Posts Tagged ‘Electra Glide Ultra Limited’

The motorcycle chrome bug got me again.

Posted: October 8, 2015 in Motorcycle, Product Reviews
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Several weeks ago I bought the Kuryakyn Faring Vent Cover and installed it on the bike. Shortly thereafter Harley Davidson came out with color matched covers for the flat black maw.  Had I known that they were coming out with the part I would have waited to get the Daytona Blue cover vice the chrome part. Don’t get me wrong, I like the look of the chrome on the fairing, but I think that the color matched would be better.

A few days ago I bought and installed the  Kuryakyn Tri-Line Gauge Trim.  I have the color matched inner-faring and it looks great but I just thought there was not enough contrast to make it really “POP”.  I looked at the “carbon fiber” insert from Harley but decided that just did not look good next to the blue.

Then I saw Tri-Line Gauge Trim on a Street Glide with a red (crimson?) painted fairing and tank.  Wow, because the chrome reflected the red it looked great to me.  I made the leap of faith that if it worked for a red bike my blue would be even better, LOL.

So following the same routine I used to prep the surface for the fairing vent (see this post) I installed the gauge trim. The photos really don’t do it any justice; in the garage it looks ok.  Out in the sun it look very nice and so far I have not had any issues with reflected sunlight and I ride away from the sun on both my morning and evening commutes.

 

My newest CHROME

Posted: August 30, 2015 in Motorcycle, Product Reviews
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As I have noted in the past I really have not liked the appearance of the flat black maw that is one of the most noticeable features of the “Rushmore” motorcycles.  On the pearl/metal flake finish of the Harley Davidson Ultra Limited Daytona Blue paint, that flat black just plan sucked.

I finally got around to purchasing the Küryakyn Chrome “Fairing Vent Cover” to cover that atrocity. 

The installation was, for the most part, quite straight forward.  Clean the surface and press on the part so the 3M adhesive can adhere to the surface.  But, from past experience the key to making it stick long term is a “SUPER” clean surface.  The way I handle the cleaning of any surface that will be stuck with 3M adhesives is:

            1) Wait for a WARM day.

            2) Vigorous wipe down with soft clean cloth.

            3) Vigorous use of a glass cleaner and a clean cloth.

            4) After drying, a second vigorous use of glass cleaner and a clean cloth.

            5) Use of supplied alcohol wipes for final cleaning. 

After the cleaning I test fitted the part to make sure I understood where and how it was going to fit.  The instructions suggested using masking tape to mark where everything aligns but, in my case, that was not necessary.

The hardest part of installation was getting the little strip covers off the adhesive.  I don’t have the longest fingernails but I doubt that many folks could have peeled these cover off with ease.  I ended up using jewelry sized flat end screwdrivers to get the strip loose then tiny pliers to pull them off…. It took over 15 minutes to get a few strip off .

I am quite pleased with the appearance of the cover on my bike.  MUCH better than the OEM standard!

 

 

Motorcycle Touring Vacation: Part 3 – Breakdown on the Highway

Posted: July 5, 2015 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touring
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Towed away!

As I noted in Part 2, we left the Wheels Through Time Motorcycle Museum headed north on the Blue Ridge Parkway. But my internal navigation system “honed through years of military training” (LOL) kept telling me we were going the wrong direction. The crazy GPS lady was stating we were headed in the right direction but my trust was not there.

So going against the rules of my “man card” I stopped at one of the overlooks with several bikers taking in the awesome view. After a bit of small talk they confirmed I was headed in the right direction…so much for my instincts LOL. BUT, I was not completely wrong, turns out that this portion of the parkway made a long southern dip before turning to the north. So…vindication!!!

The next day we left the hotel at about 8 AM and hit Interstate 40. WOW, if you have to ride on an interstate highway let them all be like I40. Lots of elevation changes, even more gentle twists and turns on good to great tarmac, I40 is a motorcyclist dream of how every interstate should look. The next time I head to that part of the country I will roll through there again.

