Harley-Davidson 1690 TRI GLIDE ULTRA FLHTCUTG 2014 — Specifications

Three wheels. That sums it all up, and yet says nothing. When Milwaukee brought this concept back to the table in 2009, after forty years of absence, the question wasn't whether the public would follow, but rather which public. Because the Tri Glide Ultra doesn't speak to everyone, and it makes no secret of this — with all the subtlety of a 560-kilogram behemoth overtaking a family station wagon on the highway.

The foundation is an Electra Glide Ultra Classic onto which Harley's engineers grafted a proprietary rear axle assembly, two car-sized tires mounted in 205/65-15, a 124-liter King Tour-Pak trunk, and a redesigned braking system. The result exceeds the width of a Gold Wing 1800 by half — the usual benchmark for two-wheel grand touring comfort. Comparing the two is of limited interest anyway, since the Tri Glide plays in a different category altogether: that of machines that blur the boundaries between motorcycle and automobile.

Beneath the Batwing fairing, the 45-degree 1690cc V-twin delivers 137.3 Nm of torque available from 3,750 rpm. The 86 horsepower figures don't inspire on paper, but on 560 kilograms of machine, the question of cruising pace takes precedence over peak power. Top speed is capped at 170 km/h, which corresponds exactly to the intended use. This trike was not designed to carve Alpine passes — it was built to swallow miles with two passengers and luggage in tow. The Project Rushmore updates, which this 2014 model year takes full advantage of, bring the Boom 6.5 GT multimedia system, Daymaker LED headlights, ABS interconnected across all three wheels, and a One Touch philosophy that simplifies access to the various onboard compartments. Automotive comfort, fully embraced.

The electric reverse gear says everything about the positioning. We're not talking about a machine you put a firm foot down on at a red light, but a vehicle you maneuver with the care one gives a motorhome. Lean angle is virtually nonexistent; stability, on the other hand, is absolute. These are two sides of the same coin, and the buyer must be clear-eyed about this before signing the order form at over €35,990. A notable advantage — and no small one commercially — is that a standard car license is legally sufficient to ride this tricycle. That opens the catalog to buyers who have never held a set of handlebars, which raises the question of managing a machine of this size without specific training.

For the touring rider passionate about American machinery who no longer wants, or can no longer manage, the balance of a two-wheeler without giving up the Harley experience, the Tri Glide Ultra responds with rare coherence. It is a thing apart — neither truly motorcycle nor truly automobile — that fully owns this ambiguity. Its price targets a well-heeled clientele, its dimensions command respect, and its historical pedigree, from the Milwaukee trikes of the 1930s to the present day, grants it a legitimacy that no aftermarket conversion kit could ever claim.