Harley-Davidson Tri Glide Ultra 2023 — Specifications

You can't help but smile, a little embarrassed. Because facing the Harley-Davidson Tri Glide Ultra, you’re no longer quite in the motorcycle world, but not yet in the car world. It's an arch, a floating island, a rolling monument that exceeds 560 kilograms when ready to ride. And yet, this three-wheeled behemoth is a direct heir to a historic lineage, that of Harley factory trikes, which the manufacturer relaunched in 2009 before importing it here. So, is it still a motorcycle? The answer is less important than the totally unique experience it offers.

Derived from the Electra Glide Ultra Classic, the 2023 Tri Glide Ultra is a machine apart, with its rigid rear frame, its two 205 car tires, and its huge King Tour Pak trunk. The frame is substantial, steel tubular, and the width makes a Gold Wing seem like a 125. But under this revisited Batwing fairing from the Rushmore project, everything has been designed for long journeys. The Milwaukee-Eight 114 Twin Cooled engine, an 1868 cm3 V-twin, is a torque champion: it delivers 164 Nm at 3250 rpm, enough to move this mass with disconcerting serenity, without ever forcing. The six-speed gearbox and belt drive ensure smooth acceleration, almost disconnected from mechanical effort.

Where the Tri Glide Ultra becomes fascinating is in its high-tech approach to comfort and safety. The RDRS system, with its corner-specific ABS and traction control, is a blessing for taming this giant on wet roads. The Boom! GTS unit, compatible with Apple CarPlay, and the H-D Connect system, which alerts you on your smartphone in the event of a shock or suspicious movement, transform the machine into a true connected lounge on wheels. It even has electric reverse and a parking brake, amenities that underline its hybrid nature. For an in-depth test of the Harley-Davidson Tri Glide Ultra, you must accept a truth: you don't ride, you steer.

But this five-star rolling hotel comes at a price, and not just in terms of handling. At 45,490 euros new, even if used models like a Harley-Davidson Tri Glide Ultra 2018 or 2019 lower the bill, entry into the big leagues remains an investment. It is nevertheless a unique ticket of entry for motorists holding a simple B license, who can thus access the Harley world without going through the two-wheeled box. The audience? Demanding globetrotters who prioritize absolute comfort, storage (124 liters of trunk!), and an undeniable stage presence. It's the anti-sportive, the ultimate cruising machine where every journey becomes a ceremony.

So, who buys a Harley-Davidson Tri Glide Ultra Classic? Not the track rider, nor the hurried urban dweller. It is the machine of the assumed Americanophile, the traveler who prefers majesty to agility, and who considers the journey as the destination. With a consumption of around 5.6 L/100 km, it is also not a matter of frugality. It is a passionate choice, a three-wheeled lifestyle. You may prefer the nervousness of a two-wheeled machine, but you cannot deny that the Tri Glide Ultra, in its segment, reigns supreme. It’s more than a motorcycle, it’s a rolling institution.