The Breakdown
Pros
Cons
The Not So Sport Glide
Have you ever really wanted to like a motorcycle and had it disappoint you? That’s what happened to me with Harley’s new Sport Glide. It’s not awful or anything like that, but it’s not what it could have been with some better execution on the part of Harley’s designers.
With a Sport label and featuring cruise control along with detachable hard bags and fairing, I thought this would be a sporty cruiser equally capable of mastering long rides and sharp corners.
As it turns out, it can do those things, just not as well as I hoped. It’s not a sport tourer, or even worthy of the sport cruiser label.
Numbers and Noteworthy Features
- 107 cubic inch (1746 cc) engine with 78 hp and 105.5 pound-feet of torque at 2750 rpm
- Standard ABS and cruise control
- Inverted front forks with adjustable preload on the rear suspension
- 30 degrees of rake
- 698 lbs wet
- 26.5-inch seat height
- 47 mpg
First Impressions
I like the simple look of this bike, especially with the front fairing detached. It presents as a clean and classy Harley Davidson motorcycle in that form.
The fairing intrigues me. I love the potential of it providing some good wind protection, but I have serious doubts it will be effective at all. It looks too short and small to be anything more than cosmetic. I’m eager to find out just what this bike is about.
The Ride
The Engine and Transmission
The torque is excellent from the Milwaukee 107 cubic inch engine. The Sport Glide flexes that rear wheel muscle to pull powerfully away from stop signs and many other vehicles on the road. It’s terrific to have full torque almost from idle at the rider’s disposal. Full credit to Harley for building this updated engine in comparison to the old twin cam one. It may be all new, but it still has that lovely Harley exhaust note people like me adore.
That torque combined with a six-speed transmission mesh very well and I experienced no missed shifts or desire to change anything about it. In true Harley form, the bike clunks loudly when you drop it into first gear, but other shifts happen smooth and solid.
The Lack of Sport Performance
Around town and on back roads at regular speeds the Sport Glide moves around well overall when we speak of its powertrain. I had no complaints until I decided to find out whether it would live up to the Sport side of its name by accelerating past 100 mph. Any legit sport touring bike should be smooth at that speed, but the SG was just plain scary.
Right around the 100mph mark, it started shuddering strongly and making me very uncomfortable. I’m not sure whether it could be blamed on the Michelin Scorcher tires and 30 degrees of rake not meshing well with the cold asphalt that day (it was only 54 degrees), but this bike had no interest in going fast.
Comparatively, my experience test riding the new Fat Bob last fall was just the opposite. That bike was noticeably more powerful with its 114 cubic inch engine, lighter weight and very smooth ride even above 100mph. That bike wants to go fast and handles it well.
Too Harsh?
Am I perhaps being unreasonably critical? Yeah, maybe.
It’s true there isn’t a single road (other than racetracks) in North America that I can legally ride this bike over 90 mph and it performs just fine in that normal range of speeds. Still, I was hoping for more, whether that’s reasonable or not.
Cornering
The Sport Glide is one of the new generations of Softails which is supposed to handle better than ever before thanks to a completely redesigned frame. That’s definitely the case for this Sport Glide compared to previous Harleys, but again the Fat Bob is noticeably better in the corners.
What A Drag
When I took some tight turns I found my heel dragging almost right away on the road because of the angle and height of the footpegs.
I’m not tall at 5’7, nor do I have skis for feet by any reckoning so that shouldn’t have been happening. If I lifted my foot up and rested my heel on top of the pegs I could corner nearly as sharply as on the Fat Bob, but that’s not a reasonable thing to expect to do with a bike named Sport Glide.
Suspension
The suspension is decent in the front and rear. I like that the rear is easily adjusted now with a manual dial behind the driver’s right leg.
I didn’t find the forks dove exceedingly under hard braking. Generally, I can say Harley did good with it.
The Seat
The seat is one I just can’t figure out.
The one on the Fat Bob is the most comfortable stock Harley seat I’ve sat on. That sounds really weird, but is definitely the case even compared to stock seats on the big baggers for my backside. I really wish they had gone with it on the Sport Glide instead of the one they did.
My main complaint with the Sport Glide seat is that after riding for an hour it produced a dent right where my tailbone rests on it. There was a noticeable pucker in the leather when I got off it and I think over time this would only get worse to the point of failure.
It’s also wickedly uncomfortable to have your tailbone dig into the foam progressively deeper while out riding.
No Passengers
The rear seat isn’t something any passenger would want to use long. They may as well have just left it a solo seat.
