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Tewks' new bike


Hosstage

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I didn't want to hijack a different thread, so starting this one.

Tewks mentioned looking at a Harley Ultra in the near future, just wanted to offer some feedback if you haven't ridden one. The picture you posted looked pretty nice!

They ride nice, really calm in the cockpit, good power (always needs more!), decent ride, but be aware that they weigh 900 pounds! Makes moving it a bit of a challenge, low speed manuevers aren't bad, but require a bit of muscle. Parking in certain situations a challenge.

But damn, do I like putting miles on mine. I'd recommend one in a heartbeat.

I had also mentioned that I have a RoadKing that I'm really mean to. That one has 115,000 miles on it, hot rodded it 15 years and 90,000 miles ago, stock bottom end on the motor, and it keeps on singing along. This bike has been redlined to the limiter thousands of times (including a few more time this weekend), burns no oil to speak of, has broken no major parts (the belt broke, but it wasn't the belt's fault...), and has been to both coasts, as reliable a machine as ever there was. The old days of constantly fixing them are long gone.

Just putting my experience with HDs out there.

I ended up on this forum because I rode an RT through the Alps of Austria, Switzerland, and Italy for ten days with Edelweiss Tours, and fell in love, both with the bike and with the Alps. Been looking at RTs ever since.

I highly recommend Edelweiss Tours if anyone is thinking of a traveling bike trip.

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My late brother had a Roadking. We toured many many miles together swapping bikes on and off for a change of perspective. (butt relief) The RK was a joy at speed but not so much otherwise imo. If I had tons o’ money I would definitely own an HD. 

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A close friend has a 2013 Ultra Classic he bought new.  Like Rinkydink we swap occasionally.  Not bashing just my observation.  As a highway bike its great.  Ride smooth, can ride hands off, has all the creature comforts of cruise, abs, music,,etc.  A very good 2 up bike down the road. The trunk has awesome capacity. It gets a little less gas mileage than my rt.  He averages 42 and I average about 48.  I really like it on the highway.  The things that keep me from owning one are the 900+ pounds and lack of gitty up.  Getting on a freeway here in Houston you have to be able to accelerate fast.  It does not; actually a bit scary slow.  It has enough torque to pull a houseboat, but no gitty up and no top speed.  On a very good day he can hit about 105.  He' not a heavy weight at 160lbs.

 

He had his wife on the back right after he bought it.  They were pulling into a gas station and I was right behind them on my old 1150.  I was watching and admiring his bike as he tried to turn kind of tight in the parking lot.  It was like slow motion....over they went.  I couldn't get off fast enough to prevent it.  It took all 3 of us to right the bike.   

 

I think they look great, but I would need a new wardrobe:4323:

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29 minutes ago, Rinkydink said:

If I had tons o’ money I would definitely own an HD. 

 

If you own a BMW, you must have had tons of money at one time!

I met a guy on a BMW one time, both of us on road trips, he said he did a trip last year on a RoadKing, it killed his butt. On the Beemer, his butt was fine, but it killed his knees. There is no perfect bike!

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Thanks for that info! :thumbsup: I probably wouldn’t go for the FF edition when it actually comes time. That’s a lot of red to look at! :classic_biggrin: 

 

I’ve posted a few pics of my 92 ultra classic so I won’t do that but I will say, even after 28 years of ownership I still find joy in riding it.  :dontknow: I can also appreciate the high tech of a modern BMW so we’re similar in that respect.

 

I have ridden the newest Ultra. It’s still a Harley but so much more refined over the last 28 years. 
 

I don’t know where the company is going to be in the future. It does seem like the Harley Haters would rather see the brand die off and heck, that’s meaner than you flogging your RK. :D

 

The prices they’re asking for the new ultra limited has pretty much hit the ceiling for me, even with the accumulated sick time money, it’s going to take some serious thinking.

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Skywagon is right about the new wardrobe, Full Aerostich and fullface helmet means you're new to the brotherhood!! It don't matter, I'd still welcome you in!

A little tune helps get some of the power out of the motor, plus a few other mods to get more if desired. The big problem I see is guys that lug the motors and don't downshift them or run the motor out a ways to get it in the sweet spot for acceleration.

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Yeah Tewks, they are not giving away new ones, though I priced a new RT, and it is not much less expensive. The used market is flooding with good machines though, good news for me and friends always thinking about another. Bad news if one buys to make money on resale, those days are gone.

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Skywagon, I wanted to revisit your friends bike and lack of acceleration. When entering the hiway, he would do well to be in third gear, taking it out to 60 to 70 mph if necessary, then going to 4th. I rarely use 6th gear below 70 mph, especially two up in traffic. 4th and 5th in those circumstances.

