I've discussed previously the two days Judy and I spent riding a rented Harley Electra Glide Classic around British Columbia. Of course, two days on the bike also gave me an excellent opportunity to really see what the Glide is like and assess the plusses and minuses. This is my take on the machine.
We had a 2011 Electra Glide, in perfect condition and running order. Mechanically, the bike performed flawlessly. 'Nuff said on that score.
I have no way to know if this was due to some previous renter's actions, or simply bad assembly coupled with shaking, but there was a problem with the lock on one of the side bags. The first time I turned the key in the lock it kept turning around and around. A check of the mechanism showed that part of the hardware was missing. So that bag was unusable for anything requiring security.
The Glide is a heavy bike, with a wet weight of around 860 pounds. By contrast, the 1999 Kawasaki Concours I am accustomed to riding weighs in at about 620 pounds. On the road the Glide is smooth and stable but in stop-and-go traffic and at parking lot speeds you feel the weight. This was my single biggest issue with the bike. Just raising it up off the sidestand took serious effort if perhaps we were parked on sloped ground with the stand side downhill a bit. At one point, filtering down from four lanes to one to get onto Vancouver's Lions Gate Bridge, creeping uphill at the same time, moving forward 10 feet at a time and then stopping and replanting feet, was incredibly nerve-wracking.
On top of that, the passenger floorboards are positioned such that they are not far behind your calves. My legs are not long, so I couldn't spread my feet further out from the bike. Many times I planted my feet while still moving just a bit--a normal thing when stopping a motorcycle--only to have them unplanted as the floorboards caught them and shoved my legs forward. Certainly if I rode this bike a lot I would learn new practices, such as not planting my feet until I was completely stopped, but in just two days you don't break old habits and form new ones.
The fairing and windshield were good and offered great protection, although the windshielf was a bit too tall for me. If it were my bike I'd swap this one out for a lower one or have it cut down, but that's all part of making a bike your own. As it was, the top of the plexiglas was right in my direct field of vision, requiring me to either crane my neck to see over it or hunch down a bit to see through it.
The mirrors were great. Unlike the mirrors on so many bikes I've ridden, these actually show you what's behind you and what's off to your side, and they don't vibrate so badly that it all becomes a blur.
Judy appreciated the passenger accommodations. She was pleased to be able to lean back against the backrest on the front side of the top bag. I also thought she might be better able to see over me but she said that wasn't the case. And unlike several of my friends' wives, she says she never came close to falling asleep.
With two side bags and a top bag, storage space was plentiful. There was a sound system on the bike but we didn't use it. I'm not someone who feels the need for music while riding. I did flip it on at one point just to see what it was like, though. The controls are well designed and easy to operate without distracting you from riding. As for the sound quality at speed, I was not impressed. If I wanted music while I ride I'd probably go with an iPod and ear buds like many of my friends do.
The Glide has plenty of power, as do the brakes. Stopping a bike that heavy, though, requires more distance--it's just physics. On the roads we were on, we hardly ever had a chance to really crank it up, but in the twisties the bike didn't seem to care much what gear we were in. Just select one of those in the middle and leave it there. Down shift if you really need to. Suspension was good and the ride was smooth. This is not one of those Harleys that you see shaking like a paint mixer at a stoplight.
The seats were broad and comfortable. Our butts got sore but that was from being in the saddle for a lot longer time than we normally go on the Kawi. Any seat is going to get uncomfortable if you sit in it long enough.
The bottom line in my mind is that the Electra Glide is a great bike for what it is. The real question is whether what it is is what you want. For me the answer is clearly no. Maybe if I stood 6 inches taller and weighed an extra 80 pounds I'd feel a lot more comfortable on it. But even then, the simple truth is that I'm not a cruiser kind of guy. I really do prefer the sport-touring type of bike. If you, on the other hand, are bigger than me and just have Harley fever in your blood, I'll bet you could love this motorcycle. To each his own.
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