Are you a Harley-Davidson bike owner working your way through the Harley-Davidson scene but unsure over what FLHTCU means? If so, then you’re in the right place at the right time.
FLHTCU stands for Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Classic, a fully dressed touring model with advanced features for long-distance comfort, including fairings, saddlebags, and an infotainment system.
In this article, you’ll get to know all about FLHTCU, what does FLHTCU stand for, and everything about the Harley-Davidson Ultra-Classic Electra Glide among others. Stick around to get all the answers that you’re looking for.
What does FLHTCU stand for?
Every Harley-Davidson bike comes with a specific model code that makes it easier to identify details about the bike. Harley-Davidson applies a set of letters to designate the main components and accessories that a model is outfitted with. By having the basic knowledge of these characters, you’ll comfortably identify the different types of bikes by knowing what the bike’s model code is. The FLHTCU is used to refer to the Harley-Davidson Ultra-Classic Electra Glide.
In FLHTCU, the “FL” part is used to denote that the bike has Big Twin, 74, 80, 88, 107, etc. cubic inch engine. The 74 cubic inch engines were used between 1941 and 1982. Depending on the year of manufacturing, the engine could be a knucklehead, Shovelhead, Panhead, Evo, Milwaukee-Eight, or Twin Cam.
The “T” is used for denoting the Frame Code Frame Type, which is the Touring bikes in this case. The “C” in the model code stands for Classic. Meanwhile, the “U” in the model code is used for denoting flathead, 74 cubic-inch big twin, and 5:1 compression. Despite being such an outstanding motorcycle, Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra-Classic stopped after it didn’t get re-certified for 2020.
Harley-Davidson Ultra-Classic Electra Glide for Harley enthusiasts
The Harley-Davidson Ultra-Classic Electra Glide serves as the company’s entry-level model for its full-dresser lineup. Updated a few years back, the bike sports improved suspension while also reducing the heat felt by the biker and passengers for greater all-around comfort.
Not just that, but the Milwaukee-Eight engine has made its way onto the bike. It offers greater performance than before with 111.4 pound-feet of torque and six-speed transmission, which comes geared for highway riding at a decent RPM. Harley-Davidson bike’s infotainment system makes an appearance too, which means the phrase “entry level” is a rather relative statement.
Design
This lineup has a long and storied history as it has roots dating back to 1965 when the factory mounted an electric starter on the Panhead-powered FL model. Through the decades, the Electra Glide has defined the American touring/bagger/dresser look. Obviously, this is a double-edged sword, as Harley-Davidson has a reputation to uphold without having to rest on its laurels.
If the looks of this bike had to be described using one word, then it would be “substantial”. The beefy front end of the bike makes it look even more massive, with chromed upper form shrouds taking up the slack between the skirted and badges front fender and the signature batwing fairing. The engine guards and pimp lights add more mass alongside a dose of bling with monochrome lower fairings. It protects the biker’s legs while providing yet another storage spot.
The Splitstream vents present in the large-displacement batwing fairing certainly add a neat visual detail below the full-height windshield. Harley-Davidson certainly missed a chance to tidy up the bars by using standoff-type mirrors instead of tucking them away into the ears of the bat. Another potential downside is the flashiness of the chrome fuel door and tank console. Under broad daylight, they could be seen from far away because they are so bright and flashy.
The deep-scoop saddle will rise to an ample pillion pad, which comes with armrests, a backrest, and rear speakers. The Tour-Pak and hard-side monochrome saddlebags offer a total of 4.7 cubic feet of dry storage and a light bar across the back for good visibility from the rear.
Both the rider and the passenger get vibration-isolated footboards. A four-clock instrument display is present in the inner fairing in a row above the 4.3-inch Infotainment display tasked with managing the onboard Boom Box 4.3 Stereo System.
