2017 Harley-Davidson Touring Bikes — First Impressions — Bikernet Blog

Many moons ago, this motojournalist was sent on his first off-site assignment for Easyriders Magazine. The occasion was the release of Harley-Davidson’s Twin Cam-powered touring bikes for the ’99 model year. It was the summer of ’98 and I had the pleasure of meeting the H-D press relations crew led by Paul James, who also happened to be on his maiden press ride. As some of the first ‘civilians’ ever allowed astride the Twin Cam-powered touring bikes, our group of journos got to ride in and around the hell that is Utah’s Zion Park in July. I remember once reading nearly 120ºF on the Electra Glide’s ambient temp gauge. Good times…

Fast forward Eighteen years… Harley-Davidson invited me to take a ride around Tacoma and Port Angeles, through Washington State’s scenic Olympic National Forest in early September. This time, I would be getting acquainted with the revamped touring line featuring the 107-inch, 4-valve Milwaukee-Eight big twin and refined front and rear suspensions. This promised to be another memorable press ride, and a great occasion to catch up with Paul James, who’s one heck of a footboard grinder (I am holding incriminating pictures for possible blackmail). Paul is now Director of Motorcycle Product Planning at Harley-Davidson.

This time around though, the weather was a bit cooler than in ’98, and we enjoyed an interesting selection of meteorological conditions. We had fog, drizzle, light rain, sustained rain and the occasional torrential downpour. But rather than gathering materials for the construction of an ark, I thought I would hit the starter switch to see how these touring bikes handled real life on the road.

The Milwaukee Eight

Crank the engine over and it swiftly comes to life, before settling down to a low and pleasing idle tone at 850rpm. Right away I noticed a significant reduction in vibration when compared to the older Twin Cams. Come to think of it, after seeing its original size swell over the years from 88 inches to 95 all the way to 103, then 110 inches, and gaining sizable reciprocating mass in the process, the old Twin Cam couldn’t possibly sit still at idle. At traffic lights, big-inch rubber-mounted Twin Cams could have easily been mistaken for out-of-balance washing machines. Thankfully that has now changed with the M-8 and its gear-driven internal counter-balancer; a device that was precisely tuned to cancel 75 percent of primary vibration at idle. This is how the M-8 retains the classic feel of a Harley V-Twin while running smoothly at highway speeds.

“The Milwaukee-Eight engine carries the legacy of Harley-Davidson Big Twins into the future,” said Chief Powertrain Engineer Alex ‘Boz’ Bozmoski. “While respecting the essential Big Twin character, we’ve created an all-new motor. Every aspect of performance, durability and styling has been improved as a direct response to the voice of Harley-Davidson customers around the world.”

A clean-sheet design with no common components with its predecessors, the Milwaukee-Eight is undeniably a Harley-Davidson engine. It’s got massive cases (in a good way), and the brawny, fined cylinders flanked by these familiar pushrod tubes fan out toward a pair of muscular heads and rocker covers featuring rippling waves of shrink-wrapped chromed-out goodness. Manly-looking motor… check!

Deep inside, the 107 and 114 Milwaukee-Eight engines now use a single, chain-driven camshaft and hydraulic lifters with one-piece pushrods to actuate long rocker arms. Each rocker arm pushes down on a pair of valves. Boz says the factory has been able to design and source components with such precise tolerances that no adjustment will be needed for the life of the engine. Feel free to discuss…

Of course, I’ve already heard a few critics asking why the camshaft uses a chain drive in place of a more direct (read precise) gear drive. According to H-D engineers, running a chain drive helps reduce mechanical chatter. Also contributing to reduced powertrain noise are lighter valves, optimized cover designs and improved driveline components. Why is a quieter engine a good thing? Because as a manufacturer who has to comply with strict noise standards, it’s wise to work on reducing unwanted engine noise. This allows the factory to turn up the overall exhaust volume, giving you more of what you want. I am not a fan of ear-splitting pipes and prefer a macho, deep sound myself. So for the first time, I thought that I could actually live with a touring Harley and its OEM exhaust note. I rode a test model that used the Stage I kit (with performance mufflers), and this version produced an even better and louder, throaty sound. You know what to do if you want your M-8 to play some sweet music…

Harley-Davidson claims that the M-8 produces 10 percent more torque than previous year models and that the high-compression four-valve cylinder heads offer 50 percent more intake and exhaust flow capacity. Whatever the figures might be, I feel that the bikes pull stronger than ever at any rpm. Throttle response is now more crisp, and the power feels like it’s always here, making the Milwaukee-Eight a fun powertrain!

More bonus points are collected thanks to a new heat management system that’s designed to improve rider and passenger comfort. It’s the combination of coolant and oil passages that run fluids around the exhaust valves, directing heat away from these problematic hot spots. Combined with the lower idle speed—that inherently produces less heat—and the relocation of the catalytic converter further away, I found the system to be really effective when I hit rush-hour traffic near Tacoma, and found myself flat-footing an Electra Glide Ultra Classic for a mile. Kudos!

Speaking of improved comfort, the M-8 was also designed to be narrower in order make inseam-challenged riders more at ease on these large bikes. This was achieved by using a slimmer air box and a narrower derby cover made possible by a thinner assist clutch pack. This new clutch results in an easier clutch pull too, which is always welcome, especially for those of you who don’t ride in California, where lane-splitting is now officially LEGAL! Sorry, I just felt like rubbing it in…

Upgraded Suspension

The Milwaukee-Eight engine is the star of the show this year, but just as important are the suspension upgrades for the touring bike line. The front suspension features new Showa SDBV suspension technology that delivers the damping performance of a racing-style cartridge fork with linear damping characteristics and reduced weight.

In the back, the air-adjustable rear shocks from past years are now history. Instead, the left-side emulsion shock absorber features an easily adjustable preload knob with a visible scale. It allows a preload range that’s up to 30 percent wider than previous years. Simply remove the left-side bag using the redesigned and safer releases to access the handy knob. Follow the instructions provided and you can tailor your bike to match your changing needs.

“Pre-load can now be adjusted to match the load of rider, passenger and gear without tools or an air pump,” said Paul James, Harley-Davidson Director of Motorcycle Product Planning. “Once set, the pre-load will not leak down or require further adjustment.”

I really enjoyed the added control and comfort of this upgraded suspension setup. The front end felt stable and safe on twisty roads. Uneven and rough pavement was absorbed very well, giving me added confidence. I hit a couple of nasty potholes along our 400-mile shakedown of the touring line. Even though the rear suspension bottomed out once, I never felt the kind of brutal pounding that older models would have delivered to my lower back.

Harley engineers told us that the linked ABS braking system was reprogrammed to better interact with the improved suspension too.

The Bottom Line

Harley-Davidson say that they listened to riders when developing the new touring bikes, so they could give them more of what they want. I feel that the results speak for themselves. The 2017 baggers don’t really need to be ‘fixed’ before you ride them home anymore.

Of course, the Screamin’ Eagle line of street-legal performance parts is always here if you feel the need for even more power. Stage I, II and III kits can deliver up to a 24 percent increase in torque over the stock engine.

I have to applaud Harley-Davidson’s decision to implement what I’d like to call a ‘Total Customer Satisfaction’ approach when developing the 2017 baggers. Could this new approach have come sooner? Absolutely!

Anyway, it looks like Harley’s new progressive ways are in sync with the needs of an evolving client base in the increasingly competitive market of V-twin cruisers. And at the end of the day, I think that consumers will come out on top. Competition is good thing!

Visit your local dealer to schedule a test ride on a 2017 Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

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2017 Harley-Davidson Touring Bikes — First Impressions

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