HD Electra Glide Ultra Classic - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

TaterDog · 09-22-2006, 05:50 PM

Looking for a good bike for commuting and trips on interstates. Any good/bad comments on buying a used HD Electra Glide Ultra Classic?

DrBob · 09-22-2006, 06:08 PM

The Ultra Classic is probably the best bike for the interstate you can buy. On a long trip, nothing beats it: smooth ride, lots of storage, plenty of features and toys, surprisingly agile handling, and gobs of cruising power. However, it is a bit of a handfull around town, so if your commute is short or in traffic you will get tired of that big, heavy bike pretty quickly. The lower fairings on the Ultra Classic, combined with the air cooled motor, make for a lot of heat for the rider when you are not moving.

I use my Electraglide for long trips, and a light, agile Intruder 800 to commute around the city. If I lived in the country, or if I had to drop down to only one bike, it would be the Electraglide.

FYI, the new 2007 has a bigger, 96 cubic inch, 100 horsepower motor and a 6-speed transmission. The sales rush for the new model had created a sudden glut of 1-5 year old Harleys, so now is a good time to look around for a good deal on a used one.

4dtvman · 09-22-2006, 07:57 PM

If I didn't spend alot of money on my LC 1500 I would buy this Suzuki 1400 on ebay be eBay Motors: Suzuki : Intruder (item 130028271536 end time Sep-24-06 15:54:20 PDT) as said big bikes suck in town. Here is the link

DrBob · 09-22-2006, 11:00 PM

I love the 1400 Intruder, but that is not a particularly good price. The reserve price is something over $4,100, which is about average for a 2002 in a private sale. As this has a 'rebuild title', I wouldn't personally give more than 4k for it.

Funkmon · 09-23-2006, 12:46 AM

HDs are good bikes, and ElectraGlides are the best ones. I suggest a Goldwing, though. The markdown will be much larger.

TaterDog · 09-28-2006, 11:02 PM

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Still looking, but I did start checking out the Goldwings too. Surprisingly, they are just as expensive as the HD's, so they must be good bikes to hold their value so well. My only problem will be finding a bike that fits my 5'6" frame, but can probably either lower whatever I get and/or change the seat.

4dtvman · 09-29-2006, 04:44 AM

I stopped at the Honda dealer this week and sat on a Goldwing and both of my feet were flat on the ground and I'm 5'6". Beautiful bike I think it will be my next bike and a c50 for town.

Shea · 09-29-2006, 07:01 AM

The Ultra Classic and the Goldwing are COMPELTELY different beasts. You def want to check them both out before buying. One is a V twin and the other is an inline 4.

dcstrng · 09-29-2006, 08:19 AM

As with most bikes, when buying (used or otherwise) it is good to be cautious about buying one that was the first of a model run... of course I seldom follow that advice, but where Harley is concerned it is worth noting – so late `80s Evos and late `90s-early `00 Twinkies should be looked at closely – bike for bike...

But to your central question, Ultras are pretty good scoots – and once you set it up for you, very, very good for long-pavement running... Surprisingly, if anything my Ultra has proven to be smoother at highway speeds than my V-twin Nomad and seems more nimble, at least at low speeds... but both share the same carb and appetite for 87-octane, so in many ways, after over 90K between the two of `em, I really don’t notice much difference – but because I’ve tweaked `em both to suit me... I have nothing against the well renowned buttery-smooth Wing, just can’t get past that made by Singer purr...

If you’re shopping for a mid-90s (Evo) Ultra, there is no reason you should expect to pay much over $8500 for a garage-queen to mid-mileage bike... those bikes will run 90-100K miles with little or no heartache, and at least from my experience are as oil-tight as any bike on the planet (my Nomad seeps oil occasionally, my HD is tight, tight... but does use about half a quart of Mobile One 50W ever 3K miles... depending on how hard I run). Don’t know a lot about newer Twinkies from personal experience, but I’d expect to pay $2-4K more for an early twin-cam Ultra (as versus the later Evos). I favor my Ultra for solo running (better fuel economy, runs happily on 87-octane, runs upwards of 175 miles before hitting reserve depending on speed...), but for two up I take the Nomad, because my wife prefers the Nad’s accommodations better (both have the same saddle builder, and I have the King-Pak on both, but for whatever reason, she is not as comfortable on the slightly shorter Ultra – even with the Pak moved well back...).

As for fitting a bike to a less than 6’ frame, saddles and shox will accommodate almost any reasonable height... As I’ve set mine up, however, my Ultra actually sits a tad higher in the saddle, but that’s because I was trying to mimic the leg-room of my slightly more roomy Nomad (a reasonable option by the way – saddle-height wise at least – but doesn’t begin to have the farkles and techno-gizmos of the Wing or Ultra).

