37 Harley-Davidson Road Glide
US take on touring gets a moody style refresh and other updates
Cruising continental motorways on Harley-Davidson’s Road Glide makes the word ‘massive’ feel oddly impotent. It’s more like piloting a long and low oil tanker with your arms thrown out to high broad bars.
The Road Glide is essentially a variant of Harley’s hugely popular Street Glide ‘bagger’, the US firm’s No1 best seller. It shares most of the powertrain and chassis of that bike with the key difference being the use of a twin beam, frame-mounted fairing in place of the Street’s bar-mounted ‘Batwing’ – and in this guise, the firm’s full-fat Milwaukee 114 engine, sticking 1868cc of American muscle between your knees.
For 2019, though, Harley-Davidson is taking the Street and Road Glide Special in a new design direction by swapping glemaing chrome for mean ‘n’ moody black.
As a result, new, dark finishes stretch from the Road Glide’s twin headlights to its exhaust with new 19in front and 18in rear Talon wheels, black engine guard, front forks, handlebars and controls, mirrors, indicators, tank console, engine covers, air cleaner cover, mufflers and exhaust shields.
Nor does it end there: there’s improved suspension; the latest generation GTS Infotaiment system which offers Apple Play connectivity; Brembo brakes; stretched-out saddlebags, and enough American bluster to make Trump seem shy.
If you’ve not ridden a Harley you’ll be surprised by how impressive the latest crop really is.