03 April 2025

Hefty FLTRX Road Glide makes light work of touring

Taking Harley-Davidson’s new FLTRX Road Glide on the road, Paul Browne found a bike heavy in more than one sense.

Being a Grand Tourer it’s carrying some weight, although being armed with the latest Milwaukee 8 block it’s more than capable of eating up the road.

It’s also laden with tech to facilitate a comfortable and indeed enjoyable ride.

 

 

While most of the Harley-Davidson range has evolved in terms of design at a relatively gentle pace so as not to lose the brand’s identity, the workings of the new machines very much reflect the changing needs and expectations of a younger market.

One of these bikes is the new FLTRX Road Glide.

The bike is crammed with all the technology that you’d expect from a new machine.

Electronically-linked braking, where pressing either the front or rear lever activates a percentage of the other brake is standard.

Also on the factory spec are traction control, ABS and drag control which manages the bike’s rear wheel ‘slip’ under acceleration.

All of these systems are cornering ‘enhanced’ which means that the Road Glide will work with the rider for a safer and more comfortable riding experience.

Nose job

Whilst the ‘Shark Nose’ design of the fairing is a clear evolution from the original 1998 machine, it now features an LED headlight.

The refreshed Road Glide also offers a more comfortable ride thanks to being engineered using the latest fluid design systems.

An adjustable set of handlebars make for a perfect ergonomic set up and, matched with a deep double seat, allow for all day riding.

Meanwhile, the latest version of the Milwaukee 8 engine produces an impressive 175Nm of torque, as well as a real world 107bhp from its 1,923cc V-twin.

Screen star

But it was the rider interface pieces that most impressed me when I rode the bike late last year.

Gone are the traditional clocks which have been replaced with a new TFT unit. This flat touchscreen is full colour, 312mm in width and displays all the relative information.

As well as bike functions – speed, rpm, three fuelling choices, temperature and such – it also can be mirrored to the rider’s phone so that a whole new set of toys are available to them and their pillion.

Using a Bluetooth connection to a comms-fitted helmet phone calls can be taken and if, like me, you use an iPhone, then Siri can be tasked with dialling them up for you.

All of these, as well as the radio or playlist that you’re listening to, can be displayed on that same screen.

It’s the same for using phone-based navigation maps s or following another rider’s dropped pin on WhatsApp.

All of this is managed through the H-D’s “Skyline” system. The really enjoyable feature of all this is that the twin 50 watt speakers which are mounted in the bikes fairing warrant forgetting about the previously mentioned comms kit!

Smooth operator

Harley’s Grand Tourers have always been heavy and the new Road Glide is no exception, coming in at 380 kilos wet.

What the company is to be commended for is ‘hiding’ so much of it thanks to a subtly tweaked suspension and chassis.

One of the things that I really liked about riding the machine is that the ‘clunk’ of the gear change is gone. It’s incredibly smooth and I could even change up without using the clutch.

If you’d like to experience riding the bike for yourself then feel free to drop by Waterford Harley Davidson on their open day this coming 12th of April where the new ’25 range will be available to test ride.

This includes the new, more road biased Pan America ST, the Road Glide, the Street Glide Ultra, the Street Bob, the Low Rider ST and my favourite, the Fat Boy.

In the meantime the new FLTRX Road Glide is priced from €35,495. Mo has one in stock today with the premium Pearl White paint and black trim for €37,945. Give him a call on 051 844200 to find out more.

Harley-Davidson insurance quote? Call our specialist motorbike insurance team on 0818 945 950.

 

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