That wonderful feeling you get when the bike, the road, the weather and everything else comes together for the perfect ride came apart about three hours into our sojourn when the bike came apart. I was feeling an odd tap on my boot but when I looked down there was nothing there, when Debbie looked she said my shifter looked loose. Turns out it was more than loose, the linkage had come apart!!!!

I was in 6th gear and unable to change gears! I saw an exit coming up and decided to try and baby the bike off the highway, down the exit ramp and into a gas station. I was afraid that if I had to stop that the bike would stall and I was in no mood to push. Luckily, there was no traffic at the bottom of the ramp and with a wide turn I made it through the exit and was able to roll to a stop in front of the Hartford, TN Citgo.

As soon as I was off the bike it was clear that this was a big issue around a little part. Somehow the linkage that connects to the shaft that connects to the heel/toe shift levers had disconnected. The torx screw that is used to tighten the linkage to the shaft was still there, the whole thing just vibrated right off.

The multi-tool that Harley gives you with the Ultra Limited was of no help. One bit was to small, and the next bit was to large, even so I am not sure I would have been able to fix the problem with the tool based on where I needed to be to reattach and tighten the screw.

So, as Harley Owners Group members, we called in for a tow. A few hours later we were talking with Joe at Smoky Mountain Harley Davidson of Pigeon Forge, TN. Less than 30 minutes after it was off the tow truck it was fixed and ready to ride.

From what I can tell, based on comments on Twitter, Facebook, user forums and HD techs this is not an uncommon problem. In fact I have had several people comment that, based on my roadside breakdown, that when they checked their linkage they found loose connections. IF YOU HAVE AN FLH… CHECK YOUR SHIFT LINKAGE!

Anyway, the entire ordeal lasted about 6 hours altogether. Which put us behind our semi-planned scheduled. We stopped for the night right after crossing into Virginia and then rode the all the way home the next day… through some rain of course!

The entire trip was 6 day and 1700 miles in length. We spent some quality time together even if the weather and traffic and breakdowns put a crimp in our trip. We had a good time and look forward to our next adventure. Hopefully with less rain!

Motorcycle Touring Vacation: Part 2 Beach to the Mountains & a Motorcycle Museum

Posted: July 4, 2015 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touring
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(Although I could subtitle this Beach to the Mountains via a lot of traffic and a lot more rain)

After a few days chill-laxing on the beach (Part 1)….without the excitement of sharks, we packed the bike up and headed to Smokey Mountains. In particular, we were headed to Maggie Valley, NC and the Wheels Through Time Motorcycle Museum.

What should have been a 5-6 hour ride turned out to be a nearly twelve hour ordeal. Unfortunately there were multiple accidents on our route, one of which resulted in multiple deaths and closed Interstate 26 for about 8 hours.

In addition to the traffic issues we also had a lot of rain in fact you can quantify the rain into the following:Ijustwant2ride

2 rain showers

2 thunderstorms

5+ “sprinkles”

1 wet t-shirt contest

The reason for the wet t-shirt contest was we became tired of putting on and removing the rain suits. If it was not raining the sun made the suits intolerable and the last shower…we just decided to ride through.

One highlight of the day was, I thought, the built in infotainment system. The system worked very well, within the limits of the road network, and rerouted us through different parts of South and North Carolina. With the exception of a 30 mile section of I26 we were on the move most of the time. But that 30 mile section left my clutch hand very tired and sore (I required a couple of pain pills that evening). At dusk we gave in and got a room about 8PM and hoped for an early start to get to Maggie Valley.

We left the hotel for a quick McDonalds’ breakfast the next morning and met another couple on their own bike vacation. They were on the return leg of their trip, headed back to north Indiana on their GoldWing Trike. Back on our bike we were at Maggie Valley and the museum within an hour.

If you love motorcycles then you must visit the Wheels Through Time Museum. The bikes that Dale Walksler has assembled is nothing less than fantastic. But, what puts it over the top is that they all run, in fact he started a couple while we were there! He rode a 1930’s Harley trough the main lobby and out the front door. We also saw him riding a 1920 Harley with youngster in the side car.  Unfortunately Dale’s Discovery TV show “What’s in the Barn” was canceled.

