This shrine-equipped Touring model was introduced in Harley-Davidson’s FLHTCU Ultra Classic Electra Glide family as a special-purpose variant aimed at riders and organizations needing a motorcycle prepared for ceremonial use. It first appears in Harley-Davidson’s 1998 Touring model documentation as the FLHTCU-I Shrine, and by the turn of the century it was listed in the company’s parts and owner literature alongside the standard Ultra Classic and other Touring derivatives. The shrine version carried forward the same long-distance touring foundation as the Ultra Classic, but with model-specific identification and equipment tailored to parade and escort duty rather than a separate standalone platform.
Over time, the nameplate remained tied to the Ultra Classic Electra Glide lineage while Harley-Davidson updated the Touring range around it. In the early 2000s the shrine model was still shown in official model-code tables, and later manuals list it simply as FLHTCU Shrine. That continuity suggests a single, uninterrupted production run rather than a later revival. The model persisted through the final years of the air-cooled Ultra Classic era, and Harley-Davidson’s 2014 Touring documentation no longer lists the FLHTCU Shrine; the shrine role had shifted to the newer Ultra Limited Shrine by then.
For enthusiasts and collectors, the model is notable less as a high-volume retail trim and more as an official factory shrine variant of one of Harley-Davidson’s best-known touring motorcycles. Its history reflects the company’s long-standing practice of offering specialized Touring derivatives for public-service, ceremonial, and commemorative use.