Why Harley Road Glide is a Popular Touring Bike and Can It Be Your Next Motorcycle?

Are you thinking of investing in a new bike? One of the most important and difficult decisions here is to choose the right type.

While cruiser and street motorcycles are the most popular for riding in town and for short trips. But, if you want to comfortably enjoy long tours then touring bikes come in handy.

There are several options to choose from when buying a touring motorcycle. But one can never go wrong with a  Harley-Davidson.

A Harley Touring motorcycle sounds just like its name, the perfect bike for long-distance trips and adventures. The company launched its touring line of bikes back in 1941.

Among all the great touring bikes the company has ever launched, the Road Glide stands out by its performance, ergonomics, and riding experience.

The Harley Road Glide is one of the most popular touring bikes among riders. And, here we will find out if you should buy the Road Glide or not?

As we know, Harley introduced its touring line in 1941. The complete background of Harley touring bikes till the launch of Electra Glide in 1965 can be seen here.

Then Harley released the FLT Tour Glide in 1980. It had front and rear hydraulic suspension and more weight for improved stiffness in long drives.

The Tour Glide came with a rear-mounted storage box and frame-mounted fairing featuring dual headlights.

Then in 1994, Harley introduced its Road King model. It was a cruiser cum touring bike due to its detachable saddlebags, windshield, and passenger seat.

And then finally in 1998, the FLTR Road Glide was introduced. It had a short windshield that was still efficient for providing riders with protection against wind.

In addition, it allowed the rider to have a clear view of their surroundings and the road ahead.  The FLTR Road Glide also has four additional storage compartments.

Two compartments were underneath each speaker and of course, it had the two lockable saddlebags attached on the rear.

From 1999 to 2003, there were only minimal changes in the Harley Road Glide. It came with the same Twin Cam engine.

The Road Glide made a major improvement in 2005 the engine was replaced with a 1450cc 88 V-Twin engine. It had big floorboards for both the rider and passenger.

The backrest was also installed for the passenger seat and it also had a full instrumentation panel to keep the driver updated.

Then later in 2007, improvements were made in the Harley Road Glide. The engine was replaced with a 96 Twin Cam. It had a 6-speed transmission, cruise control, latest audio system and was released in 9 exciting colors.

The Road Glide Custom was introduced to the world in 2010. The shape of the bike was changed, it looked similar to Street Glide but had the shark nose fixed fairing.

Just one year later, Harley introduced the 2011 Road Glide Ultra. Some major changes were made to this bike such as the passenger seat being removed. This model carried the true meaning of luxury.

It came with air-adjustable lumbar support and seat adjustments. The lockable saddlebags could be opened from remote, it also had heated seats for riding in cold weather.

The 2015 Harley Road Glide came with a passenger seat and backrest for both the rider and passenger. It had a touch screen infotainment system with navigation.

The production continued for the upcoming years with minor improvements according to the latest technology. The latest model is the 2022 Road Glide. Its details will be discussed below.

Harley Road Glide is one of those bikes that complement your riding experience by offering high levels of luxury.

If you are one of those riders who are fascinated by the use of modern technology then Harley Road Glide is definitely a good choice for you.

Road Glide is a bagger that gives you a fine riding experience in the city as it does on the highway.

Like Harley’s all touring bikes, the Road Glide is a massive and powerful motorcycle that requires the right riding skills and experience.

The batwing fairing is positioned away from you and is wider than before. While riding a Road Glide all you have in mind is the size and majesty of this motorcycle that keeps the rider enthralled.

Moreover, the fairing is designed in such a way that enough wind reaches you to stay cool in warm weather and there is no buffeting when traveling at a high speed.

The Road Glide comes with a high-tech infotainment system that can give an instant boost to your riding experience. What’s better than riding your favorite motorcycle while listening to music and feeling the soul-satisfying rumble?

The Road Glide has a dual bending valve fork, there is a washer in the fork that flexes as the motorcycle moves and this flexing gives improved damping.

This improved suspension gives the rider more control over the bike and makes the ride even smoother.

The high-performing front and the rear suspension effectively soaks up any bumps on the road. Moreover, the rear shocks are easily adjustable manually.

The Harley Road Glide comes with the Reflex Defensive Rider System (RDRS), the latest technology specially designed to sync with the motorcycle performance.

This feature helps the rider to maintain control while pulling the throttle, decelerating and braking.

Under RDRS, advanced braking systems are developed. One of them is Electronic Linked Braking. The ELB applies braking to both wheels anytime when the rider uses the hand lever or foot pedal. This eventually helps the rider to have better control.

The Road Glide comes with Harley’s connect service. It allows you to connect your bike with your smartphone.

The infotainment system fitted in the fairing of this bike is the Boom Box 4.3 which offers 25 watts for every channel and two speakers. You also get the option of attaching an SD card, or flash drive for listening to your favorite songs.

All the multimedia is controlled through a touch screen. In addition, FM audio now loads in less than six seconds, route calculation time while using navigation is also reduced to about three seconds.

You don’t have to worry about the touch performance of the Boom Box even in wet conditions or with gloves. You can also set the brightness and contrast of the screen according to your needs.

The Road Glide is powered with the Twin-Cooled Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine. The engine offers a really high torque which means that it gives the right power when you need speed passing or hillclimbing.

The engine delivers 111 ft-lbs of torque at just 3000rom which makes it a beast on the highways. Whether you are riding alone or with a partner, you will never feel that the Road Glide is underpowered.

The rider will experience smooth gear shifts through the 6-speed gearbox. In addition, the sixth gear is super smooth. Stretch out your legs and let the cruise control take care of your speed limits.

Customizing a touring bike is not as easy as other types of bikes. It’s because the baggers are already fully loaded and all the things that add comfort to your riding experience are pre-installed in them.

But sometimes when going on long tours for a couple of weeks then you need to carry more luggage. For this purpose, you add backpacks, trunks, handlebar bags, and sissy bar bags.

Replacing the built-in saddlebags with some top-of-the-line saddlebags offering more storage capacity is also a good option.

Make sure that any modifications you make comply with the laws of your country and don’t put extra weight on your motorcycle.