The Harley-Davidson Tri Glide Ultra is an excellent touring trike that can have you and your pillion covering hundreds of miles every day in comfort. It’s also one of the better-looking trikes on the market, meaning a complete touring trike experience that leaves little to complain about. However, one thing you might complain about is its starting price.
If you want that level of comfort and performance, you have to pay the price. Then, you also have to think about the trike’s long-term ownership costs. Sometimes, it can get expensive. So, before you jump in and make the near-$40k purchase of the Tri Glide Ultra, let’s understand how much it will actually cost you to own over five years, not just to buy.
2025 Harley-Davidson Tri Glide Ultra Is A Balanced Full-Dress Trike Today
Harley-Davidson’s niche trike lineup today consists of five trike models, including three 2026 models and two 2025 models. The 2026 model lineup starts with the Road Glide 3, at $35,399, a capable touring trike. Next up is the Street Glide 3 Limited, for $39,199, which offers a full-dresser two-up touring comfort. For those looking for exclusivity, H-D also offers the CVO Street Glide 3 Limited at $54,999. It also lists 2025 models on the website, which start with the entry-level Freewheeler at $31,999 and the Tri Glide Ultra at $37,999.
What Makes The Tri Glide Ultra Still Relevant In 2026
So, if you want a proper two-up comfort for touring, the only two ideal picks are the Street Glide 3 Limited and Tri Glide Ultra. The latter, despite being older, makes more sense economically. It is not only cheaper, but thanks to its Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine, as opposed to the Street Glide’s M8 117, it also offers better mileage. Being an older model, some discounts at the dealerships should be possible as well.
It’s still a terrific full-dresser trike, though. Its M8 114 engine offers 120 pound-feet of torque and 42 miles per gallon. Its batwing fairing and lowers promise wind protection, while the couch-like seat and ergonomics should keep you comfortable for day-long rides. Entertainment is taken care of by a 6.5-inch touchscreen and four-speaker audio system, and rounding out the package are Harley-Davidson’s Safety Enhancement Suite, electric reverse, and Trunk + King Tour-Pak luggage with 6.8 cubic feet of space.
Tri Glide Ultra Starts At $37,999
The Tri Glide Ultra starts at $37,999 for the base classic chrome finish and Billiard Gray colorway. Stepping up to the all-dark finish adds $1000 more to the sticker price. Although you might want to shell out for fancier color options, which can range from $850 to $2,800, depending on which one you pick. All this does make the Tri Glide Ultra an expensive trike to buy, which is also why you need to consider its long-term ownership costs.
The Tri Glide Ultra Will Cost You Around $60,000 Over Five Years
$60,000 for five years of ownership may seem like a lot at first, but know that it also includes the trike’s starting price of $37,999. Keeping the MSRP aside, the Tri Glide Ultra’s ownership costs depend on various factors. After the MSRP, typically, the next biggest way you’ll lose your money is the trike’s depreciation, i.e., how much value it will lose over the ownership tenure.
Out-of-Pocket Expenses To Consider
Then come the out-of-pocket expenses to keep the bike maintained, running, and protected. This includes maintenance and repair costs and fuel expenses, which can vary drastically. You should also account for any financing costs as well as insurance premiums, which can sometimes be quite high, depending on your credit, age, location, and more. Due to the lack of proper research tools, you can’t predict the exact costs, but we can get a rough estimate of them nonetheless.
You’ll Spend Around $22,000 On Maintenance
Keep the starting price aside, and the maintenance costs come to around $22,000. This includes a five-year depreciation of around $7,600 and an insurance cost of around $1,750. Maintenance and fuel should set you back by another $6,785.7 over five years. If you choose to finance it for five years with a 20 percent down payment, also consider an additional interest cost of around $5,493.6. It’s important to note that these are just estimates, and you might either save or spend thousands more, depending on your use case.
The Trike Will Lose Around 20 Percent Value After Five Years
Three-wheelers or trikes are a niche segment, so figuring out depreciation can be a bit tricky. However, we can reference the starting price of a five-year-old model and compare it to its current listing price to get an idea. So, the 2021 Tri Glide Ultra started at $34,999 five years ago. Today, Kelley Blue Book shows its typical listing price at $27,730. That’s a difference of $7,269 or around 20 percent.
The 2025 model year bought in 2026 should show a similar depreciation curve. So, you can expect to lose around $7,600 on the Tri Glide Ultra after five years of ownership. As far as vehicles go, this depreciation over five years is not too bad at all. For reference, a typical motorcycle loses 20 percent in the first year or so; over five years, it loses around 50 to 65 percent. So, you don’t have much to worry about the Tri Glide Ultra’s depreciation; you will still recoup around 80 percent of its value after five years.
Another $5,000 Over Five Years
Maintenance is usually the next biggest expense for touring motorcycles and trikes, especially when it comes to Harley-Davidsons. Unfortunately, there’s no universal service price list to calculate how much you’ll spend on maintenance and repairs. These costs can vary drastically, depending on the dealership’s labor rate, appointment timings, and region. However, owners on forums report an annual service costing around $1,000, summing up to $5,000 over five years. Remember, this is just a tough estimate, and the annual costs may vary depending on your mileage.
Keep Some Money Aside For Repairs, Too
Apart from the usual routine maintenance, owners report that suspension rebuilds or other major services can be expensive. Being a trike, the Tri Glide Ultra also uses three wheels and bigger tires. They can be more expensive to replace than regular motorcycle tires. This part, however, is tricky to estimate, as consumables can range from budget to premium tiers. Surprise repairs can also set you back a lot of money. So, it’s best to keep a few thousand dollars aside for such things.
Fuel Expenses Will Cost You Under $2,000
The fuel costs for five years depend entirely on how much you ride your motorcycle, but we can make an educated guess here. Given that the smaller M8 114 engine returns 42 miles per gallon, you can expect to spend around $357.14 per year. This is assuming an annual mileage of 5,000 miles and an average fuel cost of $3 per gallon. The five-year fuel costs come to around $1,785.7.
Don’t Forget Financing And Insurance Costs
While it’s relatively easy to estimate the cost of maintenance and depreciation, doing the same for insurance and financing isn’t as easy. These costs can vary a lot, depending on various factors. For instance, if you assume a down payment of 20 percent or $7,600, an APR of 6.74 percent, and a 5-year loan tenure, you’ll pay around $5,493.6 in interest over the five years of ownership. You can avoid this cost entirely by not financing your motorcycle, though.
Insurance Is The Final Expense
Harley-Davidson Insurance claims that you can insure your trike for as low as $15 per month, but owner reports suggest otherwise. Owners claim they pay around $300 to $450 per year, which is twice as much as what H-D Insurance markets. So, you can consider a per-year ballpark figure of around $350, which comes up to $1,750 for five years. Do note that your actual insurance rates depend on factors like your credit, history, location, age, and much more.
Source: Harley-Davidson, Reddit, Trike Talk, Kelley Blue Book