticeable howl. My 2016 FLHTCU was delivered with a perfectly tensioned belt. I had to snug it up just a hair at around 2k miles, and it stayed put there until I traded it two years and 36k miles later.
Last edited by KrustyKush; Aug 14, 2018 at 01:34 PM.
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 94
Likes: 14
From: California
2018 Fat Bob
Coming from an 07 Roadster I wasnt sure about how this bike bike would handle. The Fat Bob has proven that it can handle that flip of the right wrist and still stay composed but crossed up in the corners. The 114 M8 pulls strong and lays the rubber down!
Stage I
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: British Columbia
Ok So I sold my 2012 CVO FLHTCUSE7 Ultra in 2014 and just for a new Road Glide base model with the 107.
I am a bit fussy about my bikes and engines and how they perform. All previous bikes have been modified and dyno tuned. All ran very well with some good HP and torque numbers.
My last bike was a 110 and had about 100hp and 113Tq. pulled well and ran well at all rpm up to about 5600 after that it basically stopped pulling hard.
So I get this road glide with the M8 and I now have about 500km or 300 miles on the bike. The power seems to be as good out of the box as my dyno tuned 110. probably has more torque below 2400 than the 110 and seems to pull quite well up to the 3500 rpm they want me to keep to for the first 1600 km.
So the bad now. The M8 has a crazy vibration in the floorboards at 2000 on decal and it does not seem to be getting any better with mileage. The engine runs very hot but that seems to be improving as it breaks in. They have it a bit lean in spots with a few pings when revving up to gear down after a steady run cruising probably at 10% throttle position. Just an epa thing I think. The valve train noise is very low compared to a twin cam in my opinion and the drivability for a stock engine with a stock tune is really quite amazing. This is my 6th Harley since 2005. The tranny shifts like I expect a Harley to but the clutch seems to have a little lag when it engages almost a little slip but I think its more of a control issue. Just a little slower possibly hanging up a bit. Not sure what it is but my gut tells me its not working correctly. Like I said I'm fussy. The real treat is how rock solid the bike rides. Huge improvement from my past bikes. The most annoying this is a harsh wind whistle from 40km down to 20 km. I'm sure the dealer and I can work thru that.
I'm 59 years old have played in many sports and recreations fields and I can say with full confidence that Harley Davidson and my Local dealer Mountainview Harley Davidson have given me the best value for my recreation dollar. I have no fear of any issues with my bikes. I have always been taken care of at home and on the highway by the HD Dealer network.
And no I don't own a dealership nor do I work for one I am just a happy customer!
So ride safe cause for every mile of road 2 miles of ditch...…….later
I am a bit fussy about my bikes and engines and how they perform. All previous bikes have been modified and dyno tuned. All ran very well with some good HP and torque numbers.
My last bike was a 110 and had about 100hp and 113Tq. pulled well and ran well at all rpm up to about 5600 after that it basically stopped pulling hard.
So I get this road glide with the M8 and I now have about 500km or 300 miles on the bike. The power seems to be as good out of the box as my dyno tuned 110. probably has more torque below 2400 than the 110 and seems to pull quite well up to the 3500 rpm they want me to keep to for the first 1600 km.
So the bad now. The M8 has a crazy vibration in the floorboards at 2000 on decal and it does not seem to be getting any better with mileage. The engine runs very hot but that seems to be improving as it breaks in. They have it a bit lean in spots with a few pings when revving up to gear down after a steady run cruising probably at 10% throttle position. Just an epa thing I think. The valve train noise is very low compared to a twin cam in my opinion and the drivability for a stock engine with a stock tune is really quite amazing. This is my 6th Harley since 2005. The tranny shifts like I expect a Harley to but the clutch seems to have a little lag when it engages almost a little slip but I think its more of a control issue. Just a little slower possibly hanging up a bit. Not sure what it is but my gut tells me its not working correctly. Like I said I'm fussy. The real treat is how rock solid the bike rides. Huge improvement from my past bikes. The most annoying this is a harsh wind whistle from 40km down to 20 km. I'm sure the dealer and I can work thru that.
I'm 59 years old have played in many sports and recreations fields and I can say with full confidence that Harley Davidson and my Local dealer Mountainview Harley Davidson have given me the best value for my recreation dollar. I have no fear of any issues with my bikes. I have always been taken care of at home and on the highway by the HD Dealer network.
And no I don't own a dealership nor do I work for one I am just a happy customer!
So ride safe cause for every mile of road 2 miles of ditch...…….later
Club Member
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 9,850
Likes: 8,760
From: Edmonton, Alberta
Of course you're both right; a test ride on the Heritage would be the only way to tell for sure if it's a fit for me. Unfortunately my local dealer has none in stock at the moment.
However, a couple of days ago I stopped in and they offered me a test ride on a new Fat Boy 114. Naturally I accepted.
I found the torque of the 114 very impressive. They had done a Stage One on this one and added a set of V&H Big Radius pipes. Sounded pretty good. But as far as ergonomics go, the Fat Boy was all wrong for me. No legroom at all. When trying to use the rear brake it felt like my knee was about to hit my chin LOL. Of course I was comparing it to my Road King, which has a number of mods to make it comfortable for me.
My impression is that the Heritage will be much better for legroom, and I know there's a Tallboy seat available to move me back if needed. I guess I'll find out for sure next month when the H-D Demo truck rolls into town. Again, thanks.
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 311
Likes: 218
From: Valdosta, GA.
I'm about 1700 miles into my '18 RGS. No issues thus far. I've been checking the oil and trans fluid before each ride to make sure I don't have the transferring issues. No engine noises or anything negative as of yet. Im still hoping I got a good one!
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Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 1,535
Likes: 780
From: Manitoba
I'm still happy with my 17 Road King I just did my 10 K oil change tonight with 10066 miles on her. When I drained the tranny oil I spilt some but still had approx 26 ounces I caught. I was nervous when I pulled the primary cover but had no leakage and when I measured the drainage from the primary it was just shy of 32 ounces. So between the 2 services I put on approx 5160 miles and never added a drop of oil anywhere and never touched it with a wrench other than my seat rotations. Man I love this bike I just hope that the MOCO can get the few problem bikes with oil problems resolved for those with issues.
Banned
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 3,098
Likes: 474
From: Location location.
I'm still happy with my 17 Road King I just did my 10 K oil change tonight with 10066 miles on her. When I drained the tranny oil I spilt some but still had approx 26 ounces I caught. I was nervous when I pulled the primary cover but had no leakage and when I measured the drainage from the primary it was just shy of 32 ounces. So between the 2 services I put on approx 5160 miles and never added a drop of oil anywhere and never touched it with a wrench other than my seat rotations. Man I love this bike I just hope that the MOCO can get the few problem bikes with oil problems resolved for those with issues.