Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Classic reviews

I'm still riding the Classic although the 2014's are looking good. No problems with the bike so far other than corrosion around the rear rim which caused a slow leak. I got it cleaned up and we're good. 5th gear is still noisy but not a problem. Ride safe. Show less

I finally made the switch to a Harley. I have owned, two Goldwings, two Ventures and an ST1300 plus a couple of smaller cruisers. My wife and I have spent the past 14 years taking bike trips. The Goldwings have the liner power, however the ride quality of the 2011 Classic is just as smooth. Harley has made numerous improvements in technology and it shows. I love the sound, feel and solid handling. You can turn on a dime. I'm very happy and my wife is a convert. I would recommend anyone looking for a full dresser to seriously ride a Glide - you won't be disappointed. I got a great deal and excellent service at the Orlando Harley dealership, the best Harley dealer I have visited. Show less

I've now owned this bike for 3.5 years and have put over 25k on her. I've been on three long road trips, each in excess of 2k miles (two trips to Deals Gap, North Carolina and one trip to Cape Hatteras, starting in Central Florida) and numerous weekend trips around Central Florida. The bike has performed flawlessly. Most trips were 2up with a lot of highway miles. She has a little vibration at idle, which I like, but smooths out as soon as you start rolling. I've never had a problem with my radio and my wife says she can hear it well even at 75 mph. on the highway. By the way, my wife has actually fallen asleep on the back a couple of times. She has performed flawlessly for me thru cold, heat, rain and hard riding. The Brembo brakes are not ABS but perform well for me and, as a bonus, changing the pads is surprisingly easy. Speaking of maintenance, my brother has a 2008 Goldwing. My bike is much easier to work on than his. I bought a service manual and follow the recommended intervals and have never had a problem. She has never been into a shop for service as I do it all myself. The fit and finish is outstanding and has held up well over time. As with all twin cam scoots, she does run hot (thanks EPA) and I spent a considerable amount of time trying to cool her down. I finally installed a Stage 1 kit that seems to cool her off some. I will put on an Ultra Cool Oil Cooler this year though as she is still hot when stuck in traffic. Show less

My wife and I love this bike. It's great to ride and great to go out to the garage and look at. It's so comfortable that after a long day of riding, you can't wait to ride some more. I owned a Goldwing for years, but this is way more fun. Show less

I just had the bike serviced for the fifth trip to Sturgis, South Dakota. It was my only regular maintenance required for the past 21,500 miles. No surprises, it has exceeded my expectations of a big touring bike. I did 1,836 miles on her in 36 hours last year returning from Washington State. I'm 65 and found it to be very comfortable for that type of long distance riding. Heat; yes, Noise; no. It's all original except for two new rear tires, seems that 10,000 to 12,000 miles are all that I am able to get. I consistently get from 48 to 52 miles per gallon, not bad for a big bore tourer. If you can get your hands wrapped around a used one you won't be disappointed. Stay verticle and keep the shiny side up. Good riding in 2010. Show less

I walked in to a HD dealership just to check things out. A day later I was back looking again at a used Kawasaki. Saw a 2009 EGC, inside, on the showroom floor with all the 2010's. I thought it was a new 2010 also. Well, needless to say, I ended up buying it with only 1100 km on the odometer. There were several reasons for purchasing this wonderful machine... 1.) I had a 2006 Sporty 883L. I loved it for myself yet, it was not comfy for my partner and I on it. She did not feel safe on it with the lack of room. It was also sluggish when we were both on it. 2.) My partner's cousin and her hubby (we ride with them) have a 2008 Road Glide (FLTR), all tricked out to 110 Screamin' Eagle kit Stage Three with full, detachable, touring pack. They love it and she has all the room she needs. He says she can fall asleep on the back. He took mine for a spin and was quite pissed off. I asked him what was up and he told me that he wished he had waited a tear and got the 2009 because he could feel how different it handled and braked and was seriously impressed. 3.) We want to tour with our friends but it would not really have been possible on the 883L. 4.) We decided that the next bike we get will be for the both of us. Big, with power and safety, good/reliable service record and also needed to look like we wanted to be on it. Looks awesome with the tour pack off and we like the Pewter Pearl colour. Doesn't show the dirt as much a the dark ones do. :) 5.) Our EGC was priced well and the dealership gave us a good trade in for my 2006 Sporty 883. WE ended up saving a lot from buying a 2010. that's with all the extras that were put on it from the 1st owner. 6.) We really saw that this was a great deal for a 'basically' brand new bike (exactly 1124 km / 702 miles when I picked it up). New frame and tire design, great new brakes, and all the add upgrades/accessories the previous owner (a doctor) put on it. 7.) The dealership also did the complete first service on it. This saved me! It runs great. I enjoy having all the extra room and power, especially when the two of us are on it. Feels comfortable and handles well. Yet, I am still getting used to the fact that it does not handle like the Sporty. They are two different beasts. I am not too happy with the fuel consumption. The bike is stock. If anyone has any ideas as to how I can increase my mileage and use less fuel, I'd truly appreciate it. Also, I am trying to figure out if it is necessary to always use 94 octane or if 91 and 92 will do? I did a test and found that I only got 1/2 km more on a litre using the 94 against using the 91 octane! The difference in cost is $0.03 per litre. Anyone out there have their thoughts on this? I am also happy with the fact that it has air shocks on the back. This is going to come in real handy when we are touring. The storage capacity is good for the two of us. We know we can get all we need on it when we head out on the road for a while like the fact that I can take off the tour pack and just ride with the saddle bags when I'm on my own. This seems to be a well built machine even though I have noticed after washing it that they cinched out in certain places using nuts and bolts that are already starting to show signs of rust! I guess I'll just have to replace them with something better. Hmmm... I have found it to be quite hot when having to sit at a red light in traffic. Purchased a Mid-Frame Air Deflector to help alleviate this. All in all, we are happy with our bike and are looking to enjoy many years of riding for fun and touring North America and, hopefully, Latin and South America. Okay, off for a ride now. Show less

Still Lovin It. Spent a lot of time riding in the hot desert southwest this summer. A lot of hard riding in 100+ degrees. Other than an intermittent problem with the Harmon Kardon radio the bike ran flawlessly. Harley needs to fix their radio! I'll probably stick in an aftermarket unit this winter rather than deal with a rebuilt radio(under warranty)that will probably fail again. Planning on a coast to coast trip next summer and have to have my tunes. Show less

Still happy. Adjusted the rear shocks for two-up riding and she glides down the road. The Wife likes the glide and we spend more time together crusin the countryside. Little more road feel when it's just me but I like it that way. I get lots of compliments on the color and the style. Still planning out the extra chrome statement. I have added the rear turn signal modulator to have more lights on for night crusin. Got a few more lighting goodies planned to go with the chrome plan. Show less

Love the bike. No negatives at all. I have the quick release for the tour pak and also have a second shorter windshield. It is like having two bikes. I'd buy another one tomorrow. Show less

This is a follow up of my previous post concerning my 09 Elec.Glide. Just got it back from the 1,000 miles service. I was a little concerned about a transmission gear lash noise, however they reassured me that it is normal. I had them put Bel Ray fluid back in the tranny hoping to quiet the 5th gear whine. The noise is still there, but it is quieter. I will say again that the ride and handling are excellent, and NO excessive engine heat. I test drove a new Goldwing a week before we purchased the Elec.Glide, and the EG handles and rides every bit as good, if not better than the GW. Now it's time to concentrate on aftermarket exhaust. Show less