The 2017 lineup of touring motorcycles received a huge upgrade in the Milwaukee-Eight engine. You can read all about that here and see it for the first time in black here.
While everyone is talking about that brand new engine, there is a lot to said about the all new Touring suspension system this year's Harley-Davidson Touring motorcycles received as well.
Front Suspenion
The new Showa Double Bending front suspension offers better reaction to all changes in road surface to give you and your passenger a more comfortable and confident riding experience. This is a faster-reacting fork technology which keeps you front wheel planted and stable for improved braking and handling performance.
Rear Suspension
In the rear we have the new Emulsion Rear Suspension. The new Emulsion Rear Suspension coil-over shocks offer a broader pre-load range, 15-30% more than current air shocks, so you'll almost always be able to adjust for the load of a passenger and gear, or to suit your handling preference. A simple knob makes it easy to adjust pre-load with no tools required which means you do not need to carry around a special air pump or wrench.
The single-knob adjustment makes it easy to dial in the best pre-load setting for the load situation and maintain that setting, so once you make that adjustment you'll get consistent comfort and handling performance over time. Little tweaks in pre-load adjustment can mean a big difference in the quality of your ride.
What's more is the shock/spring calibrations specific to each model match the ride height and anticipated load of that motorcycle so you and your passenger can dial in optimal comfort and performance.
The motorcycle's owner's manual features a pre-load scale chart that offers suggested pre-load knob settings to give you a guide to setting pre-load. This means less guess work on your end as the scale should be close to the optimal setting.
In Conclusion
In the end, the easiest way to understand the benefits of this suspension system is to experience it for yourself. Come take any one of the 2017 Touring motorcyclesfor a ride. If you want to get the full experience over time consider taking one of our Rental motorcycles out for a weekend to Tahoe where you could feel the cushion on all of those twisty roads.
