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[Hoist!]

Well, it was the first time I actually got out for some steady riding. Not just 20 miles, let it cool down, and repeat. I started with 475 mi. and got home with 600. Starting to get a feel now for this bike's personality. These are my impressions of this bike so far. First the good things.

The bike is very fast for a stock Road King. It might be as fast as my 89" Pro Street, that only weighs 450 lbs. I finally started bringing it up to 4 grand in each gear. 4 grand in 6th is 110 MPH. Impressive! I don't know if it has the HP or the cam, but this feels like it will do 130-140. Again, impressive! It's smooth as glass too. It handles fantastic for an FL, and is definitely the best handling stock RK I've ridden. Impressive! Between the good handling and the power, you don't realize how fast your going. If you just start going thru the gears, by the time you stop shifting, you're doing 100, easy. And I haven't pushed it yet. Only up to 4 Grand. Very impressive! Tomorrow I'm meeting JQ and Rich07 and hope to put a few hundred on. Rich and I are riding up to CT to meet John. I'll try stretching it to 4500-5000 RPM. By the end of the week, I'm trying to have 1000 mi. on it, and get it Dyno'd before my trip. So far, I'm very happy with the way the bike runs and feels. The oil temp never got over 226 in any type traffic or at any speed.

A few negatives.

The stupid POS Speedo. It read LLLLLL more often than it displayed the mileage on the Odometer. Kept bouncing back and forth between LLLLLL and the mileage, but mostly LLLLLL. Is this some type of error code, or is the Odometer just broken? It seems to keep track of the miles OK, but you mostly don't have access to it until it's good and ready to give it to you. I dread this, but it's gotta go back to the dealer. No way before the trip. I'm not getting stuck with backordered parts again. When I get back, I'll have it replaced.

Second, what the hell is that whistling sound. It did it with 3 different height windshields. It seems that the components on this bike are laid out in such a way, that when you start moving, it makes a whistling sound. It's not the engine or the trans, it's the wind off of the bike. It did it from day one. Over 80, you don't hear it. But I imagine that's because I can't hear chit from the wind in my ears. So I just stay over 80. But I'd love to know why it does that and where it comes from. Anyone else notice this at all?

The seat is also a POS. It's very cramped as soon as you have a passenger, and probably give you Monkey Butt on a long trip. I'm definitely using my Touring Seat for the trip. Sounds like it's time for a new seat for this bike. And we all know those oversized glove compartments they call saddlebags are useless.So let's see. You spend $32 Grand on a Flagship motorcycle (OTD). Then you need to replace the intake, exhaust, seat, saddlebags, windshield, and perform AFR corrections of some type or another! We must be nuts! I love the way this bike rides so much, I don't even care! I know I will now do whatever it needs to make it perfect. It truly is the best Touring Bike Harley's ever made. You all have nice bike's, and it's not a "mine's better than yours" thing. I'm just a diehard Road King guy, and this is by far the best stock Road King they ever built!

I'll bring my camera tomorrow to CT and get some pics of the boys and their bikes. It'll be a 3 SERK day! I'll update my riding impressions as necessary. I'm very interested in everyone else's impressions of the SERK3. Please feel free to add them here. It will be a good way of tracking everyone's pros and cons of this model!

Hoist!

[skreminegul07]

Well, it was the first time I actually got out for some steady riding. Not just 20 miles, let it cool down, and repeat. I started with 475 mi. and got home with 600. Starting to get a feel now for this bike's personality. These are my impressions of this bike so far. First the good things.

