America’s big two manufacturers have taken two very different approaches to marketing a new model. While its competitors crow about their touchscreens and sat-navs, Harley-Davidson’s latest cruiser makes the fact it has none of that into a selling point. It’s the stripped-back Electra Glide Standard, complete with a stripped-back price.
Meanwhile, Indian has brought out a new premium model, the Roadmaster Elite. It goes on sale at $52,995, a $10k premium over the standard Roadmaster.
H-D’s new model is based on the same chassis and Milwaukee-Eight engine as the rest of the Electra Glide line-up but costs $34,495, compared to the Ultra Limited’s $40,995.
There’s no pillion seat or top box, and the batwing fairing has a lower screen. And of course there’s the tech shortfall; where Harley’s marketeers make much of the Ultra Limited’s ‘Boom Box GTS’ infotainment system, with its big touchscreen to let you interact with the sat nav, music and phone connectivity, the firm extolls the fact that the Electra Glide Standard is free of such distractions, purporting the bike lets you ‘disconnect from screens and gadgets and enjoy the ride.’
No effort has been spared on Indian’s Roadmaster Elite. It gains a two-tone, hand-finished red-and-black paint scheme that reportedly took nearly 30 hours to complete, finished with gold leaf badges.
On top of that there’s a 600-watt s infotainment system, plus leather passenger armrests, billet aluminium floorboards and mirrors and Indian claims all this “takes the touring experience to a new level”.