The Convertible Aspect
The fairing and saddlebags come off quickly and easily thanks to latches inside the bags and ones on the inside of the fork tubes near the triple tree up front.
This design is efficient and seems bulletproof. The fairing can’t be easily stolen off the bike when it’s parked unattended because when the steering lock is engaged you can’t get fingers in far enough to unlatch the release on one side.
The bags are hard and leather covered with nice logos on each side. I had no trouble removing and reinstalling them afterward with only one or two attempts at learning how it all works.
Full marks to Harley on doing these things right.
The Instrument Panel
The dash is a 5-inch diameter speedometer with an LCD display below it mounted on the gas tank. It’s not too hard to see how fast you’re going, nor are the warning light for ABS, neutral, low fuel, oil pressure, high beam or indicators for turn signals.
The only problem is you have to look down to access the information. It’s par for the course with many Harley Softails and helps keep the style of the bike sharp. From a practical standpoint, I’m really not a big fan though.
The fuel gauge is a good feature along with the distance to empty, digital tech and trip meters. It’s actually a very good setup, just not located well.
The Style
I think a better name for this bike would be Style Glide.
The rims are unique with their bending, polished aluminum spokes front and rear that somewhat resemble shuriken (ninja stars!).
No other builder mixes a distinct package of physical features so well of chrome highlights and blacked out contrasting areas than the Bar and Shield in my opinion. Often imitated, but never duplicated this bike is a looker without question.
The Little Things
The Michelin Scorcher tires even have small depressions around the edges of the rubber that are shaped like the Harley logo. Small badging and tasteful, low key branding on the side of the gas tank among other locations on the engine and saddlebags is all done just right.
In short, I give it two thumbs up in the looks department.
Who Is It For?
Who should buy this Harley? Who is Harley trying to target with this Sport Glide? I really can’t make up my mind about the answer to that question.
At first, I thought it would be an excellent option for riders that can’t physically handle the big touring bikes and their 900+ lb weight, but who still want to go on long rides.
The fairing on the Sport Glide just isn’t big enough to make really long rides in wind comfortable, so I’m going to stop looking at this machine as a legitimate touring bike alternative now.
I think this is one for people who want a bike they can quickly, easily and noticeably change the look of. That’s really it because the truth is this is just a Heritage Classic with modern styling and a less useful quick detach windshield when you drill down to the core.
I thought I understood what Harley was going for with this bike, but it turns out either I was right, but they missed the mark or I’m wrong and have no idea what the Sport Glide is for.
So Much Potential
This bike could have been much more if they had built it more like the Fat Bob, but put in some touring features.
It should have had the 114 engine in it, not the 107.
The footpegs should have been raised to allow sharper cornering.
The windshield should be at least 8” taller.
Change the rake to 28 degrees and raise the exhaust slightly to allow for sport cruiser cornering.
Fix the seat.
The sad truth is that I really wanted to like the Sport Glide, but I don’t. I can’t see it selling well or staying in the Harley lineup long either unless they really tweak it, but I could be totally wrong.
What’s New for the 2019 Sport Glide?
The 2019 Sport Glide is virtually identical to the 2018 other than the shape of the primary drive case. The photo below shows the new, narrower primary case with the smaller diameter derby cover on it.
There is a better cooling effect on the oil and primary drive gears gained due to the shape change according to the sales staff at Calgary Harley Davidson who I’d like to thank for offering up this bike for a test drive and review.
Final Shots
I haven’t enjoyed writing this downer of a review. I like Harleys and all motorcycles, but this one just does very little for me, sadly. It’s pretty ordinary overall and I prefer to review bikes I feel make a statement or fit a rider’s needs better than on average.
It would have been more worthwhile for Harley to have built a touring friendly version of the Fat Bob instead of the Sport Glide, because the Fat Bob IS the Softail with sport handling.
That’s about to change though with the new 2019 FXDR 114 from what I hear, but that’s a whole different review than this one.
Pros
- Cruise control
- Quick detach windshield and locking hard bags
- Great torque from the M8 107 engine
- Bright, LED headlight
Cons
- Uncomfortable seat easily dents
- Unstable at high speed (got sport?)
- Fairing isn’t large enough to protect the rider from the wind
Specs
- Manufacturer: Harley Davidson
- Price (When Tested): $22,399 and up
- Made In: USA
- Alternative models & colors: 6 different paint choices
- Sizes: 107 engine only
- Review Date: September 26, 2108
Ugly schmugly.