The bike is very fast for a stock Road King. It might be as fast as my 89" Pro Street, that only weighs 450 lbs. I finally started bringing it up to 4 grand in each gear. 4 grand in 6th is 110 MPH. Impressive! I don't know if it has the HP or the cam, but this feels like it will do 130-140. Again, impressive! It's smooth as glass too. It handles fantastic for an FL, and is definitely the best handling stock RK I've ridden. Impressive! Between the good handling and the power, you don't realize how fast your going. If you just start going thru the gears, by the time you stop shifting, you're doing 100, easy. And I haven't pushed it yet. Only up to 4 Grand. Very impressive! Tomorrow I'm meeting JQ and Rich07 and hope to put a few hundred on. Rich and I are riding up to CT to meet John. I'll try stretching it to 4500-5000 RPM. By the end of the week, I'm trying to have 1000 mi. on it, and get it Dyno'd before my trip. So far, I'm very happy with the way the bike runs and feels. The oil temp never got over 226 in any type traffic or at any speed.

A few negatives.

The stupid POS Speedo. It read LLLLLL more often than it displayed the mileage on the Odometer. Kept bouncing back and forth between LLLLLL and the mileage, but mostly LLLLLL. Is this some type of error code, or is the Odometer just broken? It seems to keep track of the miles OK, but you mostly don't have access to it until it's good and ready to give it to you. I dread this, but it's gotta go back to the dealer. No way before the trip. I'm not getting stuck with backordered parts again. When I get back, I'll have it replaced.

Second, what the hell is that whistling sound. It did it with 3 different height windshields. It seems that the components on this bike are laid out in such a way, that when you start moving, it makes a whistling sound. It's not the engine or the trans, it's the wind off of the bike. It did it from day one. Over 80, you don't hear it. But I imagine that's because I can't hear chit from the wind in my ears. So I just stay over 80. But I'd love to know why it does that and where it comes from. Anyone else notice this at all?
The seat is also a POS. It's very cramped as soon as you have a passenger, and probably give you Monkey Butt on a long trip. I'm definitely using my Touring Seat for the trip. Sounds like it's time for a new seat for this bike. And we all know those oversized glove compartments they call saddlebags are useless.So let's see. You spend $32 Grand on a Flagship motorcycle (OTD). Then you need to replace the intake, exhaust, seat, saddlebags, windshield, and perform AFR corrections of some type or another! We must be nuts! I love the way this bike rides so much, I don't even care! I know I will now do whatever it needs to make it perfect. It truly is the best Touring Bike Harley's ever made. You all have nice bike's, and it's not a "mine's better than yours" thing. I'm just a diehard Road King guy, and this is by far the best stock Road King they ever built!

I'll bring my camera tomorrow to CT and get some pics of the boys and their bikes. It'll be a 3 SERK day! I'll update my riding impressions as necessary. I'm very interested in everyone else's impressions of the SERK3. Please feel free to add them here. It will be a good way of tracking everyone's pros and cons of this model!

Hoist!

Hoist, glad you are back on the road.  I have that whistle also.  I thought it was the windshield or the trim ring on the headlight as there is a large gap.  I brought blue painters masjking tape and kept trying to block potential whistle places.  It could also be the passing lamps.
If you look at the passing lamp mount with or without windshield installed, you see a vertical opening like a whistle.  Mine whistles from about 30 to 50 and then stops.  It is annoying.  I'm still looking.

I agree, the ride is great, feels solid and likes to run. 

[miker]

Bro....Nuts is it..The seat sucks, the saddlebags are as useful as tits on a bull, specialy if you wanna lock something that goes bang up. My serk does run nicely, stock cams, RH 2-1 with sert n dyno ($1600?), who cares to git it runnin right.  I was two up today and ran quickly up to 80-90 before 6th.

Your ride is my ride is usual trip around SoFl in except the seat has kept me low mileage...Sweett corn festival today..yum

The earlier Serk's has the same narrow dash as ours, I am ordering a corbin toot sweet, I don't need no stinkin flame.

Head metal temp measured 340 plus at idle at stop lights after running hard 2 up with a fairing.  240 while running 75+, 2 up.  85 amb T.

The paint issue will be getting close next week after my painter is back form Laughlin...

