26 May On yer bike: Harley-Davidson Electra Glide
FMM curator Wayne Harley is a self-confessed motorcycle enthusiast and this month he delves into a movie and rock star machine…
Harley-Davidson has to have the biggest motorcycle cult following in the world. The brand has been around since 1903 and the machines have a sound and style all of their own. Other marques have tried to copy the image in an attempt to tap into the Harley-Davidson following but there is just replacing a true Harley (and that’s coming from a Harley, haha). So, thanks to owner Gary Baker, when I got an offer to test ride one of the big icons of the brand, I jumped at the opportunity. This was not just any FL 1200 Electra Glide, it also happened to have once belonged to Tico Torres, who was the drummer for the rock band Bon Jovi at the time, so there was an added honour of riding this machine.
The Electra Glide FL1200 was added to the Harley-Davidson line-up in 1965, and was so named as it was equipped with an electric starter. It was also the last year of the ‘pan-head’ engine, which was replaced the following year with an uprated ‘shovel-head’ engine that made 60 hp (45 kW) at a throbbing 5 200 r/min. However, people in the know say it is the 1969 model with its winged fairing that is best remembered and is highly prized today. One was featured in the 1973 movie Electra Glide in Blue, which starred Robert Blake and Billy ‘Green’ Bush as Arizona motorcycle cops, the film’s title stemming from the Electra Glide motorcycles that were issued to traffic cops at the time. An Electra Glide n blue also found its way onto a USA postage stamp. Then, to top it all, the Electra Glide I was about to ride has been painted by Scott Jacobs, renowned as one of the top Harley-Davidson artists in the world.
So how does it ride? On approaching the bike you cannot help but notice all the chrome and steel and you are fully aware this is all heavy metal, and once straddled you realise this thing is wider than it appears. A guy with short legs is going to have job keeping this lump upright; also backing-up is not for sissies. The riding position is really upright, almost equestrian … what is that Bon Jovi song that goes something like “I’m a cowboy on a steel horse I ride”? I wonder if it was not written after Tico Torres had gone for a spin on this machine.
Start-up is simple. Turn on the fuel, ignition switch which is top- centre of the tank, then push the start button and the 1200 cm3 45-degree air-cooled v-twin gurgles into life with surprisingly very little vibration. Gear lever and brakes are all in the standard position with just the foot gear-changer being placed in such a way that your left foot never really sits easy on the footplate. Pull on her ear and you’re off with super amounts of torque and, once running, you only need to use the top two gears. This is no rocket ship, but getting off the mark is strong with tons of pull from 60 horses. Gear-changing is still very 1950s and clunky but, hey, it is a cruiser, after all…
The machine handles as it looks, big and heavy with a combination weight of rider and bike up around 450 kg. Thank goodness Harley-Davidson introduced disc brakes in 1973, but even so it still remains a task to bring this big machine to a stop. Again it must be remembered that the bike was always intended as a cruiser and stopping was only for that next cold one – oops, sorry, I mean cappuccino.
Overall, the 1973 Electra Glide FL 1200 is a tough, well put together machine that remains a good cruiser and stunning piece of Americana. Harley’s – otherwise known as Hogs (Harley Owners Group) – will always be one of those bikes that just stand out from the crowd. And for some strange reason, love them or hate them, you will smile when you ride one…
