Harley Davidson Street Glide Vs. Harley Davidson Road Glide

“No matter how bad your day is, your bike will always make you feel better.”

 Motorcycle riding is a fun activity with several mental health benefits. If you are stressed due to work or personal reasons, a motorcycle trip to a beautiful place can help to make you feel better.

Harley Davidson is well-known for producing top-class touring motorcycles. Most Harley touring bikes come with stock saddlebags and fairings. They are also fitted with powerful engines and are capable of two-up riding. The Harley Davidson Street Glide and the Harley Davidson Road Glide are popular and classic touring motorcycles. Both motorcycles are bulky, powerful, and comfortable. Though both motorcycles have classic Harley Davidson aesthetics, they are equipped with modern ride-assist and safety features, including Bluetooth and USB connection, FM/AM, digital screen, speakers, cruise control, and electronically linked braking (ELB).

The Harley Street Glide and the Harley Road Glide share similar features, including a Milwaukee-Eight® 107 engine, a single-piece saddle capable of two-up riding, a fuel tank capacity of six gal, stock saddlebags, and crash bars. The main difference between the two motorbikes is their fairings. The Harley Street Glide comes with a fork-mounted batwing fairing and the Harley Road Glide comes with a frame-mounted shark-nose fairing. This article provides a detailed comparison between the Harley Davidson Street Glide and the Harley Davidson Road Glide.

The Harley Davidson Street Glide is a touring motorbike with stock saddlebags, crash bars, floorboards, and a fork-mounted batwing fairing. It is fitted with a single-piece saddle capable of two-up riding and a low seat height of 26.1 inches. The Harley Street Glide comes in three single-tone color schemes with shiny chrome parts, including the front forks, crash bars, handlebars, cylinder heads, air breather, and two-into-one-into-two chrome dual tapered mufflers on both sides. It comes with mid-mounted, slightly swept-back handlebars. The wide batwing fairing comes with four analog gauges, a 4.3-inch display screen, two speakers, a small windshield, and side mirrors. A large round headlamp and front turn signals are also mounted to the front fork.

The Harley Street Glide comes with large chopped front and rear fenders with a small LED tail light, turn signals, and a license plate holder. It is also fitted with Dunlop tires wrapped around Enforcer II cast aluminum wheels to ensure better performance.

The Harley Road Glide also has stock saddlebags, crash bars, and floorboards to ensure a better touring experience. It comes in three single-tone colors with chrome parts, including the front forks, dual tapered mufflers, handlebars, side mirrors, crash bars, an air breather, and cylinder heads. The Harley Road Glide also comes with a single-piece saddle capable of two-up riding. A slight dip in the rider’s seat ensures lower back support for the rider. The Harley Road Glide is fitted with a chopped front fender and a large rear fender with a small LED tail light, turn signals, and a license plate holder. It comes with mid-mounted, swept-back handlebars with chrome side mirrors that are within reach of the rider.

The Harley Road Glide comes with two stylish headlights and a frame-mounted shark-nose fairing that stays fixed in place while turning the handlebars. The shark-nose fairing has a small windshield, two speakers, four analog gauges, and a display screen in the center. The Harley Road Glide is also fitted with Dunlop tires wrapped around Enforcer II cast aluminum wheels.

The Harley Davidson Street Glide is powered by a 1,753 cc air-cooled, Milwaukee-Eight® 107 engine capable of a horsepower of 93 hp at 5,020 rpm and a torque of 150.5 Nm at 3,250 rpm. It comes with a six-speed cruise drive transmission and a multi-plate clutch with assist and slipper functions that ensure smooth gear shifting. The Milwaukee-Eight® 107 engine ensures smooth power delivery, but because it is a heavyweight motorbike, a horsepower of 93 hp is not adequate.

If you are an experienced rider with experience handling a heavyweight touring bike and a powerful 1,868 cc Milwaukee-Eight® 114 engine, there are also Harley Street Glide Special and the Harley Road Glide Special models with bigger and more powerful engines.