It might not be sporty, but I’ve never been on a Harley that glides on anything but pristine blacktop either. With Harley’s low, short stroke suspensions, every Harley I’ve been on has been horribly rough on real-world pavement scenarios, especially compared to non-cruiser bikes, but even compared to metric and Indian cruiser models.
Yeah this Sport Glide wasn’t what I would call plush or sport firm either.
I did find it a bit harsh over bumps but it wasn’t unbearable.
I read somewhere that HD made this for the Euro market, and that makes sense to me. The bags are similar to those on an old BMW of mine – light, practical day-to-day, no paint to ding up, removable for lane-splitting. The fairing isn’t a coast-to-coast type deal, but keeps you from turning into a sail for an hour or two on the flat top, while giving your head a clear stream of air. It’s pretty much unnoticeable below 65. The suspension on crappy city streets is the most comfortable I’ve had, but my last 4 bikes were 2 standards and 2 sport tourers, not touring bikes or cruisers, so not apples to apples. I’m fine with the seat for an hour or so, but the passenger seat is really crappy, like all the Softails, I think. But I’ve got over 10k on mine and don’t have the center part dented down like yours did, so I don’t know if there was a problem with the seat, or a mismatch with your tailbone. I’ve scraped the pegs a couple of times, but its ultimate lean angle is like its stability over 100mph – a theoretical problem, like its enduro manners and its racing potential. In spite of its name, it’s not a sport bike any more than the Fat Bob is – when compared to actual sport bikes. But it’s dead stable on the 70 mph sweepers we have in the country here in Texas, and dead stable cruising at 85, and nimble enough for in town. I wanted a bike that I could commute on, noodle around the back roads on, carry my wife around on, take day trips on, run to the store on – a multi-purpose bike, neither too big nor too small, that could carry stuff easily when I wanted to. If fills those roles really well, and I find it a blast to ride. I don’t hold the “Sport” against it any more than I would the “Slim” for not being skinny enough, or the “Valkyrie” for not carrying warriors to Valhalla. Maybe better to look at what the bike is designed to do, rather than what the marketing department named it.
Thanks for the comment Belloc! It’s great to get an owner’s perspective on here. I can only garner so much from a limited time test drive after all.
I’m glad to hear your bike is more enjoyable to ride than the one I reviewed. It’s fair to say there could have been something funny going on with the one I got and it’s not the norm, but I can only write about what I personally experienced and that’s what I did.
As far as Harley’s intent for this bike goes based on what’s written on the site for the 2019 Sport Glide I’d say they have sport touring in mind with the option to take the top off (fairing I mean) while in the city when it strikes your fancy to do so. Here’s the exact write up from the HD site:
“Devour endless miles of highway. Lean hard through twisting roads. Hit the night spots. Adventure is yours for the taking on the Sport Glide®. ”
“Leaning hard” is a relative term I concede and maybe I’ve spent too much time on sport bikes to be fair.
Leaning hard in corners is possible with this bike, but only when you set your heel on the foot pegs otherwise your heel drags (at least mine did). I didn’t experience that with the Fat Bob or FXDR. You don’t mention whether that’s the case with yours or not, but I can’t believe there would be that much difference between your bike and the one I tested… or is there?
That’s why I stand by my comments about this being a confusing bike. Even if they didn’t call it Sport Glide I would have called out Harley on this idea the bike is made for cornering.
Hi Jim, thanks for the reply. Yeah, everyone is going to ride differently, in different places, with different expectations. Ad hype aside, this bike is a Low Rider with a better front end, forward-ish pegs, and detachable fairing and bags. If strafing apexes at top speed is your game, I wouldn’t look to a Low Rider, or really any Harley, or really anything much over 400 lbs. I’d pick something different if I lived in the mountains and rode hard there. Everything is a compromise, except for the one bike that isn’t, until that one bike gets bested, then it’s a compromise. Saying the Fat Bob is the best corner carver in Harley’s line-up may be true, but it’s like being the tallest midget. If you want a corner carver, you’re at the wrong store, unless it’s the compromise you like. FWIW, the rear brake and shift lever seem to be set up for operation with your heels on the pegs. In your fourth picture, where you seem to be shifting, that’s where your heels are, but you must drop your feet when not shifting or braking, because your heels are hanging down in other pictures. Not sure. I’m in Houston, and the hardest corners I carve are in town, and it hasn’t been a problem there. My last bike was a Speed Triple, and the rider triangle took some getting used to, though – it may be that foot position on the peg is something that changes with forward controls, but it’s been a year and I don’t remember.
