We know Harley-Davidsons for many things, but value for money is rarely one of these. And that’s perfectly fine – it markets itself as a premium badge, and that’s what premium brands do. Their value lies in their history, and the respect and attention you get when other people see the badge on the vehicle you’re riding. In recent times, though, Harley has been offering more for your money.
There’s no better example than the 2026 Heritage Classic, which has knocked off a couple of features for an entry price of under $20,000. The same thing happened with the Street Bob; it suddenly became a price alternative to the Sportster S. With the cruiser range showing such promise, it is only logical that the touring range follows suit. Happily, it has. Tourers are more appealing than ever before to the value-conscious buyer. At the same time, it has retained that badge value. And here is the Harley touring motorcycle that is worth every penny.
The Harley-Davidson Street Glide Is The Harley Touring Motorcycle That Is Worth Every Penny
The Street Glide can trace its heritage back to the 1959 Duo Glide, which was the first Harley with rear suspension. Since then, the ‘Glide’ series of Harleys has evolved to be the mainstay of the touring lineup. They sport some of the best tech that Milwaukee has to offer, CVO models included, and have lately been turning into some very good value buys, thanks to the price corrections.
Harley-Davidson Street Glide Price: $24,999
The Street Glide had a near-$30k product some time ago, but it has gradually changed its attitude and has become a value proposition now. Harley-Davidson has not held back on features, but you will need to dip into the options list to make it match up to some of the competition. The CVO models are still extremely premium products, but the Street Glide and Road Glide are genuinely great touring motorcycles. As of now, the Street is priced $1,000 lower than the Road, which is what makes it the Harley touring motorcycle that is worth every penny.
The Milwaukee-Eight 117 Engine Is Present, With Loads Of Tech
This is a familiar engine to most. The Street Glide uses the Milwaukee-Eight 117 with liquid-cooled cylinder heads for better efficiency and reliability. The result is 105 horsepower and a strong 130 pound-feet from the 1,917 cc V-twin. It doesn’t have the variable valve timing of the CVO models, but this is still a very flexible engine, with the power peak arriving at 4,600 RPM and the torque peaks at 3,250 RPM.
This is also one of the few remaining long-stroke motorcycle engines with pushrods today, but it is filled with modern features.
It has a by-wire throttle, so it is equipped with ride modes, cornering traction control, and cornering drag-torque slip control. It puts its power on the road via a six-speed transmission and a belt drive.
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Simple Underpinnings From Reputed Brands Elevate The Riding Package
Harley’s touring chassis underpins the Street Glide. This is a traditional downtube frame. It might not be light, but it is built for strength over lightness, given its touring brief. Showa provides the suspension – up front, there are 49 mm dual bending valve forks, and the twin rear shock absorbers are preload-adjustable, with outboard emulsion tech. The cast aluminum wheels measure 19 and 18 inches, with dual front brake discs and four-piston fixed calipers in the front, and a single brake disc and caliper at the rear.
Harley-Davidson Street Glide Dimensions
This is quite a large motorcycle, with a 95-inch length and 64-inch wheelbase. The seat height is quite low, at 26.4 inches laden, though. This is necessary, as it doesn’t offer reverse speed even as an option. The 5.5 inches of ground clearance is good enough, and the 811-pound curb weight is a little on the high side for a twin-cylinder machine. The six-gallon fuel tank is large enough for around 260 miles of range at the claimed fuel efficiency.
Harley-Davidson Street Glide Features
Here is where the Street Glide shines, with a massive asterisk. The base model and price you see here are for just a rider’s seat and a flat gray paint scheme. If you want anything added to it, you’ll first need to add the pillion seat, which is a $2,000 option. This applies to different paint, seats, pillion backrests… quite a few things. So if you want what you see in these images, you’re looking at a base price of $26,999 at the very least. A few options, like the blacked-out engine and a two-tone paint job, will make it blow past $30,000 with ease.
What is standard, though, is the massive 12.3-inch TFT touchscreen display with the Skyline OS. The touch is glove-friendly, and it is equipped with Bluetooth, navigation, and Apple CarPlay. A storage space for your phone with a Type-C USB port is provided as well. We also like that the ‘Batwing’ fairing now has an LED light guide that extends from the headlamp to give it a signature look. The alloy wheels are contrast-cut, which gives them a very premium look.
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Harley-Davidson Street Glide Competition
The full-size bagger segment seems to be a very lucrative one, because everyone seems to have a participant. We start in-house, with the Harley-Davidson Road Glide. It is identical to the Street Glide in every way except one: the chassis-mounted fixed ‘Sharknose’ fairing, and you get the pillion seat as standard. So you can simply opt for the paint that you like without needing a $2,000 pillion seat.
Indian also has a great mix of modern and retro with the Chieftain PowerPlus ($27,990). It has connected features that the Harley doesn’t offer, and the fully liquid-cooled PowerPlus engine is a mere option; you can have the traditional torque-rich, air-cooled Thunderstroke engine as well. If you would like a more European flavor to your tourer, the BMW R 18 B ($20,375 ) makes the best case for a value tourer with an astonishingly low price. If you want something more modern and unique, the BMW K 1600 B ($23,395) also has a very impressive base price.
However, if it is unique, you want, it doesn’t get any better than the Honda Gold Wing. The bagger version is priced a couple of hundred dollars over the base price of the Harley, but it is loaded to the gills with features. And despite having four more cylinders, a shaft drive, and a reverse speed, it weighs less than the American bike! It doesn’t have as big a screen or a touchscreen, but it does have a number of other features to make up for it, like electronic suspension, navigation that works even in tunnels, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Harley-Davidson Street Glide Vs Honda Gold Wing
|
Model |
Harley-Davidson Street Glide |
Honda Gold Wing |
|
Price |
$24,999 |
$25,200 |
|
Engine |
45° V-twin |
Flat six |
|
Displacement |
1,917 cc |
1,833 cc |
|
Power |
105 HP @ 4,600 RPM |
124.7 HP @ 5,500 RPM |
|
Torque |
130 LB-FT @ 3,250 RPM |
125.3 LB-FT @ 4,500 RPM |
|
Curb Weight |
811 LBs (wet) |
802 LBs (wet) |
Source: Harley-Davidson USA