Despite offering sub-$10,000 cruiser bikes,Harley-Davidsonis not a motorcycle maker that one would call “affordable.” This is made more evident by its range of touring motorcycles, starting at $25,999 for the Street Glide bagger and going up to $52,000 for the CVO Street Glide Limited full dresser. But thanks to a thriving used Harley-Davidson marketplace, we get many ‘loaded’ touring bikes at more affordable, ‘value-oriented’ prices.
Now, the sacrifice of losing out on the latest and greatest is a given with used motorcycles. But we have picked one such used Harley touring bike that, despite being two years old, offers a similarly well-stacked package as its latest 2026 model. In fact, the 2024 offering goes further, surprising us with more practical features.
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Popularity Of Used Harley-Davidson Motorcycles
The primary reason used Harley-Davidsons are more popular than new models is that they offer two key advantages. Firstly, the upfront costs are significantly lower thanks to the steep initial depreciation hit. Secondly, the abundance of low-mileage options for reliable offerings gives a prospective buyer the option to own a “near-new” motorcycle that isn’t outdated. Harley also has one of the largest repositories of certified pre-owned motorcycles. This offers more peace of mind when it comes to used offerings, thanks to transparency in service records and official backing for parts and repairs.
The Most Popular Used Harley-Davidson Bikes Today
- 2017+ Street Glide
- 2017+ Road Glide
- 2017+ Road King
- 2016-2022 Sportster Iron 883
The Street Glide and Road Glide are the most popular Harley-Davidson touring bikes, both new and used. The former is famed for its charming old-school-inspired styling with its batwing fairing. The Road Glide, while very similar in mechanicals to the Street Glide, gets elevated on-road comfort and wind protection with its large fixed shark-nose fairing. Then there’s the Road King (Special), which offers a minimalist take on a comfortable American tourer with old-school charm.
Amidst this bunch of touring bikes, a barebones cruiser bike also finds a place. The classic Sportster Iron 883 is a highly sought-after used Harley for its blend of versatility, affordability, and sporty character. Beginners, commuters, and spirited riders find this used Harley cruiser very enticing. One feature common to all the used Harleys mentioned here (except the Iron 883) is the powertrain. The proven reliability quotient of the popular Milwaukee-Eight V-twin engine backs all these motorcycles.
The 2024 Road Glide Is The Best Value Used Touring Bike
Used Prices Start From As Low As $18,200
While older model years can be had for more affordable prices, the 2024 Road Glide is where the value-for-money proposition peaks among used Harley touring bikes. This is primarily because Harley gave the Road Glide a substantial upgrade in 2024. These include a revised design with a new shark-nose fairing, larger LED headlamps, and improved comfort.
It even got a bigger, more powerful Milwaukee-Eight engine that produces 22 percent more horsepower and 19 percent more torque than the outgoing model’s 107-cubic-inch V-twin. Harley also reduced the weight by 16 pounds (to 848 pounds) and updated the suspension with longer-travel rear shocks for more comfort and improved handling. The electronic suite also underwent a major overhaul, with new features such as ride modes and an upgraded audio system.
All of these features, bundled into a head-turner of a touring bike, can be had today for under $20,000. Interestingly, the 2026 Road Glide is more or less the same in performance, technology, and comfort features as the updates to the Road Glide have mostly been aesthetic since 2024. In some aspects, the 2024 model offers more, like a standard two-up seat. The base 2026 Road Glide, with a starting price of $25,999, is offered with a solo seat only.
2024 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Pricing
- Typical Listing Price: $22,529
- Trade-In Value: $18,000
- Most Affordable Used Model Price We Found: $18,199
Powered By A Reliable V-Twin Engine
The popular Milwaukee-Eight 117 V-twin powers the 2024 Road Glide. This 1,923 cc mill has a bore x stroke of 103.5 x 114.3 mm and a compression ratio of 10.3:1. It produces 105 horsepower at 4,600 RPM and 130 pound-feet of torque at 3,250 RPM. A large 4.0-liter air box is coupled to an aluminum intake manifold, improving engine breathing and smoothness. It is further connected to 58 mm throttle bodies. The other end gets a shiny two-to-two exhaust system.
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This engine is designed for meaty low-end torque, helping it launch strongly off the line despite the size and heft of this touring motorcycle. Power is sent to the rear wheel via a six-speed manual gearbox coupled to a final belt drive system. This engine also uses liquid-cooled cylinder heads to improve heat dissipation and keep the engine within the working temperature range during long runs.
This 45-degree Milwaukee-Eight engine is very reliable due to its robust design and simple, easy-to-repair internals, such as a single cam-driven four-valve head. It also gets a counterbalancer to reduce vibrations, which should also reduce wear on components. However, the most important reason is this engine’s age. The Milwaukee-Eight has been around for quite some time and has been validated through years of development and refinement.
The Road Glide’s Underpinnings Are Designed To Go The Distance
The Road Glide usesa mild steel-tube main frame with a two-piece backbone. It is coupled to a bolt-on rear subframe. The chassis is suspended on 49 mm Dual Bending Valve front forks (4.6 inches of travel) and dual rear shocks (3.0 inches of travel) with preload adjustability.
Braking duties are taken care of by 320 mm dual floating discs up front, coupled to four-piston axially mounted calipers. The rear gets a single 300 mm disc coupled to a single axially mounted caliper. It gets cast-aluminum 19-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels, wrapped with Dunlop Harley-Davidson Series 130-section front and 180-section rear tires, designed for long hauls.
2024 Road Glide Offers Long Touring Comfort With Iconic Styling
This used Harley touring bike prioritizes both rider and passenger comfort. The two-up seating is wide and plush to accommodate long saddle hours. Making the Road Glide more accessible to shorter riders is a low seat height of 28.3 inches. Its huge, iconic sharknose fairing makes it a looker and also helps deflect wind away from the rider.
This helps reduce fatigue during highway runs. The rider triangle is relaxed and upright. Standard footboards and a tall, wide handlebar further emphasize this. Elevating the practical side are its neatly integrated, color-matched all-weather saddlebags, which offer a total of 2.42 cubic feet of storage space.
Loaded With Ride-Enhancing Technology Features
The cockpit is adorned with a large 12.3-inch TFT screen running Skyline OS. This screen features an anti-glare coating and includes both touchscreen and bar-mounted controls. The 2024 Road Glide also gets an embedded navigation system with real-time traffic and weather via Wi-Fi Hotspot (courtesy of a subscription).
Making long rides fun is a 200W audio amplifier that powers a pair of neatly integrated fairing-mounted speakers. Enhancing the riding experience are features such as ride-by-wire throttle and a six-axis IMU that integrates traction control and ABS. It also offers four ride modes—Rain, Road, Sport, and Custom —which let the rider experience various levels of throttle maps and ride-aid engagement.
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Harley also offers a slew of assistive and safety features on the 2024 Road Glide, like cornering-linked braking, cornering ABS, cornering traction control, and cornering engine braking control. It also gets a TPMS system and Vehicle Hold Control. Furthermore, when new, Harley offered this tourer with a $350 navigation package, which many riders opted for. So, chances are high that a used specimen will include it.
Source: Harley-Davidson