After one year of absence, and as I reported several times, the Road Glide is officially returning in the 2015 lineup. Although we are weeks before the announcement of Harley’s complete 2015 model line-up, starting today August 2nd, Harley-Davidson is previewing the Road Glide and Road Glide Special at its Sturgis display and at the National Bikers Roundup (NBR) in Tulsa, Okla.
“Road Glide has always had an incredibly passionate following, which is why its return to the model line-up is exciting for our customers and our company,” said Matt Levatich, President and Chief Operating Officer of Harley-Davidson Motor Company. “With Project Rushmore technology, intuitive features and great new styling, we’re delivering an improved ride for the Road Glide faithful and the many others looking for more cool Project Rushmore motorcycle options.”
The Road Glide has a hew fairing contour, new Dual Reflector Daymaker™ LED headlights and a combination stop/turn/taillights. Harley states that they spent countless hours of wind tunnel testing the new frame-mounted Road Glide fairing. It features a triple splitstream vent that significantly reduces head buffeting while still providing comfortable airflow around the rider. The brilliant white beams of the Dual Daymaker Reflector LED headlamp blasts through the murkiest of nights. Centered in the inner fairing is the color screen of a Boom! ™ Box 4.3 infotainment system controlled by twin joysticks located on a new swept-back handlebar that puts the rider in a commanding, comfortable position. A High Output Twin Cam 103™ V-Twin engine burbles through two chrome mufflers, its abundant torque always on tap with just a twist of the throttle. Touring features include One-Touch hard saddlebags, cruise control, easy-to-read gauges, adjustable air-ride rear suspension and new ergonomic hand controls with intuitive design and improved tactile feel.
“The Road Glide has always been a bike for a rider who’s cut from a different cloth, a person who wants to make a statement as they chase the freedom of the road,” said Michael Goche, Product Planning Manager. “This new model respects that spirit while offering a significant improvement in aerodynamic and ergonomic comfort, LED lighting and the full suite of Project RUSHMORE features that have been such a huge hit with touring riders around the world.”
Color Options. Solids • Vivid Black • Amber Whiskey • Mysterious Red Sunglo (Road Glide® only) • Black Denim • Superior Blue (Road Glide® Special only) U.S. MSRP. Vivid Black $20,899 (Road Glide®) $23,199 (Road Glide® Special) Solids $21,399 (Road Glide®) $23,699 (Road Glide® Special)
Model Highlights
ROAD GLIDE®
• Premium Paint color options • Rubber-mounted, Air-Cooled 1690 cc High Output Twin Cam 103™ engine with Integrated Oil-Cooler; finished in Black with chrome covers – 6-Speed Cruise Drive® transmission – Hydraulic clutch actuation – Electronic Cruise Control – Low-maintenance belt drive • Wind tunnel-tested shark-nose fairing with open/close triple Splitstream vents for reduced head buffeting; low smoked windshield and redesigned inner fairing • Dual Daymaker™ Reflector LED headlamps • Boom!™ Box 4.3 audio system with 25-watt per channel amplifier and two speakers • Jukebox media compartment with USB connection and One-Touch access door • Silver-faced gauges • Ergonomic handlebar offers reduced reach and comfortable wrist angle • Ergonomic hand controls with intuitive design and tactile feel • 49 mm forks, stiffer triple clamps and larger steering bearings • Streamlined, low-profile front fender • Injection-molded hard saddlebags with One-Touch design latch • Enforcer Cast Aluminum wheels; 19-inch diameter front wheel • Chrome 2-1-2 dual exhaust with tapered mufflers • Air-adjustable low profile rear suspension • Two-up sport seat • Streamliner rider footboards and passenger foot pegs • Stop/tail/turn LED rear lighting
ROAD GLIDE® SPECIAL
• Boom! ™ Box 6.5GT audio system with 25- watt per channel amplifier and two speakers, integrated GPS and color Touch screen • Hand-Adjustable Low Profile Air Ride rear suspension • Reflex™ Linked Brakes with ABS • H-D® Smart Security System with proximity based fob • Painted inner fairing • Factory pin striping
Its a 2014 SG with a redesigned RG fixed. Owning a 103″ 2013 RG Custom has been a dream; mild performance upgrades and 100% stock in the cosmestics dept. and its all day blast.
For those not hip to the shark, reconsider, its worth looking into.
On this redesign, not sure about the linked brake system the fork setup isn’t coilovers(I swapped out for progressive internals) and running the same 19″ wheel design from the SG.
I just hope the big wheel trend dies off and companies get back to making performance touring products with this release.
Always liked the RG.
