Since Harley-Davidson has updated the engines of its entire touring model line, we thought we should check in with an example of each of the three variations of the Milwaukee-Eight. For years, the Street Glide has been Harley’s best-selling model – and a favorite here at MO – making it a natural choice for sampling the base-model Eight’s 107ci engine. Still, the engine isn’t the only news involving pistons on the 2017 touring models. In a normal year, the upgraded suspension components on the Street Glide would be big news, but with motorcyclists being power freaks, the new engines are stealing the suspension’s thunder.
The beauty of the Milwaukee-Eight engine is that the Harley-cognizanti will be able to immediately tell that the Street Glide has the new 107 engine, while, to people with a more limited knowledge of the bike, will immediately know it is a Harley. The M-E takes the classic lines of the Twin Cam engine and makes them simultaneously more muscular and slimmer. While the Motor Company’s engineers say that the primary focus of the engine shapes was weight reduction (to allow for the increased weight of the new components in the engine), they also focused on maintaining and updating the Big-Twin’s iconic style. A quick look at the heads and the cam cover shows compound curves which hint at the shape of the components inside. The left side of the engine wears a narrower derbycover that remains unmistakably a Harley engine. The cylinders look similar but brawnier than the Twin Cam’s.
…
Read full post here:
https://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/harley-davidson/2017-harley-davidson-street-glide-first-ride-review.html
