The venerable Road Glide Special has been one of HD’s iconic tourers ever since it was launched back in 2017. The bike takes the touring must-haves and wraps them in a no-apologies style, making it the motorcycle of choice for the high-mileage road warrior. It is sophisticated and technologically packed while keeping the core values of its predecessors intact.

For 2020, the Bar & Shield Company continues rolling with the Road Glide Special, now with a new Eagle Eye Special Edition Paint Option giving the customers “an attainable custom paint option that eliminates the need to either re-paint the original components or install an accessory paint set that leaves take-off painted parts on the shop floor.

Also running under the hood this time is the brilliant Milwaukee-Eight 114, an upgrade from the 107 that ran point all this while, delivering power and reliability unlike any time before. Harley will also let you enjoy the optional Reflex Defensive Rider Systems that help give you confidence and control in less-than-ideal situations.

2020 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2020 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special
  • Engine/Motor: V2
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

STYLING

The Road Glide always carried the ‘Haters gonna hate’ flamboyant outlook. Harley has always been the bigs, but this Road Glide’s proportions will give it a whole new meaning; courtesy the gargantuan ‘Shark Nose’ fairing carrying the Dual Daymaker Reflector LED Headlamps slapped right upfront. They have split stream vents that could close or open to equalize pressure on both sides of the windscreen. Mind = Blown. Rest apart, this motorcycle carries a distinctive, menacing, and a road-eating look with modern and streamlined design attributes of a quintessential Harley-Davidson.

For 2020, the factory has applied the custom Eagle Eye Special Edition Paint Option, which is a brilliant yellow base color with a glossy clear coat finish. A humongous black eagle graphic with spread wings flows across the fuel tank to the fairing, only on the right side of the machine. The left side of the fuel tank has a simple Bar & Shield logo, and the saddlebags feature the familiar Harley-Davidson script. The special edition paint is applied to the fairing, fuel tank, front and rear fenders, saddlebags and side covers. Of course, there are the vivid black, color and the two-tones still available.

The rest of the machines carries over the sinister design and dark finishes that were envisioned from the 2018 model. The 19”/18” Talon wheels, headlight, engine guard, front forks, handlebars and hand controls, mirrors, turn signals, tank console, engine covers, air cleaner cover, mufflers and exhaust shields, all come dripping with dark hues, replacing the shiny chrome.

The stretched ‘One-Touch Design Philosophy’ handlebags accentuates the bikes’ long, low profile, and painted inner fairings create an aggressive, modern look. On the contrary, those Enforcer Cast aluminum wheels get swapped with Prodigy Wheels featuring a rather retro-looking design having a laced feature.

Harley-Davidson has managed to keep the old charm look with an analog instrument panel featuring the main speedo and rev counter and smaller fuel and battery gauges flanked on either side of the 6.5” full-color touch infotainment display. The BOOM! Box 6.5GT Touchscreen Infotainment System features upgraded Stage I BOOM! Speakers for deep bass and balanced sound. A musical companion throughout your journey. An interface such as USB, Bluetooth, SD card can be hooked on to this system to navigate your smartphone and the GPS, which by the way, can be operated by multi-lingual voice commands.

Harley also has equipped this Special with the subscription-based H-D Connect Service that connects the smartphone via the dedicated app that allows the rider to check the motorcycle’s vitals, including fuel level, get tamper alerts and stolen-vehicle tracking, and more.

Make Model

2020 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special

Indian Chieftain Dark Horse

Length

95.7 in

98.7 in

Width

39 in

39.4 in

Height

52.2 in

54.5 in

Wheelbase

64 in

65.7 in

Seat height

27.4 in

25.6 in

Dry weight

818 lbs

795 lbs

Fuel capacity

6 gal

5.5 gal


Eagle Eye Special Edition Paint Option, which is a brilliant yellow base color with a glossy clear coat finish. A humongous black eagle graphic with spread wings flows across the fuel tank to the fairing, only on the right side of the machine. >

POWERTRAIN

The 2020 Road Glide Special combines the unrelenting power of the Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine - the biggest put out on any of the current Touring models. The 1868cc DOHC motor pulls out a commendable 90 hp and 123 lb-ft peak torque to lug around 853 lbs. It features a single chain-driven cam, dual spark plugs, counter-balanced and rubber mounted to thwart the vibrations.

