Harley-Davidson Road Glide: With the fat bike through Florida: How to plan your dream trip

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Harley-Davidson Road Glide

With the fat bike through Florida: How to plan your dream trip

Harley-Davidson Road Glide: With the fat bike through Florida: How to plan your dream trip-plan

Thomas Pospiech Lush "Shark"-Stem of Harley-Davidson Road Glide

With 87 hp on the Harley-Davidson Road Glide over the Florida Keys Cruisen – there are probably many US fans. We tested the massive bike and give tips on how to plan the perfect motorcycle trip in the Sunshine State.

The Seven Mile Bridge shares the sea in two halves like an oversized zipper. A perfect strip asphalt for a large-volume tourer like the current Harley-Davidson Road Glide. The nearly ten-kilometer long and soft curved bridge leads south to Key West, the endpoint of the island group Florida Keys. Sonor bubbles the fat two-cylinder, you enjoy the salty sea air and glides sovereign.

The scarso of Harley

The Road Glide is probably the perfect bike to the "SUNSHINE STATE" To explore Florida. With its so-called Sharknose panel you can already see it from afar. The characteristic shark-mouth optics not only gives sports coupes such as the legendary 6 Series of the series E 24 a evil view, but also lets the casual bummer from Milwaukee "Bad" look.

Harley-Davidson Road Glide: With the fat bike through Florida: How to plan your dream trip-plan

Andy Newman / Florida Keys News Bureau Dream roads: old and new Seven Miles Bridge in the keys

The voluminous stem does not load on the front fork, but is mounted on the frame of the machine. It remains rigid when the handlebar is pressed and ensures a neutral weight distribution. With their 385 kilos, however, the Road Glide is still in the super-heavyweight class.

Harley-Davidson Road Glide: With the fat bike through Florida: How to plan your dream trip-road

Thomas Pospiech Harley-Davidson Road Glide

Super heavyweight with plenty of luxury on board

And sometimes you wish the handlebar’s reach of a Vladimir Klitschko. Even with a height of 1.85 meters, it is hardly possible to reach the touchscreen screen from the TV-armchair-adhesive seating position. With a little exercise, you can use the lush info and entertainment offer at least comfortably with the wise on the handlebars arranged switches and levers.

On request a woman

Praise deserves the navigation system. The screen is well recognized even with bright sunlight, the menu can be adjusted intuitively and on request gives a women’s vote instructions for the next maneuver. The touchscreen screen also responds to pressure with fingers packed in gloves.

Harley-Davidson Road Glide: With the fat bike through Florida: How to plan your dream trip-bike

Thomas Pospiech Harley-Davidson Road Glide

Harley-Davidson Road Glide: With the fat bike through Florida: How to plan your dream trip-plan

Keyless Go makes grumble superfluous

Another innovation makes annoying fumbling in the bags superfluous. The motorcycle wrench has a built-in transmitter, as you know that of car models as "Keyless Go". The transmitter automatically activates the electronic safety functions as soon as the driver approaches the bike. The transmitter and the keys can therefore stay in the pocket, the motorcycle can be deterred and locked by itself.

For a real AHA experience, the first ride will ensure the darkness on the Road Glide. The two headlights are not just a striking design element, but glow the road surprisingly large and bright. "Dual Daymaker Reflector LED Headlight" calls Harley the lighting system. Passing the times when you prefer to stand your machine at night for funclic lighting.

So the Road Glide drives

But in all innovations, the Harley fan basically remains traditionalist. Something different than a large, bubbling two-cylinder just does not fit a Harley! Like a good guitar reef from a Hardrock-Evergreen, the V2 fetches a chord of steel from its sidepipes. Knapped over steady gas is Satt Power and the Big Twin pushes the coloss printed forward. With a beautiful metallic clacks, the corridors raced.

Harley-Davidson Road Glide: With the fat bike through Florida: How to plan your dream trip-plan

Thomas Pospiech A Harley is not for the nervous gas hand

The Road Glide is – as the name reveals – a real glider And nothing for bikers with a nervous gas hand. The machine makes 87 hp and thus offers sufficient power in every traffic situation. Harley-Davidson traditionally makes no information on topspeed and acceleration values in the data sheet. Anyone who rips the gas tap catapults the machine at least on sports car levels from 0 to 100, overtaking maneuvers Even without gear changes are easily completed .

