I've always loved the looks of the Electra Glide so I rode the GSA over to my local H-D dealer and took a 2009 Electra Glide out for about a half-hour test ride today. Temp was in mid-60s with off/on rain. I'll give the specifics below, but to cut to the chase: Yes, I did enjoy riding the 'Glide, but not enough to buy one. I could see renting one for a long wknd, though.
The EngineBonestock Milwaukee mill with 10,000 miles on it. At low speeds or idle, yes, it did shake like the proverbial paint mixer. However, get it above about 2,500 RPM's, the engine smooths right out and is a very pleasant powerplant. Gobs of torque, decent roll-on for a couple of passes I did from 60 mph to, um, more than 60 mph, and I never found myself wishing for more power. I've never understood those who think an H-D needs an S&S motor or the Motor Company's 103-cubic inch motor. The stock 96 cubes were fine by me.
Only downside was the heat coming off of the rear cylinder was noticeable even on this mild day. I don't mean for the urban stop and go, I mean for rolling down the highway. I had to move my right leg a skoosh to the outside. I've ridden inline 4's, V4's, Guzzi transverse V-twin, BMW flat twins, and a thumper. Nothing puts out heat like a V-twin mounted parallel the the bike's axis. This 'Glide had the feature where you could roll the throttle forward at low speeds to kill the rear cylinder, but I never triggered that feature.
The handlingOK, it's not a sport bike, it was raining off and on, and it was a used bike that if I biffed I was buying. Still, I went to my favorite twisty road and pushed it a skoosh. The bike is not a barge; it was surprisingly agile and was fun to ride at a semi-spirited pace. No, I didn't touch the floorboards, but I leaned enough to know I was on a motorcycle. The 'Glide went where I pointed it and was an enjoyable ride in the twisties rather than being a trial or an albatross.
At low speeds in town the 'Glide handled better than I thought an 800+ pound motorcycle would. I had to remember to splay my left foot wide at stops due to the floorboards and kept reminding myself the rear brake was where it would be on a car, not on a bike.
The brakes Bleah. The Harley had ABS, but the system felt spongy. Didn't stop all that great, either, but then my Beemer has spoiled me. I did a couple of practice hard stops. Maybe it's just the fact the 'Glide weighs 300 pounds more than my GSA (hmm, maybe strap a Ducati to my GSA and go practice braking to see if things feel different). Overall, I was not impressed with Harley's stopping power.
ErgosThe stock windshield sucked for me. The top of the windshield was right at that annoying level where if I dipped my head at all, I was looking through it. I also got a fair amount of buffeting. The reach to the bars was very comfy and at 6 feet with a 33" inseam I had adequate legroom. The batwing fairing and the lowers really kept the rain off of me; heck, it worked so well at keeping the wind off of my chest and legs that combined with engine heat I was sweating in my helmet.
Gear indicator only indicated sixth gear, which seems weird. Why not show all six gears? Gauges were easy to read and gave me all the info I wanted in a quick glance. I passed on trying out the radio. Seat was excellent, but I didn't like the fact you couldn't move much.
Overall impressionI enjoyed my time aboard. The bike was fun to ride on a twisty road. While it is a cruiser, it was not a barge. The engine and chassis made the sweepers and tighter corners able to be taken at +20 over the posted. No, it didn't lean like my GSA, but it leaned enough to keep me interested and put a smile on my face.
What more could you ask of a bike than that?
