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2015–2016 · Tourer · Buyer's Guide
Sound, Style, Highway Soul
The Road Glide Special builds its whole identity around the frame-mounted sharknose fairing. Because that shell sits on the chassis instead of the bars, the front of this bike carries its weather protection without hanging it off your wrists. Behind it works the 1690 cc air-cooled 45° V-twin, 86 hp and 104 lb-ft, running through a six-speed box and a belt final drive. The Boom! Box 6.5GT touchscreen handles audio and navigation, ABS is standard, and the linked brake system ties the two ends together. This is a highway bagger with a genuine sound signature, not a cruiser wearing luggage.
It rides like the miles matter more than the minutes. A 64.0 in wheelbase and 853 lb wet keep it settled at interstate speed, the big twin pulls from low revs, and the rear shock takes preload when you add a passenger or load the bags. The fork is fixed, so what the front gives you on day one is what you live with. This one suits the rider who wants Harley presence on a week-long run rather than a spec-sheet win. The honest caveat is mechanical: the Twin Cam 103 lifters can wear early, and that history is worth checking before money changes hands.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 86 hp (64 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 104 lb-ft (141 Nm) |
| Displacement | 1690 cc |
| Engine | 45° V-twin |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Belt |
| Fork | Telescopic |
| Front brake | 300 mm |
| Front tire | 130/60B19 61H |
| Rear tire | 180/55B18 80H |
| Wheelbase | 64.0 in (1625 mm) |
| Wet weight | 853 lb (387 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 6.0 gal (22.7 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Lighting
Safety
Hit the starter and the whole machine shrugs on its wheels. At idle the 45° twin shakes the mirrors and sends a slow pulse up through the floorboards, and that pulse thins out as the speedometer climbs. Sound is the headline: deep, uneven, loud enough to announce you, steady enough that it never nags at a cruise. The riding position is wide and open, feet forward, arms out to bars set for a long day rather than a short blast. Air peels off the fairing at chest height and leaves your helmet in reasonably calm air. At walking pace you feel every one of the 853 lb through your legs; roll past ten mph and most of that disappears. The Boom! Box screen sits right where your eyes drop, and the audio still has something to say at 70 mph.
Clutch master cylinder defect – loss of disengagement
The hydraulic clutch master cylinder can fail to generate enough lift, so the clutch does not fully disengage — the bike may creep or move unexpectedly while in gear, especially after extended parking. Harley-Davidson issued recall 15V216000 (April 2015) covering 2014-2015 Touring and CVO Touring models to replace the affected clutch master cylinder.
Premature valve train wear (C-lifter failure)
The 'C' design lifters used in the Twin Cam 103 can fail, causing clicking/ticking noises and potential engine damage. Many owners replace them with aftermarket lifters as a preventative measure.
Where this Harley-Davidson Touring Road Glide Special FLTRXS pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Touring Road Glide Special FLTRXS is actually built for.
This is your bike, straight up. Sound, presence, and a parts catalog deep enough to make it yours over one winter, plus enough comfort to hold a rally pace all day.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
It will handle the long days and the mountain passes loaded or two-up. Go in knowing you trade gadget count for character, and plan on adding heated gear yourself.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
The fairing and the noise make a coastal run memorable, but 853 lb is still 853 lb. If your perfect day is mostly tight corners, this asks a lot of you.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2011–2013
Factory Custom, Mile-Devouring Torque
Compare to the previous model →If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Harley-Davidson Touring Road Glide Special FLTRXS. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Successor · 2017–2020
Connected Torque In A Fairing
Same Platform · 2013–2016
Chrome, Thunder, Factory Custom
Similar Character · 2014–2016
Factory Bagger, Connected Cockpit