2015 vs 2020+ Street Glide
Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 612
Likes: 329
From: Athens, Alabama
I think you'll enjoy the M8 bike more for the reason you're buying a touring bike. I went from a '16 Dyna Switchback to my '17 Road King Special because the wife wanted to go to Daytona and there's absolutely no way she could have endured that ride on the Dyna and that thing ran really hot. I simply couldn't walk away after the King test ride. I frequently ride 200+ miles on day rides and have done almost 400. Last MC vacation was a 4 day to Maggie Valley from north central Alabama avoiding interstates and riding every day between and I hardly ever experience fatigue on the King.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,584
Likes: 918
From: coast to coast
As said above the M8 platform is a different beast. My '19 RKS is a whole level above any HD I've ever owned. That said I still love jumping on my Dyna or FXR to scratch my traditional raw HD fix. If you keep your Dyna you will have the best of both worlds. The 2020+ M8 touring bike will NOT be in the $15,000 range however, but worth it in my opinion for your stated needs if you enjoy it after test riding.
Last edited by Thingfish; Mar 29, 2024 at 12:57 PM.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,328
Likes: 2,205
I have test ridden M8s and I have two twin cams that I own. I do think the 2014 and up bikes are the way to go either way, the Rushmore upgrades are significant and I even added the Rushmore bags to my 2012 Street Glide.
Recently I got into a crash (lady hit me from behind) and I thought my bike was going to be totaled, and I was thinking that I was going to replace my 2012 Street Glide with a 14-16 one, because I wanted to stick with the twin cam.
The more I think about it, the more I think that I would prefer to buy an M8 bike. The M8s have a minimum of 10% more power from the factory, and they have much more potential in that a 4 valve head has much more flow potential. The M8s are also significantly smoother running, in a way that is noticeable. For a cruiser, I actually prefer the rock and roll of the twin cam engine. But for touring, the M8 has plenty of rumble without the vibration of the older generation engine.
If I buy a new bike, I'm probably looking for a 2021 or newer 114, and at today's prices, I'd be hoping to pay in the $16-20k range depending on color, condition, mileage, and any extras that might be included.
If I only had $15k in budget and the choices were between a 14-16 with a 103 and a 17-18 with the 107, I'd probably ride both and see if you have a strong preference for the feel/torque of one engine over the other.
Personally, I do NOT want a hydraulic clutch if I could avoid it, so for me, I'd avoid those bikes, but perhaps I'm simply resistant to change. I like the idea of a hydraulic clutch, but after 17 years of riding Harley-Davidsons with mechanical clutches, I am used to them and would probably rather just leave well enough alone.
Recently I got into a crash (lady hit me from behind) and I thought my bike was going to be totaled, and I was thinking that I was going to replace my 2012 Street Glide with a 14-16 one, because I wanted to stick with the twin cam.
The more I think about it, the more I think that I would prefer to buy an M8 bike. The M8s have a minimum of 10% more power from the factory, and they have much more potential in that a 4 valve head has much more flow potential. The M8s are also significantly smoother running, in a way that is noticeable. For a cruiser, I actually prefer the rock and roll of the twin cam engine. But for touring, the M8 has plenty of rumble without the vibration of the older generation engine.
If I buy a new bike, I'm probably looking for a 2021 or newer 114, and at today's prices, I'd be hoping to pay in the $16-20k range depending on color, condition, mileage, and any extras that might be included.
If I only had $15k in budget and the choices were between a 14-16 with a 103 and a 17-18 with the 107, I'd probably ride both and see if you have a strong preference for the feel/torque of one engine over the other.
Personally, I do NOT want a hydraulic clutch if I could avoid it, so for me, I'd avoid those bikes, but perhaps I'm simply resistant to change. I like the idea of a hydraulic clutch, but after 17 years of riding Harley-Davidsons with mechanical clutches, I am used to them and would probably rather just leave well enough alone.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 3,041
Likes: 1,529
From: Bunola pa
the biggest difference from 14 through 23 is the engine. there are some bolt on things like the head unit and the shocks that changed but the core architecture is the same. as far as the huge power difference, a stock 107 vs 103ho its no joke like 3 hp, maybe less and not much difference for torque. i test rode both when i bought and it came down to what i could get the best deal on. i looked at a new stock 17 that was just over 30k otd and ended up on a 3yo 14 for 17 that had a bunch of add ons and a stage 4 kit. a stock 107 puts down the same power as a stage one 103ho so, id either go twin cam or step up to a 114. i dont think the price difference is justified for the return unless you go very recent used.
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