Introduced for the 1989 model year, this nameplate represented Harley-Davidson’s more deluxe, long-distance take on the Electra Glide touring formula. It built on the brand’s full-dress touring layout, combining the familiar batwing fairing with hard luggage and passenger-oriented equipment to create one of Harley-Davidson’s flagship highway motorcycles. In Harley-Davidson’s own historical material, the model is identified as the more deluxe Electra Glide Ultra Classic beginning in 1989, and company parts and service literature shows it remaining in the lineup through the 2019 model year. A notable milestone came in 1995, when Harley-Davidson offered electronic fuel injection on the model as an option, making it one of the company’s early EFI touring applications. Over the years, the Ultra Classic became closely associated with the traditional American touring bagger: large, comfortable, heavily equipped, and aimed at riders who wanted maximum weather protection and passenger amenities without leaving the classic Harley-Davidson look behind. It remained a core touring trim for decades and became a familiar benchmark in the brand’s touring family before the nameplate ended after the 2019 model year.
MODEL HISTORY