For those of you who are still waiting for what seems like forever for your 08 SERKs, I thought you might be interested in a ride report. I've put 800 miles on mine in one week, and I just completed a 300 mile ride yesterday in some of the worst wind gusts I've ridden in. Wind strengths were 25 - 35 mph, but the gusts were well over 50 mph, and the turbulence was incredible (the trip was from Las Vegas - Laughlin - Oatman AZ - Kingman AZ - Needles CA - Las Vegas).
First up, the riding position. I have a neck injury from 20 years ago and I generally can't stay seated on a bike for more than about 45 mins before serious aching pain sets in. Well, with the rider's backrest installed and properly adjusted, I'm pleased to report that I get numb butt before any neck pain. Those custom handlebars that reach right out to you seem unusually low at first, but after a couple of hours of riding, they feel like they're in a natural and comfortable position. Some bikes are best going slow and others are better going fast, either becuase the windblast forces you back or relieves the weight on your wrists, but even with the standard "bug deflector", the SERK is comfortable slow or fast. Just settle into the saddle, and enjoy the ride. Accelerating, that backrest gives you a nice solid feeling, and at speed, with the extra force of the wind, it relieves a lot of strain on your arms, shoulders and neck. The floorboards give you enough freedom of movement to adjust your leg position, and the "moustache" engine bars with their foot supports, allow you to rest your feet by the heels, or even hoist your feet straight out so they're settled on your ankles. On those long stretches of blacktop, it's nice to to be able to move your legs.
Next up, performance. From the rider's perspective, there's always enough power and the torque feels very strong. A couple of overtaking passes on the I-40 (75 mph limit) had me start my acceleration at 85 mph and end up at 105 or so, with plenty more to come. Just roll on the throttle and those 110 cubes get the job done. At town speeds, it just feels effortless. My wife says this is the smoothest Harley I've owned, saying that even the clutch work is totally smooth and free from jerks (except for the jerk holding the handlebars
). She said that the acceleration is smooth and doesn't ever feel harsh or strained. I agree - the hydraulic clutch is definitely the smoothest on any bike I've owned. And that engine just feels powerful and effortless (that word again). I also own a BMW K1200S which has 167 hp and will easily do 160 mph, so I've got a decent basis of comparison. The SERK is certainly no slouch. My buddy, who has an 07 Street Glide with a 103 ci hopped-up motor (dyno tuned to produce 90 hp) commented yesterday, "Man, when you took off on the off-ramp, no-one was gonna catch you!" One of the other guys, who rode a BMW yesterday, commented that he was giving it all he had to keep up.
In those highly turbulent winds, especially on the mountain pass coming up to Laughlin, the bike felt very stable and sure-footed. It certainly tracks way better than my 05 Ultra ever did, and is far more impervious to turbulence, wind blasts and cross winds. Yesterday I rode with the Road King low profile windshield (2" lower than a standard RK shield and it allows you to look
over the windshield) and I was very glad I wore my full face helmet. The standard wind deflector works fine with a full face, but is very turbulent with a half hemet and sun glasses. It's mostly the wind noise that affects you. One of the others in our group rode an FJR1300A, one of the most stable bikes I've ridden, and he was battling the winds as much as everyone. No, this SE Road King tracks like a cruise missile and is stready as an arrow.
When we stopped in Oatman for lunch, the bike drew a crowd. One guy, who knew his Harleys but wasn't familiar with this model, spoke to me for about 10 mins about the chrome forks, "custom" paint, 110 inch motor and ABS brakes. He was very envious and didn't mind admitting it. Even old ladies came up and commented. I've owned 9 bikes, of which three were Harleys, and I've never got this much attention. And it's good attention, where people admire the bike for what it is. Be prepared for a lot of roadside conversations.
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Topic: Ride Report of 08 SERK - For those still waiting... (Read 2941 times)