Harley-Davidson said: “We changed everything without screwing up anything. We don’t make change for change’s sake. We ride countless miles with other riders to find the innovations that truly make a difference in the ride”
In one picture, you can see Harley-Davidson “Project Rushmore” improvements to the 2014 FLHTK Eectra Glide Ultra Limited. In the other picture the very talked about Harley Twin-Cooled engine setup. USA MSRP. Vivid Black $25,899. Two-Tones $26,939. Custom Colors $27,164.
In 2 Pictures. What Is New On The 2014 Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited.
Published by August 25th, 2013 in Builders and Editorial.59 Responses to “In 2 Pictures. What Is New On The 2014 Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited.”
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Stop by and see the new Harley Davidson Motorcycles in person. Harley trully has made outstanding changes this year to put the motor company far above the competition in every way. LenNY
“Very talked about twin cooling”, by most except HD.
Glad to see they are pushing the hot air back towards the rider, and who wants lowers??
The hot air is pushed to the outboard side of the lowers away from the rider. The lowers also have adjustable fresh air vents for the rider check these in person great design. LenNY
I have some swamp land if your interested
“put the motor company far above the competition in every way”. While I applaud H-D’s ongoing improvements to their bikes I find the above statement a bit on the silly side. Is the MoCo far above the competition in power delivery? No. Do Harley’s out corner or out brake the competition? No. Are they more comfortable, do they get better mileage, are they more reliable? No, no, no. While I think the new Water Hog is a better Twin Cam, I don’t see how this years changes put them far above the competition in ANY way. Far above previous models, yes. But these changes bring them closer to the competition, not far above it.
There’s a new kid on the block soooo watch out HD
I don’t get it who is the competition HD needs to watch out for?
Seems the new Twin-cooled engines gain a water pump and a couple of small radiators cleverly concealed into the lowers. Unfortunately those Twin-cooled engines also lose the oil cooler. I’m not sure that I can agree with this trade-off.
Looks like more stuff to leak…or mark it’s spot. I rode H-Ds for 46 years, now I own a Kawasaki Drifter…Should have seen the light about the turn of the century….better late than never. Just like the MoCo…welcome to the 21st century.
hubris kills
Man, after reading this blog and others on the Harley Davidson, they should just shut the doors and close the business. They should just bow down to Indian and their THREE motorcycles and just toss in the towel! Harley, having 65% of the U.S. market in motorcycles isn’t enough to compete with Polaris/Indian!
How long will it be before Polaris/Indian will have to cool their motors, thanks to the Federal Government and the EPA?
HD has been around for 110 years straight without going out of business two or three times but it appears to mean nothing since Polaris/Indian is back for another try!
Smitty:”How long will it be before Polaris/Indian will have to cool their motors?” Indian already have oil-cooled their motor and that technology should be EPA friendly for at least a decade or two.Remember H-D went to within five or so hours of shutting the doors before Vaughn Beals and posse threw the cash on the table.It’s not just the Feds and The EPA making H-D burn cleaner,it’s the modern market reality of the pollution laws in H-D’s export markets like Europe and Australia.etc.Indian may be a try at this stage,but Victory has lasted about fifteen years already.Thems the facts,Jack.
Sold my Polaris stock…Keepin my H/D stock!
Now HD has the most expensive bike and all the HD lovers don’t mind spending 26k on the BASE model before adding in all they want. But before Polaris came out with the new Indian they all said, “way too expensive!”. I test rode the the new Indians last weekend and saw more HD guys there than I saw Indian owners. WAY more. Both bikes are good and will only get better now with true American competition. By the way, all you HD lovers don’t want to admit how conveniently you forget the AMF days of HD.
BobS,
We used to play a card game as kids, not sure what it was meant to be called, but you probably did as well – ie a pack of cards with (eg) planes, tanks, ships, cars (etc) with their vital (performance) specs on it; the pack was equally divided among 3-4 little dudes and each; then you would (on your turn) lift a card from your pack, you would call out what you thought was the highest spec of a specific type; if you won (viz your was the highest in one-dimensional number) you took one card from each of the other and so on, till somebody was cardless and then the one with the most cards would won.., something like that…
This is not a card game, it is not about one spec versus another, if you want the highest HP or TORQUE, buy a Metric bike (eg a Goldwing), or better still an Indian.., or an Indian in drag, viz a Victory.