[miker]

Hoist, glad you are back on the road.  I have that whistle also.  I thought it was the windshield or the trim ring on the headlight as there is a large gap.  I brought blue painters masjking tape and kept trying to block potential whistle places.  It could also be the passing lamps.
If you look at the passing lamp mount with or without windshield installed, you see a vertical opening like a whistle.  Mine whistles from about 30 to 50 and then stops.  It is annoying.  I'm still looking.

I agree, the ride is great, feels solid and likes to run. 

The whistle could be trany/belt whine...I know my 88 had 4th gear whine...The close you get to the end of the ranny mainshaft the more resonance could be there...Or somehting is gonna melt down.  My 07 serk whines loke a school girl in 5th 6th especially with 2up.  My 1935 sound like a sewing macine with whine(y) stuff too.  It could be the gear dice cams they used back in35, I don't know or really care. Bon temps rouler...

Miker

[sfarson]

Well, I'm probably in the minority, but have no issues with any part of the bike.  Seriously.  After many H-D's owned here, Milwaukee has nailed it with this thing imo.  Much of the following is imo...

- Killer looks

- Like the dark smoke low windshield.  Looks cool, different, and is a CVO SERK signature.  I wear a black full faced helmet with dark smoke faceshield.  Goes well together with the black SERK.  After years of a half helmet and such in a no helmet law state, I've gone full face just like I wear with my sportbikes.  What took me so long.

- Saddle bags... love the looks.  Love the fairly narrow profile.  I've traveled far with much less storage.  One can also put a small T-Bag over the passenger seat, or if traveling with a passenger -- buy the matching top trunk.

- Love the seat.  Perfect for me.  Comfy.  Love the matching looks with the bags too.

- Love the engine and six speed.  No strange noises.  Even like the 5th gear whine.  Sounds jet-like.  Ride mountain canyons and curves here.  The thing flies as is.  Decent clearance for a cruiser.  Looking forward to surprising some sport bike jockeys this summer.

- Great handling and suspension.

- The stock exhaust note is a little wimpy at idle, but quite exotic under load.  Nice and deep.  A friend and I sat and watched many H-D's come and go yesterday at this two wheeled destination place.  Both agreed it was the low and deep note weakening the knees, not loud/harsh, and blatty... which many seemed to have.  If I make a change to the bike at 1K, it will be possibly swapping the stock cans for the Supertrapp SE's.  Only 92db, and a slighty nicer/deeper tone.

- The gauges work well/accurately.  Gas MPG is around 40.

- The black ice SERK is a pain to keep clean.  There, just about my only complaint with the thing.

[Gecko]

I've had mine for five months, about one of which I have been in town and the weather has been decent (slow warm up here in the Plains this year).  There are five hundred miles on it now, a hundred forty of which were put on yesterday.

The Good: I've always liked the look of a Road King; it was either that or the Fat Boy I got ten years ago.  The FB being what had always done it for me, that is what I ended up with, and it has worked fine for me.  It's a little restrictive on the highway as there is a limited range of postures one can take on them.  This one lets me move around more, and the rider backrest helps more than I thought it would - never realized how hard one had to hold onto the grips to keep upright in the wind.  If the windshield thing works out, between it, the backrest and cruise control it might actually be. . .dare I say it. . .comfortable?

I've had no issues with the drivetrain.  Yesterday at 82 degrees after the highway then ten miles of slow or stopped in town the oil temp was 229 on the dipstick gauge.  It radiates heat, but so far not that bad.  The Fat Boy had a built in shift indicator, run it up to where your feet start to move around on the floorboards like one of those vibrating football games and that's around four thousand, when the mirrors both droop that's near redline.  The rubber mounting on the RK has me still in fourth when I get up to highway speed.  I've looked down after a few miles and noticed I was not in sixth - very smooth.  The bags are twice the size of what I'm use to, so I can't fault them except to marvel at how easy it would have been for the MoCo to put a key lock on them.  Between the push-button access and quick disconnects they are almost free for the taking.

