13 Years With the Electra Glide

Some Background

How does someone go about writing about a motorcycle that was part of one's life for over a dozen years? How does one even begin? So many good times all merged into one long memory. As I pondered this, I wondered what kind of story the file of bike shop invoices in front of me would tell. It was, after all, rather thick.

As I went through the file, I was reminded of some of the mechanical challenges I had encountered over the years (and tried to forget), but more alarmingly, the amount of investment that had gone into the Electra Glide. What made it worse was the knowledge that a few invoices had gone MIA and that the final tally was actually greater still.

On one of the last bills I got before the bike was sold, I could see the service manager's notation of the actual mileage on the bike. Over the years, I was frequently asked about the great distances that I must have traveled on the E. Glide. The irony of owning this excellent tourer was that most of the miles I put on were local. In the early years before parking restrictions at my office came into effect, I put on many miles just making the 70km round trip commute from my home. From late April or early May to about mid October, rain or shine and as long as there was no ice, I rode the bike to work

I did take a few longer rides; perhaps the longest was the time I visited with friends in Lansing , Michigan . I must admit, however, that most of my riding was kept within eastern and southern Ontario . And unlike a long distance rider who rumbles along on open highways, my bike was in reality subjected to a much harder life. I spent way too much of my time racing from light to light, frequently pushing the motor to its limit. Little wonder that I never achieved much more than 10,000 kilometers of life out of the rear tire, and frequently much less.

By the late nineties, my annual mileage had become embarrassingly low. Health issues had drained me of my energy, while my office's new parking rules made it too expensive and inconvenient for me to ride to work. Although I had been juggling family obligations and my 150 year old home's gradual renovation for close to two decades, in 1999 I undertook the significant challenge of demolishing and reconstructing a good part of my house. The challenge of completing this project continues even as I write, and probably will for several more years to come. But even discounting those time eating responsibilities, when I did manage to get away from it all, the bike would fail me instead. I started attending rallies in my truck while the bike languished in a mechanic's bay.

Overall Impressions

Plain and simple, I loved this bike! Though designed as a serious mile-eater, it functioned extremely well for me as a commuter and day bike. The convenience of the TourPak alone can not be overstated. By adding a little extra horsepower, the bike could be made to move with enthusiasm and be able to keep most four wheeled traffic at bay. The only complaint I really had was the top heaviness that I experienced when coming to a stop, especially after a long day in the saddle when I was tired. My current Super Glide by comparison feels so light that I feel I can come to a stop without even having to hold on to the bars. And it is unquestionably much easier to back up.

In the end, the Geezer Glide just wasn't up to the performance level I desired. And if the reliability had not become so abysmal near the end (or so damn expensive), then I would have never parted with it. Maybe one day I will have another decker. Maybe that is why I hang on to the many parts I had taken off prior to selling the bike.