Harley Davidson Electra Glide
Touring in the US on an American Motorcycle
Harley
Davidson’s have always been a bit of a mystery to me. In today’s
race to make faster, lighter, more nimble sports bikes, this American motorcycle
firm has stuck with the traditional custom cruiser. Admittedly, they
have made some attempt to occupy the sports bike and modern retro market
with their Buell offerings, but in the main, they have stuck to their heritage.
Harley Davidson has been making motorcycles longer than anyone else and
offers a range of models with subtle differences between each. The
smallest and lightest of the pack is the Sportster, which comes in at 883cc
and 245Kg dry. At the other end of the scale is the massive Electra
Glide (FLHTCUI Ultra Classic Electra Glide featured), which is the largest
Harley currently in production. This has a massive 1449cc V-twin
and weighs in at 385Kg dry! That's double the weight of most litre
class sports bikes.
In early November (’01) I was planning
a trip to the US and had a few days spare, so I took the opportunity to
rent an Electra Glide and tour the coastal roads between Los Angeles and
San Francisco. This included some classic routes such as The Big
Sur between Pismo Beach and Monterey and the breath taking desert and mountain
ranges just north-east of Los Angeles. I managed to cover approximately
800 miles in 3 days which was a little less than I had expected, but due
to bad weather on the second day we had to cut our route short and dry
out in the warmth of a Monterey Motel.
So what
was the Harley like?
With a bike this big, the chances of being
seen by other road users are pretty good. Even in the US the bike
takes up a fair amount of the road and has enough head and tail lights
to allow motorists to clearly see you. Both seats are extremely comfortable
allowing you to cruise all day stopping only for fuel. The pillion
seat is so good, that your passenger can read maps, take photos or even
sleep if they wish. Despite the sheer mass of the bike, it is fairly
forgiving to ride. You have to get used to the idea of bringing the
bike to a complete stop on the brakes before you put your feet down, as
the momentum of the bike is enough to drag you along (unlike sub 200kg
bikes). The riding position is extremely comfortable resulting in
no buffeting even with a winter bike jacket, which is largely due to the
upright windshield pushing wind over both rider and pillion. However,
as soon as it rains you realise that from the waist down its a different
story, as you are completely exposed. The windshield seems to collect
water rather than channelling it to the sides. At times this seriously
reduced the forward visibility and was so far forward that it was difficult
to wipe while riding.
Equipment
The
electra glide has indicator signal switches on both bars requiring a press
to start and a press to cancel. The signal will also cancel after
30 seconds, which is useful if you forget and carry on blindly indicating
to turn, wondering why everyone keeps pulling out in front of you.
If you were considering this as a serious UK tourer, then heated handlebar
grips would be a lot more useful than a radio cassette player. However,
given that I was in LA in ‘winter’ with temperatures ranging from 17-22
degrees, this would be pretty useless. The electra glide has plenty
of useful dials including: speedo, tacho, fuel gage, voltmeter; oil pressure
gage, clock, air temperature, odo and trip meter. The luggage space
is fantastic; the large top box accommodated our large sports bag with
room to spare, leaving the side packs completely empty. This is a
bike you could seriously consider going camping on.
Capability
Riding a bike with 2x720cc pistons results
in a lot of torque and a lot of vibration. Even at cruising speeds
the noise and vibrations caused fatigue, but this was normally after about
2-3 hours riding. For a tourer the tank range was not fantastic,
allowing approximately 130-150 miles between stops. However, even
using super unleaded a full tank never cost more than $7 to fill the 19L
tank. In terms of reliability, I was riding a 2001 bike with about
13,000 miles on. I did experience a couple of gremlins that may have
been bad luck or a common feature. The speedo stopped working after
the first 2 hours of riding, the suspension bottomed regularly on average
roads, the engine would misfire after running closed for more than a few
seconds and the fuel tap once vibrated closed. All this left me craving
the build and reliability of a modern Japanese bike. However, perhaps
I'm missing the point - Harley’s are all about relaxed cruising, so perhaps
it's not surprising that I felt uncomfortable hustling the bike through
twisty mountain roads two up.
This is one heavy bike coming in at 20Kg
more than the 1800cc ultimate tourer - Honda's Goldwing. However,
once you take the half tonne (including rider and passenger) overall weight
into account, the bike handles and stops very well. The brakes are
adequate and the bike will easily lean for bends, although you do have
to remember the ground clearance on the engine bars and luggage frame.
You will also have to start your turn earlier as it takes a while to respond,
particularly if you are going through a series of left and right hand bends.
If
you are used to sports bikes or sports tourers, then you'll have to alter
you road positioning for bends as the bike is actually quite tall.
Initially at normal bend positions I was well over the line at normal angles
of lean and had to compromise this to maintain a safe gap. Slow speed
riding was remarkably easy; once I’d gained a feel for the bike I was able
to ride wobble free at similar speeds to my own bike. I was also
able to do some fairly tight U-turns two up. This is probably one
of very few bikes that are easier to U-turn than ‘paddle’ round with you
feet.
One surprise was also the twitchiness in
the wet. This may have been due to hard compound tyres or the combination
of relatively wide front and narrow rear tyres.
It's easy to find other bikes that are
better as both BMW and Honda offer superior tourers. However, they
are not Harley Davidson’s and miss out on a lot of the style that we have
come to expect. Although personally I’d never consider buying a Harley,
I can now see the attraction. It's not about speed or agility, but
rather the overall experience of riding a classic American Motorcycle.
Riding
in the USA.
Apart from the obvious difference of riding
on the wrong side of the road, there are a number of things that you need
to be aware of. You could easily write a book on the different rules
and conventions, which do vary from state to state. The following
is just a summary:
The Law
Helmet laws differ between states. For
example in California, it is compulsory to wear a DoT approved helmet.
