Living the Dream: Riding a Harley Through Florida

Back to my trip to America

Back to my trip to America, I was very fortunate to be able to hire a Harley for the day while I was out there – a lifelong dream of mine and something I’m sure deep down every biker would like to do. A glistening Harley, shades, and the sun beating down, who couldn’t see the appeal! So, thanks to Eagle Rider Rentals in Orlando, Florida,  I found myself with the keys to a 2008 Road King, a ‘skull cap’ of a helm,  et 84°F84oF temperatures. Any bike in these conditions would have put a smile on my face, but sitting astride the Road King and thumbing the starter button, I was truly in biking nirvana!

The Ride Begins

After a quick lap around the block without a helmet (I have always wanted to ride a bike helmet less, if only for a brief stint, and the only legally required bit of kit is eye protection over there!) I picked up my skull cap and wife and headed out into the unknown…

Choosing the Route

I decided on a destination (Cocoa Beach. Using the sat-nav, I made sure the route excluded all major routes, interstate, and highways, and we set off on the 2.5-hour journey. It was very tempting to head straight down to Miami, but time restrictions made me decide otherwise.

First Impressions of the Harley

I was initially surprised by a couple of things with the Harley. The first was how much the thing vibrates. I have never been on a Harley before, and like everyone, I was aware of their reputation for vibrating, but until you sit astride one on tick over, you can’t imagine how much the things shake.

Vibration and Comfort

The sat-nav was mounted on the handlebars, and I’m not lying when I say it was impossible to read! Luckily, though, as soon as you pull away, the vibes smooth out considerably, and the bike becomes fairly smooth and very comfortable. Big seat, wide bars, and foot boards all work well together to offer a relaxed, lazy ride.

Dealing with the Heat

The other thing is the heat. It was hot over there anyway, but I was shocked by how much heat that air-cooled engine kicked out. While riding, it wasn’t too much of a big deal (but it was still very noticeable). But as soon as you stop for whatever reason, I had to keep checking my right leg wasn’t resting against the exhaust, it kicked out that much heat! Coupled with the fact that on tick over, it felt as though it was trying to shake your teeth out, sitting at a set of red lights on a Harley isn’t the best place to be!

Despite It All A Dream Ride

Even with these issues, at that time, at that place, I couldn’t think of a bike I’d rather be on. The Road King was big, loud, it drew glances everywhere it went, it was comfy and made me feel good, it shot off from the lights at a decent lick and it cruised happily at 70 mph – the whole time I was either laughing or had a big grin on my face, as my only bike…no way! But would I have a Harley in my dream garage? Hell yeah!