2005–2006 · Tourer · Buyer's Guide
The Blank Canvas Bagger
Strip a full-dress bagger back to what actually matters and you get this FLHT. Harley left off the top trunk, the passenger backrest, and most of the chrome, then kept the parts that make a tourer work: a big batwing fairing, locking hard saddlebags, and the air-cooled 1449 cc Twin Cam 88 up front. The 45° V-twin makes 66 hp and pulls from low in the rev range through a 5-speed box and a quiet belt drive. In its class this is the honest, mechanical tourer for riders who trust their own hands over a menu of electronics.
On the open road it does one thing and does it well. The ride is plush and relaxed, the fairing takes the highway blast off your chest, and the engine lopes along at cruising speed without asking for attention. It ages the way simple machines do, which is to say it stays fixable and easy to make your own. Two honest caveats. There are no rider aids to lean on, and some owners see the speedometer and tachometer drop out from bus wiring or ECM connector corrosion, so buy one with a clean, documented electrical history.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 66 hp (49 kW) @ 5,200 rpm |
|---|---|
| Displacement | 1449 cc |
| Engine | 45° V-twin |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Gearbox | 5-speed |
| Final drive | Belt |
| Fork | Telescopic |
| Front brake | 292 mm |
| Front tire | 130/90-16 |
| Wheelbase | 63.5 in (1613 mm) |
| Seat height | 27.3 in (693 mm) |
| Wet weight | 800 lb (363 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 5.0 gal (18.9 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Thumb the starter and the whole bike rocks on its mounts before the 45° twin settles into that deep, offbeat idle you feel through the tank and floorboards as much as you hear it. Roll away and the low 27.3 in seat plants you deep in the machine, feet forward, hands wide on the bars. Once you clear town the batwing earns its keep, splitting the wind up and over your helmet so an all-day interstate stretch never wears you out. At 800 lb it feels rooted rather than nervous, tracking arrow-straight through crosswinds and truck wash where lighter bikes wander. The vibration mellows to a steady pulse at a 70 mph cruise, present enough to remind you what you're riding, calm enough to log big miles behind.
Over the years I've gathered what riders tell me about this Electra Glide wherever it comes up: club nights, quiet talk while a bike sits on the lift, and the messages owners drop me straight. Put it all together and the sentiment splits along speed. It wins riders over on the open road, and the doubts surface once the pace falls off.
Comfort is the thread that runs through nearly every conversation. Riders talk about a bike that stays composed and unhurried at a highway pace, the fairing shouldering the wind so a full day aboard doesn't grind them down. A good number single out the styling too, the classic silhouette and hard bags landing as real American character to the brand faithful. The torque of the big twin comes up often as well, enough low-end shove to pass and cruise along without working the shifter.
The reservations cluster once the pace drops. A number of owners call it clumsy to thread through parking lots and slow U-turns, plenty of mass to steer at a crawl. Others bring up how much heat the air-cooled motor puts out when traffic bogs down. And a few still feel the V-twin's idle shudder working up through the grips and boards while the bike sits.
Intermittent instrument/gauge failure
Some owners report speedometer and tachometer dropping out, often accompanied by check engine light and diagnostic codes U1255/U1016, caused by serial bus wiring or ECM connector corrosion. Troubleshooting involves checking ground connections and wiring harness near the steering neck.
Where this Harley-Davidson Touring Electra Glide Standard FLHT pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Touring Electra Glide Standard FLHT is actually built for.
This is your kind of bike. The sound, the presence, and the blank-canvas potential are all here, ready to run the rally circuit and get built into a statement that reads as unmistakably yours.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
The fairing, saddlebags, and plush comfort make it a real long-haul tourer. It's the stripped trim though, so full two-up loads and a passenger backrest mean a trip to the accessory catalog.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
You'll love the scenery and the comfort, less the pace. At 800 lb this is a relaxed bagger, not a canyon carver, so enjoy the miles but don't expect quick, flickable changes of direction.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Harley-Davidson Touring Electra Glide Standard FLHT. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Successor · 2007–2008
Big Torque, No Frills
Competitor · 2005–2006
Factory Custom, Built to Roll
Same Platform · 2005–2006
Big Miles, Batwing Comfort