2018 Harley-Davidson Touring Electra Glide Ultra Classic

One of the longest-running names in motordom—older than “Camaro” by the way—the Electra Glide has now spanned 54 model years. These days there is no basic Electra Glide, per se. Instead, the famous tourer became the upscale Electra Glide Ultra Classic. Harley represents the model as “everything you need for a lifetime of cross-country adventure.” “Whoa, take ’er easy there, pilgrim,” John Wayne might have replied. Let’s seek out some truth.

The Electra Glide Ultra Classic is, as advertised, a full-boat tourer, with a big handlebar-mounted fairing plus lowers, comfy floorboards for rider and a passenger, full LED lighting up front, high-load-capacity radials, electronically linked triple disc brakes, Herman Miller-quality seats, a big 6.0-gallon fuel tank, and 4.7 cubic feet of storage in hard side bags and a top trunk. So far, so good. As well, the rubber-mounted, counterbalanced Milwaukee-Eight 107ci engine returns an estimated 45 mpg, giving this big Glide a 270-mile range. Factor in the standard infotainment system with weather-band radio, and that ol’ Motor Company may just be right.

Likes: An American touring icon, and proud of it.

Dislikes: Fitting an adjustable windshield would help put the "ultra" in Ultra Classic.

Verdict: Like the Grand Alaska Railroad, point the Electra Glide Ultra Classic down the track, and it's all good.

2018 Harley-Davidson Touring and CVO First Look