The Bike
Let us tell you about the motorcycle we currently ride. 2020 Harley Davidson Road Glide Special. We chose this bike for 2-Up comfort and the ability to pack it out for any type of riding, day trips, weekend road trips and the occasional long-haul trip. This bike checked all the boxes for us while still allowing us the opportunity to make it our own. So… let’s get into the upgrades we have done so far. If you like these parts great but if you don’t it doesn’t matter to us!
Handlebars: If you count the stock bars we are on our third set, and I feel like I finally have the setup right. The first set of aftermarket bars were the 12” Carlini Evil Apes, the bars looked good but as a shorter rider they felt too wide and over time became uncomfortable to ride any type of distance. After some more research I decided I wanted more of a T-Bar setup because the width would be a lot less however, I did not want to lose access to my screen, so I ended up purchasing the 14” FXR Division Motorwitch handlebars and to say I love these bars is an understatement. I got the T-Bar width while keeping access to my display.
Exhaust: The exhaust I am running is the Bassani Road Rage 2 into 1 full exhaust system. These pipes have a great sound and I like the way they look. The one draw back to them is that the way they curve around the motor makes it difficult to get to the oil dipstick, especially when they’re hot. All things considered, they are a good pipe, and I am in no hurry to swap them out for something else.
Seat: I have two seats for this bike and depending on the riding kind of dictates the seat I use. As I mentioned before, I am a shorter rider, so my everyday seat is the Harley Davidson Reach Seat. This seat gets me closer to the ground and allows for better stability for in-town riding. It’s a good seat for what is designed for but it’s not the most comfortable for longer trips. The other seat I use is the Saddleman Road Sofa, I don’t have a ton of miles on this seat but so far it has been comfortable for me. My wife on the other hand is having some issues adjusting to it, so we are going to make some adjustments to her seating position to see if that helps any (I will keep you updated as to what works to get her more comfortable in the Saddleman seat).
Vent Screens: Since the 2020 Road Glide doesn’t have closeable wind tunnel vents, I installed Vent Screens by Motorcycle Vent Screens. These have been a game changer for me personally, no more bees and grasshoppers zipping through the vents and smacking me in the face.
Foot Controls: I removed the stock floorboards and added the Thrashin Supply Bagger Floorboards and TSC Shifter Peg. The floorboards provide more clearance so there is no more dragging the boards in the corners. The shifter peg is just cleaner and doesn’t scuff my boots up like the stock rubber one did.
For my wife I set her up with a Ciro3D cup holder that attaches to her back rest. It is a clamp mount that attaches to the sissy bar. She enjoys having a bottle of water especially on those hotter days and this setup works great for her.
Phone Mount: I am currently running a RAM Mount for my iPhone. This has been a good mount and I use it every time we are on the bike. However, I do think it’s time for an upgrade with more vibration dampening. So, more to come on that. (My Amazon link: https://amzn.to/3Dj1P7D )
Luggage Rack: King H-D Detachable Two-Up Luggage Rack. We have had no issues and it fits all of our luggage with no problem. (My Amazon link: https://amzn.to/3OYWvc1 )
What’s Next
For starters we are going to fix my wife’s riding position for comfort, we have purchased the Ciro3D Adjustable Comfort Peg Mounts with the CMX Footpegs in black.
Brake and Clutch Levers: I am planning on getting the Oberon Adjustable Brake and Clutch Levers for more comfort.
I am sure as time goes; we will make more adjustments for comfort reasons but for now we are in good shape. So, we will hit the road and see where it leads. If you would like to know more about our setup, please feel free to hit us up on Instagram.
