Comparo: Honda Goldwing v Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited

Luxury tourers have been fairly big news over the last couple of years, with the likes of BMW Motorrad (K 1600 GT/L) and Indian (Roadmaster) joining the fray. Bikesales has ridden — and been impressed — by both machines, particularly the latter which combines opulence and superb functionality with waves of new technology.

The Roadmaster is classy, but so too are another couple of luxo tourers which we are yet to mention: the Honda Goldwing and Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited. And with a weekend recently free from the constraints of junior sport, Bikesales grabbed both heavy haulers and headed off for a jaunt around county Victoria, taking in some beautiful towns along the journey. Wives also joined in, as a trip on a luxury tourer isn't really complete without a 'partner in crime'. Some bikes knock your socks off with sporting prowess; these tourers do it with a simple flair for the occasion.

We've ridden the Ultra Limited a few times before, but this would be the first time that we'd really complete a full review it in Project Rushmore guise, which was introduced by Harley-Davidson for the 2014 model year across the entire Touring range.
Click HERE for our first ride on the Project Rushmore line-up in Colorado, but to summarise: it's all about design and functionality, with some of the critical elements including updated front suspension, the new fairing with slipstream venting, the high-tech linked brakes, remodelled panniers, the twin-cooled (ie water and air) High Output Twin Cam 103 engine, and the modern infotainment system. The H-D designers wanted more “continuity from front to the rear”, and they didn’t deviate from that master plan. They also wanted to hold onto the signature visuals of the touring range, and the Ultra Limited is a case-in-point.

ULTRA LIMITED IN BIKE SHOWROOM

At $37,995, the Ultra Limited retails for $1699 more than the Goldwing ($36,299) — the latter a special model to celebrate 40 years of the iconic touring bike. It's kind of hard to grasp that length of active service, but the Goldwing has done it with aplomb, evolving with the times since its inception in 1975.

The current incarnation is impressive — a 1832cc flat six engine with 167Nm of caravan-pulling torque, surround-sound stereo, full navigation, reverse gear, heated seats and handlebars, cruise control, adjustable windscreen, gold star comfort for rider and passenger, and over 150 litres of luggage capacity. Reverse gear, which runs off the starter motor, is nearly a deal-sealer in its own right.

To mark the four decades of manufacturing — first in America and now Japan — the anniversary machine is available in an additional candy prominence red/graphite black paint option, which is the one we tested. Both colours are tied together, and separated, by a silver band inlaid with 40th anniversary emblems, and the bike is completed by blacked-out wheels, frame forks, swingarm and mufflers. There are also commemorative key fobs and fairing/trunk badges, which are also found on the three other Goldwing colours: graphite black, pearl glare white and digital silver metallic (new for 2015).

40TH ANNIVERSARY GOLDWING IN BIKE SHOWROOM

The Ultra Limited and Goldwing didn't even raise a sweat at packing time — these bikes devour humble overnight trips like a Labrador rips through a can of Pal. The sidecases and topbox are purpose-built for long-haul travel, and both have it down to as fine art in terms of the mechanics of opening and closing. The central locking on the Goldwing is a beauty, while the Ultra Limited's luggage quarters are also lockable via a key. Speaking of all things security, the Harley has a keyless ignition, so you can leave the fob in your pocket all day and not have to worry about it until you get home.

The added weight of a pillion and luggage also necessitated adding some rear preload, and on the Goldwing it's as easy as deferring to a panel on the right-hand side of the bike just below the throttle. Once you're there, simply move the button up or down to adjust the preload, and you'll know where you are at with a bar graph on the screen. The Goldwing also allows two preload pre-set functions to be loaded into the system for future convenience.

On the Ultra Limited, its air-adjustable suspension is metered by a valve located between the sidecase and rear fender.

CAST AWAY
A brilliant winter's day in Victoria heralded our departure — still way below 10 degrees in my neck of the woods, mind you — and I was Goldwing mounted for the first burst, with my good mate Paul and his wife Sue on the Ultra Limited. We only punched out about 80km before a photoshoot beckoned just north of the tiny outpost of Redesdale, which I normally pass through in summer with a boat in tow. Mind you, these bikes nearly weigh as much…

In the bright sunshine, the Ultra Limited stood out with the purple and black livery providing a stark contrast against the chromed engine. The look really accentuates the chrome and deep guards, while the fully enclosed styling of the Goldwing doesn't provide the same like-for-like comparison. As far as size is concerned, there's no doubt the Goldwing is B-I-G, and the Ultra Limited looks like it'd come off second best in a hallway wrestle.

That sense of Goldwing bigness also extends to the road, especially when looking it from behind with its ample, err, rear end, which is like a giant slab made up of the panniers and guard. The Ultra, on the other and, has a more lithe derriere, and it sits lower than the Honda.

