how did I end up on this huge Harley, and as a duo no less, facing the winding roads of the south of the country?
It's worth looking back:
every year, taking advantage of my "status" as a motorcycle tester, I organize a romantic weekend outing with my exceptional wife and a bike of the same level.
Last time, I'd rather missed the boat: (I'd blocked a Triumph Rocket 3 and, by an incredible twist of fate, we'd had to settle for a Tmax!), but this year I've decided to go all out!
a quick e-mail to Harley to reserve a nice custom, and everything's all set for the planned W-e!
Things get off to a bad start, as Anna-Maria suggests the last bike available: the Electra Glide Ultra Classic Limited Edition.
the name alone was enough to make you dizzy, but a quick look at the Harley website and yes, it's just as I thought, I've been offered the biggest, most luxurious and, incidentally, most expensive Harley ever!
i can't hide the fact that the idea of setting off on very small roads on a bike that, with weapons and luggage (rider and passenger) exceeds half a ton, doesn't exactly thrill me.
The Goldwing test ride is still fresh in my mind, and I remember a few times when I had to squeeze my buttocks when maneuvering at low speed.
but let's ignore these material considerations (and yes, when you're riding a 28,000-euro bike, you change your vocabulary!) and get behind the wheel of this Milwaukee bi.
la Belle is on display in front of the Harley of Brussels dealership, and I was expecting to be able to find her without a hitch amidst all those poor people's Harleys for under 20,000, but surprise, out of the 20 bikes on the waiting list, there are 9 Electras!
So, is there a concentration or what?
"And no," explains the garage's press contact, "the Electra remains the Harley Touring par excellence, allowing you to roll up the miles, go out in all weathers, take off on far-flung vacations, and so on.
What's more, it's a motorcycle that doesn't depreciate, and bikers who change vintages only do so to keep up with the many modifications from one model to the next."
it's true that the bike I'm looking at "feels" like the culmination of American-style luxury.
![HARLEY-DAVIDSON Electra Glide Ultra Limited 1690 FLHTK 2012]( "Essai de l'HARLEY-DAVIDSON Electra Glide Ultra Limited 1690 FLHTK 2012")
i'm not going to list all the plethora of equipment, but rather give you a summary of the coolest "tricks"...
first of all, an audio system to make tuning fans swoon: 4 x 80-watt Harman Cardon speakers, with the huge top case acting as a subwoofer. Great sound, even on the freeway at 130 km/h.
in addition to the hallucinating comfort, the passenger benefits from a control to "play" on the installation, the volume in his headphones, the possibility to skip to the next track on the CD, etc...
the Harley by Garmin GPS support and power supply on the top of the fairing allows good vision, but I found that the clarity of the screen left something to be desired. But that's down to the GPS, not the Harley.
the side cases are of good capacity, and when it came to loading our gear for the weekend, our biker habits reminding us to pack the minimum, everything was loaded into just one of the two side cases, leaving the entire top case for the two helmets.
the protection offered by the basic Electra is already a must.
On the Ultra Limited, we're also entitled to deflectors under the fork head and covers in front of the legs (with pocket holders).
Both of these features can be tilted to manage airflow, a useful little option for cooling down when manoeuvring at low speed in town, and yes, the 1690cc twin does give off a lot of heat.
Let's hit the road!
the bike is loaded, and I can feel it when I straighten it up. Despite this, it's still human. You don't need to be a force of nature for slow changes.
The weight of the bike is really centralized around the engine, and if you're careful not to overload the huge top case, the bike remains neutral.
i invite my passenger to take a seat in her armchair. The spring-loaded footrests and ultra-deep backrest will give any novice confidence.
In fact, I think the comfort is so royal that my wife had a few snoozes during the ride!
from the very first kilometers, I noticed that the stature of a "rich man's" bike meant that other bikers didn't respond to my V signs.
Are they jealous or what?
In fact, even Harley owners are reluctant to respond to me - the Electra's status is really something else!
on the other hand, I can see that my wife is getting a kick out of the "Miss France" attitude as we speed through the villages.
And yes, comfortably seated behind the driver (a long way back, in fact), my wife has plenty of room to wave to the kids, and even to have an occasional smoke!
So what's the use of all this on-board equipment?
the cruise control, very well calibrated and easy to use, is a delight on the freeway.
And protection at 130 km/h is so good that 200 km in one go is no problem.
The only problem is that few CDs are 2 hours long! And listening to the same CD 2 times in a row is a shame when I've got 12 others in the top-case.
the gearbox is still a Harley model, so it's fairly slow and firm. The double-lever shifter makes for very muscular upshifts.
Not that the gearbox is ultra-smooth, but rather that shifts need to be crisp and precise!
speaking of sport, don't try to adopt an "attack" driving style.