Take Porsche for instance, been in the game the longest, with a list of detractors as long as its lineage, including the (supposed) vaunted Jeremy Clarkson (at least the 911 is on his hate-mail list) – yet it remains the benchmark. On spec-sheets it often looks mild, but drive one (eg a 911), then you will realise that you hardest decision is not if you should get one, just what colour/color the damn thing should be…
MoCo’s back was against the wall.The Feds keep tightning the their belts.
Lol…yeah Sigfreed I remember that game. The thing is, I’m not the one just looking at stats, I’m the one riding the bikes. Much like you say Porsche has had detractors for ages, and they mostly consisted of people who think a sports car can only be made one way or by one company. That sir is the Harley cheerleader. It’s Harley guy that has never thrown his leg over another brand or taken one for a serious ride. I’ve owned and ridden several brands, including H-D. Harley is a great bike and as I said, I applaud the improvements. But just because they made a good product better in no way means it’s a cut above the rest. When I talk power delivery I’m speaking from experience trying to pass a semi on the interstate 2-up. When I talk about comfort I’m talking about 600+ mile days in the saddle, when I talk about handling I’m talking about cayon carving at exhilirating speed with no hint of a wobble or drifting off my line. Once I got off a Softail and rode a Victory pretty hard fully expecting it to be nothing better than the Harley. After the ride I had to decide what color the darn thing should be.
I am willing to bet that most of the nay-sayers have not put mile 1 on the new Twin cool. I myself put around 300 miles on one this past weekend. I can say that it is a great motorcycle and wind tunnel time has paid off. Also, the heat vented away from the rider does what it is supposed to do! The sound system is much improved, the extra room in the seat length and width is nice for the passenger. Although it was a bit under powered, but I am used to S&S 124’s I can say H-D did a nice job!
This is the first new harley that I am contemplating buying since I bought my new 2003 FLHTC
I only wish Harley still offered the Electraglide classic.
Now if HD would bring back a new EVO powered bike with a carb I would be at the dealer today.
Any idea what all these improvements add to the bikes weight??
Gotta be close to 900 lbs now??? No wonder the above writer says it feels underpowered!!
Terrance, Victory, has lasted all of fifteen years! WOW ! Just another reason for Harley to run and hide! !
I would bet that you won’t be around for Victory’s 110th anniversary celebration so feel free to enjoy HD’s this year!
Innnovation. Great idea to water cool engine.No move riveline to right side where it should be and kick up torque.
While I give credit to Harley for making some much needed updates I think the whole “Rushmore Project” marketing campaign has been a failure thus far in building anticipation or clearly communicating to the bike buying consumer what it is and what all changes were made for the 2014 model year. My advice to H-D would be to fire the head of their marketing department and with his salary hire as many engineers as they can.
Anyone who has had a close look at the new McLaren 50 in the flesh or seen a Lexus LFA launch through the traffic (which I have done in both cases),well,they would not bother with an old 911 of any spec.911:”THE car of fat Germans commuting in the rain at 200k’s”.
The Rushmore marketing campaign has been a red herring to obfuscate the fact that HD just rolled out a water cooled engine. Except for this new showerhead engine there were no radical changes. The styling and features were more evolutionary than revolutionary, as it should be for Harley. And that “one touch” gas cap is just silly.
Take a look at the complexity of that cooling system. Has anybody been able to price out the parts on this thing yet? Will we see after-market high performance radiators and water pumps?
Keep drinking that HD Koolaid Read the history of the indian Company.Companies don’t exsist with only a 5% share for 15 years a don’t know what do to!!!
this site is becoming pathetic with all the harley bashing and indian and victory praising…… to each there own… fact is hd will always be #1 above polaris. only thing is competition is good
You’re right Gunner. No Victory or Indian bashing on this site at all, ever! Lol.
Like I said in the last post regarding the unveiling of the 2014 HD. I have 3 Harley Davidsons in my garage at this moment. I can sell my 1981FLH and my 1949 Panhead bobber, which are already sold when I’m ready to sell,(both of which I own because I cant afford a new HD, and have to do my own work as I cant afford HD’s labor fees.) come up with $4,000 cash at most and ride home a 2014 Indian with a 5 year warrenty. Really don’t care about Indians 110th anniversary. Its not Indian that Harley has to run and hide from or throw in the towel. Its the thousands of 30+ year Harley riders that have stuck by the “Brand” through and beyond the AMF years, sucked up the ridicule when trailering or pushing the bike back to the shed to get it back on the road to “Represent” the pride and name of the factory. Only to today be treated like garbage at a HD dealership because they refuse shake wads of bills at the sales person while under said sales mans desk. Apply your chapstick and line up for your new Cream filled Twin Cooled Twinkie, Smitty and the likes. Im far from alone on this,and just like twinkie mans gonna tell ya, “Trust Me.” Nuff Said….
