The Most Value-For-Money Harley-Davidson Touring Bike On The Market Today

Owning a touring bike ends up being the ultimate goal for most Harley-Davidson riders. They are big, stylish, comfortable, and powerful while boasting plenty of storage so you can ride them for hours on the highway without getting tired. Plus, they are prime examples of bikes with long-term ownership. The debate then ranges on what to pick between the the Road King, Road Glide, or Street Glide.

We thought about the same thing when picking the winner for the most VFM H-D touring bike, and surprisingly, the choice was quite clear. The bike that makes your money go a long way is the new-and-improved Road Glide. Similar to what it did with its Sportster line, Harley-Davidson has completely redesigned the Road Glide to be more powerful and tech-heavy than ever before. Although both the 2024 Road Glide and Street Glide are the same on paper in terms of performance and features, we are going to side with the Road Glide. Primarily because it gives customers the most bang for their buck. Let’s look closer at how the Road Glide provides riders with the most value.

Related

The Most Value-For-Money Harley-Davidson Cruiser On The Market Today

The cruiser in context costs under $15,000, boasts a liquid-cooled engine, and promises sporty riding dynamics

Most Value-For-Money Harley-Davidson Touring Bike On The Market: Road Glide

Since 1995, the Road Glide has been one of Harley-Davidson’s most desired models, let alone touring models. A huge staple in Harley’s lineup, the Road Glide grew to immense popularity thanks to its large saddle seat, floorboards, high level of comfort, long-distance capabilities, and signature Shark Nose fairing. The 2024 Road Glide takes all of it to a new level. It is 16 pounds lighter than the 2023 model, bringing its running weight down to 838 pounds. It has also been completely redesigned from front to back with improved aerodynamics that enhance its on-road performance and comfort for the rider.

Not to mention, the analog instrument cluster is fully replaced by a 12.3-inch TFT color touchscreen display that comes loaded with Bluetooth compatibility, turn-by-turn navigation, multiple ride modes, and mobile pairing. You also get every major high-end safety feature as standard equipment. Fair to say that with a starting MSRP of $25,999, customers most definitely get what they pay for. At this MSRP, it also undercuts the somewhat aged Indian Challenger.

A Big Bike With Bigger Performance

Power: 105 HP; Torque: 130 Pound-Feet

For a touring bike with a penchant for performance, the Road Glide has always been a prime candidate for Harley-Davidson’s larger engines. Accordingly, the 2024 Road Glide continues to amaze enthusiasts now that it features the Milwaukee-Eight 117 V-Twin. With more displacement, torque, and horsepower than any Road Glide before it, this Milwaukee-Eight 117 has been engineered to feature new liquid-cooled cylinder heads that aid in regulating the overall temperature of the engine. This particular upgrade improves the thermal comfort of the rider, as well as the engine’s health during low-speed traffic situations.

Coupled with its size and wind-resistant Shark Nose fairing, the Road Glide’s high-performance capabilities allow it to cut through highway winds at great speeds without any discomfort to the rider. The 2024 model in particular has been designed through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and wind tunnel analysis to develop it into the most aerodynamic Road Glide to ever leave the factory line. Its new windshield and fairing are made to cut down on wind buffeting and include adjustable air vanes to tune air flow to keep the rider happy and relaxed.

Performance Specifications

The Most Technologically Superior Road Glide Ever

Instrument Cluster: 12.3-inch TFT

One of the biggest changes (as well as value points) for the 2024 Road Glide is its all-new 12.3 TFT color touchscreen powered by Skyline OS. Doing away with all of its physical analog instrumentation, this display marks a key indicator in Harley-Davidson’s embrace of the modern digital era by outfitting more of its lineup with the latest in riding technology. This new infotainment system comes with all the creature comforts, such as Bluetooth, turn-by-turn navigation, ride settings, and accepting/rejecting calls to name a few.

One particular feature that stands out is the option of five selectable ride modes. Because Road Glide owners come with a variety of personal riding styles, they have the option to choose the performance characteristics of their ride with modes like Road, Sport, Rain, and two Custom modes. Whether you are out for a relaxing weekend cruise or an aggressive weekend blast, there’s a mode just for you. Considering that the 2024 Road Glide is investing more in speed, power, and technology, this bike also comes with a plethora of high-end safety features.

Related

Revolutionizing The Freeway: Explore The Superiority Of H-D Road Glide and Street Glide

In their latest update, the Road Glide and Street Glide have become their finest selves yet. Be it in the engine, design, or feature department

While some features like Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS), Traction Control System (TCS), and Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) are fairly common among modern motorcycles, this Road Glide raises the bar for stock safety enhancements by including Cornering Enhanced Anti-Lock Brake System (C-ABS), Corning Enhanced Electronic Linked Braking (C-ELB), Corning Enhanced Traction Control System (C-TCS), and Corning Enhanced Drag-Torque Slip Control System (C-DSCS). In recent years, customers have had to pay for these features separately from the purchase of the motorcycle itself. Instead, the tourer cuts out the middleman by having all of these features as soon as it leaves the factory.

Key Features of the 2024 Harley-Davidson Road Glide

• Aerodynamic bodywork
• Fully digital touchscreen infotainment dash
• Fully integrated LED lighting
• Equipped with enhanced safety features as stock equipment
• Multiple speakers (in the fairings and saddlebags)

Paving The Way For Future Road Glides

A glimpse of exciting things to come

2024 marks a significant turning point in the Road Glide’s development with a gigantic leap forward in style, comfort, performance, and technical features. Harley-Davidson enthusiasts got a taste of this with the reveal of the 2023 CVO Road Glide and Street Glide. Now, the new Road Glide and Street Glide follow the same trend and make the modern kit more accessible for most of us. In the process, this also presents the question of whether the rest of the touring class will receive the same treatment in the coming years.

Will a new Road King share the same engine as the 2024 Road Glide? Will the Road Glide Limited and Ultra Limited also receive the same performance and tech upgrades? We will have to wait patiently to get these answers but things certainly look bright judging from the present. The anticipation is quite exciting and if we can expect all of this and more for the rest of the Touring line, then you can certainly hope for even more VFM tourers coming your way.