My wife and I went to York Pennsylvania Harley Davidson Open House on Friday 9/19. We were the third and forth people in queue to test ride the FLRT Freewheeler demo that morning. My wife tried the trike test ride too, as I value her opinions ~ she and I ride side-by-side on two-wheel motorcycles, so I debriefed her after her demo ride.
All our impressions are filtered through my two years of riding my Sportster XL1200 / Lehman Raider trike. H-D in York set up a demo circuit (on local roads) that were smooth and well-paved. The only rough surfaces I encountered were manhole covers ~ not much of a 10 minute "test" ride to base a $30K purchase on. It was more of a "scratch and sniff" then a real test ride.
We both liked the power. The 103 cu in engine pulled from any gear. I got up to up to fourth gear; she claims she got up fifth, although the test circuit was limited to 35 MPH. No pinging, and LOTS OF TORQUE, even more than my FXST!
We appreciated the great brakes, esp. the rear brake pedal linked to the rear and (two) front disk brakes - smooth and powerful.
We both liked the *luxury* of 2 cu ft of storage.
We both commented on the fact we could lock two helmets IN THE TRUNK
epper: The Lehman Raider "trunk" was more like a glove compartment in a car ~ it was tiny. My Softail had *no* place to store anything, and my wife has a small set of saddlebags behind her V-star.
My wife liked mounting and dismounting using the passenger floor boards. My Lehman Raider passenger pads were much lower and to the rear, forcing the rider and passenger to step-though directly over the saddle. The FLRT was configuration much better.
My wife liked the clutch lever pressure. The new hydraulic clutch made her clutch effort as light as her V-star Classic.
I gave the steering a mixed review - no wobbling or handlebar shake, but it wasn't very easy to steer. I compared it to my Lehman Raider / Hawg Halter 5° rake kit, which made my Sportster very light to steer. The FLRT was relatively cumbersome, which gave me the impression that the whole machine felt heavy.
The other thing I couldn't gauge was the rear suspension ride. I did encounter a few minor bumps on Arsenal Road, and it didn't seem very smooth. The demo ride manager commented on air-adjustable rear shocks pressures, tire pressure, blah, blah, blah.. I didn't want to get into a discussion about air pressures, so I'll have to wait until I get a longer ride, or better yet, a day on a rental FLRT.
In MY opinion, I didn't like the missing bits and pieces AKA "options" H-D quotes a price as $25K, but I needed more "options" just to make it usable.
No windshield? - add $250 No sissy bar and back pad? = add $360 A thicker seat? = $350 Add those essentials + sales tax, and it adds $1K to the price.
Also, in MY opinion, although I've commented on the fenders before, the "Rushmore" team must've been out to lunch when H-D voted to use the fenders on the FLRT. But it's nothing a third-party fender vender can't correct . . . . with more $.
Lastly, we saw a line of Amber-colored Freewheelers at the plant ~ up until now, I'd only seen Vivid Black. *Very* pretty ThumbUp
All our impressions are filtered through my two years of riding my Sportster XL1200 / Lehman Raider trike. H-D in York set up a demo circuit (on local roads) that were smooth and well-paved. The only rough surfaces I encountered were manhole covers ~ not much of a 10 minute "test" ride to base a $30K purchase on. It was more of a "scratch and sniff" then a real test ride.
We both liked the power. The 103 cu in engine pulled from any gear. I got up to up to fourth gear; she claims she got up fifth, although the test circuit was limited to 35 MPH. No pinging, and LOTS OF TORQUE, even more than my FXST!
We appreciated the great brakes, esp. the rear brake pedal linked to the rear and (two) front disk brakes - smooth and powerful.
We both liked the *luxury* of 2 cu ft of storage.
We both commented on the fact we could lock two helmets IN THE TRUNK
epper: The Lehman Raider "trunk" was more like a glove compartment in a car ~ it was tiny. My Softail had *no* place to store anything, and my wife has a small set of saddlebags behind her V-star.My wife liked mounting and dismounting using the passenger floor boards. My Lehman Raider passenger pads were much lower and to the rear, forcing the rider and passenger to step-though directly over the saddle. The FLRT was configuration much better.
My wife liked the clutch lever pressure. The new hydraulic clutch made her clutch effort as light as her V-star Classic.
I gave the steering a mixed review - no wobbling or handlebar shake, but it wasn't very easy to steer. I compared it to my Lehman Raider / Hawg Halter 5° rake kit, which made my Sportster very light to steer. The FLRT was relatively cumbersome, which gave me the impression that the whole machine felt heavy.
The other thing I couldn't gauge was the rear suspension ride. I did encounter a few minor bumps on Arsenal Road, and it didn't seem very smooth. The demo ride manager commented on air-adjustable rear shocks pressures, tire pressure, blah, blah, blah.. I didn't want to get into a discussion about air pressures, so I'll have to wait until I get a longer ride, or better yet, a day on a rental FLRT.
In MY opinion, I didn't like the missing bits and pieces AKA "options" H-D quotes a price as $25K, but I needed more "options" just to make it usable.
No windshield? - add $250 No sissy bar and back pad? = add $360 A thicker seat? = $350 Add those essentials + sales tax, and it adds $1K to the price.
Also, in MY opinion, although I've commented on the fenders before, the "Rushmore" team must've been out to lunch when H-D voted to use the fenders on the FLRT. But it's nothing a third-party fender vender can't correct . . . . with more $.
Lastly, we saw a line of Amber-colored Freewheelers at the plant ~ up until now, I'd only seen Vivid Black. *Very* pretty ThumbUp