Anyway, thanks for the review and the excellent pics.
I think your assessment of the bike as a low rider is bang on. That’s what this bike is in the end: looks cool and deserves to be ridden in a way to show off the looks. It still provides modest handling compared to any cruiser too. Definitely not a bad motorcycle and I think my score of 3.7/5 reflects that.
I know what happened in the photo you’re referring to. I am indeed shifting the bike into first gear without my foot in the usual position. You’ll laugh when you hear why I’m doing that. I had stopped in front of my wife (the photographer) to get some close ups and then planned to take off quickly from there. I forgot I had shifted the trans into neutral and the bike embarrassingly revved up loudly but didn’t move when I tried. My wife was laughing at me and snapped that pic as I slapped the shifter down into first in an exaggerated fashion while laughing at my rookie move. Why is it moments like those always get captured on film, eh?
At any rate I also agree the pics were great in this one. My wife had just bought a new lens for the camera and caught some real beauties with it of the Sport Glide. Maybe someday I’ll be in the Houston area and we can tour around together?
I’ll bring a Fat Bob though. Thanks again for the conversation Belloc. I hope you chime in again anytime. If you’re on FaceBook please join the WBW group as we often have great discussions on there too.
Congrats to your wife on the good pics, Jim. Yeah, you’ll often catch something you didn’t intend in those pics.
I paid attention to the position of my feet on the pegs riding into work this morning, and it was with heels resting on them, with toes at the level of the levers. Otherwise you have to raise them for each shift and use of the rear brake, which is an ab workout and a delay, for me, anyway. I note that your toes are nowhere near the levers in any of the other pictures, so maybe just a riding style thing. The bike is definitely too low to be subtracting several inches from each side.
I read that the Sport Glide and the Low Rider were developed together by the same team, so not my observation there. A lot of guys on the forums want forward controls on the LR, or want mids on the SG, so you’re not alone. My problem with the seating position is that the stock seat makes my butt slide down into the cruiser slouch, where I like to be in a more “standard” position. A Corbin should put my rear further back, allowing a more upright position, and fix my wife’s situation to boot.
Anyway, drop me a line if you ever get down this way, whatever bike you happen to be on. I’ll treat to you some local barbeque and some long straight roads 🙂
Yeah, it is good to read a review from an actual owner rather than someone who criticizes a Harley for not being stable over 100 mph. Completely ridiculous. Get a sport bike. I have never driven a car over 100 mph much less even wanted to ride a bike at that speed. That’s not what cruiser is for.
Geoff, any other Harley I’ve ever ridden has gone over 100mph (even the 1999 Ultra Limited I owned for 6 years), that’s why I mentioned it in the review. I think I also pointed out there might have been something wrong with the demo bike and the owners who have commented in here have confirmed their Sport Glides are able to go 100 and up without any issues. Are you suggesting it would have been better for me not to mention the motorcycle doing something strange during my road test? I think that would be irresponsible.
My criticism certainly wasn’t exclusively about the speed either. That was minor because as you point out, there’s no need to go that fast and nowhere on public roads in North America to even legally do that speed. Besides, the bike handled just fine below that (other than the peg scraping).
Ok now you’ve got my curiosity really piqued about my foot positioning on pegs.
I place my foot on the peg so that the gap between the front and heel portion of the boot’s sole rests on the peg. When I’m not braking or shifting I pivot my toes outwards so that they aren’t resting on the brake lever or shift lever. I think this is mainly to avoid riding the rear brake but it also allows me to quickly pivot my toes back over the brake lever when needed.
I note using this positioning is for riding cruisers that are laid back seating only because the weight of my legs isn’t on my feet at all. When I ride sport bikes, standard or dirt bikes I position my foot further backwards so that the ball of my right foot is on the peg instead of the gap between heel and front. I didn’t even realize this difference until you started talking about it. Very interesting. I’m going to have to do a survey on what everyone else is doing out of interest.
You sound like a taller fellow (everything’s bigger in TX, right?) while I’m a little person and I suspect that has a lot to do with it.
Man I was in Amarillo years ago and still remember how tasty that BBQ was there. The fact you’re riding today and have access to that kind of lovely food stings a lot because I’m more looking at shoveling snow off my walk than anything else today. Hahaha.
