ninjette.org

Go Back   ninjette.org > General > Motorcycling News

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old July 3rd, 2016, 03:42 AM   #1
Ninjette Newsbot
All the news that's fit to excerpt
 
Ninjette Newsbot's Avatar
 
Name: newsie
Location: who knows?
Join Date: Jun 2008

Motorcycle(s): only digital replicas

Posts: Too much.
[motorcycle.com] - Church Of MO 2009 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Standard Review


Tomorrow being July 4th, which if you don’t know, is Independence Day here in America, where the MO staff is based. In celebration of this holiday today’s Church feature is all-American. And it doesn’t get much more all-American than a story about a Harley-Davidson and a trip to Sturgis. Today, we have a review of the 2009 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Standard that George “Longride” Obradovich piloted 2500 miles to Sturgis. Obradovich, owner of a 2001 Electra Glide, notes the many changes between his old bike and this new one, and gives his (probably biased) opinion about how it all works. In short, he gives it a thumbs up. Read on to find out.

2009 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Standard Review

The steed that took Longride to Sturgis

By George “Longride” Obradovich Aug. 29, 2008
Photos by George “Longride” Obradovich
With the Sturgis Rally now over and done with, I can settle in and report on the Flame Blue Pearl 2009 Harley-Davidson Electra-Glide Standard that carried me there and back again.* Many bikes that are tested by magazines are ridden a few times over a few miles, but this bike was ridden over 2500 miles and 9 days, so I didn’t just test this one, I lived with it. When you spend that much time on a bike the good, bad, and ugly really stand out. The Electra-Glide Standard is a base model for the touring lineup. As such, with a beginning MSRP of $16,999 it and the Road King are the lowest priced FL models.

Let’s get the technical items listed first. As we now know from the press launch reports on the 2009 OE and CVO models, the entire touring line received an all-new chassis for better stability and handling.

Lots of changes, same Harley style.


Also standard on all ’09 touring models is EITMS, or Engine Idle Temperature Management System. The previous years for the 96-inch motor had a rash of complaints about rear cylinder heat roasting legs in hot climates, so Harley addressed the problem with the EITMS system.This bit of Harley tech stops fueling to the rear cylinder when engine temperatures get too high during idle; it’s also now rider activated or deactivated by rotating the throttle grip forward for a count of five seconds.

In further efforts to alleviate heat issues, the crossover pipe of the exhaust system was rerouted, now running beneath the engine instead of under the rider‘s legs for better heat reduction. The front suspension received new spring rates to complement the new chassis and the new multi-compound Multi-Tread tire from Dunlop. Additionally, the “Isolated Drive System,” or more commonly, cush drive, now has its housing molded into the rear wheel hub.

Standard features include the 96 Cubic Inch Twin-Cam motor, throttle-by-wire, 6-gallon gas tank, six-speed overdrive transmission, Brembo brakes, and beautiful 28-spoke cast wheels.* Options include ABS brakes, a security system, and electronic cruise control. So that’s quite a list of features, old and new. Is all this technology really that great?* How do all the new changes work, you ask? Read on.

This bike looks great from any angle. The paint is gorgeous.


Since I have a 2001 Electra-Glide, I can fully appreciate the changes made to the new ‘09 touring models. At first glance, the new bike doesn’t look all that different from my ‘01, but a trained eye sees the larger fuel tank shape and different exhaust routing. A couple of Florida-based bikers noticed I was riding a 2009 model at Sturgis; they looked it over with a tiny gleam of envy in their eyes.

The first chance I got to ride the bike was from Milwaukee to Chicago in the typical Midwest August heat – 92 degrees.* Getting caught in a traffic jam on the way home, I can tell you that the EITMS system combined with the new exhaust routing works well. I felt almost no heat on my thighs where even my ‘01 would have been roasting them a bit on this day. And the system is so seamless; you wouldn’t even know it was there. No muss, no fuss.

The Twin-cam lump pulls smoothly from idle to redline. No injection glitches or surging could be felt anywhere in the powerband. The electronic cruise control makes this bike an absolute pleasure while hauling down the highway. I can’t say enough good things about having cruise-control on this bike. It was easily my all-time favorite feature. It is so nice to be able to set your speed on the highway and sit back and enjoy the view without hand cramps or worrying about speeding tickets.

This new bike doesn’t suffer the same buffeting that previous models endured from crosswinds or the turbulence generated by tractor/trailers or larger vehicles. The instability or “wobble,” that can be encountered in such windy conditions (especially on prior year models with their bat-wing fairing) seemed non-existent with this model.

Classic and functional cockpit. Sixth-gear indicator light is nice.


Getting the 1000 miles to Sturgis and the 1000 back was really nice on this Electra-Glide, but I had a couple of nits to pick. I found the six-speed transmission to be loud and obnoxious at times. It went into gear with a loud clack and each gear whines a different tune. I could tell which gear I was in by the sound it made. Fifth gear is especially offensive with a whine loud enough to make me think something was wrong. Maybe because the rest of the package is so quiet the gear noise seems so noticeable. (I had a similar experience to Longride’s during my time on the new touring rigs at the ’09 model launch. It’s worth noting, however, that noises not normally noticed on other or similar bikes tend to be amplified as they bounce around the cockpit of bikes with such large fairings and/or bodywork. Locating the source of a noise can be like chasing a phantom. –P.B.)

