Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Limited 1690 FLHTK 2012 — Specifications

Who said a touring motorcycle had to be a nervous, high-speed missile? With the 2012 Electra Glide Ultra Limited, Harley-Davidson answers with a throaty rumble and a philosophy all its own. Here we are in the temple of long-distance travel, in the American style, where power is measured in Newton-meters rather than horsepower, and where the comfort of the rider takes precedence over track sensations. The 1690 cm³ Twin Cam 103 engine, with 133.4 Nm of torque available from 3500 rpm, isn’t there to rip up the tarmac but to unroll it with an unwavering authority. Its 81 horsepower seems almost modest on paper, but it is enough to carry the 413 kg of the machine and its rider towards the horizon, with a serenity that few European competitors can offer.

Faced with a BMW K 1600 GTL, more technological and faster, or a Honda Gold Wing, more silent and refined, the Harley stands on its own ground. It doesn’t seduce with its agility in corners or its biting braking. No, its argument lies elsewhere: in this stage presence, in this constant dialogue between the rider, the engine with its characteristic crankshaft, and the road. The double cradle frame, the 41 mm classic fork, and the lateral shock absorbers offer reassuring and predictable handling, tailored for long, straight lines and wide curves. At a top speed of 170 km/h, we are far from the performance of a sportbike, but it is another world that is explored, that of travel as a ritual.

The equipment, just so, is designed to transform journeys into comfortable expeditions. The integrated top case, the side saddlebags, the adjustable windscreen, and the stereo radio with intercom leave nothing to chance. The 22.7-liter tank promises beautiful ranges between stops, essential for appreciating the ergonomics. With a 745 mm seat height, the position is majestic, offering an unobstructed view, even if the mass is felt when stationary or maneuvering at low speed. It’s the price to pay for this feeling of a rolling fortress.

To whom is this machine addressed? Certainly not to the hurried rider or the beginner intimidated by its weight. The Ultra Limited is the tool of the hard-core globetrotter, of the one for whom the journey is the destination, and who finds a form of fulfillment in the low-frequency rumble of the V-Twin and in the timeless image it projects. At nearly 28,000 euros new, it requires a significant financial commitment, but it also buys a ticket of entry into a certain mythology of the road trip. It is not perfect, often criticized for its archaic mechanics and its appetite for gas stations, but it is unique. For the pilgrim of American or European national roads, it remains an icon, a memory-making machine that is measured by the landscapes traversed far more than by its speedometer.