Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROAD GLIDE ULTRA VS INDIAN ROADMASTER COMPARISON P66 fortunately, a gearbox that is neither light nor smooth to shift hinders the Indian. It's not as bad as some of the Victory gearboxes I've ridden in the past, but it's not as good as the Harley, which, by comparison, shifts with (almost) Japanese smoothness. Another win for the Harley gearbox is the fact it has a heel shifter. The riding position of the Indian almost THE EDITOR'S PICK R egarding bikes like the Indian Road- master and the Harley- Davidson Road Glide Ultra, there's a fine line between form and function. I generally tilt toward the latter, but this time, the former has me standing much closer to center than usual. After all, we're still talkin' cruisers here. When it comes to form, the Indian wins out for me, without ques- tion. What a beautiful motorcycle! It has that classic '50s styling with a still-modern look. I like the pleated seats, heavily valanced front fender and a fairing that reminds you of a simpler time. But Indian didn't forget about function. I love the Roadmaster's heated grips and seat, electronic windscreen, tire pressure monitoring, ample storage space and comfortable ergos that put me in just the right position, especially when the road decided not to be straight anymore. It handles pretty good for a near 1000-pound motorcycle, and it makes decent power and torque. Not all function is good with the Road- master, though. Notchy shifting, so-so brakes and a vibey motor take some of the fun out of the Indian for me. The Harley, on the other hand, doesn't do anything for me in the looks department. I found it kind of boring, actually. But riding the bike is anything but. It handles well for such a big machine and is ri- diculously smooth on the open highways, which is something I really want most from a long-haul touring bike. The H-D shifts comparatively better than the Indian but the brakes aren't spectacular, either. The Road Glide feels a bit bigger than the Indian, which I believe has to do with the taller handlebars, but the seating position is very comfortable, as is the seat itself. I like that the rear trunk can store two full-face helmets and can be unlatched and opened almost simulta- neously with one hand. Too bad it doesn't have heated grips or a power windscreen—really, what a shame for a $26,000 touring bike. Still, the Road Glide does it for me overall. Both are great bikes for what they're designed for, but the Harley David- son Road Glide Ultra is $3700 cheaper than the Roadmaster and, when it really gets down to it, is just too smooth of a ride for me to pass up for the really long hauls, and that's what I'd be doing on bikes like these. Kit Palmer – Editor 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.