Harley Davidson Electra Glide: style, comfort, and pathos

It's very difficult to criticize a motorcycle like the Harley Davidson Electra Glide. Because of this chrome-plated monster, many decades of history modestly peek out, giving American designers invaluable experience in creating the best cruisers in the world. And the Harley Davidson Electro Glide is the king of cruisers , no matter how much the Japanese or competing American companies like Indian try to challenge this title. The famous “ Electric Train ” is a living embodiment of the classics, which has hardly changed in appearance over the past thirty years, but this impression is deceptive. Beneath the vintage appearance lies one of the most reliable and well-designed motorcycles ever produced. It's no wonder that a whole cult has sprung up around the Harley Davidson Electra Glide, and there are already many brave motorcycle travelers around the world who have traveled around the world on this bike.

Technical characteristics of Harley Davidson Electra Glide

It all depends on the specific modification, because it would be incorrect to compare the “Electric Trains” of the mid-90s of the last century with modern ones. Now, for example, the Harley Davidson Electra Glide is offered in different modifications, from Standard (with a minimum of options and without a topcase) to CVO, which costs the same as a pair of “Standards”. The golden mean could be Harley Davidson Electra Glide Ultra , which has everything you could want, but without expensive frills. However, its price starts from about 2.5-2.6 million rubles .

It has everything - heated grips, a multimedia system, navigation, fully customizable suspensions, excellent brakes with ABS , the most comfortable seats, huge trunks, high-quality music... The list is endless, so we’ll limit ourselves to our enthusiasm for the latest engine, which is now installed on all Harleys Davidsons, Milwakee Eight combined air/liquid cooling. This 1868 cc V-twin produces 97.3 hp. and 164 Nm of torque , available at 3000 rpm . And let's not forget that the American motorcycle giant indicates honest power at the rear wheel, and not at the crankshaft, as the Japanese do.

What else can you tell us? About the curb weight, which easily exceeds 4 centners? About a 20+ liter gas tank (depending on the year of manufacture)? About surprisingly cheap grips that you just want to replace with better ones? This is too large a topic, since all generations of the Harley Davidson Electra Glide are very different from each other, and if you want to buy this motorcycle for yourself, you need to look for information on a specific year of manufacture. Let us only note that all of them were very, very good for their time, and even now the old models do not lose their relevance and popularity.

New generation Triumph Rocket 3 motorcycle: 2.5 engine and two versions

It turns out that the limited edition “factory custom” Triumph Rocket 3 TFC (Triumph Factory Custom) was just the beginning of a new series of British “rocket”: today the company officially presented the new generation Triumph Rocket 3 model. True, the prices of these monsters will become known only by the end of the year, but there is more than enough other information.

Triumph Rocket 3R

The new Rocket 3 is available in two versions: R and GT. The first of them, which claims to compete with the Ducati Diavel model, is distinguished by a sportier stance. The Rocket 3 GT option is more comfortable. Its saddle is lower by 25 mm, the handles are moved back by 125 mm, and the footpegs, on the contrary, are moved further forward. In addition, there is a protective shield in front of the driver, and the passenger seat is equipped with a kind of backrest. Both versions also differ in color scheme and wheels, but are otherwise identical.

Triumph Rocket 3 GT

The main novelty is a 2.5-liter three-cylinder engine - 200 cc more than the first generation of the Triumph Rocket III motorcycle fifteen years ago. This is now the largest engine used on production motorcycles. Moreover, not every modern car has engines of this size! However, this engine is already known from the limited TFC series: in serial Rockets, thanks to the standard exhaust system, it produces 5 hp more. less. Although 167 hp (11% more than the 2.3 engine) and 221 Nm are still very respectable figures.

The engine is a load-bearing element - it is built into an aluminum hollow frame. Despite the larger displacement, it is 18 kg lighter than the previous three-cylinder unit: the reduction in rotating masses made it possible to raise the cutoff to 7000 rpm. And together with the frame, the total savings reached 40 kg: the dry weight of the machines is 291-294 kg.