That strong torque output is courtesy the 10.0:1 compression ratio that is achieved by the advanced four-valve cylinder head design, dual knock sensors, and precision oil cooling. For improved fit, a new, slimmer primary drive cover and the low-profile shape of the air cleaner cover provide improved rider legroom around the engine and an easier reach to the ground for many riders.

You can be assured of a richer exhaust note pouring out of the neat looking 2-1-2 pipes due to the fewer mechanical noise of the powertrain and optimized cover designs and driveline improvements for that aural glory. A 6-Speed Cruise Drive Transmission and a slip and assist clutch provides the rider smooth shifting of gears that help in maintaining fatigue-free long rides.

Engine Specification

Make Model

2020 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special

Indian Chieftain Dark Horse

Make Model

1868

1811

2020 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special

102/114

101/113

Indian Chieftain Dark Horse

90 hp

73 hp

Capacity cc

123 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm

119 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm

Bore/ Stroke mm

Milwaukee-Eight 114, Pushrod-operated, overhead valves with hydraulic, self-adjusting lifters; four valves per cylinder

Thunder Stroke 111

Output

Hydraulically actuated 10 plate wet, Assist & Slip

Wet- Multiplate

Torque

6-Speed Cruise Drive

6-speed


RIDE AND HANDLING

It is a known fact that no other manufacturer puts more miles to design a saddle than the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. It is one place that every rider’s bottom wishes to sit on. The Road Glide gets a one-piece, two-up saddle similar to the Street Glide that combines a custom look with a design that’s built for comfort. Then there is the handlebar whose comfortable swept bars, and an upright riding position can accommodate a wide range of riders. With it closer to the rider, you can lie back and crunch any number of miles with a smile on your face. The only contention would be the too wide tank, which will force you to place your legs very wide, initiating a tightening of sorts in your trousers.

It is not exactly light. It is a humongous thing actually, weighing in at a whopping 853 lbs. That is a lot of weight, and one needs more than a couple of muscles to heave it from side to side. This will make a start/stop riding a tedious job. But at highway rides, especially with the cruise control on, this weight vanishes just like your wife’s anger that came with you buying this motorcycle and vanishes when she rides it.

The rest of the chassis and mechanical equipment remains unchanged with the beefy 49mm Showa Dual Bending Valve front forks front and rear suspension with easily-adjustable emulsion shocks. They can be adjusted with just a turn of a knob, and bigger pins will give improved damping performance. The fork technology improves the ride, especially over the harshest bumps, and reacts faster to keep the wheel planted for confident braking and handling.

Braking duties are to be taken seriously, especially when you have to stop an 853 lbs motorcycle. Hence, Harley-Davidson has given the Glide 32 mm, 4-piston fixed front and rear Reflex Linked Brembo Brakes with ABS that catch on to twin 300mm discs. Sometimes you don’t get to choose times to haul things down in a hurry. But with the help of these, you are sure to be in safe hands. Prodigy Aluminum wheels get Dunlop Multi-Tread Blackwall Tires, which are perfect for making this bike agile on every curvy stretch of road.

The optional Reflex Defensive Rider System will utilize advanced chassis control, electronic brake control, and powertrain technology to assist the rider with accelerating and braking in a straight line or while in turn.

