2018 Harley-Davidson Trike Tri Glide Ultra

The Tri Glide has its roots in the 1930s Servi-Car, whose dual rear wheels enabled easy towing behind another vehicle, and whose integrated storage box let beat cops, the ice-cream man, and the most popular of all public servants, meter maids, do their jobs. With those times now in the rearview mirror, Harley trikes are surprisingly not. Many decades on, the latest Tri Glide Ultra gets the latest Milwaukee-Eight Big Twin engine, with a counterbalancer, liquid-cooling, and numerous other improvements. Married to the age-old trike architecture, it all seems like a mashup of Wolfgang Puck haute cuisine and White Castle sliders.

Various cool elements for this 1,243-pound locomotive: 1) cavernous storage—6.8 cubic feet, including the trunk and standard top box—is 48 percent more than in a Mazda Miata; 2) a trio of bright Daymaker LED lights up front; 3) comfortable dual seats, with floorboards and grab handles for the high-perched passenger; 4) standard weather-band radio; and 5) 42-mpg estimated fuel economy, same as the Honda Clarity hybrid car. Take that, eco-cagers!

Likes: Designed to reduce helmet buffeting at speed, the fairing's "split-screen air vent" is a step forward the entire industry should follow.

Dislikes: "Ow, she's a brick house." —The Commodores, 1977

Verdict: Harley trikes own a small but passionate segment that no other motorcycle manufacturer can claim. If you prize it, procure it.

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