Harley-Davidson 1920 Road Glide 3 FLTRT 2026 — Specifications

Picture yourself leaving the Paris ring road at dawn, a deserted motorway stretching out before you, and behind the front fairing of this machine, the reassuring sensation of three wheels planted firmly on the tarmac. This is the proposition Harley-Davidson puts forward with its Road Glide 3 for the 2026 model year, a trike built for those who want grand touring without the compromise of low-speed balance. The Milwaukee manufacturer isn't inventing anything here, it's extending a tradition it has mastered for decades, but refining it cylinder by cylinder.

Beneath the long bodywork sits a 45-degree V-twin, 1923 cubic centimetres, delivering 105 horsepower at 5020 rpm and above all 170 Nm of torque from 3500 rpm. On paper, the power output may seem modest compared to the 130 horsepower found on certain six-cylinder BMW Ks, but that would be missing the point. This engine isn't designed to rev, it's designed to push. With a bore of 103.5 mm and a stroke of 114.3 mm, we're squarely in the American long-stroke tradition, where each piston stroke feels like a well-placed hammer blow. The 10.3:1 compression ratio and four valves per cylinder keep it within Euro 5+ limits without smothering the beast's temperament.

There remains the elephant in the room, or rather on the scale. 537 kilos wet, that's nearly twice the weight of a classic Goldwing. Inevitably, agility isn't on the menu, and the top speed capped at 170 km/h bears witness to that. But the committed trike rider isn't chasing raw performance, they're chasing absolute stability, comfort over long stages, and the ability to plant both feet at a standstill without contortion. The seat, incidentally, sits at just 710 mm, a decisive argument for shorter riders or those whose knees can no longer forgive the acrobatics of a traditional cruiser.

On the chassis side, Harley plays it straight with a tubular steel double cradle, a 49 mm diameter telescopic fork offering 117 mm of travel, and a braking system that has to cope with the considerable mass of the whole package. Two 300 mm discs gripped by four-piston calipers up front, an equivalent disc at the rear, all mounted on radically different tyres, a 130/60-19 at the front and wide 215/45-18s on the rear wheels. Belt drive and a six-speed gearbox round out a package designed to swallow kilometres without mechanical intervention. The 22.7-litre tank allows for comfortable legs between coffee stops.

The price raises eyebrows, 38,500 euros, and that's where the conversation gets tense. For that sum, you can reach for a Goldwing Tour loaded with electronics, a six-cylinder K 1600 GTL, or even a Can-Am Spyder RT with a more modern design. But none of these machines offer the sonic grain of a Milwaukee V-twin, nor that aesthetic that turns every petrol-station stop into a minor event. The Road Glide 3 isn't aimed at spec-sheet comparers, it's aimed at sentimental road warriors, at ageing riders who refuse to hang up their helmet, at lovers of American asphalt transposed onto our country back roads. A niche unapologetically owned, and rather well served.