If Harley-Davidson's huge 2009 Touring-model makeover didn't get your attention, hopefully the new 2010 Electra Glide Ultra Limited (FLHTK) will get your heart pumping. Dubbed by H-D as the king of the Grand American Touring experience this newest Glide ups the ante in both the performance and style departments. From a distance the Limited screams custom without being pretentious.
Aside from the unique two-tone and custom color options available to the Ultra Limited the real soul of this bike rests between the framerails in the form of a 103 cubic inch Twin Cam engine. The additional 7 cubes over the stock Twin Cam 96 come from a pair of 3.875-inch big bore pistons and cylinders sitting atop the same 4.38-inch stroke bottom end. Those 1690 cc's of V-twin muscle are enough to propel the 900 pound Limited with ease. The Limited also received an increase in compression ratio compared to the stocker, up a 1/2 point to 9.7:1. While we didn't dyno the two motor variations, H-D claims a 10 percent increase in torque on the 103 that yields 102 lb-ft at 3,500 rpm. An integrated oil cooler helps to keep the motor and rider cooler. Transmission, primary, and final drive ratios are the same throughout all three 2010 Electra Glide models. One notable change throughout the whole lineup is the addition of a helical cut 5th tranny gear. The previous straight cut 5th gear had a noticeable whine that was amplified on the Touring bikes with bodywork and quieter cockpit.
Returning for 2010 is the new two-piece chassis that Harley rolled out last year. Its rubber isolated motor mounts do a great job of soaking up idle vibrations and do an even better job once out on the open road. Up front a pair of 41.3-mm non-adjustable hydraulic forks do a great job of soaking up anything the tarmac has to offer while the rear shocks are air adjustable to compensate for load and riding style. We've mentioned the superior riding quality afforded by the new chassis for a whole year now; if you haven't thrown a leg over a new machine and taken it for a spin then you really don't know what you're missing. The Limited takes the experience to another level.
With the Electra Glide Standard gone from this year's offerings other than the Street Glide all of the fork-mounted Batwing fairing bikes come with a Tour-Pak. There's still the Ultra Classic and the slightly less-adorned Electra Glide Classic but the Limited is situated at the top of the heap from the Factory's 'stock' offerings. While the CVO Ultra might be too much for many the Limited gives the Touring rider a very capable and equipped long-distance machine. Although the price is higher than the Ultra Classic, the Limited comes stock with antilock brakes, security system, and two-tone paint. That's about $2,500 in options included in the price.