Both motorcycles are equipped as standard with tilt-type ABS and traction control, a driving mode selector with four presets, Brembo brakes with Stylema calipers, an adjustable Showa front fork with 47 mm stays and a rear monoshock with adjustment and a remote reservoir. The equipment includes a touch-sensitive configurable dashboard, LED lighting, cruise control, a recoil system, a navigator and heated handles (for the GT “in the base”). And for an additional fee you can order tire pressure monitoring systems and GoPro camera control.

European pricing for both versions of the new Triumph Rocket 3 motorcycle will be announced on November 19th. British experts expect that the Erka will cost £19,500, while the GT version will be £400 more expensive. Quite a lot, but it’s worth remembering that all 750 “factory custom” Triumph Rocket 3 TFCs, priced at £25,000, sold like hot cakes.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

• Equipment . It, of course, greatly depends on the configuration and on the generation, but this motorcycle has everything you need. And what is not needed, too.
• Thoughtfulness down to the smallest detail . To the point that the lids of the cases, when opened, remain exactly in the position in which they are securely fixed in place and do not interfere with the owner.
• Abundance of tuning . No matter how old your Harley Davidson Electra Glide is, two or thirty, you will always find not only original spare parts for it, but generally everything you want. There are more available tuning options for the Harley Davidson Electro Glide than for all Japanese motorcycles combined.
• Huge power reserve . On modern injection models, it easily exceeds 400 kilometers on one tank.

Flaws

• Dimensions . It was created for the highway, for highways, and not for city traffic jams. It is better to make your way between cars on it slowly and carefully.
• Inch bolts, nuts and hexagons instead of the usual metric ones. If they are lost, finding a replacement will not be easy. In addition, for self-service and repair you will need an inch tool. However, this does not apply to modern European versions of the Harley Davidson Electra Glide, or almost does not apply - most of their bolts are metric.
• Cost of service . In general, both tuning and spare parts for the Electra Glide cost moderate money, but repairing or servicing at an official dealer will be very expensive.
• Huge weight . This parameter also depends on the specific modification, but any Harley Davidson Electric Glide weighs a lot, about 400 kg, give or take.

I need your clothes and motorcycle. Test drive Harley-Davidson Electra Glide with a sidecar from the USA

It's winter already, what other motorcycles? And it’s time to think about it, because prices at US auctions during this period are the lowest, and if you order now, it will arrive and be ready in time for the season. We took an exclusive Harley-Davidson Electra Glide from Caromoto for a test to understand what a real American motorcycle is.

Yes, winter has already come, but this is not a reason not to ride a motorcycle. Especially if he has a stroller, as in our case. It is clear that winter tires are not provided, but we do not drive on city roads, we drive along deserted streets, enjoy the rumbling of an ancient air V-shaped engine, and catch still rare snow flies in the windshield. And we warm our stiff hands from the engine. The photographer in the stroller was luckier: he has a stove...

View this post on Instagram

Publication from Autobusiness | ABW.BY (@abw.by)

The keys to the Harley were handed to us by Yuri and Pavel from Caromoto . And they gave a brief farewell to everyone who wanted to buy a motorcycle in winter.

“Prices at auctions in the USA for motorcycles are now much lower than in the spring and summer months,” says Pavel. – They will go up again in February. Therefore, now is the time to order motorcycles. For example, if in the spring or summer a motorcycle was won at auction for $1,000, then in December the same bike can be won for $500. Yes, prices on some items have even halved! Delivery times have increased slightly due to global logistics disruptions. Therefore, if you order now, it will arrive in time for March. After which, if necessary, you send the motorcycle for repairs and maintenance - and it will be ready just in time for the season. And there aren’t really any other options: the market is too small, there are a lot of “worn-out” ancient motorcycles at exorbitant prices on the domestic market. Therefore, motorcycles from the USA are the best way to change your bike to a more recent one. Or buy your first..."

