Road Glide ST? I'm curious how much better the new version of the 117 is compared to the non-twin-cooled one.
Originally Posted by drc68
Only a couple hundred miles on it but so far is has been noticeably superior to my old RGST. I can't think of a single metric where it falls short of the old bikes.
I had a '20 Ultra Limited - my first Harley. I bought it because RDRS was available. I had to redo the suspension right away to make it handle decently. I did an SE Stage 2 with torque cam, and I added the SE Street Cannon exhaust that relocated the cats to the mufflers to get rid of the heat under the right foot. I'm wondering if I'm going to have to make the same upgrades on a '24. I'm sure the VVT 121 would be fine power-wise, especially if the powere/torgue band is a bit wider. I ride curvy roads; don't need straight-line acceleration any better than what would be stock on either the 117 or the 121. I was told by someone that there's a lot of difference between the 117 in last year's ST's and the '24 117 center-cooled engine.
Love mine.. I traded a perfectly good 22 Road King for it. There were a few issues when the new 23.5 & 24 models went into production, but they've been cleared up with software patches. The infotainment system still has a few little idiosyncrasies, but otherwise they are all around solid bikes.
The Gen II Center Cooled 117 M8 is a strong cool running performer. They did away with the hollow bolt breather system so the intake is always dry as a bone with no oil mist or slobber. I've got 7500 miles on mine running in temps as low as 25 degrees and as high as 95 degrees. I've also done a 6 day long-haul trip. Nothing but pleasure
Road Glide ST? I'm curious how much better the new version of the 117 is compared to the non-twin-cooled one.
Yep, ST, and I really liked the engine on that bike. On the new one, throttle response is smoother and more linear in Road mode, and the addition of Sport mode is a whole new ball game. I've never ridden a twin-cooled for comparison but this center-cooled engine definitely has reduced felt heat over the older non-twin-cooled one.
Likes? Fit and finish is second to none. I have owned Harley (8, including Ultra Limited and Pan America), BMW (K1600B), Ducati (Multistrada V4S), and KTM (Multiple 1290 Super Adventures). BMW and Ducati are close, but this bike is the best I've had. I love the low-down torque. Diesel-like, with tons of performance potential to go as nuts as you want. It literally handles significantly better than the 2023 touring bikes. It truly surprised me. I didn't believe it when I saw the first reviews put out by YouTubers flown in by Harley to do the first rides, but I believed it after my test ride. It also happens to be crazy-comfortable. The aftermarket support (eventually) to make the bike into anything your mind can dream up. Dislikes? Infotainment is a little erratic at times. Almost totally pertaining to CarPlay, for me. Man, these bikes are expensive, but what isn't nowadays. You can do ECM updates at home, but you have to take the bike to the dealer to do BCM updates. Things to look out for? The coolant line and some wiring are vulnerable under the front of the bike, but there are aftermarket skid plates to address that.
If you test ride one, you'll almost certainly want one.
nice build. How did you get the tour pack with the lights? The ones Im seeing dont have lights.
Originally Posted by jwt873
Love mine.. I traded a perfectly good 22 Road King for it. There were a few issues when the new 23.5 & 24 models went into production, but they've been cleared up with software patches. The infotainment system still has a few little idiosyncrasies, but otherwise they are all around solid bikes.
The Gen II Center Cooled 117 M8 is a strong cool running performer. They did away with the hollow bolt breather system so the intake is always dry as a bone with no oil mist or slobber. I've got 7500 miles on mine running in temps as low as 25 degrees and as high as 95 degrees. I've also done a 6 day long-haul trip. Nothing but pleasure
Better: mid range torque, dash, seat quality, fork spec, rear travel, wheels, grips, bags, fuel economy, lean angle, front brake feel, front brake M/C.
Worse: clutch pull, fairing efficiency, bar bend, throttle response, mirrors, speedo isnt as accurate, front fender is useless, infotainment is erratic, fuel cap doesnt lock, $750 gouge for black paint, very poor MoCo accessories and spares availability.
I have a 2024 CVO Road Glide Legendary Orange and its hands down the best handling and stock power Harley I have ever ridden. It feels so much lighter and nimble than my 2020 CVO Street Glide. The audio is much better and the infotainment minus a few glitches is amazing. They absolutely killed it on these bikes! My only complaint is the engine is very noisy/ticky.
I had a '20 Ultra Limited - my first Harley. I bought it because RDRS was available. I had to redo the suspension right away to make it handle decently. I did an SE Stage 2 with torque cam, and I added the SE Street Cannon exhaust that relocated the cats to the mufflers to get rid of the heat under the right foot. I'm wondering if I'm going to have to make the same upgrades on a '24. I'm sure the VVT 121 would be fine power-wise, especially if the powere/torgue band is a bit wider. I ride curvy roads; don't need straight-line acceleration any better than what would be stock on either the 117 or the 121. I was told by someone that there's a lot of difference between the 117 in last year's ST's and the '24 117 center-cooled engine.
You will not be disappointed with the power at all! I also ride a lot of twisty roads and the inverted fork is amazing. Also, the radial brakes are very strong. Honestly, the handling is my favorite part about the new bike. My 2020 has a 128 in it and this bike is close. Ill end up replacing the header with a non catted header and tuning it, but thats probably it unless a nice cam comes out.
09-10-2024, 08:11 AM