There is no way that I can do justice to the quality of these museum with just a few paragraphs. If you are in this area of North Carolina/Tennessee for the awesome riding you must stop by and check out what the museum offers.

Ijustwant2ride.comAfter a few hours we needed to mount up and put some miles down. This day the weather was perfect for riding, cool, clear and wonderful. We were headed to the Blue Ridge Parkway but decided to ride through the Smoky Mountain National Park and the Cherokee Indian Reservation to stop by Cherokee Harley Davidson, where I picked up another pin. We jumped on the Parkway and headed north crossing the highest point on the parkway and riding through multiple tunnels.

Although the speed limit is 45 MPH the parkway is still a great ride with awesome views of the Smoky Mountains. We either passed, or met at the overlooks, several hundred other bikers out for a great ride.

 

 

Out and About on our Motorcycle

Posted: June 9, 2015 in C&O Canal, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Rides
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Last Sunday morning Debbie and I jumped on the Ultra Limited (I think I am going to call it Big Blue) for a day ride.  With no real destination in mind we thought about hitting a couple spots on the C&O Canal.  If you have been following this blog you know I am slowly documenting those spots along the canal assessable by motorcycle. 

Ijustwant2ride.com

Old school McDonalds.

We left the house about 9AM heading west.  We stopped for a bit of breakfast at a McDonalds along Route 9 near Charles Town, WV.  As you can see in the photo it is one of those restaurants designed to look like an old school McDonalds, pretty cool.

 After filling out tanks (including Big Blue’s) we continued west on WV Route 9 then north on Interstate 81 then west on Interstate 70.  Normally we like the back roads much more than the Interstate but today we thought it would be better on the highway.  Pulling off into Hancock, Md we begin looking for the stops on the Canal but also found some other cool things as well, like the huge anti-aircraft missile in front of a Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) building.

We found both stops along the C&O, the Tonoloway stop and the Hancock Visitors Center.  The visitor’s center was very hard to find as it is not well signed and the road into the park was practically invisible unless you are looking for it as we were.  

Heading back east we wanted to stop at one additional canal stop (4 Locks) and we did but not the one we were looking for.  Again the signage was bad and we happened upon C&O Canal Dam #5 only because I noticed a street called Dam #5 Road (quite imaginative) and the fact that I knew there was a C&O dam in the general area.  But the fact we did not find the area we were looking for was no big deal as the area was great riding, rolling hills, great farmland views all made up for not finding the site. 

After looking about Dam #5 we mounted up and headed for home.  On the way home we started seeing hundreds of motorcycles heading north and west along our route. When we stopped for lunch we asked a couple who were riding if they know what was occurring.  Turns out it was the aftermath of “Operation God Bless America” a ride from New Castle, PA to the Veterans Hospital in Martinsburg, WV.  We have never heard of this particular ride before but with, according to the couple to which we spoke, over 2000 bikes it is one we will check out in the future. 

Unfortunately we had to head home to some yard work. But, as you can tell by the pictures, we had a good time on our 200+ mile day trip.

 

Motorcycle Product Review: ProGuards Crashbar Protectors

Posted: May 12, 2015 in Motorcycle, Product Reviews
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I was asked by “Rude Biker Chick” if I would be willing to review a motorcycle product for an associate of hers.  Being the gadget guy I am, of course I could.

A few weeks later a package from Pensacola, FL arrived. ProGuards had sent me a set of their “Original Crashbar Protectors” to check out. ijustwant2ride.comAccording to the packaging and their website ProGuards are:

“sleeves made of black polypropylene that fit over motorcycle crash bars, engine guards, and highway bars. They’re designed to protect against scratches and scrapes during a fall. ProGuards are easily removable and inexpensive. They’re perfect for beginning riders and recommended for motorcycle instruction classes.”