In any case, for commuting as well as the long-pavement, I use my Ultra for both (as well as my Nad...) and between `em have something over 90K miles, so I’d say they do wonderfully at either/both...

Ext1jdh · 09-29-2006, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4dtvman

I stopped at the Honda dealer this week and sat on a Goldwing and both of my feet were flat on the ground and I'm 5'6". Beautiful bike I think it will be my next bike and a c50 for town.

How the hell did you do that? I'm 5'7" and can only reach the ground on one side.....did it not have boards?

hammersfan · 09-29-2006, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shea

The Ultra Classic and the Goldwing are COMPELTELY different beasts. You def want to check them both out before buying. One is a V twin and the other is an inline 4.

The newer Goldwings are inline sixes but are said to be very easy to handle once you get going.

MagnumForce · 09-29-2006, 09:29 AM

The Goldwing is neither an inline 4 nor an inline 6. It is a horizontally opposed six, meaning three cylinders on each side set up in a horizontal (flat) configuration.

Dave Nadeau · 09-29-2006, 02:55 PM

4DTVman,
Check out this websight...they are having an open house soon in Plympton, Mass There will be many dealers there and they will be set up for test rides. I hope to get there as I also like the Goldwing and the2006 HD FLHTC. Training Wheels Motorcycle Rider Education in Brockton/Bourne Massachusetts

Oct 14th 11:00 to 5:00 Call them for directions

Dave

blackie1491 · 09-29-2006, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ext1jdh

How the hell did you do that? I'm 5'7" and can only reach the ground on one side.....did it not have boards?

Some people are longer in the legs, some are longer in the upper body.
Also Wings have a good bit of adjustment in suspensions, with a onboard compressor, so both Wings may have been at diff. settings.

Wearing a western boot with heels adds inches compared to a flat running shoe.

I used to slide a little forward as I came to a stop on my Wing.
I would be flat footed then.

Funkmon · 09-29-2006, 11:03 PM

A friend of mine is selling her 97 Goldwing. Would you be willing to take it from Detroit? I think she'd give it to me for a good price. I'll ask her.

raftero · 10-04-2006, 03:35 PM

i'm with ext, my brother has a GW and i tip toe to reach the ground, I'm 5'9". it is balanced though and not hard to ride, still i'm a little shakey when i stop it.

Firedog · 10-04-2006, 03:41 PM

Not to plug my current bike, but you could check out the BMW's also - the LT is a really nice bike!

Jackalope · 10-24-2006, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TaterDog

Looking for a good bike for commuting and trips on interstates. Any good/bad comments on buying a used HD Electra Glide Ultra Classic?

Just this morning I returned a HD Electra Glide Ultra Classic rental two days early because I hated the thing. Way too heavy on the top, very difficult to turn around in a tight space (like your garage). I thought the wind protection on the thing sucked on your legs; not nearly as good as a Gold Wing.

I'm not an anti-Harley person. I've rented the Harley Heritage Softtail Classic and really enjoyed it, but this Electra Glide Ultra Classic was really a beast at low speeds.

To be fair, it seemed to have more cornering clearance and handled tight turns better than the softtail classic, but you need some speed to take advantage of it. Not for me at all. Give me a Gold Wing anytime.

dcstrng · 10-25-2006, 06:53 AM

difficult to turn around in a tight space (like your garage).

I think he had in mind using it on the road... just kiddin' yer point is well taken, but having had both my Nomad and a neighbor's Honda in the garage, the Ultra is smaller and turns quite a bit shorter (especially compared to the Nad...)

blackie1491 · 10-25-2006, 10:45 AM

The Wing tank is under the seat, the false tank is for airbox. The lower center of gravity mkes it more balanced.

But it is still a lot of weight.