Ha – I was thinking about it on the way home, too! I’d been wearing my old aircrew boots for riding boots since the early 90’s, and replaced them with some Corcorans a year or so ago, then bought some Bates Tasers for summer riding. I never went back to the Corcorans when winter came, because the Bates were so much more comfortable for riding, but it didn’t become clear until today just why. My old boots and the Corcorans have defined heels, but the Bates are flat on bottom, like sneakers. I remember now having to move my feet around before to get to the levers and the heel step made it awkward, but it was weird riding with my heels on the pegs. Now that is what I naturally do – my legs are relaxed that way, and the levers are right there. All of this I had forgotten! As I said before, my last few bikes were standards and sport tourers, and like you I rode with the peg in front of the heel when relaxed, or on the pad of my foot in the twisties (I used to live in Japan). Getting out of the cruiser slouch and leaning forward more puts more weight on the legs (and takes it off the tailbone, though mine still goes to sleep after a while) – the flatter bars on the SG make that comfortable. I have a 32″ inseam, so not too tall, but my legs are just a little open from 90 degrees, which probably makes a difference. You might like the mid-pegs of the Low Rider better. Way more factors involved than I had thought about when I first read this, but yours was the first review of the SG I’d read where the lean angle was the central criticism, so it caught my attention. I’d never given any thought to foot position (much less sole shape) either.
Yeah, I don’t miss snow at all, I’m afraid. If I still rode in heavy rain, I could ride pretty much all year here, and do, aside from rain. Having a car has made me lazy. And the barbecue doesn’t hurt 🙂
I feel enlightened thanks to this exchange. The sole design on my Sidi boots is perhaps entirely to blame for the heel drag it seems. I’ll keep that in mind should the same issue pop up again.
I’m also going to have to check out some Bates boots now it seems.
I learned a lot too, Jim, thanks! Yeah, I like the Bates, and there are several others of similar design. Decent for walking, too. I think they’re on sale at Revzilla at the moment, FWIW.
Interesting review, and I usually agree with your assessments, but I have to say, we are far apart on this one. I usually have two bikes in my garage, a sportbike and a cruiser/commuter bike. I currently have a Z900 for weekend fun in the twisties, and had a V-Rod for commuting/looking good duty. After test-riding a bunch of new Softails, I bought the Sport Glide, and couldn’t be happier with it. Let me address few points:
1. Stability over 100mph. Something must’ve been wrong with your bike. I bought mine on a 30F day from a dealer 2 hours away. I rode the snot out of her on the way back, and never once felt unstable.
2. Seat – I only use it for two-up with my wife, and we have no complaints for day trips. I bought a Mustang Solo seat, and love it.
3. Fairing – it’s perfect for me. I’m 5′ 11″ and it takes most of the wind off of my chest, and leaves my helmet in clean air.
4. Lean angle – I scrape the pegs or my boots all the time. The only thing I wish was better, as my V-Rod was 32 degrees, and it made a difference.
Overall, I love the bike, and put 3k miles in 2 months on it. It’s my commuter and weekend trip machine.
Hi Chris, thanks for the feedback.
I’m starting to think you’re right and that this specific SG I rode was an anomaly in some ways.
Maybe I need to try it again sometime this year. I’m glad to hear yours is working out for you. The concept still appeals to me and I wanted to like it more than I did.
In truth I didn’t hate it, it just wasn’t as good as I hoped.
Good review Jim and good exchange with Belloc. I too live in Texas and recently picked up a lightly used SG. I liked the look and the idea of the SG from the first time I saw it in magazines and ever since. When this used one came available and the dealer accepted my terms I pulled the trigger. Here are my initial thoughts.
My dealer referred to the SG as a “light tourer”. I think it meets that. The saddlebags could be bigger and could open wider, it’s difficult to even get an empty backpack in one, but they are what they are and go with the look. The fairing is what I expected, my PO had installed the taller screen so I get a little more protection but nothing really worth mentioning. My PO also had installed the passenger backrest and luggage rack which should work well for road trips and taking extra gear. I sat on the passenger seat last night and I would not want to sit there for more than a ride across town. I knew going in that this bike would not offer the protection or comfort of a big tourer but I think it is very capable of long haul travel. I have had Road King(s), Road Glide and Electra(s) in the past but wanted something lighter now and this meets that.
Comfort, at this early stage I think I will need the bars to come back and up. Not like ape hangers but maybe 4-6 inch rise with about 2 inch pullback. My old back can feel a little tension. So far no complaints about the rider part of the seat.
