Are you ready to embark on a thrilling journey? Step into the world of Harley-Davidson’s latest masterpiece, the Ultra Limited 2023. With a rich history and reputation for excellence, this model holds a special place in the iconic lineup of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In this article, we will delve into the captivating design, awe-inspiring performance, and luxurious comforts of the Ultra Limited. From its stunning aesthetics to its advanced technology, we’ll explore what sets this model apart from the rest. Join us as we take a closer look at the epitome of motorcycle excellence – the Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited 2023.
2023 Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited – A power-packed machine for riders
Harley-Davidson isn’t known as the Motor Company for nothing. The American motorcycle maker has long been the nation’s dominant brand and it builds one of the best power plants in the market, and the Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited (2023) is one of them.
The road has not been perfect for the brand. Fans were complaining that the bikes were feeling hot, heavy, and hard to handle while also being expensive, less dependable, and difficult to ride. However, Harley was able to quiet a lot of critics and fans with the Ultra Limited model.
The Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited (2023) features a Milwaukee-Eight 114 (1868 cc) V-Twin engine, which is up from previous models. This does not just provide better acceleration but is also cooler on the rider and pillion while being quieter. The Milwaukee-Eight is termed that way because they have gone from a Twin Cam to a quieter single chain-driven camshaft with four lighter valves per head. The engine has eight valves, hence the name “Milwaukee Eight”.
Lighter components and fine internal tolerances have made the bike mechanically quieter, which means Harley-Davidson engineers have been able to legally ramp up the volume and bass in the exhaust. Further, it also means that you are able to hear the stereo on the Ultra Limited even better without having to battle the mechanical noise bouncing back off the front fairing at you.
Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited (2023) Review
Harley-Davidson is a brand renowned for its high-quality, powerful, and glamorous bikes. 2023 saw the launch of another powerful beast and it came in the form of Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited (2023). If you’re a biker in the market for a new bike, you will of course want to learn all there is to know about the bike. In case the Ultra Limited is among those options, then this blog will be helpful. In this Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited (2023) review, you will get to learn all there is to know about this powerful bike.
Engine and power
The new Milwaukee-Eight 114 cubic inch engine comes in with a huge liquid-cooled 1868 cc option. The motor is all-new from the ground up and receives significantly more torque compared to its predecessors. Harley-Davidson also claims that there will be more power but doesn’t state how much, merely quoting 165.4 Nm of torque at 3000 RPM.
The motor of this bike features four-valve cylinder heads, a twin spark fuel-injection system, a single chain-driven camshaft, dual spark plugs, a slipper clutch, and better heat management. The Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited (2023) is Harley’s ultimate touring motorcycle, which is why I have instantly fallen in love with it. The bike is loud, in your face, and extremely massive.
The Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited (2023) is a bike all about the new Milwaukee-Eight engine. At tick over it runs at a lower RPM capable of ticking over at 850 RPM rather than 1000 RPM. The new slipper clutch will mean ham-fisted down changes one gear too many not resulting in the rear locking up and chirping at traffic lights. Meanwhile, the liquid-cooled lump did not make my lower body feel like I was sitting in a human-sized microwave when in town.
What has not been lost is the character of the motor. When I was driving, the bike still vibrates enough in its rubber-mountings and it has retained the trademark Harley potato-potato sound. If anything, the sound has been made richer. A lot of this is down to the new engine that runs quieter than the predecessors, which means you’ll be able to hear more engine noise. It might not have quite the air intake induction noise that the old bike has, but it more than compensates for it with louder exhaust notes.
I was able to ride it lazily and it pulls cleanly. However, it is in the mid-range when you will notice the new motor the most. At around 2500 RPM, the motorcycle does 55 MPH in top gear, and when I twisted the throttle, it felt smoother, livelier, and more willing to overtake. Previous models would have required a down change for a similar response from the motor.
Harley claims that the new motor will be two to three motorcycle lengths ahead of the old motor at the traffic lights in the 0-60mph sprint. Meanwhile, it will be around one or two motorcycles ahead when it comes to rolling. I can certainly back that claim. Generally, you do not need to work the motor as hard, it is the torque that does it for you, making the Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited (2023) one of the best big tourers that are easy to ride.
| Model Name | Electra Glide® Ultra Limited |
| Year | 2023 |
| Engine Size | 1868 cc (114 ci) |
| Engine Type | Twin-Cooled™ Milwaukee-Eight™ 114 V Twin |
| Horsepower | Not provided |
| Torque | 165.4 Nm @ 3000 RPM |
| Dry Weight | 880 lbs (399.2 kg) |
| Wet Weight | 917 lbs (416 kg) |
| Length | 102.3 in (2598 mm) |
| Wheelbase | 64 in (1625 mm) |
| Ground Clearance | 5.3 in (135 mm) |
| Fuel Capacity | 6 gallons (22.7 liters) |
| Fuel Efficiency | 43 US MPG (5.5 L/100km) |
| Seat Height | 29.1 in (739.1 mm) |
| Price | MSRP: $29,169 |
| Cooling | Liquid |
| Valve Configuration | OHV – Pushrod |
| Compression Ratio | 10.5:1 |
| Starter | Electric |
| Fuel Type | Gas |
| Fuel Requirements | Premium |
| Fuel Injector | Yes |
| Transmission Type | Manual |
| Number Of Speeds | 6 |
| Primary Drive (Rear Wheel) | Belt |
| Front Suspension Type | Telescopic Fork |
| Rear Suspension Type | Twin Sided Swing Arm |
| Front Brake Type | Dual Hydraulic Disc |
| Rear Brake Type | Hydraulic Disc |
| Anti-Lock Brakes | Standard |
| Seat Type | One-Piece |
| Number Of Seats | 2 |
Seating and performance
The bike’s seat is cozy and well-padded, the handlebars sweep back to make you feel comfortable as soon as you get on the bike, and there is a huge top box that can take multiple lids or a massive rucksack with room to spare.
