Best year and model for Electra Glide
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 5,895
Likes: 1,908
From: East Coast, USA
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,928
Likes: 285
From: Edmond Oklahoma
Get the newest model you can afford so your aren't to far from technology upgrades. I wouldn't get anything older than an 09 and that is only because parts are harder to find for older bikes. Try to fix a cruise control on an 06 or older. Anyway, the 09s to 2013s are very good bikes that have most of the advantages of Harleys upgrades for touring bikes. But, if you can swing it, 2014 was the introduction of the a much better handling front end. My 2014 Ultra Limited is night and day better than my 09 Ultra.
Beary
Beary
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 740
Likes: 228
From: Lagoa - VNF
the 2014 front end is indeed very nice but you need to pay the price of CANBUS (it's an expensive PITA to fix/change anything) and the damn water cooling which gets expen$ive AF when that pump gives - and it happens a lot. those were my reasons to stick with a 2013 'rat's nest' 
this reasoning might be of course bogus for you guys in America, but down here the parts are insanely expensive.
this reasoning might be of course bogus for you guys in America, but down here the parts are insanely expensive.
Thread Starter
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Stage II
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: Curitiba, Parana
Thanks to all guys, it helped a lot!!!
I will try to sell my Road King first an then look to find the best deal.
Another question, what i need to know from the last owner about maintance and what i should look in to the bike?
Test the radio, tires, brake pads, what else do i need to check for wear and condition? Anything to be concerned?
Thanks again!
I will try to sell my Road King first an then look to find the best deal.
Another question, what i need to know from the last owner about maintance and what i should look in to the bike?
Test the radio, tires, brake pads, what else do i need to check for wear and condition? Anything to be concerned?
Thanks again!
Cruiser
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 121
Likes: 54
From: Virginia
My God. Don't overthink it. All years have one thing or another you may or may not like. Find one that looks like it has been taken care of and you like and just get the damn thing.
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Joe Kucinski
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,166
Likes: 11,262
From: San Diego, CA
the 2014 front end is indeed very nice but you need to pay the price of CANBUS (it's an expensive PITA to fix/change anything) and the damn water cooling which gets expen$ive AF when that pump gives - and it happens a lot. those were my reasons to stick with a 2013 'rat's nest'
this reasoning might be of course bogus for you guys in America, but down here the parts are insanely expensive.
this reasoning might be of course bogus for you guys in America, but down here the parts are insanely expensive.
For a different opinion... IMHO...the canbus makes things easier to work on. I did a handlebar change on my 2012, and then my 2016 bagger... the later model with canbus wiring was much easier to do...
The canbus will require a flash from a dealer, if you add some options or need to change a few things, or you can but an aftermarket unit that will let you do most flashes on your own... For example... you can just enable a feature in canbus to allow passing lamps to stay on with high beams... the pre-canbus bikes needed a wiring harness or jumper wires...
Like a Daytona Twin Scan... http://www.daytona-twintec.com/twinscan3abs.aspx
I didn't want/need the twin cooled engine, so I got an air cooled Ultra Classic instead of the Limited...
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 740
Likes: 228
From: Lagoa - VNF
For a different opinion... IMHO...the canbus makes things easier to work on. I did a handlebar change on my 2012, and then my 2016 bagger... the later model with canbus wiring was much easier to do...
The canbus will require a flash from a dealer, if you add some options or need to change a few things, or you can but an aftermarket unit that will let you do most flashes on your own... For example... you can just enable a feature in canbus to allow passing lamps to stay on with high beams... the pre-canbus bikes needed a wiring harness or jumper wires...
Like a Daytona Twin Scan... http://www.daytona-twintec.com/twinscan3abs.aspx
I didn't want/need the twin cooled engine, so I got an air cooled Ultra Classic instead of the Limited...
The canbus will require a flash from a dealer, if you add some options or need to change a few things, or you can but an aftermarket unit that will let you do most flashes on your own... For example... you can just enable a feature in canbus to allow passing lamps to stay on with high beams... the pre-canbus bikes needed a wiring harness or jumper wires...
Like a Daytona Twin Scan... http://www.daytona-twintec.com/twinscan3abs.aspx
I didn't want/need the twin cooled engine, so I got an air cooled Ultra Classic instead of the Limited...
Down here in Brazil... well to make that passing lamp thing work is trivial for me in my garage on the 2013, if I need to ask a dealer to flash it they will probably say NO claiming some liability bullshit, or charge me $200 for it... sigh.
and we don't have rushmore classics here... its either a street glide or a roadking if you dont want twin cooling. we don't get all the lineup.
finally... those things inside the control housings on the CAN bikes that cost $150 in the US will set you back like $500 here... need to take real good care of them. my 17 roadster has them and I already had to do some disassembly and cleaning on the left one because the high beam would turn on but not off.