2009 Harley-Davidson reviews

I walked in to a HD dealership just to check things out. A day later I was back looking again at a used Kawasaki. Saw a 2009 EGC, inside, on the showroom floor with all the 2010's. I thought it was a new 2010 also. Well, needless to say, I ended up buying it with only 1100 km on the odometer. There were several reasons for purchasing this wonderful machine... 1.) I had a 2006 Sporty 883L. I loved it for myself yet, it was not comfy for my partner and I on it. She did not feel safe on it with the lack of room. It was also sluggish when we were both on it. 2.) My partner's cousin and her hubby (we ride with them) have a 2008 Road Glide (FLTR), all tricked out to 110 Screamin' Eagle kit Stage Three with full, detachable, touring pack. They love it and she has all the room she needs. He says she can fall asleep on the back. He took mine for a spin and was quite pissed off. I asked him what was up and he told me that he wished he had waited a tear and got the 2009 because he could feel how different it handled and braked and was seriously impressed. 3.) We want to tour with our friends but it would not really have been possible on the 883L. 4.) We decided that the next bike we get will be for the both of us. Big, with power and safety, good/reliable service record and also needed to look like we wanted to be on it. Looks awesome with the tour pack off and we like the Pewter Pearl colour. Doesn't show the dirt as much a the dark ones do. :) 5.) Our EGC was priced well and the dealership gave us a good trade in for my 2006 Sporty 883. WE ended up saving a lot from buying a 2010. that's with all the extras that were put on it from the 1st owner. 6.) We really saw that this was a great deal for a 'basically' brand new bike (exactly 1124 km / 702 miles when I picked it up). New frame and tire design, great new brakes, and all the add upgrades/accessories the previous owner (a doctor) put on it. 7.) The dealership also did the complete first service on it. This saved me! It runs great. I enjoy having all the extra room and power, especially when the two of us are on it. Feels comfortable and handles well. Yet, I am still getting used to the fact that it does not handle like the Sporty. They are two different beasts. I am not too happy with the fuel consumption. The bike is stock. If anyone has any ideas as to how I can increase my mileage and use less fuel, I'd truly appreciate it. Also, I am trying to figure out if it is necessary to always use 94 octane or if 91 and 92 will do? I did a test and found that I only got 1/2 km more on a litre using the 94 against using the 91 octane! The difference in cost is $0.03 per litre. Anyone out there have their thoughts on this? I am also happy with the fact that it has air shocks on the back. This is going to come in real handy when we are touring. The storage capacity is good for the two of us. We know we can get all we need on it when we head out on the road for a while like the fact that I can take off the tour pack and just ride with the saddle bags when I'm on my own. This seems to be a well built machine even though I have noticed after washing it that they cinched out in certain places using nuts and bolts that are already starting to show signs of rust! I guess I'll just have to replace them with something better. Hmmm... I have found it to be quite hot when having to sit at a red light in traffic. Purchased a Mid-Frame Air Deflector to help alleviate this. All in all, we are happy with our bike and are looking to enjoy many years of riding for fun and touring North America and, hopefully, Latin and South America. Okay, off for a ride now. Show less

Fast acceleration with Harley attitude. Very stable and a pleasure to ride. Excellent fit and finish along with attention to detail. 1200cc's make this bike a torque monster. Great in the city but screams for the highway. Show less

This is the bike all men want. Who the heck grows up wishing that one day they will drive a Kawisaki? No one. A Harley is the top dog of bikes and the Ultra is the top of the top. Tricked out tourer, leather jacket, open road. It's no coincidence that Harley and Heaven both start with H. Show less

I waited for my first full riding season to be over before submitting this: Searched and reviewed for months the various makes and models. From the patience of the local Harley sales folks to the great people in the service department, this has been an extremely satisfying experience. I knew I wanted a bike large enough to carry a passenger, me and our stuff for a quick weekend getaway, yet small enough to have fun on by myself. With every model I looked at I kept coming back to the Road King. The bike is large enough to carry everything you need for a weekend trip and still have plenty of power to get up a go when passing on the interstate while being fully loaded with two people. A really stable, comfortable machine. We ride for hours without that stiffness. Yet when I am by myself on the twisties, she is responsive and agile. Like others the only complaint I have is the fith gear whine. Plenty of torque and a comfortable ride. The 4 point rubber engine mounting system has all but done away with the vibrations from hell that Harleys were known for. Being of short stature, I outfitted the bike with a Reach Seat. This pushed me forward and lowered my legs enough to comfortably hold the bike at a red light. She is heavy (800 lbs) and you need to respect the fact that if you drop it, you won't be picking it up by yourself. Have replaced all fluids with the synthetics. This helped the gas mileage and the whine on the 5th gear. Will be replacing the stock mufflers in the spring. With everything from the windshield to the backrest being quick disconnects, you can radically change the look of the bike within seconds. Long road trip, windshield, back rest & luggage rack go on. Riding by myself without any interstates, Off everything comes and you have a classic, big muscled bike. I would recommend for anyone who wants that in-between bike. Not a heavy cross country cruiser yet not a rough riding, bare bones sportster. If this is you, get the Road King!!! Show less