The pegs. First off, I do not like forward controls, period. That being said, after a couple of test rides at the dealer, I thought I could deal with the “not crazy” forward controls of the SG even though I prefer mids. I’m still ok with that, the SG forward pegs are not bad for comfort although I still think some maneuvering control is lost with my feet out in front of me. So the jury is still out on the forwards but I think I can live with them. However, Harley failed on the placement of the pegs. As you experienced, I too have issues with my feet dragging the ground with even moderate leans. I consider my self a very experienced rider and have no issues taking a motorcycle near its limits in turns and curves. The natural foot position for me is having the peg at the arch of the foot, as you pointed out. In this position I have had my foot/leg lifted off the peg and thrown back more than a few times. Not good. This mostly has happened while turning and more so in right turns for some reason. I have not had the bike out on some twisties yet but fear that the foot drag will be an issue then also and dread the thought of my leg being thrown aft at speed. I did not have this happen during test rides but only after buying the bike and after my comfort and confidence increased with time in saddle. Had I had this happen during test rides I’m pretty sure this bike would still be on the dealer floor. I don’t even want to start in on the Harley wobble when pushing the bike near the limits in curves, this is a trait I had forgotten about since my last HD was about three years ago, but I was soon and sadly reminded of. The wobble is not as bad as past models but it is still there.
So my early assessment of the SG is slightly below neutral. My biggest dislike is definitely the pegs, so much so that I’m going to seriously look at some options for moving them. Harley was so close to making another must have bike but right now I’m just, well, mildly disappointed…
Ajax, interesting post. My last two bikes were a Speed Triple and a Monster, so I had no illusions about this being a sport bike when I got it. Maybe a matter of expectations. It looks like a cruiser, and it is.
I recently put footboards on mine, and from what you’ve said, you might consider that. In my years of riding I’ve never had boards before (you probably have, from what you’ve said, so you’d know better), but I thought they might offer more long-haul comfort, and they do. They seem to combine mids and forwards. You can’t brace against them like you can the pegs, but they’re much more flexible. They also eliminate the possibility of catching your heel on the ground since you can’t hang them down. And I can see where having your feet back a bit feels like a “sportier” position. (Btw, if you do consider this, you’ll need the Fat Boy footboard mounts, not the Heritage ones, which are too short. I’ve got all the part numbers if you’re interested.)
I’m curious about this HD wobble you mention. I don’t ever go much over 90, but I often take long sweepers at 75 plus, and this is the most planted bike I’ve ever had. What are the conditions in which you experience wobble?
Fwiw, I don’t think this is a fail on HD’s part. I think you, like Jim, might just prefer a different arrangement (Low Rider w/ mids?). I like this arrangement a lot.
Good feed back Belloc, I like it. My last two bikes were a ’12 Concours and a ’13 Tiger 800. After agreeing with myself that the C14 was getting faster and my reactions were getting slower(age 60+) the C14 had to go, traded for an ’18 Bobber Black, and after agreeing with myself that my days adventure riding were also over, the Tiger 800XC got traded to the SG. I was looking for a light touring Harley and thought this would be it and I’m committed to making it that. So much so that today I spent 6 hours making foot peg “retractors” if you will. It is just a crude device that lifted the pegs about 2″ and brought them aft about 2″. I have not had the opportunity to do an in depth test but the little bit I was able to do before cocktail hour I was really pleased. Just street corner turning, where my feet where lifted off the pegs the most before, were completely rub free. It actually made me smile how much I was able to lean without rub…and I hadn’t had a cocktail yet! 8-)) The device is really nothing more than an extension that I cut, pieced and welded together out of heavy gauge angle iron. Added bonus, it brings my feet up and aft almost to a more comfortable “fwd” mid position(for me). Looking at my invention it makes me wonder why H-D can’t make a simple cast piece for the same purpose, I can’t be the only one, even in varied lengths/heights. After installing my home brew part I only had to move the shift lever back a bit and adjust the rear brake pedal aft a bit(there is some minor adjustment on the brake pedal where the plunger goes into the master cylinder).
I’m interested in the footboards you did. But looking at the H-D website and the pics of the Fat Boy that you mention would work the best, it looks to me like there is no useable difference in the position of the footboards. The pic of the rider leaning into a turn looks like the boards are about ready to scrape and it is not even an aggressive turn. I would love some small footboards on the SG(that don’t scrape). If you have done this and it works, yes, I am interested in what you did and what parts you used.
The wobble, might just be I’m spoiled, my Concours was my main daily rider for almost 3 years and it spoiled the $hit out of me. It was so smooth and solid in corners, no matter how hard I pushed it, it always seemed to just beg for more, which is why its no longer in my garage!