The Harley Street Glide is fitted with Reflex Linked Brembo Brakes that prevent the wheels from locking when the brakes are applied. This helps the rider maintain balance and control of the motorbike when using the emergency brake. To improve braking, the Harley Street Glide also comes with an optional ABS.

The Harley Street Glide is fitted with a high-performance 49 mm dual bending valve front fork and low, easily adjustable rear shocks for a comfortable touring experience. The front suspension has a wheel travel of 4.6 inches and the rear suspension has a wheel travel of 2.1 inches.

The Harley Davidson Road Glide is fitted with a 1,753 cc air-cooled, Milwaukee-Eight® 107 engine capable of a torque of 150.5 Nm at 3,250 rpm and a horsepower of 93 hp at 5,020 pm. It comes with a six-speed transmission that connects to the rear wheel via a belt drive. The Harley Road Glide’s mechanically actuated clutch with assist and slipper functions ensures a smooth clutch operation and gear shifts. The Milwaukee-Eight® 107 engine provides smooth power delivery, good throttle response, and a soul-satisfying exhaust note. However, the engine does not ensure fast acceleration due to being a heavyweight motorbike with a wet weight of 855 lbs.

The Harley Road Glide also comes with electronically linked braking (ELB) that keeps the wheels spinning when using the emergency brake, which helps the rider maintain control. The ABS is an optional feature but can be installed for $819.

The Harley Road Glide also comes with high-performance front and rear suspensions with adjustable rear shocks for a better touring experience. The Harley Street Glide and the Harley Road Glide come with modern features, including standard cruise control and an Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI).

The Harley Davidson Street Glide is a comfortable touring bike designed for longer rides and cruising on highways. It comes with forward-mounted floorboards so the rider can comfortably rest their feet while touring and cruising. The Harley Street Glide’s mid-mounted, slightly swept-back handlebars, and a low seat height of 26.1 inches ensure an upright riding position. It is suitable for normal and taller riders due to having comfortable legroom. The Harley Street Glide is not suitable for beginners due to being a heavyweight motorbike. The stock saddlebags, crash bars, floorboards, fairing, windshield, safety features, and Boom!TM Box 4.3 Infotainment System makes it a comfortable and fun touring bike.

The Harley Davidson Road Glide has a relaxed riding position due to its mid-mounted, swept-back handlebars, and a low seat height of 25.9 inches. It also comes with forward-mounted floorboards that ensure a more comfortable ride. The Harley Road Glide has more comfortable ergonomics than the Harley Street Glide due to having handlebars within comfortable reach of the rider, adequate legroom, and a stretched riding position.

The Harley Road Glide is difficult to handle due to being a heavyweight bike. It also comes with standard cruise control, stock saddlebags, crash bars, floorboards, and a Boom!TM Box 4.3 Infotainment System for a better touring experience. To improve the storage capacity and be able to mount the sissy bar bags, Viking Bags has specially designed luggage racks for the Harley Street Glide and the Harley Road Glide.

The Harley Davidson Road Glide is more comfortable than the Harley Davidson Street Glide due to its low seat height and mid-mounted, swept-back handlebars. The Harley Road Glide is better suited for long-distance rides due to its relaxed riding position.

The Harley Davidson Street Glide is good for touring because it comes with a stock fairing, windscreen, saddlebags, and forward-mounted floorboards. However, the touring experience can be improved by replacing the small stock windshield with a large windshield and by adding sissy bars and backrests.

The Harley Davidson Street Glide and the Harley Davidson Road Glide are touring motorbikes with comfortable ergonomics, stock touring accessories, and ride-assist features. Both motorcycles share similar features, including their design, fuel tank size, engine, fenders, and performance. However, the Harley Street Glide is more agile and easier to handle due to being 26 lbs lighter than the Harley Road Glide. Meanwhile, the Harley Road Glide is the better tourer between the two due to having better comfort.