First Electraglide
My 09 Road King did not ping and ran great, I did a stage one for increased power, waited till the bike had 51k miles. My 2011 Limited pings at times and I did the stage one much earlier for that reason.
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 326
Likes: 5
From: N.E. Ohio
Everyone has their own opinion as to what the best upgrades are. You mention comforts for the longer haul. I suggest to you that you consider a seat upgrade. I went with the "Harley Hammock". It didn't take much of a trip to see that for me (and a lot of other riders) the stock saddle just didn't provide much comfort on a trip. I couldn't believe the difference. You can demo a Hammock for free at the Dealership. keep it for a weekend. The Hammock comes in Heated and Non-Heated styles. I couldn't remember the last time my a$$ got cold so I went with the non-heated version. As an added plus (for me) the hammock actually improved my control of the bike. Sitting in a more upright position gave me more control than the stock seat that sort of put me back on my tailbone. There are a lot of other quality saddles out there but you can't demo most of them and since seat comfort is so subjective it's nice to try one out before spending the money. I also invested in a backrest which helped my poor old back relax on longer rides. Try to catch a sale and save some money on Harley's overpriced accessories. I actually got mine for free using my dealers loyalty rewards program. Check out the link and pic.
http://www.harley-davidson.com/gma/g...9&default=none
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 326
Likes: 5
From: N.E. Ohio
I could identify with your comment but that was 30 years ago. I rarely see newer Harley's broken down along the road anymore. Although anything mechanical can break down...like my friend's new 11 road glide. Twice on one trip. One was an electrical sensor and the second was a bolt/nut in the engine somewhere that came loose and got ground up amongst the moving parts requiring a new engine. (under warranty). With the loose bolt somehow the engine kept running but was making some funny
noises. When he got home he took it to the dealer and they made the discovery. I don't know how it kept running. It didn't sound that serious while we were on the road.
Last edited by J_ULTRA; Feb 24, 2013 at 03:15 PM.
Firstly, congrats on the "geezer glide". I've been riding my '06 Electra classic for two seasons now and have done nothing to its engine. I am 300 lbs and my wife (who rides with me all the time) is 200 lbs. We put about 18k miles on it last summer with intentions of doing more this year. The bike has plenty of power (even fully loaded with camping stuff and gets about 48mpg 'ish.
As far as upgrades planned, stage upgrades are not on the list. I guess it depends on how you ride.
Like yourself, I have another scooter ('01 HD Swithblade that's been punched out to a 105) to handle my times when I want to play "bad boy". So, maybe that's another part of it.
As far as upgrades planned, stage upgrades are not on the list. I guess it depends on how you ride.
Like yourself, I have another scooter ('01 HD Swithblade that's been punched out to a 105) to handle my times when I want to play "bad boy". So, maybe that's another part of it.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,502
Likes: 6
From: Lapeer , Mich
just ride it , find out what you don't like or bothers you or you will see something on someone else's bike you want then fix it up the way you want , till then save your money [ you will need it ]
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 336
Likes: 1
From: Senoia Ga
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Advanced
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 50
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You don't NEED anything. The bike is great for long hauls right out of the box. Of course, the dealer will try to up sell you. I have an 09 EG that is pretty much stock. The only thing I did was add a Bright *** Brake Light for better visibility. Save your money.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21,208
Likes: 12,796
From: South Carolina
Duh, just realized this was already covered...