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Yet another follow up.

This will be my 3rd post on this page, and my reveiw does not change much. Our 2010 Ultra-Classic is just shy of 30,000km's now. One back tire change at 22,000km's, and three clutch adjustment's since new. Stage-1 installed at about 20,000km's, and the bike is still great.(M/P/G went up to about 58... from 56 after stage-1 was done).
We ride every chance we get as our summers are short in northern B.C. and the bike is still my happy place.
After starting to read Gary Gerrards reveiw, I had to stop.(when he explained the blinkers are manual off on the Harley)I'am thinking maybe he is not much of a rider as he thinks you can compair a Honda Goldwing to an Ultra-Classic. They are both of the same style, but way different class. (any H.D. owner knows they are not the same bike)
Speaking for myself, the reason people get into the Ultra-Classic is because they already know what they want out of a bike. We don't have to compair price, specs ect...Nothing compairs to the Ultra-Classic, but all Japanese touring bikes have a direct compititor that they must compair too. Nothing against Japanese bikes, I just new what I wanted when I bought it.
If I had been looking for a smooth, quiet ride, a Honda would probably have been chosen. (did not happen, as I knew what I wanted) Taking a Japanese cruiser, and trying to duplicate the sound and looks of an American V-Twin really makes me sick. It can't be done, so don't do it.
This is our 2nd HD and the plan is that it is our last. I would like to ride this one to the end of my riding days, then sell it to someone who knows what they want. An "old HD cruiser". They'll be out there somewhere. As for Gary's compairison, you already know what you want. If HD is in the list with the Japanese bikes, then I really don't think you understand what a Harley is, and maybe you should just stay at the Honda dealer.
Something I say when asked by a none HD rider as to "why" a Harley?.... "If I have to explain, you would'nt understand"
Safe and happy riding to "all riders", and if your looking to get into riding, quit talking about it, and do it!! Read Full Review

Harley - Goldwing Comarison

As a curious Goldwing rider, and in an effort to help all my motorcycle buddies who have ever asked the question; “how does a Honda Goldwing (virtually unchanged since 2005) compare to a new Harley-Davidson FLHTK” (touring model - Electra Glide), I decided to rent a 2010 Harley while in Phoenix and ...perform a comparison of the two bikes – in a very scientific manner of course. For as any one knows (certainly my wife does) it would be foolish for me to spend money on a rental motorcycle when I have one at home (ok, three) that I could have easily brought with me in the trailer. So as it turns out, this was in fact an altruistic effort on my part to help my friends; not simply a chance to ride the scenic central Arizona Mountains while my wife and very pregnant daughter roamed the greater Phoenix Valley in search of new baby clothes.

Thirty minutes or so of listening to my son-in-law whimper in the dealership showroom while I was trying to focus on picking out a bike was more than I could take. So I explained to my wife that if I spent the money to rent two bikes; one larger touring bike for me, and one smaller cruiser (Street Glide) for him, I would be able to compare three different bikes at the same time. And besides, it would be much safer to ride into the desert with another rider. This would be good for my friends, and my safety. I was encouraged by her positive reaction to the whole idea, as evidenced by her cryptic question of whether or not I really thought the pedicure she’d gotten for our daughter would help induce labor. I’m sure she understands; having a less experienced rider along on a smaller bike would also make me look better – something which should be the first concern of every serious rider. Case in point; after parking the bikes at a scenic viewing area, several tourists watched intently while the boy pulled his rain pants down to his ankles, lost his balance and hopped around a bit before flipping to the ground on his back. All of the dust and commotion distracted the small crowd of onlookers just long enough that no one noticed when I stepped on my glasses. -- Money well spent.

Now some of you cynics (most of my friends are card carrying cynics) might wonder what gives me the expertise to evaluate these bikes. Well, I have owned and ridden both types of bikes and that should be enough. Of course there are always those motorcycle magazines with their “professional test riders” who we all know receive payment for their services from the manufacturers. It’s actually a well known fact that those guys get to keep the bikes they test, and if they give a good enough report they can even marry one of those beautiful models on the cover page. Honey if you read this I am only kidding; those girls are probably very shallow. Who rides a Harley in a two piece ostrich-skin leather bathing suit anyway…? …But, I digress.

So guys, here you go, this is my comparison; a rider’s view, not a technical evaluation. I can only hope you appreciate all the effort it took.

The first thing I noticed that is different about the bikes is the way they handle. The Harley, while greatly improved since I bought my last one in ’91, is still far inferior to the Wing on the highway. At speeds above 50 MPH, the Harley loses a great deal of power. Its 6th speed is an overdrive gear, and I needed to “re-grip” the throttle when I was climbing a long steep hill. But even in 5th or 4th gear I was reminded that when riding a Harley up a steep grade I had to consciously reset my grip on the throttle or my speed would drift up as I crested the hill. On the freeway at high speeds, the Harley exhibits instability when compared to the Wing - which actually becomes more stable in the air stream as speed increases. In addition to the unstable aerodynamics, the Harley magnifies each parallel seam in the road surface; it has an unsettling need to follow every crack.