The Less Than Good: The stock windshield is useless for me due to buffetting.  I've had it on for about ten miles total, and if I didn't think I might use the brackets for another shield it would have been on for five and left by the side of the road.  I'll try a Clearview and if that isn't any better I'll stay in the bugs and wind as before.
At idle this thing shakes way more than my rigid mount Evo!
I haven't warmed to the low-speed handling.  I never thougth I'd say a Fat Boy felt light, but at parking lot speeds and when Fred Flintstoning around it feels like a bicycle compared to this one.
Mileage hasn't been anywhere close to what it's touted as getting, thirty-five with break-in restrictions so far.

What I Would/Will Change: The windshield.  The mufflers are not that bad, but I'd like to get rid of the catalytics, so will probably buy the stock '07 ones that my neighbor had on his Road Glide.  I'd look into a ThunderMax Auto Tune, but the highway range is already disappointing so that may not happen.  Passenger floorboards were a pre-requisite when I got it.

[FLHRSE3]

After putting 6000 miles on my SERK here are some of my impressions.

Wind deflector sucks, replaced it with a 19” Clearview and I am quite happy with it.

I’ve never experienced any of the whistling mentioned earlier nor have I ever heard any indication of the dreaded gear whine (guess I got lucky on those two).

The saddlebags are small but I knew that going in and that was one of the things that drew me to this bike, I think the paint scheme, continued on into the leather along with the Fat Boy fender are what gives this bike its unique personality and separates it from the millions of RK’s before it.

The seat is not comfortable for the long haul, longest day was 380 miles and my butt was killing me, longest stint down the expressway without stopping was 126 miles; and my butt was telling me it was time for a break.  Interesting discovery recently, I have rode with the backrest inserted in the furthest back location since day one and have never rode without it.  I removed it the other day while cleaning and decided to go for a ride without it, well, stupid me instantly discovered that the backrest was not allowing me to sit all the way back in the seat.  I don’t know if it is my posture without it or the ability to sit further back and lower or a combination of the two but without it I’m looking through the windshield about 1.5” below the top rather than peering 1.5” over the top, so if I had tried this at first maybe I wouldn’t have such a poor impression about the stock wind deflector.

Motor is strong and bike is a blast to ride.  Motor originally seemed to make an obvious undesirable noise, I put AMSOIL in the motor at the 5K service and that seemed to quiet it down considerably.  Switched from SYN3 to Formula+ in the trans at the 1K service and that seemed to quiet the CLUNK down somewhat although still quite noticeable.

I installed the fork wind deflectors (the ones that look like a chromed Danforth anchor) for cold weather riding and they do a fantastic job of all but eliminating the updraft.

After much anguish, I finally decided on mild engine mods that would allow me to make quick changes if need be for warranty purposes rather then the ones I would have really preferred to do at this time.  How do you like that Howie, they broke you down but all your preaching wore off on me?  I went with the V & H Ovals and Fuelpak along with the Doherty PowerPacc, I have not run it on the dyno but there is definitely an increase in seat of the pants torque.  Only had a chance to check mileage on one tank full since the mods, 42mpg, I’ll have to keep an eye on that and make sure it is still not running too lean.

Other than that I have just been trying to control my newfound OCD, but not having much luck.  I also bought some Willie and Max Switchback series bags for planned trips this summer.

I’m sure a seat switch is in the future or maybe just a modification to the stock seat as some fellow members have reported great success with.  Overall, quite satisfied!

Gregg

[Hoist!]

This is great feedback guys. There's not one person that doesn't truly think this is a great bike. We all mostly to notice the same issues. Some either don't have it or don't notice it. Nothing is dealbreaking that's for sure. After about 250 miles yesterday, my impressions are even better. The POS speedo is annoying, going back and forth between LLLLLL and miles unpredictably. Other than that, no complaints. Solo, with no rider backrest, I turned out very comfortable, but 2-up, I don't think she'll like that back seat very much, and I'm too cramped. So, that coupled with the "too small" saddlebags, will allow 2 distinct looks for the bike. For long 2-up trips, the Hardbags and a better seat would be one bike. For shorter or solo trips, the stock saddlebags and seat would do fine. It'll be nice changing the look around once in awhile too!