Despite the size and weight, once I became confident with the Ultra Limited, it became easy to ride. With the previous models, you never truly felt connected with the motorcycle’s old suspension setup, which often used to crash and bang over bumps. If you had a pillion, this meant you required an air pump for blowing up the old rear shock. This was quite painful to adjust and the overall ride quality was average.
The Showa forks in the Ultra Limited have been a massive improvement. The new setup marks a big step in the right direction. The forks have less drive under braking while at speed, the motorcycle is more stable as it is better damped. The motorcycle weaves less when fully laden at speed as well, whereas the old motorcycle used to wander around slightly on motorway sweeping ends. Overall, the ride quality has improved vastly and it gives the biker a better feeling when in a corner, knowing that even if you hit a bump, it is not game over. The suspension rides the bumps better and improves comfort and handling.
Riding a Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited (2023) is not about how fast you go, it is more about enjoying the ride and taking your time doing it. This is something I was able to learn when driving 3000 miles in just 12 days. What Harley-Davidson has achieved with this bike is that it has made the overall experience much more pleasurable. The bike sounds better, drives better, handles better, and does not cook your bottom when riding. Once I was done riding the bike, I had an epiphany that the bike wasn’t a revelation but it is an evolution. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy that in a Harley touring bike?
An ultra-cool bike in more ways than one
The Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited (2023) is a cooler motorcycle ride thanks to the engineers advancing the ignition, dropping the rear header from the exhaust port, and moving the catalytic converter rearwards.
I also recently drove the Harley-Davidson Road King, which only features a screen and does not have lowers yet I found the Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited (2023) to be a much cooler bike to ride. While the heat shifted on the Harley-Davidson Road King from scorching the inside of my thighs to the back and outside of my leg to the pillion’s ankles, I had no such complaints with the Ultra Limited.
The motorcycle is still somewhat hot in slow traffic on hot summer days, it is still much better than the previous models. There are no particular scorching zones on this one like on the Road King while the pillion is also quite cool.
There are two reasons why the Ultra Limited (2023) is cooler. Firstly, it features twin radiators in the lower which play a key role in cooling the engine. Once you stop, the fans run on for a while and cool the radiators. The other ingredient in making the bike cooler is the presence of small plastic flanges sitting behind the rear cylinder head and under the seat. The flanges effectively deflect out the head, away from the rider and the pillion.
When I rode the Ultra Limited, it appeared to run cooler in town traffic thanks to Harley’s decision to focus on precision oil flow around the cylinder heads. The rear exhaust has been positioned away from the rider and so is the exhaust catalyser. This means the entire experience will be cooler in town for the rider and the pillion. While the old motorcycles used to get hot, it became hard to select gears, and the clutch became grabby, I did not notice any of this with the new engine, either liquid-cooled or air/oil-cooled.
In truth, aside from the cooling and a bit of extra smoothness and refinement that I noticed, I found it hard to tell the difference between the air/oil-cooled and liquid-cooled motor when driving on the highways out of town. The 2023 Ultra Limited responds amazingly well and you’ll be able to feel an increase in torque around 2500 RPM.
An Ultra plush ride
Similar to the rest of the Touring range, the Milwaukee-Eight engine has received an upgraded suspension. It features the Showa dual bending valve forks that eliminate the jackhammer effect through the bars on rough terrains.
At the rear end, there are new emulsion-technology rear shock absorbers that can be adjusted easily with a single knob. They also do not have to be readjusted all the time like the old air shocks that leaked slowly. You can simply set and forget.
The ride has been improved substantially as a result, even with heavier loads as it offers 15-30 percent more pre-load adjustment. It is a plush ride with that setup and the deep-cushioned seats. With I rode the Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited (2023), I noticed a few things.
The transmission felt slicker with the neutral being easier to find and less clunky between changes. The bike idles smoother and a bit higher, revs easier, and does not feel as asthmatic at high revs. The seating position is slimmer due to a narrower primary and the beveled air filter. The steering feels sharper and much more direct.
Accessories and pricing
As standard, the Harley-Davison Ultra Limited (2023) comes with an entertainment system dubbed BOOM! and it features a massive LED full-color screen. You will be able to access features like a digital radio, mobile integration, Bluetooth, and stereo aux connection for your smartphone or iPod. The motorcycle has an amazing setup and is quite easy to use with intuitive controls on each handlebar.
The Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited (2023) is Harley-Davidson’s ultimate touring motorcycle, hence why I absolutely loved it and recommend it. The bike costs a hefty sum too with the price for the black model coming at $29,165. Further, you can also get a custom color option for an additional cost.
Weighing at around 880 lbs. dry weight, there will be no mistaking the Ultra Limited. While motorcycles like the Road Glide Special and the Street Glide Special are favorites with folks who like to customize, the Ultra Limited is the purest touring motorcycle in the range.
Further, to mark the 120th anniversary of Harley-Davidson, the company launched 1300 Anniversary Edition Ultra Limited bikes. Here is what Jochen Zeitz had to say upon the launch of Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited (2023).
“Since 1903, Harley-Davidson has pioneered American motorcycle design, technology, and performance, and today marks the beginning of a year-long celebration of Harley-Davidson’s 120th Anniversary.”
Jochen Zeitz