Take for resale? According to Yuri and Pavel, some companies are doing this. But they usually buy “tired” bikes, sometimes they even reduce the mileage. So the profit from one motorcycle can be $2,000, which is quite a lot. But if you take almost the entire good option for yourself, there won’t be much gain. At the same time, by the end of the season, if you don’t like it, you can always sell it for 500-1000 dollars more... Many people do this - and ride a new bike every season.

“What's popular? The Honda Shadow 750, Harley-Davidson Sportster 883, Kawasaki Vulcan VN900 and various Ducati models are excellent,” Pavel continues the story. – The cheapest bike from the USA can be driven with only $2,000. But we are often ordered expensive motorcycles over 15 thousand. And the demand for this category of motor vehicles in Belarus is quite large.”

Today we also have the Harley-Davidson Electra Glide motorcycle, which is quite popular for ordering from the USA. There is, however, one thing: it was modified by the American tuning studio Hannigan Motorsports and now has an air-suspension sidecar. Therefore, the angle of inclination of this entire structure can be adjusted with a special button on the steering wheel. The motorcycle also has air suspension, which can also be adjusted. And in the tuning studio they hung a lot of different optics. For beauty, it’s fashionable overseas.

The “electric train,” as it is popularly called, took three months to travel from California. I ended up at the auction after a small accident with falling into a pothole. The year of manufacture is not the most recent, 1991, and the mileage is 91,000 miles. But the bike is well preserved, its condition, especially after repair and maintenance, is excellent. And this is a good old classic, still on the carburetor.

In detail, it is simply a masterpiece, a work of art. This motorcycle can be placed on a pedestal and admired. But he also drives!

And you can go very far, with just three of you. Two side cases, one giant central one, plus a rack in the cradle. And the cradle itself, in addition to the person, will carry many, many more things.

There is also a stove in the cradle! Basically, it's something like a hair dryer that is powered by a battery. But taking into account the removable roof, the passenger in the stroller does not care about rain and cold.

The seats may not be heated (all this can be installed), but they are very comfortable. Especially the rear passenger will be comfortable covering distances.

On the road you can listen to music on cassettes - the original Harley-Daviscon cassette player is available.

However, we take out the choke, turn the massive ignition switch, press the Start button - and from two chrome-plated pipes you can hear the legendary rumbling of Harley V-types.

The clutch is tight, and the steering wheel on a motorcycle with a sidecar does not turn easily. And what do you want? This is a motorcycle for brutal men! “How to return?” - you ask. And everything is simple: to the right of the engine there is a lever with which you can engage reverse gear. Everything is thought out!

But how it goes! 1340 “cubes”, 67 “horses” and at the same time simply bottomless traction at the “bottoms”! At the start, you can easily rear up with the stroller. With speed, the engine also opens up and gives confident acceleration. This is the only stroller... No, the design rides stably in a straight line on a flat road, but in turns it requires some specific skills. And when you find yourself on a broken road, just grab the steering wheel! Although the stroller may still require adjustment, there are some nuances here. The motorcycle was taken away from repair on the day of our shooting...

But there are also many advantages. A bike with a sidecar can carry at least three bags of potatoes. What about putting my son in a stroller, for example? For a family of three, going on a trip is an unforgettable event. Or go with a friend to some gathering in the summer. In general, the stroller gives a lot of possibilities. And if you unhook it, the Electra Glide may well prove to be a dynamic motorcycle, given the torque of the engine.

How much did the pleasure cost? The motorcycle was not won the first time, since the auction did not want to give the bike away after the first two auctions. The third time they managed to win it for $3,100, but the insurance company refused even here, fortunately they still agreed on $3,800. In total, including delivery, customs clearance and repairs, it cost Yuri and Pavel $9,000. It still needs some work, it will cost 10 thousand dollars in total. In general, not the cheapest toy, but you need to understand that this is a Harley. This brand is to the motorcycle world what the iPhone is to phones and Xerox is to copiers.

What's the result? Lots of chrome, lots of charisma, lots of comfort, thunder and lightning from the exhaust pipes. The Electra Glide is an interesting motorcycle in itself, and even more so with a sidecar. Even if the controls require some getting used to, the thrill of cornering while leaning is lost, but this way the motorcycle becomes much more practical. And at least you won’t be left without attention: everyone is looking at this bike!