This bike likes to run! By the time you finish shifting, you're doing a minimum of 80. This could be dangerous if you're not paying attention. It's way too easy to speed all the time on this bike. There's no effort at all getting through the gears like my 88" carb RK. That thing couldn't get out of it's own way. This thing is effortless. I haven't even tuned it yet. Should be this week. I have to readjust my handlebars and pull them back a skoche. The Brake Pedal is now clearancing itself due to the V&H headpipes. I have to take that off and grind it. V&H or Rineharts, they both have issues. I'll grind the pedal. No big deal. Oil puking seems to be based on oil level. After a 4-Qt. oil & filter change, my dipstick reads that I'm overfilled. I also puke more from the Breathers. Either crank out all the oil before filling or only put in 3-1/2 Qts. It'll cut down on the puking.

My oil temp never got above 226 deg. It never got higher than 65 outside. But has has not, so far, been an issue at all. But I did my mods right away. BTW, with regards to heat, humidity has no impact on engine temp. "Sensible heat" is all that impacts cooling your engine. So if your keeping track of engine/OA temps, don't worry if it's humid or not. It affects the air density going into the intake, but not the engine heat rejection. Realize that the larger an engine, and the more power it makes, more heat will be rejected. So if that heat can't be dissipated away from the bike. You're gonna feel it. If it can't be dissipated away from the motor, the engine's gonna feel it. How it's set up (AFR, etc) will also determine how much heat rejection there is. A properly tuned engine will protect your engine better because it rejects less heat. So your sense is it runs cooler. Hopefully the engine design (fins, oil cooler, etc) can handle a properly tuned engine. We'll be seeing about that as it gets hotter out and with traffic conditions.

Still notice that annoying whistle. Like skreminegul07 said, it seems to be between 30 and 50. Whoever finds out what it is, please let us know. I'm used to it, but would like to know what it is, and would rather get rid of it!

I'm getting it Dyno Tuned this week. That should eliminate the small amount of decel popping I'm getting and make the bike smoother and stronger overall. I'm looking forward to comparing the difference. I'll ask him for a baseline run before tuning, and see how good we can get it after. I'll put my M1 V-Twin, Redline Shockproof Heavy, and Redline MTL in before tuning. The bike should be good to go for my trip next week. Everything but that stupid speedo. One of Q's buddy's has the Kuryakin Digital. It looked pretty nice. Anyone seen Zippers. These might be options, but I'm not crazy about digital readouts. Why can't HD ever get their instruments correct. They remind me of the English Automotive Companies back in the day, that couldn't get instruments to ever work right! No offence Nige.

Thanks for everyone adding their impressions. Please continue to add often. Good or Bad! We can keep a history of our Model here. It will help identify any patterns that begin to develop. It will help others find problems that they might otherwise think is unique to them. You never know when this documentation can come in handy too!

Hoist!

[SPIDERMAN]

Howie,
         How does it handle compared to an RK with 16" front and rear ? Notice any rear steer ? Does it carve corners or lope around them ? I asked the guy I bought Elvis from and got a blank stare for an answer.

B B

[skreminegul07]

This is great feedback guys. There's not one person that doesn't truly think this is a great bike. We all mostly to notice the same issues. Some either don't have it or don't notice it. Nothing is dealbreaking that's for sure. After about 250 miles yesterday, my impressions are even better. The POS speedo is annoying, going back and forth between LLLLLL and miles unpredictably. Other than that, no complaints. Solo, with no rider backrest, I turned out very comfortable, but 2-up, I don't think she'll like that back seat very much, and I'm too cramped. So, that coupled with the "too small" saddlebags, will allow 2 distinct looks for the bike. For long 2-up trips, the Hardbags and a better seat would be one bike. For shorter or solo trips, the stock saddlebags and seat would do fine. It'll be nice changing the look around once in awhile too!