As far as top end speed, same thing, tell him to get out of 6th and run 5th gear. Have him run 2nd, 3rd, and if adventurous, 4th gear out to the rev limiter to find out where it can be run. He will not hurt the motor.

I'm not sure of his riding style, so I may just be wasting time here if he already runs this way. A real tune helps a lot, and a cam swap, good exhaust, air cleaner, and again, a real tune help tremendously with power. Still won't take a stock R1, but it helps.

And I've seen more than one tipped over at parking lot speeds, hence engine and bag guards, because, well, 900 pounds!

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The problem I had with the Road King was the suspension and brakes. Not that my RT has stellar suspension but compared to the 3+ inch rear suspension travel of the Road King it’s wonderful. 

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Thanks..he doesn't lug it.  He did add some Harley engine upgrade kit...I think it was called screaming eagle or something similar. It of course doesn't have factory exhaust.  I'm pretty sure it is Vance Hines but not sure which one.  They are somewhat loud but not annoying loud. He rides pretty spirited.  His other bike is a Ducatti Panigale V4 R.  I can't keep up with that one.  There is a stretch of road on the Tx/La border in the country that is flat and perfectly straight..  It's at least 10 miles long with zero traffic. I've been on that road probably 50 times and have never seen a car or anything else.  It's a good safe road to check out top end.  I run off an hide from him on the RT but he runs off and hides from me on his Duc.

 

I just talked to him....this is the kit he added and the performance chart they gave him.  I think this is the first time I've ever seen HD publish HP.  I've seen torque before but don't recall seeing HP

 

Screamin' Eagle Twin Cam Tire Shredder Kit - 103CI to 110CI 2

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He definitely put it the right HD package, the stock 103 is pretty anemic, 75 horsepower and 90 pounds of torque is embarrassing for a 103 inch motor, but they do wake up with some work. That he rides a Duc means he knows what he's doing! If he's really interested, tell him to get an aftermarket tuner and have a proper Dyno tune done, it really helps as the HD tune is EPA compliant, leaves a lot to be desired.

I agree on the suspension too, less than stellar. Brakes are much better now, Brembo is the supplier.

But damn, HDs look GOOD! Best paint in the business, and pretty stylish sheetmetal and fiberglass (now plastic). Much as I like BMWs, they are not always pretty (looking at you, GS with panniers and top box...).

And if you really want top of the line, $40,000 gets you the CVO, Custom Vehicle Operations model, and almost $50,000 for the Trike, makes the BMW price sheet look like a bargain!

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5 hours ago, Hosstage said:

 

If you own a BMW, you must have had tons of money at one time!

I met a guy on a BMW one time, both of us on road trips, he said he did a trip last year on a RoadKing, it killed his butt. On the Beemer, his butt was fine, but it killed his knees. There is no perfect bike!

I should’ve said I would own an HD “in addition” to the BMW I own. 😜

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On 8/5/2020 at 3:29 PM, Hosstage said:

Tewks, I forgot to ask, how many miles on your '92?


Sorry didn’t see this till now, ready to laugh?

 

D8358167-CCAC-4357-8BFE-F6A1C69EE937.jpeg

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1 hour ago, TEWKS said:


Sorry didn’t see this till now, ready to laugh?

 

D8358167-CCAC-4357-8BFE-F6A1C69EE937.jpeg

 

 

That just shows, .........it must not be a bike that's enjoyable to ride:dontknow:.........soooo, I'd make it go away........Heck, my GSA has half that mileage and only ten months in to it.

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Naw it's enjoyable just in a different way. I did discover BMW two years after getting it so, most of that mileage went on early. Ya buyin it? :dontknow:  It's really worth so little, I'll probably just keep it till I drop it on myself someday. :grin:

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I ain't buyin in,.....I'm not a cruiser type, don't get the attraction,.....but you can keep it as a garage queen,....they hold their value purty good.

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roadscholar

At last night's CADS meeting I spent quite awhile talking to Jim one of our more senior members (ok we're nearly all old : ) mostly about how he overcame Covid-19 but also his bikes and riding. He's had a bunch but currently a KTM 525exc, KSO DR650, V-Strom 1000, and a Harley Ultra, and besides off-roading does a good bit of long distance touring. He said, "on long trips you usually look forward to reaching your destination, on the Harley you don't, you just want to keep riding". I couldn't think of a better compliment.  

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RandyShields

I have a number of Iron Butt rides under my belt.  The most comfortable were on my HD Ultra Classic.  Not a fan of the acceleration, suspension adjustability or the vibration at idle (hard to see what the GPS was showing), but out on the highway, the comfort was impeccable. Don't own one now, but I enjoyed the experience.  And the clan is incredibly generous when it comes to charitable causes. Many good hearts. For those and other reasons, I do not join in the HD bashing that I see out there and I am glad to see that this forum has a more open mind on the brand than other sites.

