Harley-Davidson 1870 Road Glide 3 FLTRT 2024 — Specifications

Who remembers when Harley-Davidson only offered a single trike? Today, Milwaukee breaks down its three-wheel lineup into several distinct personalities. The Freewheeler plays the stripped-down card, the Tri Glide Ultra that of the fully loaded ocean liner. Between the two, the Road Glide 3 charts its own course — that of a trike built to devour asphalt with the face of a Tourer and the rear end of a hot rod. Only problem: you'll have to cross the Atlantic to enjoy it, since the machine simply isn't sold in Europe.

What strikes you first is that signature nose. The Sharknose fairing, mounted to the steel double-cradle frame rather than the steering column, gives the Road Glide 3 the same visual and aerodynamic stability as its Grand Touring siblings. Behind the large windscreen lies a generous cockpit centered around a TFT display connected to the Boom Box GTS system. The instrumentation is comprehensive, the ergonomics designed for long-haul riding. At the rear, no saddlebags like on the standard Road Glide, but a trunk of approximately sixty liters nestled between the two wheels. The result is visually tighter, more compact than the Tri Glide Ultra, with a clean tail section that evokes a muscular custom more than a cruise ship.

Beneath the 22.7-liter tank beats the Milwaukee Eight 114, a 45° V-twin displacing 1,868 cc. With four valves per cylinder, a compression ratio of 10.5:1, and a bore/stroke of 102 x 114 mm, this engine produces 91.2 horsepower at 4,750 rpm. The figure looks modest on paper, but it's the torque that does the heavy lifting: 161.8 Nm available from just 2,750 rpm, delivered to the wheels through a six-speed gearbox and belt final drive. This V-twin never asks to be flogged. Just crack the throttle on corner exit and you feel the mass set itself in motion with quiet authority. And mass there is: 528 kg wet, nearly 140 kg more than a standard Road Glide fitted with the same engine. You don't ride a trike the way you ride a motorcycle, and the Road Glide 3 never pretends otherwise.

On the chassis side, the front end borrows the proven Touring recipe: 49 mm telescopic fork with 117 mm of travel, dual 300 mm discs squeezed by four-piston calipers. The rear axle makes do with a 270 mm disc per wheel. The tire fitment is unusual, with a 130/60-19 up front and two 215/45-18s at the rear — dimensions that literally anchor the machine to the ground. The seat, perched at just 700 mm, makes it accessible to riders of all sizes. Safety electronics are present and accounted for: ABS, linked braking, cornering-aware traction control, tire pressure monitoring sensors, and even a reverse gear — welcome given the machine's size. You might smile at "cornering" traction control on a vehicle that doesn't lean, but the safety logic remains relevant during low-speed maneuvers on poor surfaces.

The Road Glide 3 occupies a clever niche in the Harley-Davidson lineup: more of a tourer than the Freewheeler, less bulky than the Tri Glide Ultra. It's aimed at those who want the reassuring stability of a trike without giving up the road-going character of a Road Glide. There remains that geographic restriction depriving Europe, Latin America, and China of this model, for homologation reasons. A shame, because on paper, this hybrid between custom and three-wheeled tourer had what it takes to appeal to riders seeking different thrills — or simply looking to rediscover the joy of the open road without the balancing demands of a two-wheeler.