An AM/FM/Weatherband receiver comes bundled with USB/iPhone compatibility for your entertainment needs, with SD card/MP3 and Bluetooth connectivity as options. Two pairs of 5.25-inch speakers will drive the audio signal in the bike and offer high-quality audio. A rider/passenger intercom system will come as standard equipment. This way, you can communicate with the passenger while you’re riding without needing to scream over the wind/engine/music noise.
Chassis
Harley-Davidson’s FL frame is essentially a double-downtube/double-cradle arrangement that is made from welded sections of mild-steel tubing. While it isn’t very light, it’s still pretty strong. The steering head sets the rake at around 26° with a 6.7-inch of trail on a 64-inch wheelbase for rail-like tracking. Meanwhile, the Classic comes with a steering damper to further help keep the motorcycle under control and stable.
Harley-Davidson hasn’t gotten on board with the adjustable front suspension components yet. However, the brand has embraced the next best thing – Showa’s Dual Bending Valve forks. These forks are capable of delivering a superior ride because of the self-variable damping actions. The rear suspension has received an upgrade as well, with a pair of emulation shocks. These come with a handwheel-actuated preload adjuster for quick and easy changes for compensating for variable passenger and cargo loads.
Laden seat height is around 27.4-inches off the ground, which is relatively low. But overall, even with a narrow primary case of Milwaukee-8 engine, the waist is rather wide, which negates some of the low saddle altitudes. In spite of the 6-gallon fuel tank and the 894-pound curb weight, the center of gravity is low enough to be manageable. However, you should still respect the mass and never lose sight of the detail that if you get too far off balance, you’ll be in trouble standing the bike back up.
Drivetrain
The crown jewel of any Harley-Davidson bike is the V-Twin powerplant. This is truer than ever with the introduction of the Milwaukee-8. There are no more ugly Twin Cam cases with unnatural pushrod geometry. The Milwaukee-8 resurrects the single-cam configuration for a look, which is more familiar to Evo and earlier riders.
The Harley-Davidson Ultra-Classic gets the 107 cubic-inch version, which comes with a straight-up air cooling feature. Although, it still utilizes oil jets as a way to cool specific hotspots. It reduces the waste heat radiating from the cooling fins for washing over the pilot and passenger. This results in a lot more comfortable ride in warmer climates.
As always, Harley-Davidson lays out the internals with a 3.937-inch bore and a 4.375 stroke for the characteristic long-stroke configuration. The 45° V-Twin runs the classic off-balance firing order for the distinctive, familiar potato-potato lope at idle. The electronic fuel injection will meter the fuel for the 45 MPG fuel economy rating. Although, you can also go for purchasing mid-grade fuel for your bike due to the 10:1 compression ratio.
At 3,250 RPM, the Milwaukee-8 churns out as much as 111.4 pound-feet of torque. It’s well into power, tourer country, even when you’re considering how much mass the bike has to push around. It’ll give the Milwaukee-8 engine a strong, fifth-gear roll-on to make decisive passes at highway speed. The standard clutch sends the power to the 6-speed transmission, where the top gear will keep highway revs relatively low.
Pricing
As usual, the Harley-Davidson Ultra-Classic Electra comes in a variety of prices depending on which color you’re going for. The Vivid Black model comes at a price of $24,589 whereas the solid color option comes at $25,189. The two-tone and custom color costs you around $25,639 and $25,889 respectively. Moreover, Harley-Davidson will give you ample opportunities to pad the ticket with the premium radio option and a security option.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading. Hopefully, now you know a lot more about FLHTCU, what does FLHTCU stand for, and everything about the Harley-Davidson Ultra-Classic Electra Glide among others. FLHTCU stands for a specific Harley-Davidson model – Harley-Davidson Ultra-Classic Electra Glide. It’s a splendid bike that offers high-speed cruising with premium comfort and stability. The scooped fairing lowers with storage packets and the classic batwing fairing combine to offer wonderful wind protection. Moreover, it comes with ABS as standard, so there will be no danger of skidding. The bike offers great balance and will offer smooth gear transitions with minimal shaking.