I purchased my 2009 Ultra on Christmas eve last year as a present to myself. We have ridden it across country this summer and have found it to be outstanding. First bike that my wife and I have actually kept the stock seat. Usually we throw it out within a week. We traded a Yamaha Venture in on this Ultra. Compared to the Yamaha, it doesn't have as much power, but we found it to be sufficient. Gear noise, there is a slight whine in 5th gear but we found it to be hardly noticeable. You want to hear a whine, ride a Venture. They have horrible clutch basket whines. We love the ABS. I will never have another bike without it. We blew a rear tire, I put the front tire brake into a death hold, the ABS worked as advertised and brought us to a safe stop just as the rear tire came completely off the rim. Highly recommend ABS. As far as slow parking lot riding, the Ultra is wonderful. Not the least bit top heavy, it feels like a much lighter motorcycle. Once again I am comparing it to the Yamaha that I had. Show less

I bought this one as my first bike, and I could not have made a better choice....being a new rider. The bike is a bit heavy (560 pounds) but once you are used to it, you don't want to ride lighter stuff. It has been very reliable with the exception of the Running brake light module going out, which is not that big of a deal, it being an accessory. It turns great. It looks great. It stops great. It's got more than enough power. It is economical, as I am averaging around 50mpg. The sound it makes with stock pipes is enough to make you drool... The only reason I'd get Screaming eagles, is for highway riding purposes. I got mine without test riding it first & I was not disappointed. It's truly a Great bike. I love the individual handle turning signals with auto shut off. No other bike has that!! Show less

Well I am now about 10,300mi and the snow has arrived. Overall this bike has performed better than I thought. I changed the oil 4x and won't be due till 15k. The only thing I do not like is the bolts that hold the windshield on, I switched to a shorty windshield when it got real warm, the plastic bolts never seem tight so you end up overtightening them and I had one fall into the fairing. I have yet to find a permanent fix for this and have written to HD but I guess they have had this set up for years and do not intend on creating a permanent fix. Other than that this bike rides like a champ, I have not experienced any wind buffeting even with the shorty on. MPG is app. 45 normally and about 52 with cruise control. The rear tire is in great shape after 10k and I bet I can easily get another 5k out of it. I may do the stage 1 this spring but I really don't see a need for it. The radio is a great addition but is kinda tough to hear above 75mph, although the CD player is much louder. Definetly getting the J&M speakers this spring. Have looked at the 2010's and the lowered rear end does not look right to me and I imagine will not corner nearly as well, although the rear fascia looks beautiful, also the 2-1 pipe looks ridiculous from the rear of the bike IMO. If you can find an 09 go for it, they are truly one offs. Feel free to write me if you have any questions. Show less

Traded my 03 FLHTC that had been dressed to the Ultra level, had the big bore kit screamin eagle pipes and programming. Loved it and never thought I would get rid of it BUT, the 09 Ultra is the cat's meow. Average fuel mileage = 39.5 mpg with a ride that is outstanding and handling manners of a sport bike. Would like a little more torque though. Will change that over the next year. If you ride a Honda Gold Wing, you owe it to yourself to try one of these on. Show less

I picked up my 2009 FLHT in the end of August and couldn't be happier. I was able to track down a denim black with 1k miles at a dealer about 100 miles from home. I have since been only able to add another 2k miles but everything is great. The bike runs very smooth and gets very good gas mileage (45-52mpg). No issues but I certainly wouldn't expect any at this miles. My last 3 previous bikes were Kawasaki's and they were all bullet proof but I finally broke down and bought a bagger/tourer. For 2009, the only bagger to offer denim black was the Standard and I have yet to see another like it. With it discontinued in 2010 the likelihood is even less. The bike came with cruise and I added my own stereo for both a higher quality/lower price than the factory HK radio. Also added were various items to increase comfort such as hiway pegs/drivers backrest. Tunes, cruise, sound and a smooth ride = enjoyable riding. Looking forward to this bike for years to come !! Show less

Still happy. Adjusted the rear shocks for two-up riding and she glides down the road. The Wife likes the glide and we spend more time together crusin the countryside. Little more road feel when it's just me but I like it that way. I get lots of compliments on the color and the style. Still planning out the extra chrome statement. I have added the rear turn signal modulator to have more lights on for night crusin. Got a few more lighting goodies planned to go with the chrome plan. Show less