So I decided torture myself and take a 2015 Road Glide out for a test ride.

I have previously owned an '07, '08 and '13 Road Glide. The '13 was a major step up from the 08 and earlier. The '15 is better straight out of the box with no tweaking. It handles just as a Road Glide should. Nimble as anything. Suspension is much better. I rode a Special so the combination of the beefier front suspension and premium rear shock made for a much better ride. Suspension is still stiff. It just takes the bumps much better. Nowhere near as harsh as previous models. No bottoming out either. Buffeting is very minimal even with the shorter shield. I tried all combination of vents open and closed and the best combo I found was top vent closed and sides open. Even at 70+ I got very little buffeting or glasses movement with a half helmet on. If I opened the top vent I would get instant flutter of the glasses. YMMV depending on your height. I'm 5' 8". It has a little more *** than the '13 due to the upgraded cam. Pulls harder at higher speeds But I already knew this from taking out a '14 Road King last year. The new bars??? Loved them. Surprisingly very comfortable. I thought they would feel like beach bars. Which I hate. Not the case at all. Very relaxed riding position. Gotta say my stance on the upgraded infotainment system still stands. I don't really like it. I much prefer the one that comes on the regular. A regular with ABS and upgraded rear suspension would be perfect for me. A taller shield would be nice but not as necessary as previous models. For me anyway. I could ride it as-is for a while.

Is it worth an upgrade from an 11-13??? Depends on how much you want the new features. The biggest upgrades are the suspension and lessening of buffeting right out of the gate. Speaking for myself if I still had my '13 I would not even consider an upgrade. I had it dialed in exactly like I wanted. It handled great and had no buffeting. The '15 would bring nothing to the table for me. If I was on any other bike I would upgrade in a second.

 

Nice write up G!

I have sat on one but still have not riding one to see the difference.

But like you said, if I had a 2008 and older, I would switch.

No reason too, as I have my ole 2009 is dialed in just prefect!

Thanks again for the write up.


YB

 

Yeah if I had a 2009 CVO I would not even consider. One of the best bikes HD ever put out. Give me any of the three colors and I would be a happy camper.

 

I didn't ride one but sitting on a 15 compared to my 08 was an eye opener. Fit and finish on the 15 is way better than my bike. The bars seemed perfect, I always adjust my bars so when my arms are out the grips are in the palm of my hands, perfect angle for me out of the box on the 15. Much higher build quality on the fairing, even the pocket doors felt solid. Downside ... I want one!

 

You test rode my bike!!!! LOL
I came off of a '07 RKC to the RG and to my surprise the wind is horrible on the glide compared to my king! I went for a 140 ml cruise on monday and couldn't keep my glasses on, my helmet kept rolling back & I couldn't hear the stereo! I'm 5'6" and it seemed if I crouched down a few inches it was better so I ordered a 12" wind splitter last night hopefully this will fix my issue! I do like the bike & how it handles, just need to get where I can ride it comfortably!!!

 

I put over 500 miles on mine since I got it on Friday. I must say for me the bike is amazing. I came from a cruiser model in the softail Deluxe which I was pretty happy with but his is just so much more bike. The ride and power is awesome. I really like the looks of the Glides and this new style is even better than the previous model years. The bars and windshield fit me perfectly and I won't have to change either of them. If you are not seriuosly in the market for a new bike I would suggest not test riding one. If you test ride you will highly be tempted to buy.

 

That may very well be the ugliest motorcycle I have ever seen. I think I threw up a little.

 

Probably a good idea to wear a full face helmet on that bike, so your friends will not know it's you on that fugly bike! Imagine the sneers!
Just yanking the chain, good write up...

 

I just can't get past the looks of that fairing. YIKES!

 

Nice write up! JR