I bought a ’89 heritage new that was leaking oil on the showroom floor. With a quick promise to me that would be remedied by the dealer. I rode that bike for 7 years. Each year I spent summer holidays touring and each and every summer ended up on the back of a towtruck. After maintaining that bike religously I spent days each year waiting at HD dealerships whom didn’t care I was wasting holiday time. The oil leak continued for 7 years by the way. Harley Davidson some things your customers will never forget………….lost vacation time and that ever present drip !!!!!!!! Glad to finally see some respectable competition in the marketplace,
Highway pigs on the outside of the bars, air flow through radiator should hit you just above the boot, mid-calf with your feet on the pegs. Awesome in the cold months of the year, but what about mid-summer? Normally, I’d just take the lowers off, but you can’t even do that anymore.
It is neither offensive, vulgar, or hateful.
It’s only about my real life experiences with Harley Davidson.
Mention HD and no posting here?
Has anyone even compared prices against the competition?
HD / Ultra glide limited – 25,899
Victory / Cross country tour limited – 29,999
Indian / nothing comparable
HD / Street Glide – 20,399
Victory / cross country – 18,999
Indian / Chieftan – 22,999
HD / road king – 18,249
Victory / Cross roads 8-ball – 15,999
Indian / chief vintage – 20,999
HD / Softail deluxe – 18,099
Indian / Chief Classic – 18,999
Victory / nothing comparable
Look how over priced HD is, that’s just insane!
Pinhead your price is off on the Cross Country Tour and The Boardwalk would be quite comparable to the Softail Deluxe.
The cross country tour limited has custom paint extra chrome built in navigation and upgraded sound system like the Ultra glide limited.
I can go for comparing softail deluxe to the bordwalk , I should have had that on there.
Pin Head: If you really want a jolt of sticker shock you should include the Harley parts/options it would take to equal the performance and standard options of much of it’s competition. The engine upgrades alone will run you a pretty penny just for parts.
That sounds like the Anniversary Limited Edition. There was only 100 of those made and each one came with a number plate denoting which of the 100 it was. In this case “Limited” actually means limited. A Cross Country Tour with two tone paint the gps/nav and some chrome extra’s will run you around 25-26k. Pretty much same as the Harley.
harley will have new cooler engines and lots of new changes,,,,,,peoples complains,,,,,when harley has no changes,,,,,, peoples complains too,,,,,harley will always be #1 above polaris,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and for a long time
I, unlink a lot of you, and not canted toward any brand, and have several sitting in my garage. I started on 883 as a teenager cuz its all I could afford. I road race a Suzuki, I dirt bike on a Honda, a have a Can-Am ATV, but the bike I set my back side on when I hit the road is still a Harley. All of the naysayers on here have forgotten one very important thing… All of the bikes that you are referring to are all trying to duplicate the Harley Experience.
For me, it is SO much more than power, cooling, history, or what have you that makes me gravitate toward my HD. It’s about looking at that machine and knowing that it is, and always has been, one of the most beautifully crafted machines that has ever been on two wheels. I currently ride an Electra Glide Classic, and absolutely love that bike. Today however, I ordered a 2014 Rushmore Ultra Limited in Vivid Black. Why? Because Harley has managed to do something that Victory or Indian has failed to do, and that is attract die hard Harley fans to a new machine.
I was at Lone Wolf Harley Davidson in Spokane, Washington this past weekend. They started the weekend with 9 brand new Rushmore bikes, not a single one was left Sunday afternoon. They sold more bikes than I have ever seen any dealership sell in that amount of time. They did it because people are excited about the improvements. Why should Harley dump millions into advertising? They have made a great product, and as was said in Field of Dreams… If you build it they will come….. AND THEY ARE COMING.
A Cross Country Tour with two tone paint the gps/nav and some chrome extra’s will run you around 25-26k. Pretty much same as the Harley.
I totally agree the price is pretty much the same. As for performance I would love to see some type of head to head real world competition by a third party that is not receiving funds for advertisement from any of the manufactures involved. I see it this way the more they go up against each other the better there products will be for all of us.
For those who haven’t ridden a Victory there is one good reason not to compare it to a Harley.
The Victory is a overhead cam engine. The weight on top of the engine changes the center of gravity and makes the bike fall into corners. Push rod engines like Harley and Indian have a lower center of gravity so with a gentle push they lean and handle better.