This bike likes to run! By the time you finish shifting, you're doing a minimum of 80. This could be dangerous if you're not paying attention. It's way too easy to speed all the time on this bike. There's no effort at all getting through the gears like my 88" carb RK. That thing couldn't get out of it's own way. This thing is effortless. I haven't even tuned it yet. Should be this week. I have to readjust my handlebars and pull them back a skoche. The Brake Pedal is now clearancing itself due to the V&H headpipes. I have to take that off and grind it. V&H or Rineharts, they both have issues. I'll grind the pedal. No big deal. Oil puking seems to be based on oil level. After a 4-Qt. oil & filter change, my dipstick reads that I'm overfilled. I also puke more from the Breathers. Either crank out all the oil before filling or only put in 3-1/2 Qts. It'll cut down on the puking.

My oil temp never got above 226 deg. It never got higher than 65 outside. But has has not, so far, been an issue at all. But I did my mods right away. BTW, with regards to heat, humidity has no impact on engine temp. "Sensible heat" is all that impacts cooling your engine. So if your keeping track of engine/OA temps, don't worry if it's humid or not. It affects the air density going into the intake, but not the engine heat rejection. Realize that the larger an engine, and the more power it makes, more heat will be rejected. So if that heat can't be dissipated away from the bike. You're gonna feel it. If it can't be dissipated away from the motor, the engine's gonna feel it. How it's set up (AFR, etc) will also determine how much heat rejection there is. A properly tuned engine will protect your engine better because it rejects less heat. So your sense is it runs cooler. Hopefully the engine design (fins, oil cooler, etc) can handle a properly tuned engine. We'll be seeing about that as it gets hotter out and with traffic conditions.

Still notice that annoying whistle. Like skreminegul07 said, it seems to be between 30 and 50. Whoever finds out what it is, please let us know. I'm used to it, but would like to know what it is, and would rather get rid of it!
getting it Dyno Tuned this week. That should eliminate the small amount of decel popping I'm getting and make the bike smoother and stronger overall. I'm looking forward to comparing the difference. I'll ask him for a baseline run before tuning, and see how good we can get it after. I'll put my M1 V-Twin, Redline Shockproof Heavy, and Redline MTL in before tuning. The bike should be good to go for my trip next week. Everything but that stupid speedo. One of Q's buddy's has the Kuryakin Digital. It looked pretty nice. Anyone seen Zippers. These might be options, but I'm not crazy about digital readouts. Why can't HD ever get their instruments correct. They remind me of the English Automotive Companies back in the day, that couldn't get instruments to ever work right! No offence Nige.

Thanks for everyone adding their impressions. Please continue to add often. Good or Bad! We can keep a history of our Model here. It will help identify any patterns that begin to develop. It will help others find problems that they might otherwise think is unique to them. You never know when this documentation can come in handy too!

Hoist!

Hoist, verified today it is the windshield and I'm almost 100% sure it is because we added the passing lamps.  The bracket with the 3/8 gap betweem lamps and the nacelled doesn't whistle but add the w/s bracket between it and you create two large whistles.  I'm going to try to add some weather stripping to the w/s bracket and road test it this week.  My other thoughts are pieces of the blak rubber that go on the edge of the console against the paint.  I'll put duct tape on first to verify that it is these two spots that are the culprit. 

[Hoist!]

Hoist, verified today it is the windshield and I'm almost 100% sure it is because we added the passing lamps.  The bracket with the 3/8 gap betweem lamps and the nacelled doesn't whistle but add the w/s bracket between it and you create two large whistles.  I'm going to try to add some weather stripping to the w/s bracket and road test it this week.  My other thoughts are pieces of the blak rubber that go on the edge of the console against the paint.  I'll put duct tape on first to verify that it is these two spots that are the culprit. 