Snaps done, and we were back at it, with some twisty roads on the horizon. For a 413kg (kerb weight) bike, the twin-spar framed Goldwing turns and steers exceptionally well, and the feeling from the front end is amazing considering the rider is a long way from that 17-inch Dunlop tyre. The engine keeps the weight low, as does the fuel tank, hidden in the innards of the chassis. All that also helps for slow-speed manoeuvring as well. When the tempo increases, I also like the initial feel from the Goldwing's brakes over the Ultra Limited, although both are strong and powerful packages. They both have linked brakes, as well as anti-lock setups. Big cruisers are often cursed with underwhelming braking packages, but not these fellas.

The Ultra Limited weights just 1kg more than the Goldwing at 414kg, but it doesn't handle as well and is a little bit more of a straight line juggernaut. While the front-end wants to push on, the rear suspension doesn't quite get the same inspiration, and as a result it does start to wallow a little bit. It's not disconcerting per se, but next to the Goldwing it does feel a little less refined. It feels like more a damping rather than preload issue.

TORQUE TIME
The engines are a world apart in design, with the big 103ci twin-cooled V-twin of the Ultra Limited compared to the towering six in the Goldwing. They aren't really stressed at all, and with peak torque of 167Nm for the Goldwing and 138Nm for the Ultra Limited it's easy to understand why.

The Goldwing has a five-speed gearbox the top an overdrive — and is undoubtedly the bike's weakest link. When it's under a bit of stress there are missed gears and it's quite flaccid, lacking the refinement of the Ultra Limited's six-speed gearbox, which is an absolute beauty.

The Goldwing's engine is all about poise and flexibility, as it's basically always on the brew and not brewing. However, it doesn't have the out and out 'personality' of the Ultra Limited — this one is very much a choice of two very different flavours. In their respective top gears, both bikes lope along at 2500rpm at 100km/h, which sometimes requires dropping back a cog on the Ultra Limited for a sharp overtake.

When we were in fuel measurement mode, 'loping' probably wouldn't describe our state of minds, with the Ultra Limited recording 6.48lt/100km and the Goldwing marginally higher at 6.83lt/100km. They certainly aren't eco warriors but considering that both packages weighed in at about 600kg, those figures would head south appreciably — the Harley's probably at a faster rate than the Honda's — at a less frenetic pace.

COMFORT PLUS
As afternoon tea at Euroa — a pretty little town that's not often traversed by travellers these days since it was bypassed by the Hume Freeway — beckoned on day one, it was a chance to really compare comfort notes for the first time after a couple of bike shuffles. Both promote a real feeling of relaxation, but it was the Ultra Limited that ultimately got the chocolates from both riders and pillions.

The Ultra presents more of a 'snuggle' factor, but still with room to move. That won out over the Goldwing, which is roomy to the max — but certainly nothing to take umbrage with. Again, it's horses for courses. On both bikes, there's independence for the pillion with the likes of volume and mode control, heated seat adjustment, and little storage compartments. The Goldwing also has grab handles. The back rests are superb, and the seats sumptuous. Both pillions have footrests — as does the Ultra Limited rider, while the Goldwing has footpegs at the front. Only the Harley has pillion arm rests.

The rider definitely sits more forward on the Ultra Limited than the Goldwing, so it does feel a little more involving. The Goldwing's seat also promotes more of a sit-up style and it's not as comfortable for me. But even though I was more upright on the Goldwing, I still managed to cocoon myself behind that big screen, visor up and the local hits and memories station on full blast. Compared to days of yore, there's very little flutter when the stereo's on full noise, and that's the same for the Ultra Limited.

The Ultra's non-adjustable screen isn't as high as the Goldwing's, so there's inevitably more buffering for the rider — but the pillions reported they received less turbulence on the Harley-Davidson. The screen on the Ultra Limited has upper and lower vents, while there's a single vent on the Goldwing. The temperature was quite brisk on day one, so all the vents were closed.

The Ultra Limited has fairing lowers, which also double as the pods for the radiators in the updated twin-cooled engine. Harley's dialled in the airflow around the lowers just right, and they also have vents which can be opened when the weather heats up.

The Goldwing also has lower vents, which also work effectively in guiding air flow away from the legs. There's also manual screen adjustment on the Honda, which is still a cut above the Harley but kind of disappointing at the same time as it'd be nice to have an automatic function. There's about five inches of adjustment available, and it's done easily via a coupler of levers.