Although the FLHTK has a large bore 103 cubic inch engine, (1688 cc’s) the throttle is flat on uphill grades; even without a passenger. The Wing’s 1800cc’s on the other hand; with a passenger and fully loaded luggage compartments can easily accelerate in high gear up any highway grade I have ever ridden. The Wing’s throttle is intuitively responsive. It takes very little wrist movement to accelerate, even at high speeds. I lost a great deal of respect for the Harley when it actually began to slow down on a grade with the throttle wide open. The only thing you get from a pinned Harley throttle is noise.

The Harley has the Wing beat in handling at slower speeds. With a lower center of gravity and lower seat, the bike can be maneuvered slowly in tight areas very easily compared to the Wing. The Wing is top heavy and “stalls” at a higher idle speed than the Harley which can cause you to simply tip over. Once a Goldwing starts to tip, the best thing to do is just let it tip. Additionally, the Harley’s fairing is attached to the front forks, which means the headlight turns with the handlebars. This is a great advantage over the Wing when traveling around those slow dark mountain curves where you actually have to turn the handle bars a bit. The Wing is usually traveling faster so this does not become an issue.

The braking has improved somewhat on the Harley due to advances in disc brake technology and ABS brakes, but there are still inherent problems because of the position of the rider and the foot pedal. On the Harley the rider’s foot is flat on the foot plate sitting behind the brake pedal. In an emergency, just as in a car, the rider must pick his foot up and “hit” the brake. When traveling at high speeds down the highway, the last thing I want to do is shift my weight quickly by picking up either of my feet. I want all four appendages firmly attached to the bike and my knees clamped onto the tank for total control. One of two things happens on a Harley in an emergency stop (I’ve been there several times). Either there is not enough time to move the right foot to the pedal and the front brake is applied first, or if the back brake is applied sharply, there is no way to regulate the pressure on the pedal. Almost simultaneously as the bike slows, the rider’s foot is forced forward and depresses the brake pedal even harder. If the rider cannot get this chain reaction under control soon enough the back tire will break loose and loss of control will follow. This is a big heavy bike, and I don’t like the idea of not being able to come to a quick, controlled stop.

The Wing is set up more like a dirt bike with the shifter and brake lever just forward of the foot pegs. The foot is resting at or just in front of the rider’s center of gravity, and can pivot over the peg using the toes to depress the brake. The rider is able to apply the back brake first anytime he needs to and can maintain control of the brake pressure throughout an emergency stop. Any braking action; even severe braking, can actually be done while maneuvering…I’ve done that as well. All of these safety advantages for the Wing of course are nullified by the use of highway pegs.

The comfort of the Harley is greatly improved since the last time I bought one, the seat is soft; the engine vibration is almost completely dampened from the rider. My fingers fell asleep a couple of times, but my feet and rear end never did. That ( and the noise) was always the limiting factor in how long I could ride my Harley. The only way you feel the engine running on the Wing is when you crack the throttle and accelerate; there is no vibration and virtually no engine noise. The engine noise on the Harley is only “cool” when you are riding around town. After 7 or 8 hours of that constant throbbing in your head at highway speeds, you wish you had brought your earplugs and Advil. There is no need for a heated seat on the Harley; it stays HOT! The rider air flow is better on the Harley, but due to the engine heat you need it, especially at slower speeds. There are four large movable air foils that direct air wherever the rider wants it. The large fairing on the Wing blocks most of the air and the vents are very small, but the Wing does not transfer as much engine heat to the rider. The windshields on both bikes are comparable.

The controls on the Harley would take some getting used to. The blinker switches are on separate sides and have to be manually reset when changing lanes as opposed to the Wing which is “push and forget”. The radio and CB controls on the Harley are very small and hard to detect without looking. They would be nearly impossible to use with gloves. Some guys may say “so what, who needs a radio anyway”? Hey, this is a touring bike, remember? The controls on the Wing are large and easy to detect at night even with gloves. All of them can be easily found without looking (a big no-no) or being distracted (a bigger no-no). There is no GPS on the Harley which is only nice to have if it’s made by the Japanese. The GPS on the Wing, much like a Toyota; is very user friendly and is also intuitive for its application on a bike. It only allows the “zoom” switch to be activated while the bike is moving.

The trunk on the Harley opens to the side which is very convenient. As apposed to the Wing it can be opened without making the passenger dismount (a big plus if the passenger is your wife). I cut my finger the first time I opened the trunk on this Harley, there are some very sharp edges on the bottom of the latches. The front compartments are leather and snap shut. They are dangerous to use while moving, difficult to close and not water tight whatsoever. The Honda has plastic front compartments, but they are watertight. One side locks with the bike key. The Honda has a dash indicator that tells you when the baggage compartments aren’t shut and sealed, and that has saved me more than once from riding down the road with my pin-striped jammies hanging out of the bike. The Harley has a 12 volt plug in the trunk…great idea…Honda??

Once again, this is one rider’s opinion about the two bikes based entirely on what I like about riding. If a person enjoys riding around town, riding in parades, etc. the Harley is a great choice. However, if you love the feeling of effortlessly devouring countless miles of highway as safely as modern motorcycle technology will allow, there is no question that the Wing is the choice. It is truly a high performance sport bike with a fairing and windshield.




Gary Gerrard

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