Purchasing a motorcycle is a long process, and it often involves a lot of emotion, at least for us enthusiasts. Bikes are something we usually plan and save up for years in advance, and when the time finally comes, we have to balance our excitement on one shoulder and the logic on the other. For the most part, doing that is easy, but where many riders fail is figuring out exactly how much a motorcycle will cost them to own.
That ownership cost does not end with just the sticker price and an annual service bill. It goes well beyond that. Motorcycles require a lot of maintenance and go through consumables faster than a car. At the same time, they depreciate, consume fuel, and require insurance. You need to factor in these expenses, too, especially when you’re buying something as expensive as a Harley-Davidson Street Glide. So, if you’re eying this Harley-Davidson tourer, here’s a breakdown of its estimated ownership costs over five years.
The Harley-Davidson Street Glide Is The Entry-Level Grand American Tourer
The Harley-Davidson Street Glide dates back to 1985, designed by Willie G. Davidson as a stripped-down touring bike. The current-generation Street Glide continues that tradition, complete with a batwing fairing that has been modernized with sleek DRLs, rigid saddlebags to carry your luggage, and a low-slung flyline. Unlike the more premium touring models, the Street Glide is more focused on solo tours, so it does not have a trunk or a pillion couch.
Despite its old-school roots, the current Street Glide is every bit as modern as any other touring motorcycle from the brand’s lineup. It features a Milwaukee-Eight 117 V-twin engine producing 130 pound-feet of torque at 3,250 RPM and 105 horsepower at 4,600 RPM. This torque-rich performance should make quick work of getting this over-800-pound bike up to speed. It also features a 12.3-inch display with Apple CarPlay, speakers, and comfort-oriented ergonomics.
The Street Glide Starts At $24,999
The Harley-Davidson Street Glide, despite being an entry-level Harley tourer, is still an expensive motorcycle, starting at $24,999 for the Chrome Solo version. Stepping up to the two-seater Chrome Two-Up adds $2,000 to the MSRP, whereas a blacked-out Two-Up version adds $3,400. The Dark Billiard colorway is free, and other colors can cost you up to $1,800, depending on which one you pick. This makes it an expensive motorcycle to buy, which is why you also need to consider how expensive it will be in the long run. You don’t want a moneypit on your hands, do you?
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The Street Glide Is Not Cheap To Own
MSRP aside, how much does the Street Glide actually cost to own? That depends on a variety of factors, but we can get a rough idea by estimating a few basic expenses. This obviously starts with the MSRP of the bike, which is usually where you’ll spend most of the ownership costs. Typically, the next biggest way you’ll lose money on your bike is the depreciation, i.e., how much value your bike will lose over the years of ownership. Fortunately, the Street Glide fares quite well here.
We then come to out-of-pocket expenses that you will keep paying over your ownership tenure. This includes maintenance, repairs, and fuel expenses, which can vary drastically, but it’s easy to make a rough estimate of them. You also have to account for insurance premiums, which can be quite high for touring motorcycles, as well as financing costs, if you plan to finance the bike. Due to a lack of proper research tools, we’ll be making some assumptions regarding the estimates; do keep that in mind.
The Harley-Davidson Street Glide Can Cost You $50,000 In Five Years
Wait, that’s twice the price you paid for the brand new Street Glide, right? Yes, but remember that the near $50k estimate also includes the MSRP of $24,999, along with a depreciation cost of $10,750. Meanwhile, maintenance costs around $4,000 to $5,000, and fuel is estimated at $2,727.25 for five years. For the same duration, financing interest is estimated at $3,614.8 and insurance premiums can range from $3,000 to $4,5000, depending on several factors. As a result, the bike’s total ownership cost for five years comes to around $50,089. Let’s break the costs down below.
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The Street Glide Should Depreciate By 43 Percent In 5 Years
For motorcycles, depreciation is tricky to figure out. We don’t really have proper third-party research tools to track that. However, we can reference the starting MSRP and the current used market value of a 5-year-old Street Glide to get an idea of its depreciation. So, a 2021 Street Glide, which cost $21,999 brand new, is valued at $12,526 today by Kelley Blue Book. That’s a depreciation of $9,473 or 43 percent over five years. You can expect a similar depreciation for your 2026 Harley-Davidson Street Glide, which comes to around $10,750.
Depreciation is usually the biggest expense that comes with a brand-new vehicle, and while 43 percent depreciation may sound like a lot, it’s actually on the better end of the spectrum. On average, a motorcycle typically loses 50 to 65 percent of its original value after the first five years on the road in the US, with the sharpest decline occurring within the first two years. In contrast to that, the Street Glide retains its value quite well. You can further minimize this by keeping the bike as stock as possible, taking good care of it, and maintaining a service record. Though we’d never go as far as to say not to ride your bike to keep the miles low.
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Maintenance And Fuel Should Cost You Around $7,727
Maintenance is the next big factor you need to worry about when it comes to owning a Harley-Davidson. Unfortunately, there is no universal price list of how much your bike will cost you for maintenance and repairs. These costs vary by model, dealership labor rate, region, and appointment timing. Still, a 1,000-mile service should cost you around $350 to $600, whereas a 5,000-mile or annual service should cost you around $800, which includes minor adjustments and some consumables. Considering this is a starter tourer, let’s stick to around $800 per year for the annual service, which sums up to $4,000 over 5 years.
Keep Some Money Aside For Surprise Repairs
That’s just for the maintenance, but you’ll also have to account for worn items and repairs. However, that is a tricky thing to estimate. Everything from brake pads to tires comes in a variety, ranging from budget-tier to premium ones. Similarly, labor rates can vary depending on the repair work. Surprise repairs, like an engine rebuild, can set you back by a thousand dollars or more. It’s best to keep some money aside for this while making sure you service your bike on time to avoid these surprises along the way.
Fuel Expenses Come To Around $2,727 For Five Years
The fuel expense depends entirely on how much you ride your bike, but let’s make an educated guess here. Let’s assume you ride your Street Glide for 8,000 miles per year with an average fuel cost of $3 per gallon. Thanks to the bike’s 6-gallon fuel tank and 44 miles per gallon economy, you should expect to spend around $545.45 per year, which sums up to $2,727.25 for five years, considering a total distance covered of 40,000 miles.
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Financing And Insurance Can Vary A Lot, Though
While it’s easy to estimate the cost of maintenance, depreciation, and fuel, doing the same for insurance and financing is difficult. These expenses can vary drastically, depending on a range of factors. Starting with financing, if you assume a down payment of 20 percent ($4,999) with a 60-month financing with a 6.74 percent APR, you’ll pay $393.58 per month to the bank. As a result, you’ll spend around $3,614.8 in interest over 5 years. This is completely avoidable if you have the pocket deep enough to pay for the bike outright.
Insurance Depends On Various Factors
The average cost of motorcycle insurance in the US, as of 2024, is $396 or $33 per month. However, this figure can vary based on your age, insurance type, motorcycle type, location, and credit and financial history. Given that the Street Glide is a touring motorcycle, it will attract higher insurance premiums. Owners report typically paying an insurance premium of $600 to $900. Let’s assume a middle ground of $800 per year, but this is just an estimate; insurance rates for touring bikes can be as high as $1,600.
Source: Harley-Davidson, Kelley Blue Book