On the move: Harley-Davidson Electra Glide old versus new

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On the move: Harley-Davidson Electra Glide old versus new
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On the move: Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson Electra Glide old versus new

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Harley-Davidson is said to sell old technology at modern prices. It’s easy to check whether that’s true: on an old-meets-new trip.

Krrr-Plock! Krrr-Plock! This is roughly how it sounds when the magnetic switch on a 1969 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide doesn’t let the eponymous starter work until the engine is running. Fortunately, a foresighted person has also had a kick starter installed so that the right leg can try his luck instead of the right thumb. “No choke, open the throttle a third, then it usually comes with the first step.”

Matthias, who kindly lent us the E-Glide, it’s easy for you to talk: Most of the time. Probably when a trained foot is at work. What does that mean for me? Try it out: balance this giant ship, on which everything seems to be connected with soft springs, feel the dead center and kick the kicker towards the center of the earth.

D.rei, two, one – my goodness, that works! Immediately a powerful, wild, but not overly intrusive V2 sound shoots out of the fishtail pipes. Like a genie in a bottle, a genie, it must have been bored in the engine for the past few days. He who gives Aladdin and frees him willingly fulfills wishes. The first is: let’s go.

The Harley agrees. In their eyes, cities have exactly two beautiful types of traffic routes: show miles and arterial roads. It is far too early for the show mile, an audience is not yet expected. So let’s get out of here – out of the underground car park, out of the city, out into the country.

The left hand reaches for the clutch lever, which plays into the cards of the heavy metal motorcycle. It requires so much force that even the end of the tubular handlebar bends: the two components, lever and handlebar, work towards each other, so to speak. The transmission, which can be operated via a rocker switch, does not require quite as much persuasion to provide first gear. The throttle, on the other hand, opposes a little more resistance to the desire for propulsion, which may also be due to its very smooth surface: So grab vigorously, turn vigorously, then the engine picks up speed. Engage the clutch as carefully as possible and the load starts moving.


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Classic or modern tourer? A question of character.

A modern representative of the tour guild from Harley-Davidson gives escort. The Electra Glide Ultra Limited is the queen of the American V2 tourers in the 2010 model year and has everything you need on board, from the stereo system to an anti-lock braking system, cruise control, running boards for driver and pillion passenger, side cases, top case with backrest and heated grips. And much more. However, it cannot be used with a kick starter – which is not a shame, because its electric starter works perfectly. Only the rev counter confirms that the engine is running; he can hardly be heard in the company of the 1969 E-Glide.

On the very first few meters it becomes clear that motorcycle trips in 1969 were even more adventure-oriented than they are today. And people must have been much more flexible in their wrists, given the wild cranking of the two ends of the handlebars.

The standard one-and-a-half-person bench has been swapped for a very comfortably sprung single saddle. It is effective in keeping the blows from curbs, potholes and other bumps away from the intervertebral discs. However, its reverberation reminds you for a few seconds of the valuable task it performed fifty meters ago.

The balloon tires are hardly able to send any information about the condition of the road surface to the driver. If they could, the important messages would probably stay longer in the spring elements anyway than grandma’s birthday card in the Deutsche Post delivery system.

At some distance, three lanes taper to two, at the same time an acceleration lane joins from the right. It might be a good idea to increase the distance to the vehicle in front and brake the E-Glide. The drum in the front wheel perceives what is being asked of it and acknowledges the request with a telepathic “You could have told me that a few meters earlier”. She does everything she can, but her powers are not particularly strong. To be on the safe side, the right foot gropes for the pedal for the rear stopper. At the same time, under the pull of the left hand, the clutch lever and handlebars bend towards each other again, and the left foot asks the gearbox to lower the gear to bring the engine brake into play.


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Don’t be fooled by the strained expression on your face: the Electra Glide Ultra Limited is a completely straightforward device.

All in all, all four extremities are busy, and the most intimate connection between driver and vehicle is between the buttocks and the aforementioned single seat, which apparently dreams of a career as a trampoline. You don’t want to stand in his way, but at the moment a stable pommel horse would be more appealing as a seat.

