Greetings,

Thought I'd pass along my experience renting a 2018 Uttra

The wife and I just got back from a 6 day trip out to Montana. Mom moved out there last year and my grandmother and aunt just moved out there as well. They live in the Big Fork and Columbia Falls area. The wife and I decided to rent a bike while going to see the family this year. Closest dealer that rented was in Missoula (120 miles from Big Fork). My wife and I both have Switchbacks with aftermarket suspension and I run an Andrews 57H cam in my bike. We put 877 miles on the Ultra during the 6 days we were out there.

For starters, compared to the Switchback, the Ultra is massive. I think it's 910lbs vs 720 for the FLD. I was surprised that once I got out of the parking lot though, it rode and handled really well. I found I had to plot out a turn a little earlier than the FLD, but got used to it in no time. In very slow speed and parking lots, the bike felt ponderous. Having said that, by the end of the trip it was less of an issue, but still noticeable. We went to Glacier Park one day and coming out of the east side of the park and then hitting route 2 had some great twisties, which the bike handled very well. This Ultra had the 107 M8. The engine was deliciously smooth with just enough shake and rumble, but on a bike of this size, thought it needed something with more pep. When passing, I did need to down shift 1-2 gears. Maybe I'm used to my bike with the Andrews 57H cam, which pulls to redline.

As mentioned, my wife and I both have upgraded front and rear suspension in our Switchbacks. I thought the stock suspension of the Ultra M8 was pretty decent. Road imperfections were handled without drama and only bottomed out once when we hit a very jarring spot on the road., while 2 up with a full luggage load. Unlike the Switchback, suspension wouldn't be a necessity to upgrade. I could easily live with the stock suspension. Brakes were great. Had a nice feel and were more powerful than the FLD's. Would love to have those brakes on my bike.

I'm very particular on the seat, foot position, hand position ergo's. I have a garage full of seats and handlebars that I've collected in quest of "the seat" for my bike (which hasn't quite yet been found). This was one of the very few bikes that fit me really well stock. I'm 5'11" with 34" inseam. One of the most comfortable bikes I've ridden. I like sitting more upright and not really a fan of feet forward. The bike put me into a very neutral position, which for me is great. My wife thought the passenger accommodations were excellent as well. Both seats are tallish and wide with a lot of padding. Having said that, we did get caught in a few rain storms where water puddles in the seat. I have a HD Tallboy seat as one of the seats for my FLD and it wasn't too far off from the seat on the Ultra.

The touring trunk was a first for me. It swallowed our soft luggage and the side bags are about 1/3 bigger than the FLD's....very nice. The trunk holds two Schuberth modular helmets easily. Having that little compartment where the I Phone goes was nifty. Having music while riding was AWESOME. I write and record music. Blasting some of my tunes while dancing in the Rocky Mountains was for me, really cool. The controls and their layout seemed to be pretty easy to figure out and were pretty easy to use. Having navigation was also a first for me and an appreciated asset. Cruise Control was a nice feature to have, but I never used it. I understand though, it is one of the better CC options out there.

My only gripe with the bike was weight. Compared to the FLD, it is a beast. Once moving it's fine, but it's the really slow speed stuff that I had to really pay attention to. If my wife decided she wasn't going to ride her own bike anymore, I would seriously consider getting one of these, or the Road Glide Ultra. It is a great 2 up bike. For me solo though, I want something lighter.....like the FLD, or in today's offerings, possibly the Heritage. I had removed the RAM phone mount on the bike to take with us on the trip (which we never used due to the nifty cubby hole for the phone on the Ultra). I remounted it on my bike when we got home and also took the opportunity to just sit on my bike. The Switchback felt like a toy after being on the rolling couch for a few days. This experience does have me thinking of a Road King, Street Glide or Road Glide though.

All in all, I'd easily rent on of these again for a trip with my wife.

 

Good post.

You should sell some of those extra seats and handlebars to recoup that money back.

 

Nice review. Sounds like a great trip. We "geezer-glide" owners can identify with everything you mentioned. Thanks for posting.

 

Very nice review. The weight becomes more manageable or, in my case, not noticeable at all once you used to it and "respect it". It does teach you to perform slow speed maneuvers properly as taught, with proper use of the rear brake and friction zone. I've owned my Ultra Limited for 5 years now and at 5'9" and 180lbs. I feel I can do all the maneuvers I did on my previous much lighter and smaller bikes. I'm also a true believer in recurrent advance rider training and the "Ride Like A Pro" videos.

"Respect" the machine and all will be well. (lol.... and learn the proper way to raise the cycle should you ever need to upright it.)

 

Great review and I totally agree that the LTD is a Mack truck at low speeds. They don’t like gravel parking lots at slow speed either. It keeps me on my toes at all times. Weight shift from the passenger coming to a stop is another issue.

Good luck with what ever you chose.

 

Good detailed report on your rental experience for a 2018 Ultra.

My thoughts on this are, have you considered Softail Heritage Classic, they weight 100 to about 200 pounds lighter
than a Bike in the Touring Family. As far as cost goes, the only thing that costs less than a Heritage Classic is a
Road King Standard. What I'm talking about is a Softail Heritage Classic with a 114 inch engine with color paint,
not vivid black like the Bikes I use in the Touring Family. Your only added cost would be a tour pack, which you
need to get for a Road King Standard also.
JMO

John

 

I bought an Ultra Limited in December as my first Harley.
The first few time I threw my leg over I was concerned thinking it would handle like a tank but was pleasantly surprised at how well it does handle.
The low speed stuff took some getting used to and still takes practice but it’s getting better.
I just got back from a 2500 mile trip up the coast of California and Oregon.

 

nice review... i guess i am considered a geezer.....at 33 LOL with a 2008 ultra. But i am 6 foot 3 and 250 so if i have or ride anything smaller i will look way big on the bike.


When i buy agian i will look into a new ULTRA they are just to comfortable for me. I need to get a quick detach for my tour pack so i can have the street glide look and it be a little more sportier, but i catch my self using the tour pack all the time.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Nice write up, thanks for posting!