Harley-Davidson 1870 Road Glide Special FLTRXS 2021 — Specifications

Close to 390 kilos on the scales, a 1868 cc V-twin that unleashes 158 Nm of torque from just 3250 rpm, and a shark-nose fairing recognizable from a mile away. The 2021 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special doesn't play in the league of subtlety. It imposes itself, period. This American bagger cultivates its status as an asphalt ocean liner with a confidence that borders on arrogance. And yet, behind the mass and the attitude, Milwaukee has packed in enough technology to ensure this Touring machine is more than just a rolling style exercise on two wheels.

The Milwaukee Eight 114, with its four valves per cylinder and 102 mm bore, replaced the 107 starting in 2019. The improvement is felt across the entire rev range. The claimed 89 horsepower looks modest on paper, especially against an Indian Challenger and its 122 hp, but the philosophy differs. Here, it's all about torque — massive and available very low down. The belt drive and six-speed gearbox devour miles effortlessly. The Road Glide Special isn't built to attack a mountain pass; it's designed to consume it at its own pace, in third gear, windshield facing the wind. The famous Shark Nose, refined in a wind tunnel, creates a surprisingly effective air pocket thanks to its triple vent system that balances pressures. The rider gains a rare sense of serenity for a motorcycle in this category.

On the chassis side, the steel double-cradle frame houses Showa suspensions that are decent without being exceptional. The 49 mm fork offers 117 mm of travel, while the rear shocks make do with just 55 mm. On rough roads, the limitations become apparent, and purists will head straight to the aftermarket for higher-performance units. The braking, however, doesn't disappoint. Three 300 mm discs clamped by four-piston calipers, lean-angle-sensitive ABS, and a linked Reflex system that distributes pressure between front and rear. The RDRS electronic platform adds two-mode traction control, a slipper clutch function for aggressive downshifts, hill-start assist, and a tire pressure monitoring system. For a machine of this size, this safety net is anything but a luxury.

The 2021 version also refines its finishing touches. The fuel cap migrates to the right side, freeing up the center console. Prodigy wheels replace the former Talon design, crash bars are shortened by 28 cm, and the Ventilator air cleaner adds visual volume to the engine block. The chrome options catalog lets you shift from the dark factory look to something more gleaming, depending on taste. The 6.5-inch TFT screen on the Boom Box GTS is responsive, Apple CarPlay compatible, and handles GPS, Bluetooth, intercom, and music without too much fuss. H-D Connect, introduced in 2020, links the bike to a smartphone via cellular network to monitor location, fuel level, and battery status. Handy, even if the monthly subscription of around 14 euros after the first free year will put some riders off.

At 29,590 euros, the Road Glide Special targets a very specific audience. Long-distance touring riders, fans of American machinery, who want to ride comfortably over big miles with minimal compromise. Against the BMW R 1250 RT or the Gold Wing, it offers a radically different temperament. Less versatile, less agile with its 695 mm seat height and 22.7-liter tank that somewhat limits range, but endowed with a personality that its European and Japanese competitors simply cannot replicate. The Road Glide Special doesn't try to please everyone. It knows exactly what it is, and that is precisely what makes it so compelling.