Also of note, I had a small issue with the “new and improved” suspension. The highway ride was compromised by the stiffness of the suspension. Now, I am no lightweight at 250 lbs, but for even me to think the suspension was too stiff is a first for me. Usually I mash motorcycle suspension into mush on most bikes; I think Harley went a little too heavy on this one. Not that the bike is uncomfortable, but sharp highway jolts will jar you pretty good. Since H-D is emphasizing the handling on their new tourers, I think they designed this one more for corners than the highway. Corners on a Harley? Are you kidding?

Beautiful wheels. The Brembo brakes are fantastic.


Yes, folks, this one handles. It is yards better than my ’01 and certainly the best handling Harley tourer ever. After taking this on a couple of spirited rides in the Black Hills, I can say that new chassis works. Iron Mountain Road in the Black Hills has everything from fast sweepers to 15-mph switchbacks, and is a real nice road to test the handling of any motorcycle. That stiff suspension makes sense when attacking the corners, and although the turn in seems a bit slower and heavier than the older bikes, once you get it heeled over, you are rewarded with dead solid handling and better ground clearance to boot. Corner speeds that would have my ’01 Glide doing the wobbly can be taken with ease on ’09 touring chassis. It is so well composed compared to the older generation frame that the difference is very noticeable. Add in the excellent Brembo brakes, which can haul the bike down from speed with two fingers, and you have a package that will eat those highway miles in comfort and can give you some excitement when the road gets twisty.

This bike came equipped with ABS for that extra margin of safety. For me, the jury is still out on ABS on motorcycles. I tested the ABS on this bike by purposely locking the front and rear wheels and you can feel the heavy pulsing as the ABS activates. I really didn’t like the feedback, and I guess I don’t want to rely on technology to save me from taking the time to learn proper braking technique in the first place. I guess for most, this is a good option to get on a bike, but being the old, stubborn guy I am, I just can’t see myself with an ABS bike. At least it is optional on the touring line. (ABS is standard on all CVO FL models. –P.B.)

The 96-inch motor and six-speed are the heart and soul of this bike.


As far as the ergonomics on this bike, it is still just like the Electra-Glides of old. The tank is noticeably bigger, but the bars, floorboards, and seat seem about the same. The stock seat is comfortable. I did two days of 600-plus miles, and I wasn’t too sore at the end. The new six-gallon tank gives Iron Butt types some extended range. Gas mileage varied from the high 30s on a fast highway blast into a headwind, to the high 40s on a normal highway cruise. The six-speed transmission really helps on those high-speed highway runs. At 80 mph, the motor is only turning about 3000 rpm. Nice and relaxed. Set the cruise and kick back. This one can eat the miles quickly, if desired.

The only drawback here is acceleration in overdrive is pokey at best. Expect to click down one gear for decent passing speed. One other feature that I didn’t talk about was the increased load capacity of the hard bags. Each bag is now rated to carry 5 pounds more than before, so you can get to your destination with more stuff. This is a really nice feature for us pack rats.

So are the new changes worth it? Does the new technology on the 2009 Harley-Davidson Electra-Glide Standard make a better motorcycle? Absolutely; but as you can tell from the article, some of the changes have some drawbacks. For example, the suspension that was great on the twisty roads was not as good on the highway. ABS is still a nice option for those that want it. It could save your bacon, but I just can’t bring myself to love it. My favorite extra is the optional cruise control.

Puttin’ a smile on my face!


The six-speed transmission is fantastic on the highway, but whines around town, and acceleration while in overdrive is less than stellar. The new chassis is 100% better that the old one. It gives a more stable highway ride and is rock solid in the corners. The EITMS system and changed exhaust routing took care of any annoying heat issues without any drawbacks. The engine ran perfectly, didn’t leak a drop of oil, and didn’t use any oil over the 2500 miles either. Nothing came loose, fell off, or didn’t function as intended. Fit and finish is top notch, and the Flame Blue Pearl paint is perfect. This is typical Harley-Davidson quality.

I guess the conclusion is that the bike just plain works! And although the tank and exhaust look a bit different, the bike still has “the look and sound” that has drawn people to Harley-Davidson motorcycles for oh-so-many years. Before riding this bike I was thinking of getting a new 2009 Electra-Glide. After riding this bike, I’m going to have to do more than think about it.

Church Of MO – 2009 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Standard Review appeared first on Motorcycle.com.



Click here for full story...
__________________________________________________
I'm a bot. I don't need no stinkin' signature...
Ninjette Newsbot is offline   Reply With Quote




Reply




Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
[motorcycle.com] - Church Of MO 2010 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Limited Rev Ninjette Newsbot Motorcycling News 0 December 13th, 2015 05:10 AM
[motorcycle.com] - Church Of MO 2009 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Review Ninjette Newsbot Motorcycling News 0 October 25th, 2015 03:32 AM
[motorcycle.com] - Ohio Man to be Buried on 1967 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ninjette Newsbot Motorcycling News 0 January 31st, 2014 04:00 PM
[topix.net] - Open Relationship | 2002 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Standard Ninjette Newsbot Motorcycling News 0 November 3rd, 2010 05:00 PM
[topix.net] - 2009 Harley-Davidson FLHTCU Ultra Classic Electra Glide - Ride It Ninjette Newsbot Motorcycling News 0 November 21st, 2009 11:40 AM


Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


Motorcycle Safety Foundation

All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:56 PM.


Website uptime monitoring Host-tracker.com
Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
Except where otherwise noted, all site contents are © Copyright 2022 ninjette.org, All rights reserved.