Somehow the E-Glide slows down in time. Everything probably felt more spectacular than it was – the attempt to slow down six hundredweight and the driver from 60 to 25 km / h. In 1969, spontaneity does not seem to have been an American core skill. Neil Armstrong’s big step for humanity and the withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam are other examples.

One can, may and should learn from history: I, as the driver of this E-Glide, solemnly vow in the spirit of William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson that from now on I will let my eyes wander with even more foresight and the ship around the shallows to navigate around the asphalt ocean. In doing so, I will not act like a proud admiral on the oceans who has an armada of steel under his command. Rather, I will practice humility like a supplicant who wants to wrest a little bit of understanding and cooperation from a powerful metal being. To expect obedience would be presumptuous. So help me, Captain America, Amen.

See there, we’re friends. Maybe it’s because the city is behind us, the Swabian landscape opens up as far as it can, the slopes are well paved and the curves are easy to see. Here and now, stress-free cruising is on the agenda. What was still a stubborn clutch lever in the city has become a solid buddy who can largely be left alone. The fourth gear, the last, handles most applications above 40 km / h. The generously sized windshield may take some pressure off the upper body. You don’t know what driving would feel like without the big window. And you don’t want to know; it’s good the way it is.

There are still enough impressions of the driver to spread the feeling of the big world. The Mother Road, Route 66 with St. Louis, Tulsa and Albuquerque suddenly seems much closer than Stuttgart, Tubingen and Albaufstieg on the B 27. Whether the radio – yes, radio! – Willy Nelson knows? No, but at least Gunter Gabriel. The broom taverns, which advertise Krautschupfnudeln and Trollinger along the way, are mentally blurred into barbeque roadhouses with cold beer in the bar. I beg your pardon, is that stereotype? Perhaps. Hand on heart – and you don’t have to answer out loud: What better reason to ride a Harley than this feeling?

On the move: Harley-Davidson – Part 2


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Whether old or new – both convey the right cruiser feeling.

The subconscious mumbles the last verse of “On the road again”, with a moderate textual certainty, when a mountain of black and red suitcases overtakes it. Right, the colleague on the Electra Glide Ultra Limited; I had completely suppressed that! We wanted to swap vehicles at some point. It’s a shame, he still remembers our agreement.

In the parking lot he explains verbatim that he’s had enough of sneaking after my thunder sound; I only scratched the 80 km / h mark once at most. Indeed? I didn’t feel so slow at all; how one can be mistaken. Speed ​​is not a determining factor on the 1969 Electra Glide, on the contrary: the experience begins at walking pace, and if you drive more slowly, you get more from every kilometer.

A promise is a promise, we’ll swap. Beginning of the inventory on the new device: 45-degree-ohv-V2: available. Extended front fender: available. Two fog lights: available. Suitcase: available. Running boards: available. E-starter: available. Must also be an E-Glide. Mount up.

Hello, is this really supposed to be a Harley? The comfort is immense and everything works easily. Every command to the clutch, gearbox, throttle and brake has an immediate effect. In direct contrast, the Ultra Limited – Boxer and Harley fans, please listen for a moment – closer to a BMW R 1200 RT than to its 41 years older predecessor. Even the running boards are positioned more comfortably, which is of course pleasant when driving, and sometimes annoying when starting off: a foot that does not entrust its own stability in time is simply pushed away.

Fortunately, the V2 is still clearly one of these, and the rubber mounts and electronic injection do not change anything. His “potato-potato” sound leaves no doubt; only the potatoes have gotten smaller over the years.


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This impression is not misleading: the 1969 E-Glide hangs pretty low in its springs and touches down early even in slow corners.

However, beyond 3000 rpm the exhaust flap opens and the expressions of life escape less muffled. Then the 1690 cm³ sound at least as confident as they accelerate the eight-hundredweight chunk (plus driver): 6.3 seconds for the standard sprint from zero to 100 km / h, seven more to 140 km / h. An RT is probably laughing at such values, it only takes 6.1 seconds from zero to 140. That’s right, the differences are clearly measurable. In any case, more clearly measurable than tangible.