In Arizona there is no helmet law. Also be aware that a DoT approved
helmet won't be up to the BS type A and B or ACU silver and gold standards.
The only broadly equivalent standards are those set by the Snell Memorial
Foundation (look for M-95/M2000 compliance).
Check your insurance carefully, a lot of
rental companies offer ‘enhanced’ or ‘VIP’ insurance, which minimises you
expenses in the event of damage or theft, but provides absolutely no 3rd
party cover. You will at least need cover for the state recommended
minimum liability. You also need to check the terms of your rental
agreement carefully along with any disclaimer waver. The one I was
asked to sign was a bit over the top excluding everything including negligence.
As with any rental, you need to go over the bike carefully and check every
scratch is covered on the damage form before you sign for it. The
chances are, that the rental company will miss a few in the quick check
they do, but may be a little more thorough when you return. You should
also check the general condition of the bike before you leave even if that
means a quick ride around the car park to test the brakes etc.
Roundabouts
You are unlikely to find many roundabouts
in the U.S. as most cross roads use the dreaded 4-way stop. Even
though you may be in the middle of the desert and can see for miles in
all directions, you are required to stop (foot down). If you fail
to do so and are spotted, you will get fined. The basic rule for
4-way stops is: whoever got there first has right of way, so normally traffic
flows on a round robin basis. You must proceed with caution, as although
it may have been your right of way, you will be held partially liable for
any accident. Basically, 4-way stops are a nightmare for UK riders
who are used to timing their approach so that they don't have to put their
feet down.
Traffic Lights
In most cases you may turn right on a red
light, unless there is a red arrow telling you otherwise. For this
reason it is helpful to stay out of the right hand lane at a traffic light
unless you intend to turn right. This keeps it clear for those who
do want to turn. Street signs generally indicate the name of the
road to the left and right rather than the one ahead, which can also be
slightly confusing.
Speed Limits and Warning Signs
Contrary
to popular belief American's don't all do 55mph. In fact I came across
a number of UK A road equivalents that had a 75 mph posted limited.
In general I found the limits much more practical and sensible than in
the UK, but then I was riding a Harley. I also found that the warning
signs are better. For example a warning sign, highlighted by a blinking
amber light will normally precede a traffic light. You will also
see speed limits on most bends, enabling you to judge the severity quite
easily. Road markings tended to be more cautious than in the UK,
with clear overtake opportunities blocked by solid lines well before they
would be in the UK. This may be a reflection of the type of vehicles
being used (e.g. you'll see more Ford F150 Pickups and motor homes
than Honda Accords).
It is generally accepted (and may even
be the rule in some states), that you show a brake light whenever you are
stationery. This may be as a result of driving automatic cars or
a safety measure. It is also a requirement to drive and ride with
your lights on for some stretches of roads (preceded by a sign).
Driver Behaviour
It's worth making some observations about
US driving style based on my experience of California, Nevada and Arizona.
Clearly these are going to be huge generalisations and are not intended
to suggest inferior or superior driving standards. You also have
to consider that I was a foreigner riding an unfamiliar machine on the
wrong side of the road. I am likely to be far more tolerant of bad
driving in the UK as I know what to expect.
Away from the big cities, you will find
drivers make a relaxed pace and generally observe traffic signs, keep well
back and overtake cautiously. Because you can overtake in any lane
on a freeway, I found less erratic undertaking and lane switching.
People were typically more tolerant of road hogs as they simply weren't
inconvenienced as much. However, I did notice that driving
standards in traffic and bad conditions seemed a lot worse than in the
UK.
You'll also find it less common for bikes
to filter in the US. I know that it is illegal in some states, but
in general few bikers filtered traffic and those that I saw didn't seem
too confident.
The Overall
Experience
Riding a bike in the US has got to be experienced.
The roads between Los Angeles and San Francisco are well constructed and
largely empty. The route I chose combined some fantastic scenery
and some of the best coastal, mountain, forest and desert roads I've ever
ridden. Hiring a bike is reasonably priced although it's packaged
slightly differently than in the UK, so watch out for extras. We
didn't book any accommodation in advance and had no problem finding vacancies.
However, you may want to book at busier times. Prices of motels ranged
from $40 - $80 per room, per night.
Picking a route is really quite easy, buy
a map and take the route marked scenic. Here's a quick summary of
the route I chose:
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Day 1 – Picked the bike up at around
11 AM - Los Angeles to Pismo Beach on route 1 the Pacific Coast Highway.
This included mostly coastal and beach views offering a relaxed introduction
to the bike and US riding.
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Day 2 – 10AM start - Pismo Beach to
Monterey more coastal roads, progressing in to some fantastic mountain
twisters lasting about 90 miles. Unfortunately the weather was rather
more British like.
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Day 3 – 8AM start Monterey to just
outside LA (Saint Paula – not a good place to stop, but 12 miles before
is a place called Ojai which looked much nicer, with better Motels) moving
north initially and slightly inland there's a lot of mileage to cover so
we took the freeway. Having made good progress, there is just enough
time to take in some mountain roads (Diablo range on route 25) with breath
taking views (be aware that it gets cold as you climb altitude).
Including the Sierra Madre Mts on rout 166 and 33.
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Return – Just a short hop back to LA
to return the bike before 11 AM. The traffic in LA is pretty bad
between 8AM and 10PM, but if you are two up, you can at least use the car
pool lanes.
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This information on this
site should be taken as a guide only and is open to interpretation.
You should consult one of our qualified instructors for more information
about any of the advice given. RAE cannot accept responsibility or
liability for accuracy, clarity or your interpretation of this information.