Harley Davidson Street Glide Ultra - Grand American Touring

This journey begins, as many adventures do, with a nostalgic yearning for home. I grew up in Plymouth and sadly, years, sometimes more, have passed between my visits.

A plan was hatched to make a return trip on the Harley-Davidson Street Glide Ultra. The Street Glide Ultra is made for two-up touring, with a powerful V-twin engine, spacious storage, and has been refined over decades of cross-country riding.

Harley's Street Glide Ultra is powered by the Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine. It’s a massive 1,923 cc (117 cubic inch) with liquid-cooled cylinder heads, making 107 bhp at 5020 rpm, and 175 Nm torque at 3500 rpm. It certainly turns heads and was a very pleasant way to travel.

This wasn't a rush to a destination; it was a pilgrimage. Six hours of unhurried travel, with the Harley gliding gracefully across the country, its engine a low, rhythmic purr that was music to our ears. We carved a path through the heart of Dartmoor, a breathtaking canvas of rugged beauty that I once called my playground. We stopped to admire the granite-hewn majesty of Haytor and Saddle Tor, and the tranquil, picturesque scenes at Dartmeet and Two Bridges. It reminded me of innocent days paddling in streams, the adventurous nights of camping under the vast, moorland sky. It was a chance to revisit my youth.

From the Moors, we descended into Princetown, a town overshadowed by the formidable, high-granite walls of its famous prison, built during the Napoleonic Wars. Then on to Plymouth, a city that has transformed from the gritty, post-blitz landscape of my youth into the magnificent "Britain's Ocean City" it is today. As a child, I navigated its streets amidst high unemployment and the ever-present threat of IRA bomb scares aimed at the Devonport Dockyard, which would regularly delay my school bus. Now, the city hums with a new energy, a testament to its resilience and regeneration. Today, I was exploring the revitalised city in comfort, aboard one of Harley's finest grand touring motorcycles

The seat height on the Street Glide is only 725 mm, which helps when you stop and need to hold the thing up, or when you’re paddling around a car park. This is no small bike, tipping the scales at 393 kg, before you swing a leg over or strap on your luggage. However, as soon as you’re on the move, it’s a much more relaxed and comfortable experience. 

The Showa rear shocks do a great job of cushioning the ride. The Street Glide Ultra lives up to its name, gliding over all but the worst surfaces. 

The Harley-Davidson Street Glide Ultra is equipped with Brembo linked brakes, featuring dual 300mm front discs with 4-piston calipers and a single 300mm rear disc with a 4-piston caliper. This system includes standard ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) and Cornering Enhanced ABS (C-ABS) for improved rider control and safety in all conditions, such as when braking in a turn. 

The Street Glide Ultra also has Vehicle Hold Control (VHC): This feature holds the brakes automatically when you are stopped on an incline, making it easier to start moving smoothly.

It goes without saying that the brakes are excellent. 

The Harley glided through Plymouth's streets with an effortless grace, allowing us to absorb the sights in comfort. We cruised past the historic Barbican, the iconic Hoe, the bustling city centre, and the street where I lived as a child. The journey was a symphony of nostalgia, marred only by the unceasing downpour of rain.

Our final leg took us on a short, scenic ride to The Cottage Hotel, a hidden gem nestled in the serene seclusion of Hope Cove, a mere 15 minutes from the exclusive town of Salcombe. 

Our arrival was the culmination of many hours in the saddle, so we were more than ready for the warm welcome and hospitality that awaited us.

What truly sets the Ultra apart from the standard Street Glide is its unwavering commitment to passenger and rider opulence. 

The new Two-Up Comfort Seat is an essential upgrade for marathon riding, ergonomically shaped to promote a neutral, spine-friendly posture. Further contributing to rider well-being are the Heated Handgrips, a welcome luxury for a crisp morning ride.

The redesigned Fairing Lowers feature adjustable venting, allowing the rider to manage airflow and engine heat. For enhanced wind management, the new batwing fairing is topped with a taller screen, shaped to reduce buffeting by a claimed 60%.

One of the key features of the Street Glide Ultra is the luggage, a majestic reservoir of storage that doubles as a sumptuously padded backrest with integrated armrests for the pillion. Combined with the capacious hard-shell panniers and new fairing storage, the total luggage volume is a generous 138 litres (4.9 cubic feet), ensuring that no necessary accoutrement must be left behind.

The instrument panel is dominated by the stunning 12.3-inch (312 mm), full-colour TFT Display, running the proprietary Skylin OS. The infotainment system is clear and easy to navigate, and elevates the motorcycle to the level of a modern grand tourer. Crucially for those planning continental escapes, it includes embedded satellite navigation as standard. The interface, whether controlled by touch or the intuitive handlebar controls, feels high-end and responsive. Furthermore, from the handlebar controls, you have selectable Ride Modes (Road, Sport, Rain). It doesn’t make a great deal of power, but it makes good torque. In sport mode, the throttle is a bit snatchy, which is fine and gives the illusion of responsiveness, but in the pouring rain, on narrow, winding, slippery Devon lanes, loaded with a pillion and luggage, I thought rain mode, with its less responsive throttle, was the way to go. 

Riding a Harley is not like any other bike. It is a unique experience. The sound, the feel and even the way it rides. For example, the gearbox on this bike was agricultural. Selecting first gear was a brutal affair. The mechanical clunk as you engage first gear stopped pedestrians in their tracks. However, it’s a Harley characteristic. It’s a big gearbox for a big bike, and needs to be ridden accordingly. Take your time with the gear changes, and it’s as smooth as silk. 

Our bike was finished in Whiskey Fire/Vivid Black paint (+ £1,100) and certainly turner heads on its cast aluminium wheels.

If you want an authentically American experience and you want to feel part of something bigger, have a look at a Harley.

Starting at £28,495
Engine Torque+ - 175 Nm
Engine Torque (rpm) - 3500
Horsepower - 107 HP / 80 kW @ 5020 rpm
Fuel Economy+ - 6 l/100 km (47 mpg)
Length - 2,590 mm
Width - 980 mm
Seat Height, Unladen - 725 mm
Wheelbase - 1,625 mm
Fuel Capacity - 22.7 l 
Weight, In Running Order - 393 kg
Luggage Capacity -Volume - 138 litres (4.9 cubic feet)