THICK snow on the ground, beautiful blue sky above, bright sunshine, twisting mountain roads and the rumble of a dozen big V-twins – does it get much better?
I was en route from Munich, Germany, to Biograd na Moru, Croatia, to attend the 23rd European Harley Owners’ Club rally.
HOG chapters are groups of like-minded motorcyclists, based around a particular Harley dealer, who get together for social events, bike runs and other activities.
Each year the company organises a European rally, which chapter members and other Harley owners travel to from far and wide.
It’s a weekend of eating, drinking, music, camaraderie, riding and of course posing on your pride and joy.
To get there meant taking one of the planet’s great touring routes – the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse.
This incredible pass through the mountains runs for 30 miles (48km), reaching a height of 2,571m (8,400ft) and passing the Pasterze Glacier and Austria’s highest peak, the Grossglockner.
The road through this stunning landscape twists and turns up and down the slopes, with some pretty steep sections.
So it was fortunate I was on one of the world’s most powerful touring bikes – the 2014 Ultra Limited.
A product of Harley’s “Project Rushmore” – the iconic US firm’s largest new-model development in its 110-year history – the bike offers incredible torque from its 1,700cc twin cam air and liquid-cooled engine.
At 896lb (406kg), the Ultra Limited is certainly no lightweight.
But the V-twin powers it along almost effortlessly, with oodles of low-down grunt and smooth acceleration right through the gears into top.
The motor churns out 102lb-ft of torque at 3,750rpm and it is particularly impressive in the mid range.
I found I only really used sixth on long open stretches of road.
It is perfectly happy – and more responsive, although a tad less economical – at motorway speeds in fifth.
Despite the weight and size the Ultra handles surprisingly well.
Even at slow speeds and with Miss W on the back it felt completely stable through the mountain hairpins, with that reassuring torque just a throttle twist away to power you out of the bend.
Through more sweeping bends it was an absolute joy.
Air-adjustable rear suspension means you can fine tune the comfort according to luggage and pillion variations.
Braking is excellent, via H-D’s Reflex Linked system and with ABS.
At speeds above 25mph, when you apply either front or rear brake, an electronically controlled valve sends power to both in the appropriate proportions for the speed and conditions.
As a rider, this is barely noticeable – except that braking is smoother and stopping distances are reduced.
The brakes themselves are four-piston Brembos with twin discs up front and there’s ever-reliable Dunlop rubber keeping you attached to that Alpine tarmac.
As for comfort, as an American might say – are you kidding me?
The seat is wide and deeply padded, the hand position raised and well-spaced, giving an upright, but relaxed ride posture.
The screen, the fairing and some cleverly placed air vents mean buffeting is virtually entirely eliminated.
Riding through 30-degree heat in Slovenia and Croatia, I was grateful to be able to open the lower fairing vents to allow the breeze on to my legs.
There are also deflectors higher up which channel cooling air towards the upper body.
Cruise control allows you rest that right hand for a while on open stretches.
This bike has all the mod-cons you could imagine.
There’s a 6.5ins colour touchscreen, with radio, SatNav, GPS and mapping – plus Bluetooth and voice recognition.
Plug in your smartphone, shove it in the little compartment in the cockpit and select your favourite tunes on the screen and hey presto, your very own rolling four-speaker hi-fi system.
I’m convinced we became the first ever riders to cross the Wurzenpass in the Slovenian Karawanken mountains on a Harley blasting out The Beat’s Mirror in the Bathroom.
Unbeatable.
The Biograd rally itself was fantastic.
There is a cliche that when you buy a Harley you buy into a lifestyle and become part of the “Harley Family”.
But on this evidence, it’s actually true.
We met people from Italy, France, Portugal, Germany, Croatia, Russia, Ukraine, Jordan and more.
Everyone was nothing but friendly, helpful and good-natured.
Perhaps they should put Harley-Davidson riders in charge of international relations…
The Facts
Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited
Engine: 1,690cc V-twin
Transmission: Six speed
Colours: Black; blue; various two-tone options
Price: £21,395 (single colour)