I will stick with Harley just because I can get parts anywhere. Everything in this world is becoming more complicated and more expensive to maintain. My next bike will be a carb EVO.
You want to improve Harley bring back the evo……….
Ted,your whole C.o.G. comments regarding handling are basically nonsense.Ten pounds of overhead cams would not have any effect on a bike like a Victory weighing well over 650 pounds plus with gas.I guess the laws of physics are a little different in your neck of the woods.If a low motor height makes a V-twin bike handle better,then a Yamaha Road Star is far superior to the old TC88 (Road Star motors have a very low deck height).Having two camshafts two feet wide two feet off the road never slowed a Honda CBX six down any around corners.Good to see you are supporting the H-D factory by buying an old bike from another century and it bodes well for the future of the marque.It looks like Indian have solved that C.o.G. of “yours” with the new pushrod motor,aye.Nine hundred pound garbage wagons have never been known for their handling ease or prowess in any case.
Rob:”All of the bikes that you are referring to are all trying to duplicate the Harley Experience.” Harley included I say.”
one of the most beautifully crafted machines that has ever been on two wheels”,what compared to a Vincent,SS Ducati or a Honda CBX? Reading glasses are very cheap on Ebay now.
A whole lot of talk about Harley’s history and very little about the future.
“four cylinder bikes are just a fad”. “The japs will never build a bike bigger than 350cc that will be any good or last”. “Harley will always be number one”.
FYI – I could never bring myself to buy a bike with a radiator system. The most I can swallow is a small obscured oil cooler. Even as we speak Evo used prices are climbing vigorously. Thank god they can still be custom built.
Yo, Rob the power comparisions have been on this site and on You Tube
The Victory 106 leaves the CVO 110 in the dust much less the 103
Even the “new & Improved 103 is less that desirable if you are stacking againd a Victory 106
I can only imagine what the diparity is going to be when we finally see a “head to head’ with the
Thunder Stroke 111. You are right that classic style & history are on the side of H-D at the moment
and I do give them credit for trying to improve the product with the 2014 offerings
but to me it’s seems just a little short of the mark when up against both Victory & Indian.
Yes, you will see the H-D faithful turn out & buy, they always do & always will …..
But there i a new force in the marketplace that’s NOT going to be denied and given the very deep
R & D pockets of Polaris that has made a 15 year+ commitment to Victory and the rapid progess they have made in quality and types of models in the time frame, the future of Indian looks very very bright. I’ve said it here before, The hardcore faithful will poo-poo ANYTHING that come down from Victory, but I think they are going to have a VERY hard time dissing the Indian.
(especially with the hated “raditators” are just around the corner for all of H-D)
Olive Oil I feel your pain! We’ve all had experiences like this, and there’s always a “lemon” somewhere. but htings are going to get better now. The word is Competition !!!!
Look how over priced HD is, that’s just insane!
ok i know they all depreciate OK………………BUT go look at the resale on those Victorys??
Better yet what’s a 2001 springer worth and what a 2001 Indian ( the fancy ones out of the cci and S&S parts bin) worth?? F-all right ??
and the Indians with those BUTT FULGY fenders……..are just brutal looking………Harley will sell more bikes in some rich suburb of India than Indian will sell in North America with their 100 dealers!!!
i own,,ride,,repair,and built h-d from 1970,,,flathead 80,knuckle 61,pan,shovel,the venerable evo,,,,, now i own a 2002 flht bored to 1550 with mikuni 45mm. carb,,,i am not ready to change for a new H-D now,,,but one thing is sure,,,, i will stay with H-D,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Lookat the recalls on BMW the last 6 years………
Victory makes a good,competent bike………..they just don’t have any soul………….
Rob: “Soul” is in the rider not the machine. Although when many people use that word what they actually mean is “nostalgia”. So In that case I would agree with you. Victory is not as nostalgia focused as Harley and Indian. Which I think is a good thing for the American motorcycle industry because while Moco and Indian are focused on recycling the past Victory can focus on carving out the future.
Well: I have read all the posts and I have not owned a Victory, BMW, Yamaha, Suzuki. I have owned a 4 cylinder Honda 350 and a 4 cylinder CB 500. Both of these bikes were nice rides and no mechanical issues. The 350 felt a little hi centered but the engine was the smoothest I ever experienced. My wife loved it. The CB 500 was a perfect mountain bike. The center of gravity on the 500 really allowed for cornering. I have driven the Vmax and BMW. 650. The VMax was FAST.
