Harley-Davidson Road Glide 2022 — Specifications

Fifteen years. That's how long the Harley-Davidson Road Glide took to reclaim its place in the lineup, the true one, the one without the patronymic suffix, without the CVO badge that drives up the bill. Fifteen years during which its cousins devoured displacement like others swallow kilometers, from the Twin Cam 96 to the Screamin' Eagle 1800, while the Road Glide quietly faded away. Its return in 2018, and then this refined 2019 version, feels like a deserved revenge.

This return is thanks to the Milwaukee-Eight, the engine that changed the game for the Milwaukee firm. Under the 22.71-liter tank now lies a 1923 cc V-twin producing 90 horsepower at 5450 rpm, but more importantly, 169.5 Nm of torque available from 3500 rpm. The figure that counts on a touring bike is always the torque figure, and on that ground the Harley-Davidson Road Glide does not disappoint. Four valves per cylinder, two spark plugs per cylinder as well, a compression ratio of 10.2:1 with a bore of 103.5 mm for a stroke of 114.3 mm: the engine breathes better, runs cooler, and above all vibrates much less than an older Twin Cam generation. For long journeys, this is a difference measured in hours of gained comfort. The announced consumption of 5.74 liters per 100 km remains reasonable for this size, and with 22 liters under the seat, the range comfortably exceeds 350 kilometers.

The size, indeed. 401 kg fully fueled, wheelbase of 1625 mm, ground clearance of only 125 mm: the Harley-Davidson Road Glide 2019 is not a machine to be ridden lightly on a winding mountain road. Its top speed limited to 170 km/h says everything about its vocation: it eats up the highway, devours wide national roads, and doesn't care about climbing beyond. Facing a Honda Gold Wing or a BMW K 1600 GT, it plays a different part, more visceral, more sonorous, less technological. The seat at 680 mm in height favors average and tall builds, which corresponds well to the target audience: the experienced globetrotter who prefers feeling to electronic sophistication. The Harley-Davidson Road Glide used bike attracts many riders who are looking for exactly this compromise, without the new Harley-Davidson Road Glide price that exceeds 27,000 euros.

What distinguishes the Road Glide from the Street Glide is this fairing integrated into the frame, this shark head that plants a unique face among American tourers. The Daymaker LED headlights do the job at night, all mounted on a classic telescopic fork associated with two rear shock absorbers, a simple but proven configuration. Braking entrusted to double discs with four-piston calipers at the front, single four-piston disc at the rear, with ABS as standard, correctly stops the mass. For infotainment, the GTS touchscreen advantageously replaces the old Boom Box 6.5: integrated Apple CarPlay, simplified navigation, same screen but better definition and faster calculation.

The Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special exists for those who want more standard equipment; the Harley-Davidson Road Glide CVO for those who want everything, and pay the high price. But the base 2019 version, with its M8 and revised equipment, probably represents the best balance between Harley authenticity and well-dosed modernity. This is not a motorcycle you choose with reason; it is a motorcycle that imposes itself because you need straight roads, abundant torque, and that particular sound that comes out of the two exhaust pipes. For the rest, there are always the Japanese.