The partner of the material is Caromoto. All auctions in the USA, Canada and Korea on one site.

Free access to live bidding on Copart and IAAI; free unlimited AUTOCHECK; accurate cost calculator - no hidden fees; favorable conditions for wholesalers.

Bikers for bikers: we ride motorcycles ourselves from the USA, we will help you buy:

+37529 340 41 42 +37529 241 41 42 +37517 270 15 14

* for advertising purposes

Owner reviews

The electric train is different, I got mine even before the crisis in 2014, I took it from an auction in the USA for 400k, for restoration, I invested about 200 more. I replaced the CPG with a 95 inch one, installed a new oil plate, humped shafts, a new oil pump, bearings and much more what little things. The vigor has increased, now the former 88 rides on par with the Electra with the 103 engine, and even leaves it at the start. It drains only later, already at a speed of 70-80 miles, stupidly due to the lack of sixth gear. Arseny, St. Petersburg, '2004.

HD generally make bikes that last forever, my Electra is an example of this)) 1996, Evo engine, one of the last, without oil leaks and other things. A real brutal spendthrift for men, absolutely everything can be repaired, there is every chance of leaving this monster as an inheritance to my grandchildren someday. Dmitry, Tver, '1996.

I took the bike from a dealer, almost new - they bought it, drove it for 500 km and gave it to a trade-in. The warranty remains, of course, European Electra, almost all bolts are metric. A motorcycle for the ages, since then it has been tuned a little, mainly externally. I like everything except the policy of Russian dealers, for any sneeze like uploading new firmware to a standard navigator they want wild money. In fact, it is easier to service it after the warranty in a private service, and firmware and so on can be found on the English HD website. Victor, Moscow, 2015.

Updated

TPS has been fixed. Myself. I gave the bike a run for its money several times on the track and dropped it on the spot at the gymkhana. Everything worked. X_x Kotans, hello everyone! Bikepost warmly greeted my previous post, which I was very happy about. This motivates me to write further. Now let's get down to business. With all my love for the T, these are not problematic motorcycles. This post will be devoted to the technical problem of Street (and, as far as I understand, Triumph in general), which I encountered back in the winter and am still struggling with.

If you are interested, please follow the cut!

My history

I will talk about my problems and solutions in chronological order, and will also indicate the approximate mileage.
Subject: I will write about the idle speed controller motor (hereinafter referred to as the XX device) T1242812

and throttle position sensor (hereinafter referred to as TPS from the English abbreviation TPS) T1240937 .

Purchase

The bike was purchased in October 2016. There were no direct or indirect signs of impending problems, and my fellow mechanic and I did not have any expertise on these motors. Mileage: 10900

First problems

From October to February, we systematically prepared my bike for the 2022 season. The desired result was to bring the bike to candy condition. As I wrote earlier, it required intervention in almost all nodes. In February 2022, the first problem happened: the bike stopped starting. I can't embed the video into the post properly, so you can watch

what happened here

The next day we came and tried to start the bike (before that we hadn’t started it for about 2 months because we were working on other components). 2.1. The key is turned 2.2. The fuel pump gave a pressure of 2.3. The stray XX began to work and went into a cycle. That is, she started working and didn’t stop at all. It works with a very interesting sound, similar to an old dial-up modem. The gadget worked without stopping until the key was turned back. The motorcycle started, but the Check Engine did not go away. We, stunned by the unprecedented miracle, began to disassemble the bike. Back then we didn’t know what exactly it was a motor, why it was needed at all and how it worked. Now I already have nightmares about him. When the source of the noise was found and dismantled (which in itself was a mistake if you do not have an OBD2 connector and a computer with TuneECU!), the motorcycle stopped starting. We decided to disassemble the motor and see what was inside.

