For the past few weeks, I have been looking for my next bike, #32. Triumph has stopped making the big touring cruiser I have now and appears they will not make another. The current R3s are fun as hell for sure, but they do not meet my needs. The big four from Japan have also ended their run of big touring cruisers without a fairing. So, I narrowed the list to just five others: BMW's R18 Classic, Indian's Super Chief and Springfield, and Harley-Davidson's Road King and Heritage.
All five are quite worthy for sure, but I have to cut them down to one. The first two I removed are the Heritage and Super Chief. They are excellent competition for each other and if they were the only two left, I would go with the Heritage. It has a bigger tank and bigger bags. But alas, neither bike is big enough to carry me and all my work gear when I am on the road so neither make the cut.
Next to go is the R18. Of all these bikes, it has the best feel off the line. Its bags are big enough for my lunchbox and other goodies, but it does not come with a luggage rack. They don't even make one. It does not come with engine guards either and if any of these need them the most, it is the bike with big jugs sticking out the sides. It does have the most price incentives for a guy like me, but once I source the few things it must have, it is on par with the Road King in price.
I love the look of the Black and tan Springfield. Nut no one on the East coast have any though. I can order one and it would come in sometime in September. And talk about sticker shock. $27K+ out the door. I have to pass on it.
That brings me to the FLHR Road King. It took me home Saturday afternoon. I got the black one (fastest color for a bike you know) and added the back rests and luggage rack only. It rides great and can haul all my stuff when needed. Fuel range is around 235+ miles according to its computer.
And Hazel got me the gremlin bell...
The V-Twin does get hot for sure, but it can't hold a candle to Brahma with his unshielded Viking headers. So today, I added some mid frame heat deflectors.
The shield goes here on the right side.
This is an "insert-a-nut" or so i hear it called online. It has to feed in from the back side exactly where the engineers want you to drop it.
And when you do drop it, it will fall down here.
I can be taught! I used the magnet to feed into the whole from the front. Then moved the insert-a-nut close from behind. Once attached to the magnet, I pulled it through.
By the way, thsi is an air-cooled engine. Air cooling is not so effective
You have to move the sparkplug wire from its nesting place, but they conveniently added this new place for it on the shield.
And there it is, right side complete.