#harley-davidson

“This settlement immediately stops the sale of illegal aftermarket defeat devices used on public roads that threaten the air we breathe,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Harley-Davidson is taking important steps to buy back the ‘super tuners’ from their dealers and destroy them, while funding projects to mitigate the pollution they caused.”

Touring riders want it all: comfort, handling, big power, weather protection, and storage space. For years Harley-Davidson’s touring line of motorcycles, particularly the Electra Glides, have provided those requirements. The Ultra Limited carries the same batwing fairing of the ’Glides, but as the Limited designation implies, riders can expect more. Thanks to the Project Rushmore upgrades first seen in the 2014 model year, the Ultra Limited delivers first-class accommodations and the technological features touring riders expect. Just take a look at the infotainment system and the LED Daymaker headlight, if you’re unsure. The 2017 model year brings some big changes to the Ultra in the form of an all-new engine and upgraded suspension which combine to make the Ultra’s riding experience even more pleasurable.

Since Harley-Davidson has updated the engines of its entire touring model line, we thought we should check in with an example of each of the three variations of the Milwaukee-Eight. For years, the Street Glide has been Harley’s best-selling model – and a favorite here at MO – making it a natural choice for sampling the base-model Eight’s 107ci engine. Still, the engine isn’t the only news involving pistons on the 2017 touring models. In a normal year, the upgraded suspension components on the Street Glide would be big news, but with motorcyclists being power freaks, the new engines are stealing the suspension’s thunder.

The first Harley-Davidson V-Twin engine was released in 1909 in the form of the Atmospheric V-Twin. Since that time the Motor Company has sold a total eight V-Twin engine designs – Atmospheric V-Twin, F-Head, Flathead, Knucklehead, Panhead, Shovelhead, Evolution, and Twin Cam – most of these names are instantly recognizable to almost any motorcyclist. So, when considering the relative rarity of Harley engine redesigns and the importance of the engine to one of the world’s biggest motorcycle manufacturers, you can bet that any major changes are well thought out and refined to a degree that lesser OEMs might have a tough time matching. With all that’s literally riding on a new engine, Harley’s project planners turned to the tools that have worked the best in recent years.

Well, we’ve joked about Harley-Davidson’s upcoming Milwaukee-Eight engine. We’ve prognosticated from EPA documents about what the Milwaukee-Eight would be. However, until now, we haven’t had the straight scoop about the ninth generation of the Motor Company’s Big Twin engines. After submitting ourselves to a variety of invasive tests, signing our lives away to gain entry into the Harley Media Department’s “circle of trust,” and waiting for the appointed hour to arrive, we can now tell you exactly what H-D has up its cylinder sleeves. However, the biggest news isn’t the part hidden in the sleeves at all.

Despite the fact Harley-Davidson has sold its Super Tuners to be used for off-road or competition use and not on public roads, The Motor Company has reached an agreement with the EPA to stop selling its Super Tuners, which essentially reflash the ECU for optimum EFI performance. A byproduct of the Tuner’s installation is the motorcycle emitting higher emission levels than what was originally certified with the EPA.

Last year, we published an April Fools post about a new Harley-Davidson engine called the “Milwaukee-Eight.” The post was total BS, of course, except for the name; Harley-Davidson does, in fact, own the trademark for that Milwaukee-Eight. (UPDATE: Harley-Davidson has now officially announced the Milwaukee-Eight engine.)

The touring segment is slow to change. Honda’s Gold Wing is always a contender and could easily take the win or the runner-up, and so too could numerous full-dressers from cruiser manufacturers. But in our opinion, nothing matches BMW’s K1600GT/GTL when it comes to combining all the comfort and amenities expected of modern mileage gobblers, with the performance and handling capabilities of more nimble sport-tourers. We even included the GT model in our 2014 Heavyweight Sport-Touring Shootout and the Beemer crushed ’em.

Never did Jessica Haggett imagine in her wildest dreams that in a matter of a few years, her quest and yearning to ride with other women motorcyclists would turn into a fast-growing community of women riders worldwide: the Litas.

Peace, love and understanding is what we’re all about here at MO, man, and on this excellent junket to the great Midwest, we made some serious inroads. One dinner, after a day spent rolling along the east bank of the Mississippi through springtime Illinois and Wisconsin, Editorial Director Sean Alexander (who thinks the Aprilia Tuono is the perfect casual traveling bike) actually admitted that the bikes we were on were ideally suited to our ride. Well, hello. He also admitted it was his first time riding in “flyover country.”

A Roadster, Scout, Bobber and Octane roll into a bar…

There are a lot of reasons that we moto journos get into this gig. It goes without saying that we all share a passion for the sport of motorcycling, but it’s about more than just the opportunity to ride and test motorcycles and gear for a living, see things that we might not otherwise see, enjoy memorable experiences and then tell stories about them. It’s also about meeting great people from all walks of life who share our passion for this amazing sport.

Tomorrow being July 4th, which if you don’t know, is Independence Day here in America, where the MO staff is based. In celebration of this holiday today’s Church feature is all-American. And it doesn’t get much more all-American than a story about a Harley-Davidson and a trip to Sturgis. Today, we have a review of the 2009 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Standard that George “Longride” Obradovich piloted 2500 miles to Sturgis. Obradovich, owner of a 2001 Electra Glide, notes the many changes between his old bike and this new one, and gives his (probably biased) opinion about how it all works. In short, he gives it a thumbs up. Read on to find out.

An intensive care unit (ICU) is a great place to think – there is so much time on your hands at all hours of the day and night, and you get to meet all these really nice people. The problem is you really can’t focus on much, the shadows dance against the wall and change. I blame it on the Dilaudid, or Plato, or life itself. Much of my waking hours early on were filled with a kaleidoscope of images from the past, in some cases the distant past: people, places, and bikes for the most part, and questions.

For the well-heeled motorcyclist, this past weekend was the time to reach down into the couch cushions, gather up all that spare change, and head to Chicago for the 2016 Mecum Motorcycle Auction. With a claimed 350 motorcycles hitting the auction block and projected prices of some lots reaching up into the six figure range, perhaps one would need to check the couch cushions at the main house, the beach house, and the ski lodge to gather the necessary funds. Still, for those who love rare motorcycles and have the means to support them in the lifestyle to which they are accustomed, the Mecum Motorcycle Auction provides a great opportunity to own a bit of two-wheeled history.