This is another critical mistake - it is impossible to put this miracle back together. When we realized that we couldn’t assemble it, we decided to short-circuit the circuit. And this is the most critical mistake! Firstly, the voltage coming there is different and a simple resistance cannot bridge it. Secondly, the signal returns to the brain and this way you can easily burn your brain. I was lucky, but I warn everyone against this procedure! Our main hindsight: the approach “we know everything ourselves and we’ll deceive our brains!” No, damn it, we didn't trick our brains. This place in Triumph is very sensitive and, as a result, fails. Mileage: 10900

Solving the first problems

The motorcycle was taken to a service center (let’s call it “service A”), where all the equipment necessary for Triumph is available and where our problem was confirmed by mechanics. The motorcycle stayed there until April. Throttle valves assembled with a motor from a ’13 motorcycle were ordered from eBay. This was another mistake: the 12 and 13 year valves are slightly different and are not interchangeable. But the motor came up and stood up, at the end of April the motorcycle began to start, but did not work perfectly: the rod of the new motor was too short, this led to the fact that the motor stalled at the start of a cold engine without a slightly open throttle for about 20-30 seconds. I drove like this for 2 months and essentially had no problems. Mileage: 10900

"Best the enemy of the good"

In July I decided that I needed to finish the motorcycle so that it would work completely as it should. There was free money and I went to another service (“service B”), the official one. I believed that the XX pribluda was adjustable and could be adjusted to my motorcycle. Having disassembled my bike, the guys said that I definitely need a new device from 12 years old, it (lo and behold!) is in stock and costs 15k. And another 8k - work. Okay, do it guys. At the same time, they wired my brains for my forward flow, I also doubt the correctness of this decision, it could have been corrupted. Everything was great for a month. Mileage: 15000

New threat

After another hurricane night, I noticed that the idle speed on a warm engine began to jump. After a week, it developed to the point that a warm engine could stall at a traffic light. Or it might not have stalled. Again, a trip to service B and free adjustment of the XX device. I was warned that the TPS sensor may be faulty. I didn’t know what it was then. According to them, you can only buy it from them and it costs another 15k. Mileage: 17000

New threat v.2

I traveled for a week. The idle started to work unstably again. But, unlike last time, they started to jump. And today, on the way to work, I stood at a traffic light at 4k/min with the throttle fully closed))) Mileage: 17800

What's next?

My motorcycle needs some attention again. And I have a choice of 3 options: 7.1. Take the motorcycle to service B again. They will most likely give you TPS and tell you to buy a new one from them for 15-20k 7.2. Remove the sensor from the dampers that I have lying around, bought from eBay in the spring. There is no guarantee that the sensor from them will fit in place of the old one: the part numbers are different, but mine is on the list of suitable bike models for the “new” sensor. Take the bike to service A. But the guys have problems with speed: they are ready to receive me only on August 25th. 7.3. Remove the sensor, take it to a friend's garage, and install it yourself. The problem is that we do not have an OBD2 connector and software. Set it up and just see what happens without adjusting it. If something happens, take it to the same service A for adjustment on the 25th.

Dry residue

There was my opinion about the services of our services and this whole story, but it conflicts with the BP rules and because of this it was deleted.

End

It is yet to come and I will add it in the comments to this post =)
PS By the way, friends! I will be very grateful if someone knowledgeable can advise me in a personal message about a good service for Triumphs, where they can help me with my problem. It's a long wait until 25 =(

Similar models

• Indian Roadmaster . A direct competitor to the “Electric Train” from the Polaris concern, it is just as iron, pretentious and equipped with everything necessary for a long journey.
• Yamaha Royal Star Venture . Going on sale in 2022, a flagship tourer that's stunning in every way.
• Honda GL1800 Gold Wing . Who doesn't know "Golda"? This bike has been tested over millions of kilometers and many years during which it has been produced and modernized.

Total

What's better than perfection? Harley-Davidson has once again raised the bar for quality, challenging its competitors and introducing the next update to the Electra Glide. Almost everything about this motorcycle is good, and what’s not good is just great. But, of course, we should not forget that it is better for beginners to avoid such bikes. It’s not easy to handle this heavy monster, it doesn’t have enough power, and dropping the Harley Davidson Electro Glide will be very, very expensive.

Specifications