VOL. 52 ISSUE 45 NOVEMBER 10, 2015 P61
Harley-Davidson's Road Glide
Ultra firmly in its sights. Although
the top-of-the-line H-D in this cat-
egory is the Electra Glide Ultra
Limited, we thought we'd throw
it against the Road Glide to see
how it fared.
On paper, the Indian's 111
c.i V-twin punches out more
performance—a claimed 119 lb-ft
of torque—at 3000 rpm, with the
H-D's 103 c.i twin laying down
a claimed 105 lb-ft at 3750
rpm, but it also tips the scales
at a claimed 930 pounds vs.
916 pounds, both with a tank
of gas.
Climb on either of these Ameri-
can beasts and you'll be met with
very different riding positions. The
Indian rider gets enveloped by
bodywork, bars mounted almost
flat to his chest, arms at 90° with a
deep-dish seat that's more roomy
than the Harley. Milwaukee pres-
ents the rider with taller, almost
semi-ape-hanger style bars, that
alleviate some of the slump you
naturally find yourself in when cruis-
ing big distances. The distance
from the seat to the tank is shorter
and the seat padding firmer with a
more upright sitting position to the
Indian. It's also 1.2 inches taller at
27.5 inches.
The Harley also has a far more
intuitive switch panel than the Indi-
an. Easy-action cruise control is on
the left, as is the single multi-switch
for the Boom! Box 6.5GT radio and
infotainment system. Here you've
got the usual things like GPS and
stereo settings, all easy to access
and easier to use, plus the sound
that emits from the Boom! system
is about as good as it gets for a
bike.
The Indian does not have GPS.
A machine that costs this much
and is aimed square at riders who
cover country-level distances must
have GPS. If for anything, the bike
THE
MILWAUKEE
MACHINE'S
BETTER THROTTLE
RESPONSE,
SMOOTHER
ENGINE
CHARACTER
AND FAR NICER
GEARSHIFT
ACTION MAKES
THE INITIAL BLAST
UP THROUGH
THE GEARS LESS
LABORED THAN
THE INDIAN.
(Above) The neater, if
less inspired, switch
arrangement on the
Harley is easier to use
than the Indian's.
(Left) The H-D is easier to
muscle through corners,
plus it has the most
ground clearance.