Designed for the standard 1 to 1 ¼ inch crashbars (or engine guard as Harley prefers), I had no issues getting them on the crash bars of my 2008 Heritage Softail Classic, they went on with a gentle rap from my fist.  Now as soon as they were one I had a concern, as you can see in the picture the guards have a little “pointy” top to them and I thought that, at speed, they might whistle. A quick ride with the wife to dinner ameliorated that concern, no noise at any speed (well at least to 75MPH)!

I did have a mounting issue on my 2014 Ultra Limited BUT it was not due to the product.  The fitment issue is due to my height and length of legs. The distance between the lower fairing mount and where I have my highway pegs mounted prevented the ProGuard covers from fitting onto the crash bars.  Now this would be of no big consequence as I would only need to trim about an inch from the bottom.

I was perplexed by the little set of covers designed for the rear saddlebag protection. Both covers had a little circular “tab” attached that I could not readily deduce the purpose. After much thought I decided to get the answer and call Priscilla at ProGuards. Turns out those little tabs are part of the manufacturing process and they left it attached to the guards as an aid to separate the small guard from the large guard. The little tabs can be cut off with no impact to the product. I did feel a little less smart at the end of the call. LOL 🙂

So what do I think about the ProGuards Crashbar Protectors? I think that they will do exactly what they are designed to do. They will protect your crashbars from scuffs and scrapes for those inadvertent occasions you forget to put the kickstand down before you get off the bike. J Because they do what they state they will do, are reasonably priced ($25 or $30) and do not really detract from the appearance of the bike I give them 5 out of 5 starts. Also, the fact that Priscilla answered the phone on the second ring and did not laugh to hard was a big plus.

Now I need to decide whether to trim the covers to fit the Ultra Limited or put them on the Heritage. I think I will go with the Heritage to cover up some… hummm…  scuffs.

5 star

 

 

Year Round Motorcycle Riding: The Rounders

Posted: December 21, 2014 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle news, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touring
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I officially declare that I have ridden a motorcycle at least once during each month of 2014.  This makes me a “Rounder” according to the site yearrounders.com.  While I have ridden like this in the past I did not know there was a name or a group for this type of accomplishment.

I use the world accomplishment very much tongue-in-cheek as I enjoy riding as often as possible and have the gear to ride when I want.  But, if you review their website (yearrounders.com), you will see that the rounders enjoy the same tongue-in-cheek approach.

Riding our Harley Davidson Ultra Limited Debbie and I have put down just over 7000 miles in all kinds of weather.  According to their temperature guide, we have checked off all but three of their categories, and I have no plans to knock the those three off this year. 🙂

  • 100’s+ Red Hot Rounder  (check)
  • 90’s Sweating Rounder   (check)
  • 80’s Half Baked Rounder   (check)
  • 70’s – R&R (Rounder Relaxing)   (check)
  • 60’s -Jr. Rounder (Just Riding)   (check)
  • 50’s – LOTF Rounder (Looking Over The Fence)   (check)
  • 40’s – FOTF Rounder (Fringe of the Fringe)   (check)
  • 30’s – Half Rounder   (check)
  • 20’s – TQ Rounder (Three Quarts)
  • 0-20 – Rounder
  • KHOF Rounder (Kook Hall of Fame)

Whether or not you are or even want to be a year rounder you should check out their website for the fun of it!

 

 

Harley Davidson “Creeping Clutch” Recall – 5000 mile Service – Zagat Rated Lunch – and a Motorcycle Ride to nowhere in particular.

Posted: October 14, 2014 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle racing, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touring
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Ijustwant2ride.comThe wife and I took the motorcycle (Ultra Limited) out Sunday after sleeping in (long hours required a bit extra sleep (that is my story and I am sticking to it)) for a short ride.  It was a cool day and we put our chaps on for the 1st time since early spring….fall is in the air in Northern Virginia! 