09-22-2006, 05:50 PM	#1 (permalink)
TaterDog Clunked into first gear Joined: Sep 2005 Bike: '06 C50, '00 FLHTCI Location: Lenexa, KS Posts: 239	HD Electra Glide Ultra Classic Looking for a good bike for commuting and trips on interstates. Any good/bad comments on buying a used HD Electra Glide Ultra Classic? __________________ Who says little dogs don't have attitude? ______________________________ Jim

09-22-2006, 06:08 PM	#2 (permalink)
DrBob In The Zone Joined: May 2004 Bike: several Location: Decatur, GA Posts: 2,702	The Ultra Classic is probably the best bike for the interstate you can buy. On a long trip, nothing beats it: smooth ride, lots of storage, plenty of features and toys, surprisingly agile handling, and gobs of cruising power. However, it is a bit of a handfull around town, so if your commute is short or in traffic you will get tired of that big, heavy bike pretty quickly. The lower fairings on the Ultra Classic, combined with the air cooled motor, make for a lot of heat for the rider when you are not moving. I use my Electraglide for long trips, and a light, agile Intruder 800 to commute around the city. If I lived in the country, or if I had to drop down to only one bike, it would be the Electraglide. FYI, the new 2007 has a bigger, 96 cubic inch, 100 horsepower motor and a 6-speed transmission. The sales rush for the new model had created a sudden glut of 1-5 year old Harleys, so now is a good time to look around for a good deal on a used one. __________________ Dream like you'll live forever, live like you'll die tomorrow. You MUST obey the pug dog!

09-22-2006, 07:57 PM	#3 (permalink)
4dtvman Sprocket Pilot Joined: Sep 2006 Bike: Suzuki LC 1500 and 2005 Honda VTX1300 Location: Tiverton RI Posts: 833	If I didn't spend alot of money on my LC 1500 I would buy this Suzuki 1400 on ebay be eBay Motors: Suzuki : Intruder (item 130028271536 end time Sep-24-06 15:54:20 PDT) as said big bikes suck in town. Here is the link __________________ Back in the saddle again

09-22-2006, 11:00 PM	#4 (permalink)
DrBob In The Zone Joined: May 2004 Bike: several Location: Decatur, GA Posts: 2,702	I love the 1400 Intruder, but that is not a particularly good price. The reserve price is something over $4,100, which is about average for a 2002 in a private sale. As this has a 'rebuild title', I wouldn't personally give more than 4k for it. __________________ Dream like you'll live forever, live like you'll die tomorrow. You MUST obey the pug dog!

09-28-2006, 11:02 PM	#6 (permalink)
TaterDog Clunked into first gear Joined: Sep 2005 Bike: '06 C50, '00 FLHTCI Location: Lenexa, KS Posts: 239	Thanks everyone for the feedback. Still looking, but I did start checking out the Goldwings too. Surprisingly, they are just as expensive as the HD's, so they must be good bikes to hold their value so well. My only problem will be finding a bike that fits my 5'6" frame, but can probably either lower whatever I get and/or change the seat. __________________ Who says little dogs don't have attitude? ______________________________ Jim

09-23-2006, 12:46 AM	#5 (permalink)
Funkmon Ditch Magnet Joined: Sep 2006 Bike: Honda VTX1300S Location: Detroit Posts: 158	HDs are good bikes, and ElectraGlides are the best ones. I suggest a Goldwing, though. The markdown will be much larger.

09-29-2006, 04:44 AM	#7 (permalink)
4dtvman Sprocket Pilot Joined: Sep 2006 Bike: Suzuki LC 1500 and 2005 Honda VTX1300 Location: Tiverton RI Posts: 833	I stopped at the Honda dealer this week and sat on a Goldwing and both of my feet were flat on the ground and I'm 5'6". Beautiful bike I think it will be my next bike and a c50 for town. __________________ Back in the saddle again

09-29-2006, 07:01 AM	#8 (permalink)
Shea Third gear and cruising Joined: Feb 2006 Bike: Buell XB12Ss Lightning Location: York, Pa Posts: 521	The Ultra Classic and the Goldwing are COMPELTELY different beasts. You def want to check them both out before buying. One is a V twin and the other is an inline 4.

