FLTR Road Glide touring motorcycles are designed to provide amenities, power, and relatively comfortable long-distance travelling. Oversized windshields and full fairings protect from storm water and road spray while they add stability. The 2004 Harley-Davidson Road Glide and Road Glide Base are “Made In USA” touring cruisers that compete with the Victory Touring Cruiser Base and Yamaha Star. They come standard with a 24-month warranty.
The 2004 Road Glide Base is ranked fourth out of 17 comparable models in a Motorcycle.com comparisons list of 2004 touring motorcycles. The 2004 Road Glide Base received 4.5-star ratings in performance and value. It received full five-star ratings in quality and reliability and ride and comfort.
The 2004 Road Glide has a standard length of 7’10”. Dry weight is 731 pounds. The Road Glide has a five-gallon fuel tank and 5.1 inches of ground clearance. The Road Glide comes equipped with aluminum, 16-inch front and back wheels and has a 63.5-inch wheelbase.
The 2004 Road Glide uses a steel-frame construction with engine case guard and tank divider. The Road Glide is modeled after the Electra Glide, using the same motor assembly and frame. Exterior covers and guards, driver and passenger floor boards, fork guards, front and rear fenders and hand grips, kick stand and upper fairing are standard Road Glide equipment. Reviewers consider the four-inch-longer frame and fixed fairing (stability in storms) to be worthwhile amenities. Cruise control is another standard amenity for added convenience.
The Road Glide Base comes standard with a 1442 cc., V-Twin engine and a five-speed manual transmission. It offers ESPFI California emissions and fuel injection. A radio, CD player, and electronic sequential port are mounted in the fairing. An oil gauge kit, guard-mounted fog lamp kit, and fairing lowers are added for inclement weather safety.
The Road Glide does not include as standard, or offer as an option, a navigation system, GPS, lap timer, trip computer, or a shift light. Multi-lingual instrumentation is not available on this model. However, the Road Glide does come standard with digital instrumentation, fuel-level warning, and oil gauges with a service reminder. A speedometer, tachometer, trip odometer, and temperature warning light along with two vinyl hard-side left- and right-side lockable storage cases also come standard. A decal kit is also included.
Engine displacement to weight is 1.97 cc. It boasts 86 lb-ft of torque at 3500 rpm.
An anti-lock and front to rear linked brake system are not available on the Road Glide.