Any pics of the inner fairing? Curious as to how they handled the new radio.
That’s not a Kawasaki Vaquero now.
Head-on view reminds me of the Mako Shark ‘vettes, very nice. All it needs is lowers and a touring front rim/tire 😉
It looks like they got rid of the water cooled heads and used a headlight/fairing setup from a mid 80s Jap bike. The wheels look very 80s as well. Not to my taste but I guess someone will buy it.
Rushmore features and slight cosmetic changes. Obviously no wet cooling so it’s kind of ho-hum to me. Surprised there were no inner fairing photos. Staying with my 2011 FLTRUSE for the forseable future.
I Don’t remember all of the 80’s and there are bits I want to forget.
Cannot recall anything like that back then.
I still prefer the Street Glide, but looks wise this is a huge improvement
I like !
I like the face lift on the shark. I had an Electra Glide, now own a Road Glide. I’m staying with the fixed faring as long as the H-D MC keeps making them.
Maybe some one explains the meaning of “integrated oil-cooler”?
From the pictures I see the “conventional” oil cooler radiator right under the Voltage Regulator which is common with all touring bikes since…years ago? I had a ’09 LHRP with same oil cooling configuration.
IS IT Integrated oilcooler a new thing or just a marketing term?
It looks like Bender from Futurama. Not a fan of the appearance. I will test ride one anyway, and next year when they come out with an Ultra version, might consider buying it, if it’s a big improvement over fork-mounted fairings… I don’t have to stare at the front of it all day!
You will be braindead if you deny that there is not a lot to like about the Indian touring machines – they are more powerful (viz torque that matters) tahn HD and very well priced. The 2015 Tourmaster is a hell of a lot of motorcycle for the price.
HOWEVER, as anybody who has ever piloted a frame-fixed-fairing bike will attest, it is the definitive cross-continent layout – PERIOD. Handlebar-mounted-fairing bikes are medium-paced, medium distance bikes, PERIOD…
Indian simply has nothing to offer vs the HD RG. The HD RG can legitimately compete with Japs and Europeans – eg Gold Wing and BMW. There are only two (production) V-Twins I will take onto the Autobahn – ie the V-Rod and the RG.
Indian/Victory aficionado often (conveniently) forget, when you buy an HD, you buy into the entire aftermarket. And the inconvenient fact is: It will take Polaris/Indian/Victory another 100 years to catch up in this regard (if ever).
Therefore, to bump up a RG’s performance to meet/beat a Polaris-product, is as easy as it is for an Indian to fall off a totem-pole.
In my humble/meaningless/etc opinion, the two HD models with the greatest potential, the the V-Rod and the RG. I am therefore perpetually mystified why HD seems to treat both models as stepchildren…
They finally got the handlebars right.
Sigfreed: You need to take a ride on the Victory Vision. You would add one more bike to your autobahn list. Also; the HD aftermarket is King for sure but for those not wanting to go full-on custom there are plenty of aftermarket parts for the Indian/Victory market and getting better all the time. Maybe not in Europe but definitely in the USA.
This bike has a nice profile. I would like to see forward adjustable floorboards for those wanting their legs in a more straight position. An electric windshield on the touring model would be a plus. I would also want to know if the bars can be adjusted upwards. The position looks a bit low for my tastes.
For those wanting a pic of the dash, which I like better than the old one, here is a link to one posted at American Iron Magazine. I like to give credit when I use another website to post info or pics from them. I do the same for Cyril’s website. http://www.aimag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-Road-Glide-1.jpg
Agree with Boomer !!!!
Don’t forget, in the fixed fairing division you also have to count the Kawasaki Vaquero.
Not as much aftermarket support but also more coming all the time
Comparable trim level with the info/sound and bigger engine going to H-D
But a $2 to 3000.00 price difference to the metric
I own both a 98 Valkyrie Tourer and an 04 V-Rod. One for traveling and one for Bar hopping. I rode the 15 RG Special in Sturgis last week and guess what, I think the V-ROD is back to being Trade Bait. I was somewhat impressed with the 103 (I have tested the 106 on the Victory also).
The Fairing looks great from the inside on the Special. the Black Gloss looks like more to keep dust off, but it sure looks good clean. I don’t know why they do not show more pictures. The whole “buffeting” thing with the 3 vents I am not so sure about but a current RG rider might be able to explain that better. I played withthe vents open and closed and not sure I could tell a difference in handling, but it will let bugs (bees) though. It rode nicely and the Valk may finally get to rest on its laurels and become the bar hopper as I fell “In Lust” with the RG.
Nuff Said