Bike Check With Aaron

Aaron Hartless
2021-03-26T16:49:14-04:00
First Manufacturing Company

Check out Aaron's 2019 Sport Glide in this weeks Bike Check.
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A few years ago I started looking for a new bike. Something that could carry some gear and keep me out on the road for a few days or longer. I decided on a Road King Special. After taking a few out on test rides at the rallies my mind was made up. Then the mid year bikes were released and the ugly duckling (FLSB) made me think twice. It was lighter than the Road King and the bags were removable.
I admit I hated it at first, the small fairing, forward controls, and the wheels "still hate the wheels, but the 130 tire up front is amazing". Then I took one out for a ride. That was it, SOLD. IMO this is the best bike in the HD lineup.

The first 10k miles on my 2019 Sport Glide have been great. Weekend trips are easy with plenty of room in the bags. And taking extra gear on days when we are out filming is no problem. But the Sport Glide needed a few things to make it better.

The first upgrade was new bars from @Lucky_Daves (lucky 13s). I could not ride this bike cross country with the stock wide low bars. I picked it up in AZ and spent 4 days in December riding it back to NC.

Mounted to the bars I used the @Quadlockcase phone mount and case. This is the perfect setup for the Lucky Daves bars. I don't have to take my eyes off the road to see my gps or who is calling.

The forward controls don't make sense on a sport touring bike and spending $1600 to switch them to factory mids was not in my budget. After some research I found the mini floorboards from My friends @Kuryakyn. They will give you the feeling of mids while on the road but give you unlimited foot positions while on long rides.

The M8 bikes are quiet form the factory and that is not a good thing when you are in traffic. I wanted that harley sound and I wanted people to know I was beside them on the road. I loved the stock head pipe but the muffler had to go. So John and Aaron @RinehartRacing set me up with the slip on for this bike. This pipe looks and sounds like it should have come from the factory, and that's what I wanted.

The tail section needed something and the @cyclevisions plate and signal relocation kit changed the look of the rear end. They make a quality plug and play part and customer service is 5 stars.

The fairing, the little weird fairing. Rumors of what Harley had planned to go on the bike originally started to surface and the Sport Glides heritage did not come full circle. I was in Daytona for bike week and rolled into the @klockwerks booth. They mounted a test Flare windshield to my bike and said go for a ride. I returned 30 min later with a smile on my face. The Klock Werks Flare is a must if you have a Sport Glide and want to run the original fairing.

I liked the stock headlight, it puts out a good beam at night but the signals were the same as my old dyna. The lighting game has a lot to offer. All I can say is do your research. I always visit my friends @fastlightsleds when I am at rallies. I picked up a set of halo signals that really help you to be seen at night. This family run business has what you need and will not overcharge you. Don't overpay just to get a free sticker in a box.

So after 10K the bike needed new rubber, I went to my friends @metzelermotousa . I have used the 888 tire in the past and I am looking forward to seeing how they perform on this bike.
Next winter I will be installing a set of cams and the 117 kit. This bike is my daily and I am out of state a lot so I need to be able to pull into a dealer and get off the shelf parts. Remember that when you are setting up a bike to travel on.