Happy Places.
Dave reacquaints with a Sporty Softail.
I was loitering in the showroom at Gasoline Alley H-D and chatting with the sales folks when Tyde asked, “How are you enjoying that Sport Glide, Dave?”
“Heaps! It’s such an enjoyable Harley.” I genuinely enthused.
“Yeah,” he agreed. “When someone comes into the shop and they aren’t sure what model Harley they want, we put them on a Sport Glide for a test ride and they always come back very happy.”
Bingo! That’s exactly what the 2022 FLSP does for me too. Every time I jumped on it over the course of a three-week test it took me straight to my happy place, no matter what my actual destination was.
It’s comfortable, it goes, it stops, it handles and it’s versatile enough to do several different jobs well.
Not long after that conversation, I was chatting with my pal Paul Lewis, having a similar conversation, and mentioned that the Sport Glide reminded me of the Dyna Switchback, a bike I also rated highly for its versatility.
“Yeah, you’re right,” he laughed, “But at least the bags and screen won’t fall off this one!”
While I personally didn’t have any issues with equipment falling off the Switchback, even during some extensive touring, the panniers and fairing on the Sport Glide fasten quite securely and like the old Dyna, they only need a few seconds to remove or re-fit on purpose!
The small fairing does exactly as Harley advertises and keeps the wind off the rider’s body while allowing the helmet to remain in clean air without turbulence.
And while they are quite secure and lockable, the panniers only have 0.05m³ of carrying capacity, so they won’t accommodate a helmet or bulky kit, but they are handy for carrying wet weather gear or other sundry items.
Last of the 107s
The first Milwaukee 8 powered Harleys HEAVY DUTY tested back in 2016 were fitted with the 107-cube iteration and at the time it became my favourite H-D powerplant.
That remained the case, even after testing several 114-cube Breakouts two years later.
Back then, the 107 was smoother, spooled up better, and was a nicer all-round experience.
Over the following model years that has changed.
Spending an extended amount of time on board our 114-cube ‘Project Packhorse’ Road King Special recently has turned the tables. It’s now a smoother and ‘stronger’ engine.
That may partly be due to the Tourer’s isolated front engine mounts whereas the Softail’s is rigid-mounted and internally counterbalanced, but it’s also true of the current batch of 114 and 117-cube rigid mounted Softails.
That’s not to say that the 107 shakes like the Dyna, for a big V-twin it does remain remarkably vibe free – it’s just not quite as smooth as the current 114s. Harley says it’s about the genuine H-D experience.
What was also noticeable is that for lower speed cruising, and for pulling out of tight apexes, it needed a gear lower than its ‘big’ brothers.
Overall, it’s not a big deal, and the motor is still effortless, with a 100mm x 111.1mm bore and stroke displacing 1,745cc and a compression ratio of 10:1.
Harley claims it produces a healthy 139Nm at 3,500rpm.
The upshot of all that is it remains an engine that is well-suited to the chassis and character of the bike.
That happy chassis
If ‘chuckability’ was a word, it could be readily applied to the Sport Glide.
It’s fitted with single cartridge, 43mm inverted front forks containing triple rate springs up front, and a free piston, coil-over monoshock with 43mm stroke and tool-less hydraulic pre-load adjustment at the rear.
Coupled with a 1625mm wheelbase, 30-degree rake, 150mm trail, 304kg dry weight and the stiff Softail frame, it makes for a bike with solid and planted roadholding on the freeways, with very rewarding sports cornering capability on a mountain road – all up: another big tick in the versatility stakes.
Braking is by way of split 7-spoke floating rotor with 4-piston fixed caliper on the front and solid uniform expansion rotor with rear 2-piston floating rear caliper.
The brakes are great, with plenty of stopping power, without being brutal, and they showed no sign of fade or overheating from the single front, even lugging my payload during some spirited downhill runs.
Comfort ergos.
The confident handling is enhanced by the riding position.
For us taller gents, it’s more of a ‘standard’ riding position than that of a feet forward cruiser - and to that end I do prefer the footpegs it’s fitted with, rather than footboards.
I found when utilising its cornering capability in tight going it allowed me to get on my toes and move weight over the front end easier. Dragging the rubber pegs on the deck isn’t as grating as touching down boards either. Which on this bike is very easy to do with 28/29-degree lean angles.
Back on the freeway I found the saddle and overall comfort to be very good, although I did get a bit saddle-sore around the 300km mark and needed a ‘bum break’, but overall, with its wide ranch-style bars it proved to be very roomy for the longer limbed, even allowing for its low 680mm saddle height.
The pillion accommodation is … scant.
Presentation.
“It’s too plastic.” Rabbit said.
“I like everything about it except turning around to look at it in the shed.” Mick said.
And like Mick, I didn’t like the Mantis cast aluminium wheels much on the first two Sport Glides I tested back in 2017, but over time they have grown on me to the stage where now I don’t mind them at all, particularly with the ‘Gauntlet Grey Metallic’ paint on the test bike (add $355).
Otherwise, I found the bike has a nice line, particularly from the rear quarter.
I enjoyed the ‘sporty-ness’ of the aesthetic and found it to be equally nice looking in the variety of combinations available by removing the fairing, bags, or both. Fit and finish all worked fine.
Without the bodywork it resembles a low rider. Put it back on and its uniquely Sport Glide. Score that as another versatility tick!
Other niceties.
There are plenty of other things to like about the Sport Glide. The mirrors are great, the LED headlight is brilliant, the self-cancelling indicators and switchgear is as good as we have come to expect on a Harley.
The tank mounted instruments however … let’s just say we wished they were like the latest Low Rider S, but the rumour is we are unlikely to see it as ’22 could ‘possibly’ be the final run for the Sport Glide.
We often talk about the premise, “If you could only have one motorcycle …’
Like all of the answers to that question, it depends on priorities, but overall, the Sport Glide is a very good answer.
Harley claims it’s, “For riders seeking equal parts performance and touring.”
It does work as a tourer, with good comfort, road manners and H-D’s excellent cruise control fitted as standard.
It’s also a very rewarding Harley on a back road and the ‘Sport’ part of its name is equally apt.
Take the bags off and it works well as a good looking boulevard and Sunday cruiser.
With a price starting from $30,250, it really is a rewarding machine that can do a number of different jobs well.
You’ve got to be happy with that.
Things I Liked
The bike’s versatility, comfort and performance
Things I Didn’t
Tank mounted instruments on a performance Harley
Scant pillion accommodation
Things I’d Change
Add stage 1 slip-on mufflers, air cleaner and tuner
Sport Glide Image Gallery
Guts & Bolts — FLSB Sport Glide
Model & Measurements
ModelFLSB Sport Glide
Test BikeHD-A
PriceFrom $30,250
Fuel Capacity18.9 L
Weight, As Shipped304 kg
Running Order317 kg
Luggage Capacity0.05 m³
Engine
Type107 cu in Milwaukee-Eight
Torque139 Nm @ 3,500 rpm
Bore × Stroke100 × 111.1 mm
Displacement1,745 cc
Compression10.0:1
Fuel SystemElectronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection
Exhaust2-into-1; catalyst in muffler
Frame & Suspension
FrameMilwaukee-Eight Softail
FrontSingle-cartridge 43 mm inverted fork with triple-rate spring
RearHidden free-piston coil-over monoshock with hydraulic preload adjustment
Wheels, Tyres & Brakes
RimsBlack machine-highlighted Mantis cast aluminium
TyresMichelin Scorcher 31 front and rear
Front BrakeFour-piston fixed caliper
Rear BrakeTwo-piston floating caliper
No comments :
Post a Comment