"Outstanding aerodynamics and Project Rushmore influences benefit demanding touring riders"
Apparently "they cross two state lines before breakfast." That's what Harley are saying about their "bagger" customers, so if that's not you, the answer would be to buy a BMW instead presumably"!
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Ready for a hard day at the office - the Road Glide Ultra's instrumentation and gizmo specification is aimed squarely at the longest of long-distance mileage riders. Harley-Davidson do a good job with such specifications, but also do a good job of opening up aftermarket opportunity for audio, communications and accessory vendors who can take the "creature comfort" riding values of the 21st century even further |
"For riders with a serious devotion to the road, Harley-Davidson announces the return of its long-mileage specialist, the 2016 Road Glide Ultra motorcycle. A two-year absence from the Harley-Davidson Touring line was time well spent infusing the Road Glide Ultra with enhanced style, comfort and performance – the full influence of the customer-led Project Rushmore product development effort.
"Rider and passenger will enjoy outstanding aerodynamics and optimized touring ergonomics propelled by the unrelenting performance of the Twin-Cooled High Output Twin Cam 103 powertrain. The new Road Glide Ultra shatters the expectations of the most demanding touring motorcyclist." Memo to whichever PR trainee wrote that last sentence - shattering customer expectations is not necessarily a "good thing"!
“Since its introduction in 2011, the Road Glide Ultra has been the bike of choice for Harley-Davidson owners who ride the hardest and longest,” said Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Product Planning Director, racer and noted "real deal" Paul James. “In fact, our research shows Road Glide Ultra riders rack up more miles per season than owners of any other Harley-Davidson model. We’ve designed the new Road Glide Ultra for that hard-core touring rider and passenger, with a special focus on aerodynamic performance and by creating a riding position that’s a comfortable place for a long day in the saddle.”
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| FLTRU Road Glide Ultra - at $25,699 MSRP the returning hero of the (now) 10 model tourer line-up isn't quite the most expensive of the tourers - the FLHTK and TKL are a tad more - but along with them it has ABS, the factory security system, cruise control and the premium radio option as standard |
Creature comforts - "CFD designed frame mounted fairing"
The company goes on to say that "the distinctive design of the frame-mounted Road Glide fairing was created by Harley-Davidson stylists and engineers using computational fluid dynamics [CFD], hundreds of hours of development in a wind tunnel and thousands of miles of road testing. Integrated triple splitstream vent openings in the fairing work in concert with the 13.5-inch tall touring windscreen to manage air pressure between the fairing and the rider to virtually eliminate head buffeting. Mid-frame air deflectors mounted below the fairing help to maintain comfortable airflow around the rider and direct cooling air to powertrain components.
"Because the fairing is mounted to the frame, the effect of its weight and impact from the wind are reduced through the handlebars, resulting in light, precise steering control. The fairing also holds Dual Reflector Daymaker LED headlamps, a distinctive and conspicuous styling element that punches farther through darkness with brilliant white high- and low-beam illumination.
"The rider triangle is unique to the Road Glide Ultra model and designed to put a wide range of riders in a position that’s ideal for long-haul touring comfort. The 1.25-inch diameter handlebar is positioned 1.9 inches higher than Road Glide and Road Glide Special models to optimize long-range touring comfort, and the seat shape is revised and slightly lower."
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| Harley's most expensive tourer at $27,299 MSRP, the FLHTKL Ultra Limited Low "offers top-of-the-line touring comfort that’s tailored to fit." |
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| FLHR Road King - at $18,749 the Road King is Harley's entry level tourer for 2016. Harley bill it as "Custom Touring at its finest and most affordable - while it may look like a boulevard cruiser, the model is fully equipped for long-distance touring with all the essentials required for a cross-country adventure." This year sees a reduced width primary housing and derby cover installed |
Drivetrain - "Project Rushmore innovations"
The 2016 Road Glide Ultra is said to feature "all of the Project Rushmore innovations and technology enhancements that have collectively transformed the Harley-Davidson Touring platform, including stout 49mm forks, Reflex Linked Brakes with ABS, sleeker fenders, lighter Enforcer cast aluminum wheels and improved instrument graphics and hand controls. Cruise control is also standard on the Road Glide Ultra.
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| Sooner or later Harley are going to have to surrender to the inevitable and make the 110 incher the stock engine in their tourers, but for now the 103 prevails. As with the Road Glides, you "pays yer money and makes yer choice" with the standard FLHX Street Glide coming in at $2,300 less than the 'Special' but sans the stock ABS (on a 775 lb dry weight tourer?), factory security system and premium radio set-up. It has to be said that with very little specification and price difference the distinction between the Street and Road Glides - five models between them now - aren't great and you have to wonder if dealers really need the tourer variants? Surely consumers don't, do they? |
"The robust touring performance demanded by Road Glide Ultra riders is provided by the Twin-Cooled High Output Twin Cam 103 powertrain. A combination of air-cooled and precision liquid cooling strategies allows the engine to maintain peak performance under the most demanding loads and riding conditions, and enables a higher 10.1:1 compression ratio for increased power and efficiency, including 10.7 percent more peak torque than the standard Twin Cam 103 engine. Coolant circulates through the cylinder heads in the area around the exhaust valves and through heat exchangers located in the left and right fairing lowers. The precision cooling system is thermostatically controlled and uses an electric pump to circulate coolant.
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| FLHTCU Electra Glide Ultra Classic - one of the most famous of Harley Big Twin brand names, the lower price-point version of the two Electra Glides ($23,549 MSRP) now gets the reduced width primary but not the other ergonomic tweaks and included options that the 'Low' delivers for an additional $1,150 outlay |
Creature comforts - ergonomic infotainment
The Road Glide Ultra is equipped "with the BOOM! Box 6.5GT infotainment system with color touch screen, GPS and Bluetooth capability. Mounted in a reshaped inner fairing, the 100-watt BOOM! Box 6.5GT is now located two inches closer to the rider compared to previous models for enhanced visibility of the high-resolution screen and an easier reach to the faceplate buttons. All infotainment functions are controlled through thumb-operated five-way joysticks located on the left and right hand controls or the touchscreen. Four 5.25-inch speakers are optimized to the system and mounted in sealed-and-tuned enclosures.
"Equalization is optimized for the motorcycle environment and automatically adjusts the bass and treble levels to the selected volume for optimal sound quality at all riding speeds. Fairing storage space includes a rubber-lined Jukebox media compartment with USB connection in the right side of the inner fairing."
The new Road Glide Ultra "addresses passenger comfort with a seat that’s one inch wider and one inch longer than the previous model, and a revised backrest shape provides more lumbar support. The shape and angle of the armrests are adjusted to keep passenger arms from slipping forward."
Restyled luggage with one-touch latches includes "sleeker hard saddlebags and a new Tour-Pak luggage shape that offers 4 percent more capacity than the previous design. The Tour-Pak is topped with a chrome tubular luggage rack."