As long as you stick to a smooth ride, this bike is wonderful.
It's smooth and torquey as hell (134 nm at 3500 rpm), allowing you to pass almost anything in sixth gear.
On the other hand, if you try to get into it, the half-ton reminds you.
the bike lurches, braking becomes limited and... But in fact, this Harley isn't designed for that purpose!
So, in conclusion, a week on a rich man's bike?
The mere €30,000 asked for this Harley suddenly seems to me to be well-founded for this type of machine.
The quality of the equipment and engine, as well as the resale value, are real "pluses".
And as my wife would say: "rather than buying a motorhome and taking it out 4 or 5 times a year, this bike would make me want to go away every weekend!"
See you soon,
Oli the Belgian
helmet
Gloves
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Bikers' reviews Leave a review - 29 reviews
Bonne route à vous tous les motard . Rating : 5/5 Respond to grandas
Too bad the water pump won't last more than 30 000 kms and brings a bill of 917 â'¬ TTC for the repair.... dur apes a little more than 400 â'¬ of revision...
Eric 27210 Rating : 4/5 Respond to Eric 27210
Finally, an objective commentary on HD.
A lot of riders test without any real objectivity.
I'm 60 and I've been riding motorcycles since I was 16, so I've had several bikes of different makes.
For two-up riding, the Electra is one of the best motorcycles, especially as a passenger, and the bike's performance is more than sufficient for our regulatory constraints.
The plusses of Harleys are: build quality, looks, rating, reliability and, of course, there are clubs all over the world. To try it with a passenger is to adopt it, and a little madness doesn't hurt in this world where... Rating : 5/5 Respond to amiral
A reply a little late but ... !
mine does the same thing (1450 electra 2002), it's normal, you have to wait a little, because the petrol is no longer liquid in the carburettor, it's vaporized because of the heat, nothing to worry about, but rather chia... you have to wait 5 minutes, that's how it is in summer when it heats up too much, just as the oil rises to 100 degrees (normal) Rating : 5/5 Participate in the conversation
who has tried it successfully? does it work
other than harleys?
thank you very much Rating : 4/5 Respond to arcadius
Where did you send her? Rating : 5/5 Participate in the conversation
when it's hot, and the engine is hot, the motorcycle stopped in neutral, the idle speed starts to turn faster! the dealership can't tell me why? Have you ever had this question?
i'd like to know because it's unpleasant Rating : 5/5 Respond to huortp
This function allows your rear cylinder to cool down.
To deactivate it, after starting the engine, turn the throttle in the opposite direction for a few seconds. The speed limiter should flash red or green. Red function deactivated, green function active.
Look in the tech doc.
Have a good trip Rating : 2/5 Participate in the conversation
it just makes a few concessions to the competition, that's what's needed, we don't want more, otherwise we might as well buy a jap and its insipid engine (electric)
this hd, as so often, is a delight, and you don't need to be at 160 to enjoy it
that's the charm of HD
10 out of 10 for this limited 2014. Rating : 5/5 Respond to BOB86
Rating : 5/5 Respond to jurpadi
Do you have any information about the map update for the original electra limited gps?
even on the official site no update
Sincerely
Pierre Rating : 5/5 Respond to pierre_di2004
Day and night
in the sun in the rain
on freeways on main roads on secondary roads in town.
Simply brilliant, really good touring.
Comfort, torque, power and above all pleasure.
And the touch-sensitive GPS and radio are brilliant.
Rating : 5/5 Respond to caballero75
This bike is my dream and I'm currently taking my A licence at the age of 60
My question is the weight of the bike, especially for manoeuvring it at a standstill
Is there any method or other to let me know the best way?
Thank you in advance for an answer
Yours truly
Rating : 5/5 Respond to Titus67
On the other hand, there's no glovebox, despite what the journalists say, the space being taken up by the water tanks.
Well, I'll leave you to it and run off to order one. That's Harley for you... Rating : 5/5 Respond to Flhr73
brand certainly doesn't live up to its standards.
what are you to think of a new, top-of-the-range motorcycle with a 2-year warranty whose engine breaks after 20,000 km and only 8 months of use, with a repair that will require 5 weeks of downtime? no commercial gesture, it's a high price to pay for beauty!
in conclusion, if you take it on vacation, be sure to take out repatriation insurance Rating : 1/5 Respond to fred
Harley Davidson Carrier dealer Saint-Hyacinthe Quebec Canada.
Rating : 5/5 Respond to Polpon
I'm just finishing my motorcycle licence and I already have my HARLEY CVO CLIDES ELECTRA
What worries me is its weight when stationary
I'm 60kg for 1,73
Please let me know
Sincerely Rating : 5/5 Participate in the conversation