BELLS AND WHISTLES
The dash on the Ultra Limited not only looks great with the glossy black surround, but the gauges aren't squished together as much as the Goldwing's either — and there are four of them compared to only three on the Goldwing. Most of that has to do with the positioning of the speakers, which flank the gauges on the Goldwing but sit below on the Ultra Limited. Neither here nor there, but I do like the way that the Batwing fairing on the Harley keeps everything in house, including the mirrors. It's a clean look that Harley has perfected and, although the Harley's mirrors are smaller than the Goldwing's, they are just as effective.

Infotainment played a big part in Project Rushmore, and Harley's fitted the Ultra Limited with its blue-chip 6.5-inch touch screen display, which is still easy to use even with thick winter gloves. The system has all the goodies, including USB ports, voice recognition for your phone, music and GPS, and more. For the full list of features, click HERE. Harley-Davidson doesn't have the luxury of expansive filler panels like the Goldwing to spread out all its button and functions, so the touch screen certainly takes a lot of pressure off. Harley's navigation system is superb, and will also send you straight to the nearest dealership if you require some assistance — or maybe you just want to pop in for a free coffee…

While Harley-Davidson has mastered the art of intuitiveness, the Goldwing has buttons here, there and everywhere — but the ones that are used regularly are all in the right places, such as the heated seats and handgrip controls, the basic stereo functions, and cruise control. I certainly adapted to the Goldwing's setup quicker than the Ultra Limited, and that also went for Paul — which is why I was finding it hard to pry him away from the big Honda! To be fair, he just felt more comfortable on the Goldwing, as he felt the chassis gave him more feedback and a little bit more of a buzz factor. And he was still feeling some minor aftershocks after he nearly ran into some blackberry bushes heading out of his driveway on the Ultra Limited. I once fell on a cactus at university during a wild end-of-semester party, and I reckon a blackberry bush would feel similar…

While Paul had his favourite, I was enjoying the Ultra Limited more and more, particularly as the pace dropped on the final leg into our overnight accommodation. It just took on a beautifully natural, easy and responsive manner and reminded me of when I was blasting down an interstate in California on the Project Rushmore bikes at the original launch in 2013 — irresistibly addictive.

COLD CALLING
As anticipated, the next morning was a cold one: minus one degree as we fired up the bikes! Despite dressing up appropriately for the conditions, sub-zero temperatures do test the gutsiest of travellers — but we managed to tough it out until we reached Seymour and the temperature started heading north.

The bikes are remarkable, really: big luxo tourers operate efficiently in such a wide sphere that it's impossible not to fall for their charms. Sure, they can be overpowering for some, and others tread with caution as the bikes take on more of an acquired taste mode, and for others it's all about the lavishness.

The Goldwing and Ultra Limited are two fine examples of the craft, and after two days and 800km of riding, the Harley-Davidson won me over just a little bit more, while Paul was in the Goldwing corner. For him, it was about feeling more secure, while I just felt more relaxed and comfortable on the Harley-Davidson — something my wife also endorsed. But I also love the appetite and sheer practicality of the Goldwing, which just continues to hide its age with aplomb — it's really a freak of DNA nature.

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 117hp (87kW) at 5500rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 167Nm at 4000rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Five speed, including overdrive and electric reverse
Final drive: Shaft
Clutch: Wet

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Front suspension: 45mm air assist telescopic fork with anti-dive system, 140mm travel
Rear suspension: Pro-Link Pro-Arm with electronically-controlled spring preload adjustment, 105mm travel
Front brakes: 296mm discs with three-piston calipers, CBS, ABS
Rear brake: 316mm disc with three-piston caliper, CBS, ABS
Wheels: Spoked -- front 2.5 x 18, rear 3.5 x 17
Tyres: front 130/70-18, rear 180/60-16

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Rake: 29 degrees
Trail: 109mm
Claimed wet weight: 413kg
Seat height: 740mm
Wheelbase: 1690mm
Fuel capacity: 25 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $36,299
Colours: Candy prominence red/graphite black paint (40th anniversary), graphite black, pearl glare white and digital silver metallic (new for 2015).
Test bike supplied by: Honda Australia, motorcycles.honda.com.au
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: Not given
Claimed maximum torque: 138Nm at 3750rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six speed, including overdrive
Final drive: Shaft
Clutch: Wet

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Front suspension: 49mm fork
Rear suspension: Shock with air-adjustable preload
Front brakes: Twin discs with four-piston calipers, CBS, ABS
Rear brake: Single disc with twin-piston caliper, CBS, ABS
Tyres: Dunlop D408F, front 130/70-17, rear 180/65-16

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Rake: 26 degrees
Trail: 170mm
Claimed wet weight: 414kg
Seat height: 740mm
Wheelbase: 1625mm
Fuel capacity: 22.7 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $37,995
Colours: Vivid Black
Test bike supplied by: Harley-Davidson Australia & New Zealand, http://www.harley-davidson.com/content/h-d/en_AU/home.html
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres