tested - 2024 HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROAD GLIDE
Independently tested and photoghraphed by Knightlight in Wellington
Gliding out of the showroom is this weeks special – the 2024 Harley-Davidson Road Glide
The Meaty Milwaukee-Eight 117
— a big 1923cc (117ci) V-twin — one of the flagship powerplants of the brand. If you’ve ridden any of the previous Twin Cam-powered Harleys, the 117 is seen to be considerably better in terms of heat dissipation and overall vibration. (Ed. not through personal testing)
Figures-wise, the 117 pushes out 107HP/80kW (@5020rpm) and a fat 175Nm of torque (@3500rpm). Yeah – that’s lot of torque. The engine will sit happily low in the rev range, and you always have more than ample ‘push’ to get going. Most of the power is down low, so you want to short-shift (despite it redlining at 6000rpm anyways) and keep it in that power band. Though, when you’ve got this much torque, it doesn’t really matter what you’re doing for power to kick in….
This example is in a Vivid Black with a Black Trim, and it is sleek!
Colour options included: Vivid Black, Billiard Gray, Atlas Silver Metallic, White Onyx Pearl, Whiskey Fire, Sharkskin Blue, and Blue Burst.
All colourways have the option between Chrome and Black Trim.
Switching it up
With the ride modes, they all offer slightly different ride experiences through the tweaking of factors such as throttle response, engine braking strength, TCS, and so on. In Road mode, it’s still a little sporty but retains a predictable smoothness in throttle response which works great around town. ABS and TCS is toned down but not removed, and is ultimately the go-to pick for every-day riding.
Chucking it into Sport mode, throttle response becomes a lot more aggressive and engine braking more prominent also. This is where you find the full performance potential of the 117 – with uncapped power and very sparse intervention of ABS and C-TCS (Cornering Traction Control). It’s borderline still usable around town, but requires a bit more care with the wrist!
‘A’ mode is a custom mode that you can tailor to your tastes, but for this bike it was pre-set at Harley-Davidson. Engine braking was set to max, and throttle response nearing the twitchiest setting. The power delivery was noticeably more immediate, and constantly nudges you towards wringing the engine out! These are all switchable on-the-go using the Mode button on the right-hand side — handy, but I found myself reaching over with my other hand to switch modes so I can keep a tame hand on the throttle!
Style Points – Does it score?
Matching its massive engine is a powerful visual presence, something you find yourself admiring both on and off the saddle. The Road Glide is a beast of a bike. Aerodynamics was a primary focus for the updated ‘Shark-nose’ front fairing, bridging a beautifully sculpted silhouette with effective rider comfort. As opposed to the Street Glide, the Road Glide has the fairing frame-mounted (meaning it won’t turn with the handlebars). Both the headlight unit and indicators are now all integrated seamlessly into the front, and though this will definitely be a divisive point for many, I think it looks phenomenal!
As a whole, the updated front-end really showcases a perfect blend of this imposing, chunky look, with a smoother, more elegant demeanour. Towards the tail-end, we have hard panniers that blend seamlessly into the lines of the bike while also offering a total of 69L (2.42 cu ft) of luggage capacity. Tail-lights are integrated also, and keep the rear looking tidy.
Packed to the brim with tech goodness!
In the tech department, let’s start with the new gigantic screen for 2024. Powered by Harley’s own Skyline OS, an all-new full-colour 312mm TFT display comes to life on start-up. The digital dash layout can be rearranged, with different dash ‘modes’ to cycle through. Although I will always prefer full analogue dials for a dash, I can really appreciate the niceties of crystal-clear readouts and flexible customisation. Navigating through the menus can be done either directly using touch, or more traditionally with the left-hand switchblock. I opted for the touchscreen when stationary or off the bike, but the buttons saw more use when at speed.
Apple Carplay also comes in as a prominent feature, now Wirelessly capable as opposed to previous models. Before the ride, Andrew (Capital Coast H-D) helped pair both my Sena Intercom and phone to the bike and best described it as “the carplay unit acting as a Hub between all the connected devices.” On the road, I found it incredibly intuitive and seamless to use, with Spotify and Google Maps being my heavy users. Now, this isn’t a review of Apple Carplay, so all the features within it will be a quick search away!
