Butt Ugly

Thanks for your thoughts on the R18 as a rider, @Gyp. I'm curious about the Harley you had briefly. Which model did you have and what year was it?

 

I had thoughts along the same lines.
Harley certainty makes some bikes that are uglier.
And this thing looks like.it would run forever . ...J.D.

 

I had thoughts along the same lines.
Harley certainty makes some bikes that are uglier.
And this thing looks like.it would run forever . ...J.D.

 

2019 Stage 2 Road King Special.



Heavy breather, full V&H system with 450 mufflers, torque cams,12" apes, CVO seat, loads of tweaks.

Well before the end of the 300 mile trip home from the dealership I was sore in my back, shoulders, arms and thighs, and opting for the smaller roads I was struggling with the very heavy clutch and gearbox, and disappointed with the comfort.

I realised that could spent a lot of time and money getting it set up for me - seat, bars, suspension etc, but it would still be too much of a compromise; my Street Scrambler is more nimble around town and the Cotswold lanes, and my ancient BMW RT is a more comfortable tourer.

Whilst undeniably a magnificent machine, when I got home I didn't want to ride it any more. Huge shame.

I owned a Sportster for a few years and did 600+ mile days on it, and I've ridden lots of Evo, Twin cam and M8 Softails and Dynas, but unfortunately the Road King Special didn't work out for me.

 

I've never ridden a road king, but i imagine any bike with ape hangers wouldn't be very comfy for me,shame you didn't get to gell with it

 

To be fair, the apes were nowhere near as high as they look. They were below shoulder height, unlike some of the daft high ones

 

The dear old Germans are first class engineers and the stuff they make is very reliable but they seem to have managed to make something that looks old fashioned without looking like a classic.
That's quite an achievement when you think about it but a bit sad.

 

Is it just me or is the BMW badge on upside down (not just in the picture but in an aesthetic/design way)

 

If the R19 is considered to be a cruiser, I think it will be challenging to ride with highway pegs.

 

I can't spot them at the moment but I have seen "highway pegs" for the R18. They were like a toast rack that sat above the cylinders so you could stretch your legs out on top.

 

Not Cool Hats off to them for making it even uglier, I didn't think that would be possible

 

It's mentioned in the accessory catalogue as a "rider's leg rest" but without pictures.

This is the best I can find

 

Look like giant soap dishes. Carbolic and a wire brush anyone ?