Ultra Classic Electra Glide gets power it deserves
There’s nothing quite so adamant as the convert — religious, philosophical or, in the case of the Electra Glide, mechanical. I know this from first-hand experience, having once loathed the Glide as my leastfavourite Harley. Slow, ill-handling and not particularly comfortable, previous generation Electra Glides were throwbacks in more than just style.
Then sometime around 2009, Milwaukee completely rejigged the frame and swingarm, upgraded the seat and changed the wheels to more common 17-inchers to create a tourer that finally lived up to the hype. All it lacked was a little muscle.
This is where the 1,802-cc V-twin from Custom Vehicles Operations comes in. Where the Twin Cam 110 (as in 110 cubic inches in that archaic imperial measure) engine is a luxury in the CVO Road King, it’s almost a necessity in the much heavier Electra Glide.
Back in the dark ages — again, that would be in the early 2000s — the standard Electra Glide’s motor displaced a mere 88 cubes, a combination that was akin to trying to power a Hummer with a Prius’ Synergy Hybrid Drive. Even the 2007 upgrade to the Twin Cam 96 really didn’t alleviate the lethargy. Acceleration was lethargic and passing power all but non-existent. The 2011 upgrade to the Twin Cam 103 (previously the CVO’s upgraded engine) helped matters, but in a motorcycle that weighs 430 kilograms (the Electra Glide’s curb weight), you want all the cubic inches you can get.
Ante up the $42,699 for a 2013 CVO Electra Glide and its 110 cubic inches of V-twin goodness are the final piece in the puzzle. Yes, $42,699 is way too expensive for any production motorcycle, but the CVO Electra Glide really is a truly great ride.
And besides the aforementioned improved handling, comfort and power, the 2013 has numerous extra thoughtful touches like the Boom! audio system, anti-lock brakes and a neat engine-heat-reducing mechanism that sees the (hotter-running) rear cylinder disabled just by rolling the throttle back past idle.
Detail niceties include a single key fob that not only activates the ignition system but also every lock on the bike (top case, saddlebags, etc.).
Yes, the CVO Electra Glide is prohibitively expensive (though the company will easily sell all 3,900 it will make), but it is, in my opinion, the best motorcycle Harley-Davidson makes. And that’s coming from someone who once avoided riding one at all costs.