Harley-Davidson FLHT Electra Glide Standard reviews

I wrote the (good so far) review back in febuary. Made a couple of small modiifications since then. don't wast money on the Harley stereo if you don't want to. I added a 200 watt head unit with mp3 input and two Pioneer 5 1/4 speakers I also added two pioneer tweeters where the two guages would be on the ultra classic. At a cost of about 400 dollars including the MP3 player. This has given my wife and I more than enough road music while on rides. I suggest the MP3 player because the vibration on the harley tends to make the cd skip on any head unit but harley radio but hey thats a 1200. The bike is still smooth but does tend to get a little windshear above 90. Oh and by the way I smoked some cat on a Road King during bike week who was talking smack about his fuel injection providing more power. Stage one Kicks some booty deffinately get the option if your bike is carburated. Great overall bike. Show less

I bought this bike after riding my 2004 Softail Night Train to and from Sturgis last year, logging a 1157 mile/19 hour run from Denver to my home in Southern California on the last day of the ride. I almost crippled my 42 year old body in the process. Friends and I made plans to ride to Sturgis again this year, about 1600 miles one way, and there was no way I was going to do it again on a softail. I bought my 05 FLHTI and have been continuously amazed at how well the bike performs and how efortless it chews up the miles. I throw my leg over this beauty every morning and she always fires right up. On the road she is smooth and stable, and when the road gets twisty she handles the curves with smooth entry and exit and rock steady handling. Even the ground clearance is excellent. If I had any one complaint regarding this purchase it would not be with the motorcycle but rather with the dealers who have a "well if you don't buy it the next guy certainly will". Harley dealers are as varied as any other motorcycle brand I have come across. There are good ones and bad ones, selling bikes at MSRP or at a premium over MSRP. You will just have to shop dealers around till you find one you get along with. In my 26 years of riding, on 14 different bikes (Everything from a Yamaha SRX to a Ninja 900 to a Triumph RS) this bike just does it all and does it so comfortably I forget I am on a bike sometimes and not tooling around in a sports car. Great bike! Show less

I bought my electra glide standard, about 2 weeks ago. Before that I had a harley 1200R sportster which I loved, but wasn't too good on the highway. My harley dealer, (which is Roeders in sandusky, which is such a great place to buy a bike) let me demo a 05 electra glide standard. I took it up on the interstate...I was so impressed. For a bike its size it rides like a cadillac. It has such a stable ride...and trucks whizzing by at 75MPH, doesnt affect it. I got back at the dealership and signed on the dotted line. I have put over 1400 miles on it now in the last 2 weeks. Honestly, this is the best thing I ever bought in my life.....Thanks Harley for making such a great bike!!! Show less

I just traded in my 2005 XL1200R Sportster on this new Electra Glide and put all of my breakin miles on it this last weekend. This is the smoothest most comfortable ride I have ever had on any bike. I am happy to say this is money well spent. Show less

I recently purchase my 05 Electra Glide and love every second I'm on it. I have had 2 Harleys in the past (91 Fatboy and Sportster 1200 Custom. Both bikes were great to ride but not as smooth as the Electra Glide. Freeway speeds are a pleasure and the batwing keeps you out of the wind from your head to your hands. The bike is nicely finished as stock and I don't feel the immediate need to buy chrome to make her look better (aleast for now). As is, she gets plenty of compliments. She was deffinately one of the best buys of my life. Show less

I have had my new FLHTI Electra Glide for about 3 months now and love everything about it. The stock engine has more than enough power for my needs, even when I am riding with my wife on board. The ride is smooth and comfortable. The handling, though heavy, is exactly as I expected. Both seats are very comfortable for long rides. It has classic H-D motorcycle beauty. It seems to be extremely well made. I have not had one problem with it so far. The fuel injection works perfectly. I had contemplated installing a stage one modification to the engine, but I now think that I will wait a year or so and see if I really do need the extra power. I bought a passenger backrest and a luggage rack for it, and both items are well made and look good. I opted for the spoke wheels option and don't regret it at all. The rims are chromed and very sharp looking. You can't go wrong if you want a Harley-Davidson motorcycle that is comfortable, rides well, looks great and is less expensive than most of the other big-twin models. Show less