The Harley wobble. My past touring Harleys all had a wobble when pushed through curves, not high speed straights. I read where Harley had fixed this in new models. I have not had my SG out on tour or pushed it through some twisties yet, but just commuting in the DFW metro area and taking some fly overs at speed, there is just a bit of front end “weave” going on whereas the Concours was rock solid, as was the Tiger actually, and the KLR before that! The “weave” wasn’t scary by any means, especially compared to past H-D tourer’s but it was noticeable.
I don’t think I would call the SG a total fail, it’s just that the idea and design is awesome but could have been SO much better with very minor changes. It’s almost like Harley designed and built the bike but never rode it! Surely if they would have, they would have experienced the foot drag and fixed it! It took me 6 hours to fix, I think this would have been a lot easier for the big brains at H-D.
As for you opening comment about the SG being a cruiser, I agree, it just has some touring capability, which I will explore in depth later this year! Ride safe!
Hey, Ajax, thanks for the reply. No, I don’t think the boards will be any higher than the pegs, but they’re almost certainly higher than your heels if you hang your heels down. As I mentioned to Jim before (I think), after I’d been riding the SG for a while (and with different boots), I found that it was more comfortable with my heels on the pegs, so I don’t think my heels hung down as far. I think it’s boot sole design, leg length, and what you’re used to as well. In any case, here’s a link to a SG floorboard thread:
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/softail-models/1235327-floorboards-for-sport-glide-5.html
Post #36 is a parts list for the switch, and post #42 is a pic of my bike with the Heritage boards. There are lots of mini-boards on the market that fit on the peg mounts too, so no need to go through the whole swap to get something in-between, and something that would probably work with your peg retractors (those sound pretty cool). Yeah, I guess HD could make something, but more likely something the aftermarket will supply it at some point. Probably tricky with all the different models and the shift/brake mods necessary, but you never know.
This might be a big fail for HD, but I think all the Softails have lean angles within a degree or two of this, and I think the new Softails are better than before, so maybe the tourers are more in your wheelhouse. Did the touring rigs you had lean a lot further? How do you like that Bobber, btw?
Ajax, here’s a mini-floorboard thread that might give you some ideas:
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/2018-softail-models/1272961-mini-floorboards-for-flsb-4.html
Belloc, past personal touring bikes were no better, my last “newest” was an ’11 Ultra Limited. By the time my ’00 Road King turned 118K miles the ‘right’ side floorboard aft outer corner was worn completely through the rubber pad. Not trying to brag by any means, thats not me, but I guess I like to lean into curves.
The Bobber is awesome, Triumph is really making some quality bikes right now.
You must have some tighter curves up in Dallas. Down here in Houston I have to take corners in town fast to drag anything. That’s why I bought a cruiser, actually – I kept buying bikes like I still lived near the mountains and never used their strong suites, whereas these days I noodle around town, noodle around the countryside, or hop on the interstate for an hour or two – perfect for this bike.
I don’t know, man – if blitzing apexes is your thing (and you’ve got apexes to blitz), you may be moving in the wrong direction…
Yeah, I loved that Speed Triple. First Triumph and first triple. Once I got an electrical gremlin sorted (engine light on the way home from the dealer, 6 trips and 2 months to sort), it was great. Just no place to use all that power, and miserable on the superslab for any length of time. And no good way to carry stuff. And not very comfy for my wife. Etc., etc. I’m excited to see what the new Rocket 3 looks like. Test rode a used one before buying the SG and it was just too ponderous in town.
Hope you get your SG like you want it.
I wonder if a lot of the “wobble” during curves is caused by the mismatch in front / rear suspension travel. My Sport Glide is also my first cruiser, and I was the first time I experienced this type of wobble mid-turn. I attributed it to the delta between front and rear suspension travel. As the bike negotiates the road, the two ends of the bike react to the road a different rates, therefor changing geometry. I installed a longer rear shock on my Sport Glide and the mid-turn wobbles went away.
This is great insight, HuntWhenever! Thank you! I can totally picture what you’re describing.
I thought the Harley wobble had been solved on the newer bikes once they went to the longer touring frame.
You keep comparing it to a fat Bob in this review…..this is not a fat Bob.
Is a sport glide. The target of a review is to review the bike as it is, not as it is compared to another bike. I don’t find this review helpful.
I test drove it and was wonderful considering the bike it is meant to be. Not for everyone.
Hi Angelo!
