Putting The "Ultra" In Harley's New Road Glide

There's no mistaking the Road Glide for any other bike on the road

For Chrome Asylum's inaugural (notice we didn't say "first annual", funny story on that, another time) road test we chose Harley's new for 2011 FLTRU Road Glide Ultra (http://www.harley-davidson.com/) . As the name implies, it's a Road Glide, you know, the one with that goofy fairing, two headlights cozied up right next to each other; and it's an Ultra, which is Motor Company speak for "everything including the culinary plumbing".........mash it all together, and viola! One bad ass touring rig. And in this case that ain't a contradiction of terms.

Look, I'm just gonna save all the feigned journalistic "objectivity" for CNN, and get right to it.........this bike is flippin' amazing!! And this from a guy that's not a big fan of the trunk and teddy bear set. Never been into the full dress scene......no style, no cool. Until now.



With the 103ci  motor the Road Glide Ultra has plenty of grunt

 How is it that a bike that tips the Toledo's at decidedly un-sevlte 888lbs wet, feels so, dare I say it, nimble?? Trust me brother, this beast handles, whether negotiating your way around clueless cage pilots at a gas station, or bombing through your favorite twisties (Marsh Creek Road, there I told you, now don't ever let me catch you on it) the Road Glide is taught, responsive and not the least bit sluggish in transition......yeah, it handles sorta like a sportbike; a real big, beefy gym rat of a sportbike. There's not a hint of the old FLH "mystery hinge in the frame" antics that plague pre-'09 Touring models. And there's a reason for that.

Back in 2009 the Motor Company completely redesigned the FLH chassis, it's a stronger single spar rigid backbone design built with a new robotic welding process, throw in a wider "box" swing arm and you've got some serious chassis stiffening going on......an absolute must if you're gonna build a rig that handles. Next up they mated up a 16" wider rear tire with a 17" front, apparently after much testing of  various wheel and tire combos (think it's just an excuse for more saddle time for the engineers.....if it is, it's a good one!) it was determined that this was the optimum set up. Can't argue with the results. Other improvements from the '09 redo include a four point engine mounting system, better "thermal management" (apparently some customers were shocked to find that engines produce heat.....it's not a Lexus dammit!) and a six gallon tank, which looks surprisingly like the five gallon one it replaced, which is a very good thing, given the fact that the profile of the "Fatbob" tank is a signature element of HD design.........and no, none of the cloners have gotten it right yet.



The Road Glide's "Shark Nose" up close

 Speaking of style, now is as good a time as any to address the "unique" fairing design found only on the Road Glide. First off, it's frame mounted, unlike the more common "bat wing" bar mounted variety found on all the other Touring rigs in the Harley family. It's kind of a "love it, or hate it" deal.........trust me, I used to be in the "hate it" camp. But 12 days and 3,500 miles riding along side a friend on our 2008 Sturgis trip and the damn thing grew on me. Fact is I dig it now, go figure. And I especially like the fact that the fairing is firmly secured to the frame rather than the bars, as it makes for much better handling in general, and in any kind of cross or head wind, the Road Glide design is clearly king. If you've ever owned any modern sportbike or an import touring rig you know exactly what I mean. Having said that, I know that the FLRTU's style is an acquired taste, and apparently we Californians groove on it in far greater numbers than anywhere else in the nation. Fact is, you might be hard pressed to find many Glides east of the Sierra's........their loss.

Back to the ride. In the just under 100 miles I got to spend on the Glide, I really came to appreciate the seamless power delivery of the 103ci motor (standard issue on the Ultra, as is cruise control, ABS, and remote activated security). Even though I was hobbled a bit by the fact that we were in full break-in mode (the bike only had four miles on it when I started out), it had more than sufficient grunt. It flat moved.......and with no discernible effort, aided in no small part by the silky smooth six speed transmission. And yes, I said smooth. Sure there's that barely evident "clunk" while changing gears, just enough to let you know you're on a Harley, not enough to be a distraction. Best power plant, tranny combo yet.......and that includes my '07 Screamin' Eagle with a 110ci motor and a six speed.......let's hear it for the engineering crew!

The handling of the Road Glide Ultra is nothing short of amazing

Speaking of which, mad props on the exhaust note. Hard to believe it was stock, very throaty rumble, even sounded stout at idle.........and I'm no fan of stock systems, never had one on any street bike I've ever owned. But this one just might be good enough "as is".........OK, just some Vance and Hines mufflers (http://www.vanceandhines.com/), but that's it. Really. Thankfully I never had the opportunity to fully test the ABS brakes, but I can say this machine had the best progressive braking performance of any HD I have ever ridden. No need to do the Performance Machine upgrade on this rig. Nah, if you're gonna throw down some serious miles, the stock set up will do you right........with some optional braided lines of course.

As is the case with any machine with the "Ultra" moniker, this one has all the bling you'd expect; Tour Pak luggage carrier, super comfy backrest (the Lazy Boy folks could take notes), four speaker 80 watt Harman/Kardon audio system, vented fairing lowers (to be honest, these would be the first thing I'd trash, kept hitting my foot on both of them, you don't need 'em anyway), upgraded seat, and dual storage compartments.......and as they say, the list goes on. A word about the stereo........awesome! It has surprisingly rich sound and self adjusts the volume as you ride........nothing like some back country roads and Toby Keith's Bullets in the Gun to put a big ol grin on your mug.

The massive trunk can swallow two full-face lids

Any nits to pick? Aside from the aforementioned lowers (ugly and distracting.....did I mention they should be immediately removed?), the only thing I would change is the windscreen, and that has more to do with my height (6'2") than anything, I'd need one a bit lower, the top of the stock unit was right in my field of vision........plus the shorter ones look really trick.......dark smoke. But that's about it, this thing is ready to throw down some major miles right out of the crate. If you're looking for a touring machine with power, real style, and handling...........you can't do better than the new Road Glide Ultra. Seriously, get down to your dealer today and ride one.........now, right f'n now!!

Special thanks as always to the crew at McGuire Harley-Davidson (http://www.mcguire-hd.com/) for supplying the bike and putting up with my never ending questions. Ryan McGuire was especially helpful with all the details and fun facts.........that kid is too damn young to know that much about bikes, it's sick. Thanks a bunch guys............can't wait to do it again............