Harley-Davidson 1746 ULTRA LIMITED LOW FLHTKL 2017 — Specifications

Who said you need to be 6 feet tall to hit the road on a Harley-Davidson ocean liner? With the 2017 1746 Ultra Limited Low FLHTKL, Milwaukee tackles a real problem: making its most fully-equipped touring bike accessible to shorter riders without sacrificing a single ounce of features. It's an ambitious bet when you're talking about a machine that tips the scales at 414 kg fully fueled.

The heart of the matter is the Milwaukee Eight 107 ci, the ninth-generation V-twin that finally replaces the Twin Cam across the entire Touring lineup. In its liquid-cooled version reserved for the Low, this 45° V-twin produces 91 hp at 5,450 rpm and, more importantly, 152 Nm of torque from just 3,250 rpm. Four valves per cylinder, dual spark plugs per head, a 10:1 compression ratio, and a bore/stroke of 100 x 111.1 mm. The numbers speak for themselves: that's roughly fifteen Newton-meters more than the old engine, flirting with the performance of the former CVO 110s. The integrated counter-balancer dramatically reduces parasitic vibrations at idle while preserving that signature shudder that gives a Harley twin its soul. The six-speed gearbox and belt final drive deliver a smooth, maintenance-free connection to the road. Don't expect blistering top speeds — the max tops out at 170 km/h — but that's not this machine's playground. Its domain is the highway devoured in effortless comfort, the mountain pass climbed on torque alone, the open road unspooled without breaking a sweat.

What sets the Low apart from the standard Limited comes down to one number: a 685 mm seat height, versus 740 mm for its bigger sister. Harley didn't just shave down the seat foam. The suspension has been lowered by 25 mm, with the 49 mm Showa fork featuring SDBW technology retaining its full effectiveness despite the treatment. The handlebar brings the controls five centimeters closer. The transmission and clutch housings have been slimmed down, the grips reduced in diameter, and the clutch effort lightened. Even the side stand was redesigned to make dismounting easier. Five centimeters sounds trivial on paper. At a standstill, with both feet planted flat on the ground and 414 kg between your legs, the difference is night and day. The shortened windshield generates less turbulence at low speed — a logical choice for a bike whose seat drops closer to the asphalt. The rear shocks feature a simplified preload adjustment that, once dialed in, stays put. Gone are the finicky pneumatic units of previous generations.

On the equipment front, the Low makes zero compromises compared to the standard Limited. Boom Box 6.5 GT multimedia system with touchscreen and GPS, 100-watt sound system, premium Tour-Pak top case, lockable hard saddlebags, linked ABS braking with dual 300 mm front discs and a single 300 mm rear disc squeezed by four-piston calipers, LED headlights, keyless ignition, cruise control, heated grips, two-tone paint. The list of standard equipment would put some European GTs sold at higher prices to shame. The 22.70-liter tank allows for reasonable legs between fuel stops, provided you don't push the V-twin too hard on the overtakes.

At €29,990, the price tag remains steep and even slightly higher than the standard Limited. Up against a Gold Wing playing in comparable price waters with a far more sophisticated flat-six, Harley banks on identity, style, and raw mechanical character. The Ultra Limited Low is aimed at touring riders who until now refused to climb aboard the biggest ship in the American fleet because they couldn't put their feet on the ground. It opens the door to them without taking anything away from the experience. A genuine gesture, not just a marketing ploy.