Long-distance test: 1400 km in duet with the Road Glide Ultra
Reintroduced in France last year, the Harley-Davidson Road Glide with its shark nose goes Ultra in 2016 for long, comfortable journeys. What is this motorcycle close to the luxurious Electra in duo worth and loaded ? Answers after 1400 km of testing.
Road Glide Ultra test: comfort and ergonomics
Like in an armchair! The rider’s saddle – with very high quality leather and stitching – offers exceptional comfort, with an excellent compromise between softness and support and lumbar support to match. Large, it remains accessible thanks to its "Ultra" height reduced by only 699 mm.
Quite apart at the level of the knees by the pot-bellied tank, the legs lengthen naturally – and without excess – forwards in order to put the feet on the long running boards, the horizontal inclination of which is perfectly calculated. The constraints on the lower limbs remain minimal and the pleasure is total, even after several hundred kilometers in a row.
The only downside: the air filter comes into contact with the right knee, reinforcing the discomfort caused by the heat releases only felt at low speed. To believe that this magnificent chromed and meshed air box sometimes expels air – hot – instead of sucking it !
Still on the right side, the brake pedal is too vertical, which requires straightening the tip of the foot to actuate it. Quite hard, it commands a balèze device, as often on custom motorcycles: a 4-piston caliper and a 300 mm disc, now connected with the front (double 300 mm disc and 4-piston calipers also). This electronic coupling is managed by the new "Reflex" system, which distributes pressures very efficiently from 45 km / h.
In terms of the handlebars, the approval is more mixed … On short and medium distance courses, its large width and its curved ends do not really induce discomfort. But subsequently, his slightly tortured drawing tires: the shoulders begin to suffer due to the large separation of the arms, to which is added the unnatural position of the forearms, slightly straight up..
Seeking to stretch out his arms to relieve this constraint, the pilot naturally tends to move backwards, encroaching at the same time on the space allocated to the passenger. Against all expectations, the guest then finds himself a little cramped, packed by the pilot towards his file fixed to the top case: a shame compared to the generous "Ultra" size of the motorcycle (almost 2.60 m long!).
Insofar as our crew displays average measurements, even small (1.75 m in front, 1.60 m behind and less than 130 kg in total), this ergonomic data should be taken into account for large sizes … Note that beyond a size deviation of 10 cm, the guest has difficulty seeing the road above the pilot’s helmet.
Other complaints to address to the rear space: the armrests are too high to put the forearms there. In reality, they are mainly used to maintain the bust of the passenger. For lack of grab handles, he must put his hands on his thighs: nothing uncomfortable, but it is not the most reassuring. Not to mention that nothing is planned to warm your hands: no handles, so no heated handles !
In the same vein, MNC finds it questionable that a motorcycle of this price and of this category does not include heated seats. Offered as an option at 1053.30 euros, this equipment appears to be very useful, just like the heated grips at the front, available as an option for 255.30 euros. However, not all bikers ride in Florida or on the West Coast…
The Road Glide Ultra makes up for it with an incredibly high standard of seat and backrest in the rear, as well as well-placed passenger footboards. Like all motorcycles equipped with so much luggage, it requires courtesy: it is up to the guest to take a seat before the pilot, unless you are able to pass the leg over the rigid suitcases. and the imposing top-case !
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