2017–2020 · Tourer · Buyer's Guide
Connected Torque In A Fairing
The Road Glide Special's signature is the fairing, bolted to the frame instead of the fork. That takes weight off the steering head, and it is why the front end stays honest when a crosswind hits or a semi goes past. Behind it sits the Milwaukee-Eight: 1745 cc of air-cooled 45° V-twin, 89 hp, 111 lb-ft, six speeds and a belt. The Special is the loaded version, with the BOOM! Box 6.5GT touchscreen, linked brakes with ABS, and blacked-out hardware where other baggers use chrome. It is a custom-looking motorcycle that happens to be a serious long-distance tool.
The low-end torque sets the whole tone. You short-shift, leave it in top gear, and it pulls the 64.0 in (1625 mm) wheelbase down the road in one long unbroken push. It ages well because there is not much on it to break, and because the parts supply for this platform never dries up. It is for riders who want presence and sound and still expect to cover 400 miles in a day without hating anyone by dinner. The caveat is the electronics. ABS is the entire list, so traction is managed with your right wrist. On wet pavement that asks for some respect.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 89 hp (66 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 111 lb-ft (150 Nm) |
| Displacement | 1745 cc |
| Engine | 45° V-twin |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Belt |
| Fork | Telescopic |
| Front brake | 300 mm |
| Front tire | 130/60B19 |
| Rear tire | 180/55B18 |
| Wheelbase | 64.0 in (1625 mm) |
| Seat height | 27.2 in (690 mm) |
| Wet weight | 853 lb (387 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 6.0 gal (22.7 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Connectivity
Lighting
Safety
The seat sits low at 27.2 in (690 mm), so both boots go flat at a light and the bike feels manageable before it has moved an inch. At idle the whole thing rocks gently against your hands, then settles the moment you are rolling. At 70 mph there is very little coming up through the grips or the floorboards, which is the part that surprises people about this engine. The riding position is wide and open: arms out, feet forward, and the fairing holds you in a pocket of still air where the exhaust note arrives filtered rather than beaten into you. Six gallons of fuel and a soundtrack you can live with all day. After three hours the thing I noticed was what I was not feeling. No buzz in the palms, no ringing left in my ears.
What follows is the sum of a lot of listening. Years of parking lot conversations at rallies, talk at club evenings, owners cornering me at dealer service counters, and a steady stream of messages from people who put real mileage on this bike. For the Road Glide Special the accounts line up unusually well. The enthusiasm keeps landing on the same two things, and the criticism keeps showing up under the same narrow set of conditions.
Ask an owner what they like and the answer starts with the motor. They describe pull that arrives just above idle and stays there, enough that passing traffic or carrying a passenger happens without reaching for a lower gear. The other half of the answer is the way it looks. The sharknose fairing, the low stance, and the blacked-out hardware get named constantly, and a few owners point out that they got that factory custom look without touching a catalog. Riders who have owned other big twins add that this one runs calmer and quieter than what came before, with the beat still there.
Past the engine, the equipment gets its own share of praise. The BOOM! Box 6.5GT comes up again and again, with navigation, phone, and audio in one place and menus owners figure out on their own. Many rate it higher than they expected from factory hardware. Stability draws the same agreement: planted at highway speed, and steady when the wind comes across or a truck goes by. Comfort closes the list, with the seat, the open riding position, and the wind protection credited for long days that end without complaint.
Weight is the loudest objection, and it only surfaces at walking pace. Owners describe parking lot turns and tight city work as something you plan for rather than shrug off. Stop-and-go traffic loads the right leg with heat off the engine. Broken pavement registers harder than owners signed up for on a touring bike. Push the pace on a good road and the pegs start dragging earlier than most would like. The screen complaint stands apart from the rest: strong sunlight can flatten the display until reading it takes a second look.
Secondary clutch actuator failure (Recall 18V734)
The secondary clutch actuator cylinder may leak fluid internally, causing loss of clutch disengagement and potential control issues. Affects 2017–2018 models.
Premature lifter or oil pump issues
Some early 2017 Milwaukee-Eight 107 engines suffered lifter noise or oil pump failures, potentially leading to top-end damage. Later years largely resolved.
Infotainment screen visibility in sunlight
The 6.5-inch touchscreen can become unreadable in direct sunlight, a common complaint among owners.
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
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Touring Road Glide Special FLTRXS is actually built for.
If Sturgis and Daytona are fixed points in your year, this is the bike that shows up right and still gets you home. Sound, presence and a look you can spend a decade personalizing.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
Long days, changing weather and a loaded bike suit it well. It sits still in crosswinds and stays smooth at cruising speed, though you get ABS and nothing else to help you.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
It will do your 300-mile day in comfort and sound great doing it. On tight, technical roads you are steering 853 lb, so it rewards a smooth, unhurried pace rather than a quick one.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2015–2016
Sound, Style, Highway Soul
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.