A look at the operating instructions would have been helpful in order not to discover the secrets of the many buttons, buttons and levers in the cockpit and on the handlebars by trial and error. Fortunately, the modern tourer does not need quite as much attention as the classic, so that after a few attempts a suitable radio station is found. The limit speed, at which the wind becomes louder than the radio, is 80 km / h, the cruise control is easily adjusted to it. If you want to drive faster and listen to music, you have to have the sound signal delivered under your helmet. The Harley is prepared for this, my helmet is not.

In addition to the many differences that exist between the two Electra Glides, there is another thing in common: the parallelogram-shaped side cases. Certainly they should bring about a kind of dynamic line management, and they succeed just as well. But first, as already mentioned, the driving dynamics are not a defining characteristic of a Harley. Second, suitcases that could fit something would be much more valuable. The pure capacity is impressive, and they are always sufficient for a weekend ration of change of clothes. But as soon as larger, hard cargo has to be accommodated, both Harleys shrug their shoulders.

The locking technology of the side cases, which at first glance appears to be incorrectly designed – the loose lids first hang on the side of the vehicle from below, fold outwards and close the hinge – makes sense with the Ultra Limited: this is the only way the cases are in the shadow of the huge and again not special well cut top case to open. Other brands solve this with side-opening cases. But it is better to thread the lid a hundred times – with a little practice this can be done quickly – than unchecked unchecked luggage in front of an audience.

Crucial question: which E-Glide can it be now? Despite its weight and dimensions, the modern one is more practical; but it lacks the original charisma of the classic sister. A Harley without charisma is like a grill without a steak.

Harley-Davidson Electra Glide 1200


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The Harley-Davidson Electra Glide 1200

engine design type  Air-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke V-engine, cylinder angle 45 degrees, two camshafts below, two valves per cylinder operated via bumpers and rocker arms
drilling  87.3 mm
Hub  100.8 mm
Displacement  1207 cm3
compression  08:01
power  approx. 44 kW / 60 PS
Mixture preparation  Central Tillotson diaphragm carburetor
 
Electrical system
starter  E-starter, kick starter retrofitted
ignition  Battery ignition
 
Power transmission
coupling  Mechanically operated multi-plate dry clutch
transmission  Foot-shifted four-speed gearbox
Primary drive  Chain
Secondary drive  Chain 
 
landing gear
Frame type  Tubular frame with two steel tube beams
Front wheel guide  Telescopic fork
Rear wheel guide  Two-sided swing arm with two spring legs
bikes  Wire spoke wheels, front and rear 5.00 x 16
Front brake  Drum brake Ø 200 mm
rear brake  Drum brake Ø 200 mm
 
mass and weight
Weight  313 kg
Tank capacity  19 liters
 
Performance
Top speed  k. A..
 
price  10 190 marks plus additional costs and VAT (1969)
 
Manufacturer
 Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Milwaukee / Wisconsin, USA

Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Limited


Harley-Davidson

The Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Limited

engine design type  Air-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke V-engine, cylinder angle 45 degrees, two underlying camshafts, two valves per cylinder operated via bumpers and rocker arms
drilling  98.4 mm
Hub  111.1 mm
Displacement  1690 cm3
compression  9.6: 1
power  62 kW / 84 PS at 5500 rpm
Mixture preparation  Electronic injection system
 
Electrical system
starter  Electric starter
ignition  Electronic ignition system
 
Power transmission
coupling  Hydraulically operated multi-plate oil bath clutch
transmission  Foot-shifted six-speed gearbox
Primary drive  Chain
Secondary drive  Timing belt
 
landing gear
Frame type  Double loop frame made of tubular steel
Front wheel guide  Telescopic fork, Ø 41 mm
Rear wheel guide  Double swing arm, air-assisted central spring strut
bikes  28-spoke light alloy cast wheels, front 3.00 x 17, rear 5.00 x 16
Front brake  Double disc with four-piston fixed calipers, Ø 300 mm, ABS
rear brake  Single disc with four-piston fixed caliper Ø 300 mm, ABS
 
mass and weight
Weight  407 kg
Tank capacity  23 liters
 
Performance
Top speed  170 km / h
 
price  27,995 euros plus additional costs (2010)
 
Manufacturer  Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Milwaukee / Wisconsin, USA

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