Harley-Davidson 1746 ULTRA LIMITED FLHTK 2017 — Specifications

Who could possibly need 413 kg of motorcycle and a 1746 cc V-twin just to go for a ride? Long-distance tourers, the kind who devour back roads by the hundreds without ever glancing at the clock. The 2017 Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited FLHTK is built for that breed of rider, the ones for whom the journey begins the moment you turn the key and doesn't end until they've run out of continent.

Beneath the Batwing fairing, the Milwaukee Eight makes its debut. This ninth-generation 45° V-twin packs four valves per cylinder, dual spark plugs, and partial liquid cooling. The result: 91 hp at 5,450 rpm, which doesn't exactly set the world on fire on paper. But forget outright power. This engine lives on torque — 111 lb-ft available from just 3,250 rpm. In practice, every twist of the throttle delivers a firm, linear surge that moves all that mass with quiet authority. The counter-balancer absorbs 75% of vibrations at idle, a clear improvement over the Twin Cam 103 the M8 replaces. The engine runs smooth, shifts through the six-speed gearbox fall right into place, and the belt final drive stays silent. Compared to a Gold Wing, the character is radically different: less mechanical sophistication, more raw personality.

The Rushmore program, launched in 2014, had already raised the bar considerably for the Touring lineup. In 2017, Harley keeps pushing. The Batwing fairing gets a central air vent below the windshield, activated with a simple press, that reduces turbulence around the helmet. The Tour Pak trunk gains 4% in volume while actually looking more compact. The saddlebags adopt a slimmer profile with more storage space. Everything opens and locks with one finger thanks to the One-Touch system. The BOOM Box 6.5 GT infotainment system, with its touchscreen, integrated GPS, voice recognition, and Bluetooth connectivity, turns the cockpit into a rolling lounge. Plug in a USB drive or your phone, and the ride's soundtrack fills the speakers. On the passenger side, the seat widens by an inch, the backrest is redesigned in every dimension, and the armrests are adjusted. On an 500-mile haul, that kind of detail makes all the difference between arriving fresh and arriving wrecked.

The chassis rides on a steel double-cradle frame, solid as a ship's anchor. The 49 mm Showa fork with 4.6 inches of travel and the rear emulsion shocks, adjustable for preload via a knob, deliver more consistent damping than previous generations. With 3 inches of rear travel, we're not talking off-road capability, but comfort over rough pavement remains perfectly acceptable for a machine this size. Braking duties fall to two 300 mm front discs and one rear, clamped by four-piston calipers, all managed by the Reflex Linked system with ABS. Below 25 mph, front and rear remain independent; above that, the linked system kicks in and the electronics distribute braking force. The Daymaker LED headlight adds a modern touch to this classic silhouette, backed up by halogen fog lights.

At €29,910, the Ultra Limited sits at the top of the Touring catalog, just below the CVO series. The price is steep, but consistent with the onboard equipment and level of finish. Its 29.1-inch seat height keeps it accessible, its 6-gallon tank allows for long stretches between fill-ups, and its 106 mph top speed is a reminder that the goal here isn't performance — it's endurance. This is a machine built for riding couples who want to cross France or Europe with zero compromise on comfort, with an engine pulsing beneath them like a steady mechanical heartbeat. Not the most agile, not the fastest, but on its home turf, it plays in a league of its own.