Interesting! I'll have to try it without the windshield. That eliminates it right? Let's hear how you make out trying to gasket it. How will that effect the easy removal? Worst case, if that's all it is, I guess I can live with it. If we come up with a convenient solution, I won't have to. Duct tape on a $30K motorcycle! I like it!!! Thanks for the tip. Hoist!

[Hoist!]

Howie,
         How does it handle compared to an RK with 16" front and rear ? Notice any rear steer ? Does it carve corners or lope around them ? I asked the guy I bought Elvis from and got a blank stare for an answer.

B B

B B, the setup on this bike is night and day to a standard RK. The combination of wheel/tire sizes and the use of Elite III Radials, seem to make drastic difference. I've had the TrueTrack on from day one, but so far, at any speed up to 110, I haven't had any rear steer. It handles in a turn, as opposed to loping, but the front end becomes the obvious culprit now. You can still feel that slight wobble at speed in bumpy turns, but it's obvious it's only the limitations of the FL front end. You have to accelerate thru it or back off, depending on what you can get away with at the time. The Traxxion Cartridge should solve that. The rear Bitubos or 440's should complete the picture! But you can feel how much better the bike handles now as it is! There is no reason for them to make any touring bike without radials anymore! Hoist!

[youngdave]

I gotta agree that this (SERK3) is the sweetest Harley I've ever ridden. It's done 1600
miles and apart from a loose wire causing the battery to discharge leaving me
stranded it is a totally addictive ride. I have had no transmission whine or whistling
(the screen came off soon as I got it home from the dealer) so it may well be a wind
noise that you are experiencing. I put a HD comfort stitch seat on that does nothing
in the looks department but certainly adds to pillion comfortand it brings me a little further
forward making the footrests more comfortable. Got a 500k trip this weekend along some
coastal twisties and long straight backroads so I will have some more time to feed the
addiction and get to know"The King" a bit better. Pics will follow.
Riding with a group last week they all want me to lead so they can hear the V&H's
doing their thing. Got them at delivery so I have never heard a standard SERK

youngdave

[SPIDERMAN]

B B, the setup on this bike is night and day to a standard RK. The combination of wheel/tire sizes and the use of Elite III Radials, seem to make drastic difference. I've had the TrueTrack on from day one, but so far, at any speed up to 110, I haven't had any rear steer. It handles in a turn, as opposed to loping, but the front end becomes the obvious culprit now. You can still feel that slight wobble at speed in bumpy turns, but it's obvious it's only the limitations of the FL front end. You have to accelerate thru it or back off, depending on what you can get away with at the time. The Traxxion Cartridge should solve that. The rear Bitubos or 440's should complete the picture! But you can feel how much better the bike handles now as it is! There is no reason for them to make any touring bike without radials anymore! Hoist!

Elvis has the True-Track and Progressive 440's, not sure what may have been done to the front end, but it doesn't dive or wallow. It handles well enough that I find myself leaning back when I go into turns almost like skiing deep powder where you sit back on your skis. I'm thinking I should probably change out LD to  Progressive 440's and add the True-Track before I go and do anything to wheel size . Thanks for the post

B B

[kojak]

I have 3k miles on my SERK. I've owned 21 different bikes in the past 30 years (yes, I know its a disease, my wife reminds me often). Most of these bikes were victims of performance modifcations. For handling and overall long distance FAST touring, the best was the FJR1300 (500 lb dry, 150 hp/99 tq. For overall brute straightline gforce, the Rocket 3(160hp/150 tq). For dragging pegs on the twisties, the Ninja 900 (you had to be around in the 80's). For overall long distance comfort (important at my age), amenities and ease of handling, my Electraglide.
Here's how I rank the SERK vs my other bikes (completely subjective, though I have ridden well over 150k miles so far and still going strong!)
Power: 3rd
Handling: 5th
Touring comfort: 3rd
Looks: 2nd
Mind you, I spend just as much time riding mountain roads as I do highways.