Hot Rod Attitude
The new Harley-Davidson Road Glide Custom motorcycle is a tougher, younger vision of the shark-nose Harley-Davidson classic. Here’s a bagger with a frame-mounted fairing that offers a lean, hot-rod look. Road Glide Custom leads with a big 18-inch front wheel draped with a clean FL fender, follows with a 2-into-1 exhaust feeding a long chrome muffler, and exits with a smooth new tail light assembly. Hugging the pavement on a slammed rear suspension, the Road Glide Custom rolls with a cool swagger.
But cool can still tour. That aerodynamic fairing offers outstanding weather and wind protection and holds a cockpit-style array of instruments. Hardshell saddlebags and the 40-watt Advanced Audio System by Harman/Kardon are standard equipment on the new Road Glide Custom model.
Key Road Glide Custom Features
>> The rear suspension is lowered by one inch, so the Road Glide Custom model appears to hug the highway, a look that is reinforced by the "ground effects" trim at the bottom edge of the rear fender.
>> An 18-inch Black Slotted Disc cast aluminum front wheel has machined highlights. Combined with a lower-profile, 130/70B18 tire, the new wheel updates the front end styling and offers enhanced steering feedback.
>> An aerodynamic, frame-mounted fairing incorporates dual headlamps, a cockpit-style instrument display with silver-faced gauges, and two glove-box storage compartments. The frame-mounted fairing offers lighter steering feel than a fork-mounted fairing. New head lamp trim replaces the clear cover used on previous Road Glide models, improving serviceability.
>> A low-profile dark windshield creates a sleek shape up front.
>> The new 2-into-1 exhaust feeds a single, four-inch-diameter chrome muffler located below the right saddlebag.
>> The new tail light assembly joins a pair of red LED brake/tail/turn lamps with a sweeping chrome bracket that doubles as a visor over the low-mounted license plate. This design eliminates the separate tail/stop lamp. Tri-line LED lighting is located at the bottom edge of the rear fender.
>> The new custom bucket seat has a perforated insert in the rider position.
>> GTX nylon hard saddlebags have color-matched latches. Inserts fill the spaces between the saddlebags and the rear fender.
>> Streamliner footboards, brake pedal and passenger pegs feature full chrome pans and three chrome bands inset in the rubber surface.
>> The 6-speed Cruise Drive transmission is fitted with a new helical-cut fifth gear for smooth operation.
Tour with Custom Style
The Road Glide Custom model is built on the innovative Touring chassis introduced by Harley-Davidson in 2009, based on a single-spar, rigid backbone frame developed to withstand the demands of long-haul touring riders and today’s more-powerful engines. The cast aluminum wheels were created using finite element analysis for maximal stiffness with minimal weight. The 180/65-16 Dunlop D407 Multi-Tread rear tire designed specifically for the Harley-Davidson Touring chassis feature a harder center tread compound and softer shoulder compound to enhance handling and extend rear-tire tread life by 25 percent.
Air-adjustable rear shocks accommodate variable passenger and luggage loads. Chassis geometry and suspension calibration work with the dynamics of the frame to deliver a combination of comfort and handling from a touring motorcycle that’s equally at ease rolling down the Interstate or negotiating a tight parking situation.
The Twin Cam 96 V-Twin engine features Harley-Davidson Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI) that delivers crisp response, easy starting cold or hot, and self-adjusts to changing elevation and atmospheric conditions. Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) unclutters the handlebar area and enables an easy upgrade to optional cruise control. The engine is rubber-mounted in the chassis, and mated to a 6-speed Cruise Drive transmission with a tall top gear for quiet, economical highway cruising. The exhaust system is designed to minimize heat exposure to the rider and passenger.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company, the only major U.S.-based motorcycle manufacturer, produces heavyweight motorcycles and a complete line of motorcycle parts, accessories and general merchandise. For more information, visit Harley-Davidson’s Web site at www.harley-davidson.com.
