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2015–2016 · Tourer · Buyer's Guide
Sound, Style, Highway Soul
The Road Glide Special hangs its fairing on the frame rather than the fork, and that one decision shapes everything else about it. The 1690 cc air-cooled 45° V-twin makes 86 hp and 105 lb-ft, though the headline number is the torque and where it arrives, which is early and low, sent back through six gears and a belt. Behind the sharknose sits the Boom! Box 6.5GT with touchscreen and voice control, and the linked braking system runs with ABS as standard. In its class, this is the bagger that sells identity and genuine long-haul hardware in the same package.
It ages the way a well-built Harley ages. The finish holds up, the platform is deeply supported, and almost every part on it has three aftermarket alternatives waiting. Rear preload is there to set for a passenger or a loaded pair of bags; the fork is fixed, with no preload, compression or rebound, so you ride what the factory decided. This is a bike for riders who want presence and a destination, not a lap counter. The honest caveat is the valve train: the C-design lifters in the Twin Cam 103 can wear out early, and that is a repair bill worth budgeting for.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 86 hp (64 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 105 lb-ft (142 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 | 180/65B16 81H |
| 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
Thumb the starter and the whole bike shrugs on its mounts. At idle you feel the beat through the floorboards before you properly hear it, and at a steady 70 the exhaust settles into a low churn you could sit inside for six hours. The bars come back wide and close, the seat sits low enough that a flat-footed stop never feels like a maneuver, and the fairing lays a clean pocket of air across your chest and helmet instead of the head-shake you brace for. There is a pulse in the grips at all times. It never turns numb, and it never turns to an itch. At walking pace the mass is very present, then it vanishes the second the wheels are properly turning. Two hundred miles in, my shoulders and wrists had nothing to say about it.
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.
Saddlebag mounting receptacle defect - bag can separate in transit
NHTSA recall 15V427000: the saddlebag mounting receptacles may not adequately secure the saddlebags to the motorcycle. If a saddlebag is not adequately secured it may separate from the motorcycle while riding, creating a road hazard. Dealers replace the affected receptacles with updated parts free of charge; the recall began 30 July 2015.
Clutch master cylinder defect (2016 campaign) - loss of disengagement
NHTSA recall 16V471000: on 2016 units the clutch master cylinder may lose the ability to generate enough lift to disengage the clutch, especially after the bike has been parked for a long period. With the engine running and a gear engaged the bike can move unexpectedly. Dealers inspect for gas in the fluid, then flush the system and rebuild the master cylinder free of charge; the recall began 19 July 2016.
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.
If the ride to the rally matters as much as the rally, this is your bike. It has the sound, the presence and the fairing people recognize, plus the hardware to get there under its own power.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
It will carry two people and 6.0 gallons across a lot of country, and the air pocket behind that fairing makes long days easy. Know that a 45° V-twin always keeps a pulse, and only the rear takes preload.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
It works on the Blue Ridge, but on its own terms. With 64.0 inches of wheelbase it flows through long, open curves rather than flicking between tight ones.
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