I traded in a 2004 Sportster last September for this Electra Glide Chopper Blue Pearl FLHTI. As far as speed and agility goes, the Sportster would run circles around my Electra Glide but that doesn't mean I regret the trade. The Electra Glide is 200 pounds heavier and as a result you lose some of the "hurry up go fast" of the Sporty, but the there is no comparison in the ride. I love my new bike and personally I think it is one of the coolest bikes Harley offers. I was having a little trouble finding the right combination of jets on my Sporty to get it to run like I wanted so when I traded I was adamant I wanted electronic fuel injection. Turn on the switch, wait for the light to go out and hit the starter and it will start every time and runs great. I also had a cruise control put on it. That was the best $400 I ever spent. Since the Standard is somewhat Plain Jane right from the factory, I have added several $$ of bling bling over the winter and now I have it just about like I want it and the appearance has improved significantly. I also added a rider backrest. This was another worthwhile expenditure. That was probably one of the first things I should have bought. As far as the windshield goes I opted for a shorter one rather than a taller one. I was a little worried that it would allow too much wind to hit me but it doesn't. It is about perfect. If I put my hand in front of my face while I'm riding the tips of my fingers will start hitting blowing air at about the level of the top of my helmet. With the shorter windshield your vision is totally unrestricted but you still get lots of protection. I would recommend this windshield to any 6 footer. Overall this is a great bike. My wife is much more comfy riding than she was with the Sportster and would give 2 thumbs up also. Show less

This is a truly wonderfull bike. It just seems to be the best value of all Harleys to me. The looks and handling are fantastic. I have left it stock so far except for a nice big backrest for the wife. This bike is fuel injected and has all the speed and power I need. The big hole where the radio would go does perturb me and why Harley wouldn't put a factory flap over that makes me wonder... but other than that, it's a great machine. Show less

This bike has exceeded every expectation I had. A large part of my history with motorcycles was about going fast.. turbo, wheelies, burnouts, flying through the canyons, etc. I also had skeptisism about the reliability of the Harley. The bottom line is that I have owned this 2004 FLHTI for 9 months, and have 10,500 miles on it. I have ridden this bike from Los Angeles to NYC Ground Zero and back. It did not even burn so much as a teaspoon of oil during the whole trip, and started like a new car every time. Even at 10,500 miles, not a rattle!! The back tire is also still original with about 1,000 miles left on it. I had rented Gold Wings for long rides previously, and this bike is far more comfortable. I have done several days of almost 800 miles in total comfort. With the right highway pegs, you can literally run until you need to sleep. The locking luggage with the detachable trunk held everything for my long trip, an amazing amount of stuff completely packed away safely. No need to worry about the rain or anything. Speaking of rain, the bike runs as solid as a car in even the heaviest rain. As far as canyons are concerned?? This bike slams through the corners with amazing agility for a bike it's size, far better than the Gold Wing in my opinion. The only advantage the Gold Wing had was in the area of pure power. But I did not buy this bike for power. I bought it for style, fun and comfort. I bought it for a certain kind of motorcycling experience, one of relaxation, to experience the world on 2 wheels in the glow of comfort and the sound of a Harley V-Twin under me. It does, however, have plenty of power. It gets right up to 80 or 90 mph in a very short snap and will easily give you 110 mph or so of you want it. Although not a drag bike, it goes plenty quick, I have never felt like I was short on power. On the highway 75 to 90 mph is a great zone for this bike. Even at these speeds it gives around 38 MPG's. If you are looking for a great looking, great sounding, reliable and fun bike to tour on, then there is none better!! I hope I can afford to keep it (I heard overall maintenance can be expensive)!! Show less

This is my third Harley, and clearly the best. I rode Wide Glides prior to getting the Electra Glide. I was skeptical to get a touring bike because I liked the aggresive handling of the Wide Glide. I was pleasantly suprised at how nimble the big bike could be. It sometimes drag floorboards with no problem and the bike handles flawlessly and with confidence. I took it up on the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC and VA and I was in total bliss. Classic good looks and an awesome ride. I have logged over 3300 miles in less than 2 months of ownership. I got caught in a monsoon rain on my way to the 2004 Myrtle Beach Bike Week and the windshield was a life saver. I still got wet, but no needle shots to the face. If you're considering this bike, don't look back. Show less