Got to test ride a 2010 ulta classic, my reviews

[mhayes1209]

I just thought I would add my 2 cents. I just bought a 2010 Road King Standard. The bike I traded in was a 2003 Honda VTX1800C. It was wayyyy faster than my new bike.
But I really like the Look and the feel of the Road King, my favorite bike ever. Having said that, my friend has a 2003 Ultra with the 88 motor and stage one that he said he had the dealer put on before he picked up the bike new. It has screaming eagle pipes, upgraded air filter and dealer remap of the computer. It pulls away from my bike. I asked the dealer about it and he said that the 96 engines seem to come alive at about 6000 miles, I only have 1000 on mine. Anyone else heard this.
Mike

 

[Dr. Dolittle]

I asked the dealer about it and he said that the 96 engines seem to come alive at about 6000 miles, I only have 1000 on mine. Anyone else heard this.
Mike

I think they tell you this until your bike has 6000 miles on it!!!

 

[rkrdr2]

I'll match a stock TC96 aginst a TC88 even with some mods anyday.
They all suff from running lean thats not news.
If that 05 smoked you it was not stock. I have ridden side by side with to many to go along with that.

I'll take a piece of that any day...The only 96in bikes(even with pipes a/c and a tuner) I have come across that can even stay close to my '04 RK 88 are the '07s with the cable throttle...the '08s and newer with this Throttle by Wire are a joke,they just will not launch out of the hole...I put down an '08 Rocker with pipes a/c and pcIII and that bike has to 200lb lighter than my Road King.

 

[walleye]

OK, I give. Uncle. White flag, surrender. 88" engines are stronger, faster and even better looking then 96" engines. LOL! Just ride safe and enjoy them, whatever you ride. :s Its all good guys!

 

[tkeswede]

I have a 09 EG classic and I am satisfied with the power. Alot more power than my 00 EGClassic had. Love the 6th gear for crusing. I know that it is not going to be a racer didn't buy it for that.

 

[shortride]

thanks for the replys, my point being, if your upgrading to a newer bike with better performance and etc, is should be a upgrade, not a equal or less ...i have 6 friends that own 2009 and 2010 models, all have done stage 1, due to lack of power, and i can say i road a stock 96" and a 2005 roadking left me on highway. my 05 88b motor with stage one would leave it in mirrors, but your right its not a drag bike, but if your riding 2 up as i do, you need everything its got in situations. comments welcome

This may or may not have anything to do with this discussion.

I was riding home from Golden Colorado on my Ultra Classic. I was riding south on I-25 coming into Raton Pass. For those not familiar with that particular stretch of road, there's a noticeable incline for a few miles. My Ultra Classic was doing all it would do in high gear at 65 mph. I wasn't loosing ground nor gaining any either. About half way, I noticed a late model GL1800 Goldwing pulling a Timeout pop-up camper with 2 up and neither of them were under 200 lbs. gaining on me and slowed to wave and accelerated in high gear like I was sitting still. The reason I know they were in OD, I caught up with them a few miles down the road at a rest stop. In a conversation I said to the rider, "you were in high gear when you pulled away from me huh?" As I suspected he said yes. I was not surprised at all because I rode Goldwing for 32 years. My last Goldwing was an '06 GL1800 and was very familiar with it's performance.

In my humble opinion, it's not a fair comparison between a GL1800 and a late model Ultra Classic. The only thing in common is they are both considered touring scoots.

 

[Dr. Dolittle]

This may or may not have anything to do with this discussion.

I was riding home from Golden Colorado on my Ultra Classic. I was riding south on I-25 coming into Raton Pass. For those not familiar with that particular stretch of road, there's a noticeable incline for a few miles. My Ultra Classic was doing all it would do in high gear at 65 mph. I wasn't loosing ground nor gaining any either. About half way, I noticed a late model GL1800 Goldwing pulling a Timeout pop-up camper with 2 up and neither of them were under 200 lbs. gaining on me and slowed to wave and accelerated in high gear like I was sitting still. The reason I know they were in OD, I caught up with them a few miles down the road at a rest stop. In a conversation I said to the rider, "you were in high gear when you pulled away from me huh?" As I suspected he said yes. I was not surprised at all because I rode Goldwing for 32 years. My last Goldwing was an '06 GL1800 and was very familiar with it's performance.

In my humble opinion, it's not a fair comparison between a GL1800 and a late model Ultra Classic. The only thing in common is they are both considered touring scoots.

High gear is just that - an overdrive gear primarily meant for level cruising and increased mileage. If you want to accelerate or climb, you simply have to downshift. On a Harley anyway!

 

[Ole Dawg]

I have a 2010 Ultra with Stage 1 SE AC & TFI + Rush mufflers. My purpose was richen up the fuel, run a little cooler and add a little pop. All 3 were attained. Having said that the bike still runs a bit hot in high temps 88* +
This is my 1st HD my 2 previous bikes were Kawasaki Nomad's an 02 1500 and an 07 1600 I installed TFI's, Air Kits and V&H Exhaust on both which both gave them a real boost in performance & ran much cooler. The complete exhaust system for the Nomads cost less than $500 dollars. Just the mufflers for the HD cost as much. I would like to have changed the head pipes on the HD and probably should have as the removal of the Cat would have probably given me the reduction in heat that I was seeking. Cost was the only thing that stopped me & I thought that possibly with the other mods I might achieve my goal in reducing heat. Also I was thinking that the Cat in the HD pipe was much smaller than the one on the Nomads and wouldn't put out as much heat.:bigsmiley18: I was wrong! Although my mods did reduce heat that Cat in the collector is where all my uncomfortable heat is coming from. So it just looks like I'm either going to have to put up with it or change out the headpipes. And speaking of performance either of my Nomads would leave any stock & some worked HD's way,way back in my mirrors. But neither would handle like this bike does, and the ride is also much better. If I wanted more geddyup I'd have bought a Rocket 3 Tour It'll leave any Touring Cruiser out there in the dust.

 

[jody7734]

Triumph Rocket III Touring, I hope harley can do better than Triumph if the ever water cooler the touring bikes. The rocket touring looks like a radiator transportation device, ugly, just ugly.

 

[Mavagrand]

That would seem obvious to me also and if you bought a Harley touring bike intending to leave people in your dust at stoplights, I think you bought the wrong bike.

I truly do understand why SOME people need to do a Stage I upgrade - lots of 2 up riding or riding heavily loaded (the bike, not the rider) a lot. High altitude cruising. But what really gets me is how many people I see posting here or talking at the dealership about how they NEED to do a Stage I on their bike. I sometimes get the impression that they really believe their motor will melt out of the frame if they don't add some fuel or their bike will be unrideable in normal traffic without the extra power from the Stage I.

If you want to do a Stage I on your bike, hey, it's your bike and your money. But don't try to justify it to me by saying the bike's a piece of junk off the showroom floor. Someday, I might do one when the house updates are done, kids out of college, etc, etc but for now I love the way my bike rides. Guess I just have low standards.

With the exception of an Xied on my 08 EGC, she is completely stock. I had SEII on her for awhile with a TFI. Decided she was too loud so put the stockers back on and re-installed my Xied. Completely happy with the scoot. I ride two up most of the time and have no issues with the 96 engine.