Chassis Specifications

Make Model

2020 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special

Indian Chieftain Dark Horse

Make Model

Double-downtube, Double-cradle steel

Cast Aluminum Frame

2020 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special

49 mm Dual Bending Valve

46 mm Telescopic Fork - Cartridge Type/4.7 in

Indian Chieftain Dark Horse

Premium low hand-adjustable emulsion shocks

Single Shock w/ Air adjust/4.5 in

Frame

Reflex Linked Brembo Dual 300 mm disc. Caliper: 32 mm, 4-piston floating

Dual, 300mm Floating Rotor, 4 Piston Caliper

Suspension / Front

Reflex Linked Brembo Single 300 mm disc. Caliper: 32 mm, 4-piston fixed

Single 300 mm Floating Rotor, 2 Piston Caliper

Suspension / Rear

130/60B19 61H

Dunlop American Elite 130/60B19 61H

Brakes / Front

180/65B16 81H

Dunlop Elite 3 Multi-Compound 180/60R16 80H


PRICE

Only 900 units of the Eagle Eye Special Edition paint set will be offered worldwide for $29,294. Vivid black: $27,299, Color: $27,799, Two-tone custom color: $29,399, Reflex defensive rider system (RDRS): $995.

Being a Harley-Davidson, you can literally build your own custom Road Glide Special with accessories like Screamin’ Eagle performance parts, Aglitator 19” front wheel, engine guard kits, wind reflectors, handlebars, Brawler solo seat, extended side covers, front fenders, Boom! High-performance entertainment updates, fog lamps, heated seats and handgrips, and a million dozen more.

Make Model

2020 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special

Indian Chieftain Dark Horse

Make Model

$27,999 - $29,399

$25,999


COMPETITION

Coming from the same country is another touring brand, Indian Motorcycles. The Polaris owned manufacturer’s Indian Chieftain Dark Horse is a solo saddle amalgamation of the mechanicals and stature of an Indian Chieftain and the blacked-out theme carried from the Indian Chief Darkhorse.

Indian Chieftain Dark Horse

The Dark Horse will now come in an all-new White smoke color option that takes it from the evil thing to a sane. There will also be a new Bronze Smoke option apart from the already existing Thunder Black. More than just matte-finish body paint, the 2019 Chieftain Dark Horse now features premium black ceramic exhaust and gloss black finishes on the primary cover, valve covers, push-rod tubes, cam cover, and saddlebag hinges for a custom, blacked-out look.

While the 7” touchscreen remains the same as the Chieftain, the Limited additionally gets the Ride Command system with GPS navigation and connectivity as a standard feature. The most powerful audio equipment, the PowerBand 100 watt gets optimized speaker positioning with integrated amps and a dynamic equalizer. New front and rear turn signals carry LED elements along with the Pathfinder LED headlight. The Rogue gunfighter saddle is all new and sleek.

The 111 Thunderstroke powerplant running across the range is a 1811cc 49 degree V-Twin capable of belting out 73 hp of power and 119 lb-ft of torque. The Dark Horse will, of course, get the rational new modern fairing with new edged and sharper lines along with the sleeker saddlebag units. New features also include three ride modes (Tour, Standard or Sport) – selectable on the fly. An all-new Rear Cylinder Deactivation technology for the Thunder Stroke 111 will automatically deactivate the rear cylinder when the bike is at a standstill.

The 2018 model’s new open front fender and the 19-inch ten-spoke blacked-out wheel will be carried over to the 2019 model and pricing will start at $25,999. It is a $1,500 dearer than the model it will be replacing.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Road Glide has a few tricks up its sleeves to sway you over. Whether rolling up to the roadhouse or rolling on the throttle, there’s nothing better than commanding attention on a stunning custom bike. The Eagle Eye Special Edition paint set was designed with you in mind is what Harley says. And I seem to agree with them in every sense.

It is a solid, comfortable, and well-equipped tourer that also happens to flaunt credibility with non-riders as well, much more than any other brand could manage to. You will most definitely find car drivers stop and wave at you or children jumping and cheering at the sight of you passing by on this hunky Road Glide. Being a motorcyclist myself, I know how much that will calm your soul and bring you solitude, unlike no other.

When you have an idea of crunching up hundreds of miles in your mind, there aren’t many bikes that could fit the bill. Of course, any bike would do, but with the Road Glide Special, you don’t have to feel compromised. And if you happen to have 27 grand laying around, stop dreaming and start riding.