I Almost Sold My Road Glide Because of a Parking Lot

I'm not a small guy. But I'll be honest with you: my 2024 Road Glide was beating me.

Not on the road. On the road, that bike is everything. It's the best machine I've ever owned.

It was everywhere else.

Tight parking lots. Gravel driveways. My garage, which has a slight upward slope that I swear gets steeper every year. I've got a 30-inch inseam, and when you're backing an 800-pound motorcycle uphill on loose ground, it doesn't matter how long you've been riding. One wrong shift of weight and the whole thing comes down on you.

I'd been close. Too close.

My wife noticed before I said anything. She stopped offering to come on rides when I had to park somewhere tricky. She wasn't afraid of the road. She was afraid of the parking.

I started thinking about selling.

I Started Looking for a Solution

I'd heard about reverse kits. A buddy of mine has a trike with the factory electric reverse, and watching him glide backwards into a spot while I'm sweating bullets became something of a personal insult.

So I started researching.

First thing I found was the mechanical kits. Baker Drivetrain, MotorTrike. Prices around $1,200 to $1,400. But the more I read, the more I hesitated. Permanent modifications. Drilling into the gear shaft. Can't uninstall it if you sell the bike. And the forums were full of guys complaining about noise, maintenance, and the feel being "clunky."

Then I found Eagle King.

My first reaction was skepticism. The brand was unfamiliar. And $1,799 is real money. I sat on it for about three weeks, reading everything I could find.

What finally pushed me over the edge was a forum post on HDForums. A guy had done a side-by-side comparison — mechanical vs. electric — and his conclusion was clear: the brushless motor on the Eagle King moved his bike smoother, quieter, and with more control than any mechanical kit he'd tried. And unlike the mechanical ones, it connects through the diagnostic port. No permanent mods. Fully reversible if you ever want to remove it.

I called their number. Someone answered on the second ring.

Installation Day

I'm reasonably handy but I'm not a mechanic. I watched their YouTube videos twice, then had my local shop do it. The tech called me halfway through to say it was one of the cleaner installs he'd seen on an aftermarket kit.

Total time: about three hours.

When I picked the bike up, I sat in the parking lot and reversed out of the spot. Smoothly. Without touching the ground. Without sweating.

I sat there for a second and laughed.

Four Months Later

I've used it dozens of times. My garage, restaurant parking lots, a campground with loose gravel that would have been a nightmare before.

My wife is back on the bike. She doesn't think twice about parking anymore.

Last weekend a guy walked over while I was reversing into a spot and asked me what the button was for. I showed him. He stood there for a moment and said, "I need that."

Yeah. You do.

Would I Buy It Again?

Without hesitation.

Is $1,799 a lot of money? Yes. But I was about to sell a $30,000 motorcycle because parking was killing my confidence. That math isn't hard.

The Eagle King kit is the single best upgrade I've made to this bike. And I've made a few.

If you're on the fence, stop thinking about it.