Thanks for the feedback.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t find this review helpful.
I did my best to describe what the SG was like to ride by comparing it to the Fat Bob that came out last year and I thought would be similar since they’re both Softails and performance-oriented cruisers made by Harley. I honestly thought the SG would be very similar (but not exactly the same) to a Fat Bob equipped with bags and a quick detach fairing, but it turns out it wasn’t. The name and Harley’s description of the SG on their website made me think it would be that way, so that’s why I wrote the review as I did.
Can you help me understand why Harley named these two bikes with the opposite names they should have based on their abilities? I still don’t know. Is it just ironic perhaps?
Thank you Jim. I didn’t meant to be rude.
It’s not intended to be a sport bike. It is a semi-tourer bike (good for weekend low-mid range trip), with a more sporty soul if compared to a full touring bike…..like Street glide and so on.
It is not a touring bike, it is not a sport bike.
It is a bike perfect for every day use (going to work, shopping…) And also perfect to enjoy a little sunday trip alone or with your partner.
For example, I owned a iron 883.
Ok for every day use but terrible for other use (especially two up). I needed something ok also for enjoy roding with my wife, but a touring bike was not ok in every day traffic jam. Sport glide offer me a good taste of both world. If you want a 100% sport bike, don’t buy it. If you a 100% touring bike….don’t buy it.
If you want a 50% touring bike with a sport accent inside…….that she is!!!
This is why I bought it….I never regret.
Wow! This is a terrific thread of comments fellas! I’m sorry I’m late to the party but something went wrong with the notifications and I wasn’t getting emails to warn me about all the discussion in here.
I think Ajax and Belloc have hashed it all out perfectly.
Thank you all for the input. I think other readers might benefit from this conversation in years to come.
Having owned the bike now few more months, I wanted to expand on one thing – lean angles. I really like the bike otherwise, but the lack of lean is starting to bother me. There is a 3-4 degree difference between the Sport Glide and Road King or my old V-Rod for example, and it shows. I’ve been thinking about getting a taller shock and trying to get higher pegs, but the FXDR 114 also caught my attention… I know, a totally different bike, but I miss my V-Rod a bit 🙂
If I’m not mistaken, HuntWherever above replaced his rear shock with a used Heritage shock. There’s a thread on it in the forums. He was very pleased with the results in general, saying that it was a better shock all around.
Here is a link to that thread…
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/frame-suspension-front-end-brakes/1274967-2018-heritage-shock-installed-on-sport-glide.html
Gee this is one of the best reviews i’ve read about a bike , honest opinions from everyone ,, I have a low rider 2015 , i also have a 650 vstrom adventure bike , which i use for long distance , and a yamaha xjr1300 for hooning in the hills ,, i’m over 3 bikes , so am seriously considering a new harley has a one bike does all ,, I love comfort so a Road King is good , but i just got rid of my long term tourer a Rocket3 tourer , think road king on steroids , and don’t want to bo back to that heavy ,, So i started looking at a heritage classic ,, like the reviews , its lighter and will probably suit my build , but problem is i don’t like tube tyres and spokes , my riding consists usually a minimum of 200 klm every time go out , and i go through long straight roads and hills and twisties , , i live in a good riding area , occasionaly once a month or so i’ll do a 500 klm day , and a couple times a year go on a week or two 5000 klm trip , so i don’t want to get caught with a puncture and tubes , also i live on the coast 100 metres from the sea , so not keen on rusty spokes . otherwise would of been perfect bike , so i looked at the super glide , but it was sat next to a low rider 4 grand cheaper , i too thought bags OK but it has’nt got a decent screen ,or seat for the long distance stuff , so started to think , mMMM well maybee there so similar , i’ll get a LR and put screen and bags on and a comfort seat ,,, thought 25 grand plus pipes , , plus bags , plus decent seat for passenger , i’m up to 30 grand ,,, Then i thought , well my 2015 LR has already got all that , and they offerred me 12 grand trade , so for the 18 grand changeover , I MAY HAS WELL KEEP WHAT I’VE GOT lol ,, eND OF STORY I’M NO BETTER OFF AND WASTED A DAY GOING IN THERE ,,, uNLESS you can convince me that the new softail frame is worth parting with a 2015 LR 12000 klm a Yamaha xjr1300 2016 4000 klm and a set up for touring v strom with 30,000 klm and then dig in my pocket for another 8-10 grand
Hi Paul!
Sorry I’m late in responding to this one too.
The short answer is that I don’t think it’s worth changing what you’ve got now.