I went out on a long fast ride yesterday on my new 2009 Road Glide. It was the first long ride (125 miles) that I've had the opportunity to take. I choose some back roads where there were plenty of long straight road, twists, and hills.......very little traffic and civilization to impede my fun.

It seems to me that almost every HD that I've owned there has been a lot of twitch to the bike when negotiating through tar snakes. Maybe some of you who are reading this have no idea what a tar snake is....maybe it's a midwestern thing....but a tar snake is a narrow strip of hot-patch tar that is used to repair long cracks in asphalt-paved roads. I also tend to run OEM tires on my bikes. On one of the fast curves that I love to race through there are a number of tar snakes leading into and out of the curve. My 2008 Road Glide had the same twitchy reaction going through this particular curve. My new 2009 Road Glide held steady, almost as though the road was smooth. At all speeds and in straights or curves, this bike tamed those damned snakes!

I have to admit, the changes made to these new 2009 touring bikes have really made them better handling bikes. Count me in as another believer in the changes made to the new touring bikes.

 

yeah...the tar-snake twitch is gone on the '09 bikes. I was happy to experience stability when riding through some of them thar tar-snakes last Sunday here in CO (down South, near Canon City & Royal Gorge).

 

My 09 Street Glide handles on the road and curves the same way, a lot better than my 07 Road King Classic with the older style frame and OEM tires, yes I am a believer in the changes too. I love the new wider rear tire and swing arm and the new 17" front rim and tire on the 09, looks cool and gives a better lean angle.

Glad to hear you like your 09.

Ride Safe,
Bill G

 

I hate to tell you that you don't need to buy an '09 to tame the snakes. I just put some new Michelin Commanders on my '05 Ultra and there isn't any more twitching. These tires ignore the snakes and groves on the tollway. I have no plans of buying a new at all. I'm completely happy with what I have. Being paid for is great too!

 

I just put on some Dunlop E3's on my scoot and the difference is night and day from the 402's! Cant feel the tar snakes or the grooved concrete anymore, wife is loving the stability of the new tires also.

 

Those E-3's are definitely the way to go.

 

Just wait til it gets hot out, you ain't going to tame them!

 

I was wondering that very same thing.

 

You took the words right outta my mouth...

 

Don't know what kind of tar snakes you guys are hitting cause the ones I hit are like hitting a patch of ice. I can't see how an improved frame would eliminate slipping on tar snakes unless the frame has some sort of slip detectors that throws out some stabilizing wheels ?