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5 hours ago, TEWKS said:


Sorry didn’t see this till now, ready to laugh?

 

D8358167-CCAC-4357-8BFE-F6A1C69EE937.jpeg

 

That is kind of funny! You're right, it's not worth a lot of money, but that doesn't mean it's not a good bike, and it's still worth decent money for its age.

Have you had it out lately? They are still quite the comfy machine.

One nice thing about air-cooled Harleys, they are pretty simple machines to work on.

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3 hours ago, roadscholar said:

At last night's CADS meeting I spent quite awhile talking to Jim one of our more senior members (ok we're nearly all old : ) mostly about how he overcame Covid-19 but also his bikes and riding. He's had a bunch but currently a KTM 525exc, KSO DR650, V-Strom 1000, and a Harley Ultra, and besides off-roading does a good bit of long distance touring. He said, "on long trips you usually look forward to reaching your destination, on the Harley you don't, you just want to keep riding". I couldn't think of a better compliment.  

 

It's quite true, when I'm out on the Ultra and heading toward home, more than once I have turned to add an extra 25 or 50 miles to the ride, just because it is that enjoyable. It just eats up the miles, it is so calm in the cockpit. Add in some good music, and I just get lost in the ride.

Now the RoadKing, tall apes, loud, stripped, lowered so the suspension is even worse than stock, vibrates, built motor that is a hoot, did I mention loud? A BMW owner's nightmare. Damn I love riding that thing too!

One nice thing about the Ultra weighing 900 pounds, it makes my RoadKing feel like a minibike. A 700 pound minibike, but so much lighter than the Ultra.

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9 hours ago, Hosstage said:

 

 

Have you had it out lately? They are still quite the comfy machine.

 

 

Yeah, we just took it up to Pawtuckaway state park in Nottingham NH. and then had lunch at the Tuckaway Tavern down the street. My buddy on a newer limited said that my bike "smells rich" when following. :dontknow: Another not so funny, an employee was diagnosed with COVID the day after we were there. :classic_blink:

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Not funny about the Covid.

As far as the rich smell, check your air filter, it may be dirty causing a rich condition. Make sure the choke is actually off, they can stick, if that has the CV carb with the enrichiner it is a known issue. And it may just need a good carb cleaning, or just plugs.

Glad you are still riding it, makes you appreciate it, and any other bikes you have.

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Hey Hosstage, what do you think about a 2004 ultra classic, first year fuel injection (least this one has it, some did, some didn’t I guess) with 6K miles on it?

 

The bad, it’s been sitting outside pretty much uncovered for close to four years. It has the weather beaten look it should for that amount of time outside. I didn’t look inside the fuel tank, and that would be a big problem if all corroded I’d think. 
 

The kind of ok part I think, we’re in the 3K range on price negotiations. My thought is even if putting fifteen hundred on top of that, it should be recoverable if I were to flip it. :dontknow:

 

thanks for your opinion! :thumbsup:
 

edit...it hasn’t been started in all that time either.

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First let me say that unless it really cleans up well (Harley owners like them shiny!) and you can get it running reliably for pretty cheap, you will not make much money flipping it.  It's still a 17 year old bike, the low mileage helps, but the lack of care hurts a lot. There are a lot of clean examples out there with not a lot more mileage for not a lot more money. (25,000 miles is considered low mileage, I wouldn't be afraid of a 50,000 mile bike.) If you were buying it for yourself just to run as cheaply as possible, it might be worth it, but due diligence is necessary. Make sure rodents didn't eat the wiring, the fuel system is obviously suspect, the chrome is probably pretty rough, the aluminum will be pitted, wheels rough, it will definitely need rubber. It may need a fuel pump, they do not like sitting in ethanol fuel. 

It's not first year fuel injection, I think that's '95 or '96, carb offered until maybe '06(?). Stay away from injected bikes before '02, a very unreliable system from '01 back (except Softails, had new system from the get-go, 2000). Without having worked on them before, there will be a learning curve that could get expensive unless you have someone to help you thru it to decide what's necessary, what's not, and how to cheaply do it.

Probably more info than you're looking for. Flipping Harleys to make money is a tough market right now, a lot of them were made and sold, and the used market is flooded right now. Compare prices of similar bikes in your area.

If you have pictures, that would be fun to see.

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Thank you for that in-depth answer, great info! :thumbsup:
 It’s probably more of a can of worms than I’m looking to deal with. 

Pictures? I don’t have any but man, you actually described its appearance perfectly.

Yeah, I’m one of those guys that likes shiny things so I’d probably be chasing my tail non stop with it.

 

thanks again! 
 

edit...here’s the color combo.

image.thumb.jpeg.7136f2b3d42f959d2a500022632ef227.jpeg

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