It is through the main menu where you can adjust and tinker with the Ride modes as mentioned earlier, and once again, this is made an easy task by both the responsive touchscreen or the use of the hand controls. It’s an impressive piece of tech, and H-D knew what they were doing to welcome you with a nice flashy start-up screen.
Rider Aids
- ABS Anti-lock Braking System (+Cornering)
- ELB – Electronic Linked Braking (+Cornering)
- TCS Traction Control System (+Cornering)
- DSCS – Drag-torque Slip Control System (+Cornering)
- Vehicle Hold Control
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Upon start-up, a flurry of lights appear on the dash, indicating the comprehensive line-up of electronics turning on and priming. The majority of these are dialled in through the use of Ride modes, but aspects like Vehicle Hold and Tire Pressure sensors are quality-of-life extras that are simply nice to have.
How does it ride?
As you’d expect with a Harley, the bike prompts you to kick back and relax with ample space on the footboards and far-forward foot controls. For my first proper bike with genuine foot-forward controls, I thought it would take a fair bit longer to get used to. However, heading down the road and shifting it up and down a bit, the foot position felt like second nature.
A bit of seat time will tell you that these bikes offer so much more than engine figures and touring-focused fairings. Despite having a lot of vibration, it feels managed incredibly well and delivers plenty of character and rawness without feeling like it’s rattling apart. Giving it the beans doesn’t just give you the high of acceleration, but it convinces you.
Lugging it around town can be fun with that torque to play with, but when its weighing in at 380kg (wet), slow-speed riding becomes a lot more demanding. Seat height sits at about 720mm unladen, making it a fairly approachable option from that perspective, though it almost needs to be this low to allow riders to comfortably manage all the weight at low-speeds.
When you look at bikes like these however, it is pretty clear that they are built for the long-haul as opposed to tight inner-city riding (funny that). Doing a cruisy trip around New Zealand is well within its capabilities, and I bet that is where all the features and design elements shine brighter than they did during my test ride.
Cue the V-Twin Rumble…
Straight from the factory, the tapered-end dual exhausts carry a nice throaty acoustic. Being a stock system, it’s still fairly tame around town, but the low grumble is something I’d be happy listening to all day. Having heard some with aftermarket pipes go past however, it is arguably a worthy upgrade if you’re looking for more growl!
Final Thoughts
To have enjoyed this as much as I did, even without the full touring experience, shows that this isn’t a bike you need to trailer out of the inner-city to actually enjoy.
After hopping off for the day with a grin on my face, I started thinking about who this bike is for. First of all, it’s most definitely not a LAMS bike (if the 1.9L engine didn’t make that clear). It’s also not the most powerful bike that money could buy either. On the market, it’s presented as part of the Grand American Touring line, and boasts long-haul capability and unrivalled rider comfort.
With the starting price at just over $50K (NZD), the Road Glide is certainly a premium bike, and this is where I think for most people, this is an upgrade path. You already have the 2022 Road Glide. You love it to bits but want the added extras of all the new tech and features that are available on the newer models. When you come in with the intent of trading in, that $50K price tag doesn’t seem so intimidating anymore, and when you’ll be riding away with a bike this packed full of features, I wouldn’t have any regrets!
For someone that truly hasn’t spent enough time in the cruiser scene, I was expecting to enjoy the demo and that was that. Now, having had a nice, cruisy ride on one of these, I am pleasantly surprised and my heart swayed.
That’s what I think more people need — convincing.
Even now, I find myself wanting another ride on one. Though it’s a little too big to fit within my already-packed garage, I think that for someone in the market for a bike, enough days will pass wanting ‘another ride on one’ that you’d eventually bite the bullet.
Over the years, it is clear that they have continually refined what is most synonymous with the brand, and that’s emotion. Swing a leg over it, start that engine up, and you’ll see where the fun is!
Gallery