So you drive a Harley through the city

With a few tips, thick bumbers like the Harley Road Glide can be moved supple in the city. When it gets tight, only with the rear brake is braked. The secret recipe for stable slow speeds is the tow coupling. The clutch is kept at the transition point where it is still pulling. Then a small pulse with the left hand is enough to give motor force or let the wheel free. In conjunction with a slightly pressed rear wheel brake you can make the whole with slightly increased gas. It is amazing what stabilizing effects have the rotary forces of the slightly faster running motor.

Never more than 130 – in the USA

More than 80 miles (almost 130 km / h) should not drive on American streets. Then it will be uncomfortable behind the Harley cladding and you realize that the machine is not designed for German motorway rawers. Unfortunately, the candle-handed highways Florida barely offer the chance to test the curve qualities of the Road Glide. You are looking forward to every curved driveway to a freeway to bring the Harley in a slot. However, if you have become accustomed to the handlebar "model wunschelrute", the motorcycle can be smoothly pressed into the curves.

The price for the fully equipped machine from Milwaukee is, however, lush: The Road Glide is from 26.To have 145 euros.

Video: Harley-Davidson Softtail Blackline

Slim Harley with fat V2

Harley-Davidson Road Glide: With the fat bike through Florida: How to plan your dream trip-glide

Slim Harley with fat V2

Tips: Motorcycle Travel in Florida

With the Harley through the keys – for many bikers this is a typical American dream trip. We have put together tips and tricks for the motorcycle holiday.

  • In Miami there are a number of motorcycle landlords. Offers a all-round service Eaglerider, who operate a co-station directly in Miami Beach and organize guided tours. The selection of current Harleys is great, unfortunately the prices are located above. A Road Glide costs per day 137, 15 euros. With various surcharges and a meaningful partial comprehensive insurance one ends up at more than 200 euros per day.
  • Somewhat cheaper you can get a bike at Peterson’s Harley Davidson. The dealer has two huge shops in the south and north of Miami. The store in the south offers itself as a rental station for a trip to the keys. For just under $ 175 (160 euros) per day you can rent all current tourers, Sportster can already be available from $ 110 (100 euros). Helmets, additional luggage bags and rain clothes (necessarily pack!) are inclusive. Only the partial comprehensive insurance costs almost 15 euros extra.
  • Who lands in Miami, should make a trip on Florida Keys. The route is distinctly undemanding, but belongs to the routes that one should have driven once in his life. An overnight stay in Key West is mandatory, after all, the lively city is a party-Mecca with bars and nightclubs. As you know, Ernest Hemingway has already given you one or the other drink. So: leave motorcycle and continue the next morning. The selection of accommodation is huge.
  • The places along the Overseas Highways are not particularly inviting at first glance. But that is feigned. Between the places of Marathon and Islamorada, nice hotels as well as beach bars with live music and restaurants hide.

Web view

Tips from US motorcycle cops

It already requires some exercise, a packed Road Glide with a seat of the back on the back casually in the city to move close curves. What possible with motorcycles of this weight class, however, evaluate motorcycle cops from the US regularly on skill competitions (link to the Youtube video). Jerry "Motorman" Pallandino is the guru among the Harley acrobats. On his YouTube channel, he gives valuable tips and praises his teaching DVDs (link to the website).

Thomas Pospiech

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One thought on “Harley-Davidson Road Glide: With the fat bike through Florida: How to plan your dream trip”

  1. The Keys – pure freedom
    It can be a Harley, but does not have to. Less hardly loaded it is exactly as unique "Overseas Highway" From Miami to drive the 130 mi to Key West. It is already a difference whether one passes through the sometimes dusty middle west over mountain and valley the 66 or drives over the curved kilometers long bridges over the keys. Right of the Gulf of Mexico and on the left of the Atlantic ocean in airy height and an always fresh wind around the ears to the " Southernmost point " in Key West. In the evening at the pier with hundreds of like-minded people to enjoy the sunset in the golf, with a beer – that’s pure dream, there is the time.

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