ROLL up, roll up for the greatest show on two wheels. That's right, the Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic Electra Glide FLHTCU is currently gracing my drive, and I'm selling tickets.

At 44 letters long, it struggles to fit in my tiny garage, and as such spends its daytimes outside for all the world to gawp at. And gawp they have. Trouble is, even if you’re not into bikes, it’s difficult to ignore this one. Did your mother never tell you it’s rude to stare?

On the flip side, if you buy the Electra Glide, you buy it because you want to be looked at. This, after all, is the daddy of all Harleys and comes with every bell and whistle in the book. The uber-tourer’s seat has more leather than a DFS showroom, there‘s enough luggage space for a trip across Alaska, and to top it all, it comes with a CD player as standard. And no ordinary CD player at that. This is a top-flight Harmon-Kardon number with a full four-speaker system. Every inch of the Ultra Classic oozes quality, from the custom Dunlop Harley tyres to the tip of its the dual aerials some two and a half metres off the ground.

For a bike that’s built to cover the miles I was left with little choice than to take the Harley on a bit of an adventure. What better, I thought, than a January jaunt to Cornwall. Global warming had allowed for a decent sunny spell, and with an enormous batwing fairing to hide behind I figured I’d have no problem keeping warm enough.

The Ultra Classic was absolutely perfect for the trip. With the King Tour-Pak luggage system crammed full, the air-adjustable suspension pumped up and the built-in intercom switched on, we were away. Crawling through Bristol two-up and fully laden was the tricky part. With a dry weight of 375kg, it’s already one of the heaviest bikes on the planet. Add two adults and you’re pushing half a ton. Keeping this mass of metal upright during low-speed manoeuvres takes every ounce of concentration, yet get it out onto the open road and the Ultra virtually rides itself. This could, in part, be down to the cruise control that comes as standard, but mostly it’s the low-slung weight, the lazy riding position and the powerful, tractable engine that lies at its soul.

All the bikes in Harley-Davidson’s touring range share the same rubber-mounted, air-cooled, 1,584cc V-Twin. Or 96B, as they call it across the pond. The fuel-injected motor appears in various states of tune depending on its intended use. Harley assume that Ultra Classic riders are not looking for blistering pace off the line. Nor are they likely to be getting their knee down round Tesco‘s roundabout. So, for this model the black powder-coated engine is set up to perform at its best around the 60mph mark. In sixth gear at this pace, the world is a very serene place -- this bike doesn't have the word Glide in its name for nothing, you know. But if you do need to push along, sitting at three figures is an achievable, if not legal, option. My test bike even managed to return a reasonable 42mpg after two weeks of varied use.

But for all its traditional tendencies, the Ultra Classic is rammed with modern features. You wouldn’t know it to look at, but the new Brembo brakes at the front operate through a non-linked ABS system cunningly hidden in the chrome hub. The throttle too is a fly-by-wire affair, currently only in road-use on Yamaha’s R6 and the Aprilia Shiver. The six-speed Cruise Drive transmission gains a slipper clutch to add to the package, but it‘s the knowledge that you can grab the brakes as hard as you need to without it locking up that’s the real plus point.

Luxurious as the Ultra Classic is though, it's hard to justify parting with £17,000 for a motorcycle, especially when you consider you can pick up a nearly new Jaguar S-type for similar money. But I'm guessing that if you have the cash for a toy like this, then the money's not really an issue.

Indeed, if you have another £730 to throw at it, for 2008 Harley-Davidson have created a serialised, limited edition 105th anniversary package, featuring a rich copper and black paint scheme that looks truly stunning.

If you’re looking for a mile-munching comfort zone for rider and pillion, the Ultra Classic Electra Glide will cosset you to the ends of the earth. It’s a real class act in American showmanship. Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building.

Article written: Jan 30, 2008

The Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic Electra Glide was kindly loaned through Riders of Bath Road, Brislington. For more information about test rides, call Riders on 0117 958 8777. Or see the website at www.ridersofbristol.co.uk.

OUR STEER ON THE ULTRA CLASSIC ELECTRA GLIDE

Price: From £17,345 (@ Jan 2009) 

Engine: 1,584cc air-cooled twin cam

Torque: 95 ft.lb @ 3,500 rpm

Transmission: 6-speed, carbon fibre belt drive

Weight: 375 kg

Fuel capacity: 22.7 litres

Top speed: 110mph (est)

Seat height: 693 mm

by Jon Bennett