I wanted to stop a Frederick Harley Davidson to schedule some services.  I need to have the 5000 mile service performed (currently setting at about 5700 miles) and I need to have the current recall service performed as well.  This is the hydraulic clutch recall which portrays its symptoms as the bike creeping forward even though the clutch lever is fully engaged.  Our bike does not have the malfunction indications but it needs to be fixed before it does.  In talking with the service rep Frederick HD has already performed hundreds of recall services for this issue but no one had reported that the bike was suffering from creeping clutch. 

After setting up the appointment, we decided to get some lunch.  Even though we both agree we need to eat better…….we went to 5 Guys Burgers!  For those of you that do not live in an area with a 5 Guys restaurant you have no idea what you are missing.  This burger chain is Zagat rated and has won hundreds if not thousands of awards and accolades for their hamburgers.   So even though we may have not eaten better we ate well! 

After lunch we headed to the house via the long way.  We just cruised around for a while going nowhere in particular.  We spent only about four hours on the bike but I think we can both say is was a nice little outing!

 

Motorcycle Radio : DawgHouse #279 This week – Ducati Scrambler – Top 10 Motorcycle Roads – The Hoverbike

Posted: October 2, 2014 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle news, Motorcycle racing, Motorcycle radio, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touring
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CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE SHOW

 

Racing News:

Flattrack from Callastoga.

MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 results from Aragon.

Picks for World Superbike Magny-Cours.

 

Warren’s News:

Another Top 10 Roads…North America

Bear Tooth Pass

HD is recalling 2014 Street and Touring bikes

Want to see a hoverbike get off the ground?

Ken’s News

Biker gang wars …in Canada???

Ducati goes off-road?

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Motorcycle Review: My thoughts on our new 2014 Ultra Limited…Part 5… Really Harley…really

Posted: July 19, 2014 in Motorcycle, Product Reviews
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The dealer database is just WRONG, I don’t understand why!!!

Debbie and I took an 890 mile weekend ride over the 4th of July holiday.  It was here that a VERY surprising weakness with the built in GPS appeared. The motorcycle GPS has a database of HD dealers. During our ride I selected Freedom HD (Canton, OH) from the list of local dealerships in the GPS and we rolled out.

After about a 15 minute ride the GPS announced that we had reach our destination “on the right”. “Technically” it was correct, Freedom HD was on the right, but we were in the middle of the interstate and the dealership was about 300 yards, a large ditch, a fence and another roadway away. It was no better when we attempted to go to Adventure HD. You could see the dealership as we traveled down the interstate but, the GPS lady directed us in the opposite direction when we hit the exit. Following her directions we ended up in the parking lot of a Sheetz gas station.

Thank you for using the crazy GPS lady tours of eastern Ohio, my name is Harley I hope you had a good time.

Not only did it fail to find these two dealerships, it also failed to find Steel City HD on our trip home, placing the shop about a mile away on the wrong side of the road. We only found this store because there was no place to turn around along the road. To give the GPS system database of dealerships some credit it did find Valley HD and Neidengard’s HD with no issue. This is a brand new 2014 Ultra Limited with the most current software load. To only find 2 out of 5 dealerships listed in the database is poor quality control at best and plain stupid at worst.

Another weakness of the database is how the dealers are displayed.  At one point in the trip I thought let’s see what dealers are in the area… when I went to the database everything displayed as “Harley Davidson of” that’s it, just “Harley Davidson of”.

Now the reason for that is that all the dealers in that area were Harley Davidson of XXX city.  With a lot of the dealers named in that manner it would take some effort to make them display in a manner that was usable to the rider. There may be a way to see the entire name, but it is it was not an easy to find selection.

So, I state with some energy, the GPS in the new Rushmore motorcycles is crazy in the head, the head unit that is!

All in all I have to give the bike a big thumbs up over the 2011 model.  Yes there are some weaknesses, but there is no reason that HD cannot overcome them, IF THEY DESIRE TO.  That last part is what worries me.  Are they going to leave are GPS and other items as is or are they going to make our rides better?  I have no idea.

You can read part 4 of the review here!

 

Ijustwant2ride.com

I want to go to HD of ????

 

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