Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

IMRREssiON: HARLE):-DAVidsON FLHT ELECTRA GLidE CLAssic NEW ENGiNE. NEW bikE? By Alan Cathcart While their Japanese rivals have seemingly concentrated during the last few years on rendering each new model obsolete within 30 months of its launch, Harley-Davidson has contented themselves with following the tried-and-true large-capacity V-twin path _ · Phd' d 800 t h elf orsc e- eSlgne cc - 30 narrow-an~lewater~cooled V4 prototype notwl~hstandmg - that has stood them m such good stead for the past 60 years. Now, with the introduction oftheir new generation of alloy-barreled engines, termed the 'V2 Evolution' unit, Harley has taken what at casual glance seems a long-overdue but overly tentative step into the present, but which on closer examination and acquaintance, is inreatity a quantum leap forward from the days of the iron-barreled shovel head. Put simply, the Harley engine is a gem, a successful amalgam of traditional values and modern technology, of a simple pushroddesign and refined execution. The new generation of H-D products, equipped with this unit, withstand comparison on ;10 equal basis with any other machine, from whatever source, in their respective classes. No longer need the excuse be made: "Yes, butit'sa Harley." Milwaukee's products stand on their own feet (wheels?), now. In case you dismiss this eulogy as the demented ravings of one hopelessly hooked on Harleys, let me enlighten you. Sure, I found the new XRIOOO one of the most fun bikes to ride on the street I've tried in a long while when I tested it last year, but of the several Harleys I've ridden over the years, it was the first Ireally likedand I said as much at the time. All credit therefore to H-D lnternational for arranging the loan of one of the brand-spanking new Evolution-' models during my recent ViSIt to Los Angeles. A full-dress FLHT Electra Gilde ClaSSIC, Harley's top of the line model: "Not really your kind of bike," worried Harley's Dave Lickerman, "but if you really want to tryout the new engine, take it: you'll be surprised." I was Dave I was. , . ' , Over miles of every tYQe of road you can find in southern California, from switchback Angeles Crest Highway atop the San Gabriel Mountains, through the Santa Ana Freeway at 4:30 on a weekday afternoon (You think you got traffic jams where you come from? Ever see a total oI 121anes of traffic completely choked up?), to the arrow-straight drags trip of the Mojave Desert highway, convinced me of the merits of Harley's new engine, mated with an improved set of cycle parts to produce one of the most desirahle touring bikes available by any standards. To be honest, I hadn't intended riding the Electra Glide that much: just enough to feel it out, I thought before I picked it up, then see if we can'tget.somethingmore, uh,suitable for the run out to Willow Springs and a day of racer testing. Just riding the bike completely destroyed my preconceptions about it: I ended up keeping it a day longer than I was supposed to, started working on the basis of the longest distance between two points, and generally found myself inventing reasons to go for a ride. Cathcart on a full-dresser: who'd have thought it ... Not everything about the bike is perfect. The air cleaner protrudes e~~ined quite uncomfortably into your right kneecap, but that's a function of the engine layout and (here's precious little that can be done about it. The bike can be operated without an ignition key, a surefire recipe for loss by a lazy owner who didn't take the trouble to dig the key out of his pocket and operate the rather awkward steering lock before sauntering off in search of an occupant for the rear portion of the really comfortable' seat. The starter motor seems underpowered, sometimes not generating enough urge to spin the engine: heart in mouth, you pray that the battery hasn't really gone flat -'and it hasn't, but you do have to thumb the button two or three times on occasion to light 'er up. The turn signal controls are the biggest turn-off on the bike - just because they always do when you take your thumb off the switches (one for each side): that's fine on the open road, but negotiating tight corners at low speed means a choice of e.ither operating the dut<:h or front brake, orthe turn signal. You can'tdo both, and be safe-and that's dangerous. There's no center stand (always supposing you could lug a motorcycle that weighs 712 POll1Ods dry on to it), so to paraphrase the Citroen CX handbook, 'In case of puncture or mechanical derangement, contact your nearest H -D dealer.' The windshield is only adjustable for height to one other position, and in both of them a six-foot rider (i.e. me) found the top lip just nicely placed to distort my view of the road 30 yards in front of the bike - allimportant in city traffic. More adjustment, or di££erent screen heights available at no extra cost, please. Oh yes, and the locks of the wellmade ABS lockers contrived to be both flimsy and awkward to operate, though the side hinging, internal compartmenting and non-slip surface of the top box made it a highly convenient storage facility. Doesn't quite take a Simpson full-face helmet, though: tsk, tsk. From the nit-picking caliber of these criticisms it may be deduced that really I found precious little wrong Wilh the Evolution-powered Electra Glide, and a great deal right. Gadzooks, Holmes - a hole in one again. The only major criticism I had of actually riding the bike is an unfair one, since it's a function of the machine's sheer bulk and weight. It definitely doesn't like being hustled through downhill twists and turns, especially if the road bottoms out in the apex. Not only is ground clearan'ce somewhat restricted at even moderate angles of lean (29..5° on the left befote the side stand sparks, or 35° on the right before you scrape the, chrome 0[( the silencer), but even at a I quite relaxed fast touring pace the front end'walLows and hacks about in a rather alarming manner. Back off, else you'll be into the rock face on one side or over the precipice on the other: ouch! To be fair, the anti-dive on the front forks may have been set up too soft, but in the absence of one of those ,little hand-pumps to touch up the pressure (put an air line to it and you'll blow the seals), I couldn't check that. H-D really should supply such a pump as standard on a bike of this price and design: incidentally, the valve for the completely airdamped system is located in the top of the front nerf bar - a nice touch. That apart, riding the Electra Glide was a delight. To begin with, the new alloy engine runs a great deal cooler lhan its iron-jug predecessor, a fact of special importance in lhe 95° heat' prevalent during my ride: the Shovel-I head engine would have done my legs to a turn. Even better, the new engine makes 10% more horsepower than the old unit and produces 15% more torque. Slipping down from top to fourth on the positive-shifting five-speed gearbox to go for a gap in the freeway traffic was really superfI uous: a lwist of the wrisl to get the 1,340cc lump turning over a little faster would have been ample. In fact, after a while that's what I settled for, because on this particular bike fourth gear had obviously been shimmed incorrectly on assembly: it chattered away noisily to itself whenever selected, and third made a slight grinding sound, too. With less than 500 miles on the clock when I took the bike over, this is either an indication that the gearbox needs a lot of running in, or a worrying question mark over quality control inspection on what is a very expensive motorcycle by any standards. Whichever way you take it depends on your attitude to HaTleys, I guess. Much improved over the shovel head too is the vibration lev~1 of the new engine - basically, you can't feelany except when stationary at' a, traffic light or such when the rubber damping of the bars and (adjustable) footboards, coupled with the otherwise highly effective elastomer engine mounts fail to disguise tbe shake, rattle and roll of the traditional narrowangle 45° V-twin. No Honda-type offset crankpins or Yamaha-style balance shafts here, and none needed once rolling down the highway: the Electra Glide's a highly civilized and smooth riding machine with no more apparent vibration than a Ducati, for example. Incidentally, the newish smooth rubber grips are great-light years ahead of those evil, smooth plastic things Harleys used to come equipped with. Controls are few, instrumentation extensive, with a fuel gauge nestling between a matching revcounter and speedo: when the latter' sbowed 70

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