Now: with that said, I liked the Honda CB 500 most of all. BUT after 15,000 miles, it lost all its performance. No mechanical problems except for a chain I fried after going 100+ MPH for 20 minutes.
20 years later I went to Hawaii and rented a HD Custom Softail. Dennis Rodman had just turned it in after making a tour of Maui. I had never driven a HD before and it felt heavy. But the more I drove it, the more I liked it. I took the road to Hana which entailed every kind of difficult road hazard you could think of and I had no problems, it handled great. The 97 HD SOFTAIL was well balanced and handled extremely well. It was heavy enough to hold the road. When I got back to the mainland, I ordered a 1998 Springer SOFTAIL FSFXT. The best handling bike I have ever been on. I now Own a 2005 Ultra Classic and have added the big bore kit. I really love this bike. I traded my SOFTAIL because my wife enjoyed the comfort and at 63 years, living with me, she deserved the comfort and we enjoyed being together.
I have never had any problems with either HD bike.
Now: finally I have to say this. If you take a close look at the detail of.all the bikes out there, you will find that HD pays more attention to how the parts fit together. One good example is the gas tank. HD gas tanks are seamless to the naked eye. The tank is smooth ALL AROUND.. All the other manufacturers have a crimped seem that is visible and Look Cheap. It makes me wonder what kind of thought went into the parts you can’t see. I bought my second Harley because my first Harley gave me trouble free service and didnt have to wait for parts that broke. The HD salesman sold me my first Harley but the service sold me my second one. Sure it’s pricey, but quality always comes at a highe r price. I am 71 years young and still enjoy riding. Also I have noticed more women riding more Harley’s than any other brand. At 71 years of age if I have not learned anything I have learned one thing. NEVER Underestimate a woman’s ability to recognize a quality product.
Wow, I have to chime in. I have owned many bikes (more than 10, maybe more than 20). I have always steered clear of H-D (although I have logged 100’s of miles on friends bikes). Mainly due to the lack of a radiator. I know traditionalist feel air cooled is better, but it’s not. Don’t get me wrong, it works, but everything I’ve ever ridden with a radiator has been better. If you never encounter traffic or 100 degree days then a radiator probably isn’t necessary.
That being said, I rode a 2014 Ultra Glide Limited (10-12 miles) after shopping for a Goldwing. The Goldwing was more powerful, otherwise they seemed equal, and the Harley felt less like a Civic. This was the first Harley I rode that felt modern. My sport-bike friends and I used to joke that they were like riding a washing machine. Prior to 2014 I always felt Harley was about 10-15 years behind the Japanese when It came to development.
The only downfall for the Harley was the wait, the dealerships can’t keep them in stock right now. The salesperson did say that come next spring they should have plenty. Because of the demand there is almost nothing offered in the way of discounts.
Lastly, the infotainment system on the Harley actually seems more advanced than the Goldwing’s, which really surprised me. Unfortunately I am not a fan of the looks of the Victory, to me, when I see them coming towards me I can’t tell if they are a motorcycle or a scooter until they are real close. They may be wonderful bikes, but like the ugly girl at the night club, unless you’re attracted to her, your never going to see just how wonderful she might be.
I think I’m going to take the plunge and put a deposit on the H-D and wait. It should be delivered in the dead of winter. (SAD)
You can come up with all the reasons you can think of why Victory, Indian or any other brand is a better buy, but you can’t ignore the fact that I (and most other HD lovers) are not looking for reasons to buy them.
I love my Harley and I will buy another and another and another. I really don’t give a rat’s patoot what you think of that and I sure ain’t gonna try to explain it to you.
The only real “improvement” that I see is that they got rid of the hideous cast wheels of recent years and went with something slightly less awful looking.
The rest of the new stuff on these bikes is just that many more failures and leaks waiting to happen.
And, yes, I’ve owned and ridden Harleys for over 40 years now and the only truly high quality and reliable ones I ever had were the mid to late 90’s models with the Evo motors.
When they went to the twinkie motors, everything was on a downhill slide from there on. Nothing has changed with that.
Bought two 2014 limlteds both leak coolant, found out almost all of them leak, it appears to be from a bad hose clamp by the thermostat housing. Other then this the bikes are awsome. Just saw an article from Chicago Tribune on line Harley is recalling 29000 new touring and softtail models because of a problem with the hydraulic clutches. What else is new
Just bought one, got 1000 miles on it, no leaks, no clutch problems, absolutely love it.