09-29-2006, 08:19 AM	#9 (permalink)
dcstrng Ditch Magnet Joined: Jun 2006 Bike: `99 Nomad`96 FLHT Location: Colonial Beach, VA Posts: 182	As with most bikes, when buying (used or otherwise) it is good to be cautious about buying one that was the first of a model run... of course I seldom follow that advice, but where Harley is concerned it is worth noting – so late `80s Evos and late `90s-early `00 Twinkies should be looked at closely – bike for bike... But to your central question, Ultras are pretty good scoots – and once you set it up for you, very, very good for long-pavement running... Surprisingly, if anything my Ultra has proven to be smoother at highway speeds than my V-twin Nomad and seems more nimble, at least at low speeds... but both share the same carb and appetite for 87-octane, so in many ways, after over 90K between the two of `em, I really don’t notice much difference – but because I’ve tweaked `em both to suit me... I have nothing against the well renowned buttery-smooth Wing, just can’t get past that made by Singer purr... If you’re shopping for a mid-90s (Evo) Ultra, there is no reason you should expect to pay much over $8500 for a garage-queen to mid-mileage bike... those bikes will run 90-100K miles with little or no heartache, and at least from my experience are as oil-tight as any bike on the planet (my Nomad seeps oil occasionally, my HD is tight, tight... but does use about half a quart of Mobile One 50W ever 3K miles... depending on how hard I run). Don’t know a lot about newer Twinkies from personal experience, but I’d expect to pay $2-4K more for an early twin-cam Ultra (as versus the later Evos). I favor my Ultra for solo running (better fuel economy, runs happily on 87-octane, runs upwards of 175 miles before hitting reserve depending on speed...), but for two up I take the Nomad, because my wife prefers the Nad’s accommodations better (both have the same saddle builder, and I have the King-Pak on both, but for whatever reason, she is not as comfortable on the slightly shorter Ultra – even with the Pak moved well back...). As for fitting a bike to a less than 6’ frame, saddles and shox will accommodate almost any reasonable height... As I’ve set mine up, however, my Ultra actually sits a tad higher in the saddle, but that’s because I was trying to mimic the leg-room of my slightly more roomy Nomad (a reasonable option by the way – saddle-height wise at least – but doesn’t begin to have the farkles and techno-gizmos of the Wing or Ultra). In any case, for commuting as well as the long-pavement, I use my Ultra for both (as well as my Nad...) and between `em have something over 90K miles, so I’d say they do wonderfully at either/both... __________________ Larry VROC -- IBA Milwaukee & Metric

09-29-2006, 09:29 AM	#12 (permalink)
MagnumForce Throttle Jockey Joined: May 2005 Bike: 05 M50, 06 CBR600F4i Location: Sitting on the can... duh! Posts: 3,160	The Goldwing is neither an inline 4 nor an inline 6. It is a horizontally opposed six, meaning three cylinders on each side set up in a horizontal (flat) configuration. __________________ "I love the smell of toner in the morning… it's the smell of victory!" MAJ M, Staff Officer

09-29-2006, 02:55 PM	#13 (permalink)
Dave Nadeau TurtleWax Taster Joined: Mar 2006 Bike: 08 ElectraGlide ( IN Vivid Black)!!!!!!!!!! Location: Bridgewater, Ma Posts: 579	4DTVman, Check out this websight...they are having an open house soon in Plympton, Mass There will be many dealers there and they will be set up for test rides. I hope to get there as I also like the Goldwing and the2006 HD FLHTC. Training Wheels Motorcycle Rider Education in Brockton/Bourne Massachusetts Oct 14th 11:00 to 5:00 Call them for directions Dave Last edited by Dave Nadeau; 09-29-2006 at 03:03 PM.

09-29-2006, 11:03 PM	#15 (permalink)
Funkmon Ditch Magnet Joined: Sep 2006 Bike: Honda VTX1300S Location: Detroit Posts: 158	A friend of mine is selling her 97 Goldwing. Would you be willing to take it from Detroit? I think she'd give it to me for a good price. I'll ask her.

10-04-2006, 03:35 PM	#16 (permalink)
raftero Where Am I ? Joined: Oct 2006 Bike: suzuki VS800GL Location: lometa tx. Posts: 32	i'm with ext, my brother has a GW and i tip toe to reach the ground, I'm 5'9". it is balanced though and not hard to ride, still i'm a little shakey when i stop it.

10-04-2006, 03:41 PM	#17 (permalink)
Firedog Foil Inspector Joined: Oct 2005 Bike: BMW K1200LT Location: West Lafayette, IN Posts: 961	Not to plug my current bike, but you could check out the BMW's also - the LT is a really nice bike! __________________ "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." -Abraham Lincoln

10-25-2006, 06:53 AM	#19 (permalink)
dcstrng Ditch Magnet Joined: Jun 2006 Bike: `99 Nomad`96 FLHT Location: Colonial Beach, VA Posts: 182	difficult to turn around in a tight space (like your garage). I think he had in mind using it on the road... just kiddin' yer point is well taken, but having had both my Nomad and a neighbor's Honda in the garage, the Ultra is smaller and turns quite a bit shorter (especially compared to the Nad...) __________________ Larry VROC -- IBA Milwaukee & Metric

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

10-25-2006, 10:45 AM	#20 (permalink)
blackie1491 I took the All Bran Challenge Joined: Jun 2005 Bike: C50SE Location: Aldergrove, B.C., Canada Posts: 7,247	The Wing tank is under the seat, the false tank is for airbox. The lower center of gravity mkes it more balanced. But it is still a lot of weight.

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