Going the Distance With Harley-Davidson: 8 Reasons to Fall in Love With the Road Glide
Every Harley-Davidson Road Glide for sale on our showroom floor promises something extraordinary: luxurious and thrilling adventures. Instantly recognizable by its shark-nose fairing, the Road Glide is one of the most well-rounded touring bikes money can buy. Its classic style and signature rumble perfectly reflect the brand’s heritage, but there’s more to this powerhouse than that.
The Road Glide strikes a remarkable balance between offering long-distance comfort as a Grand American Touring bike and the agility to make every ride, no matter the distance, a thrilling and exciting adventure. Harley-Davidson manages this feat with the bike’s distinct design, potent powertrain, and keen attention to detail that enhance the rider experience. Here’s a closer look at those features and what you can expect from the saddle of a 2023 Harley-Davidson Road Glide for sale on our lot.
#1 - Signature Harley-Davidson Design
The Road Glide exudes the classic Harley-Davidson style and lives up to everything you imagine from a Grand American Touring bike. For 2023, the iconic powerhouse is available in three classic colors: Vivid Black, Redline Red, and Atlas Silver Metallic. The simplified color palette is done intentionally, and each color is paired with the chrome accents expected of a Harley-Davidson road warrior.
While the color palette is simple, it doesn’t eliminate your opportunities to customize the Road Glide. Instead, Harley-Davidson invites Road Glide owners to bring their touring dreams to life with an expansive catalog of accessories, upgrades, and modifications. These components run the entire spectrum, from modified grips, speakers, and footpegs to Screamin’ Eagle performance parts. If you can envision it, you can bring it to life with the Road Glide.
#2 - Iconic, Head-Turning Rumble
While the 2023 Road Glide boasts the classic style of a Harley-Davidson cruiser, it also gives plenty of audible cues that it belongs to the Harley-Davidson family. Its signature rumble is courtesy of a Milwaukee-Eight 107 V-Twin engine mated to a six-speed Cruise Drive transmission. The combination is exceptional, with the Road Glide producing a broad power band and up to 111 lb-ft of torque at just 3,250 RPM. This output makes the 855 lb bike agile and responsive, while the six-gallon fuel tank ensures you can go the distance to the tune of an estimated 43 MPG.
#3 - Shark-Nose Fairing for Unique Performance
While the Road Glide is defined by its throaty rumble and signature chrome details, it’s immediately recognizable by its shark-nose fairing. The shark-nose fairing differentiates the Road Glide from other Grand American Touring bikes like the Street Glide with its batwing fairing. What’s the big deal about the fairing? It all comes down to your experience in the saddle.
The debate between the shark nose and batwing fairing is long-running, with most riders preferring one over the other. With the Road Glide, the shark-nose fairing is mounted to the bike’s frame, unlike a batwing fairing, which is mounted to the handlebars. The frame-mounted fairing is advantageous because of its fixed position, meaning it doesn’t move with the handlebars. As a result, the shark-nose fairing minimizes wind resistance and head buffeting, dramatically improving rider comfort. Moreover, its design eliminates the vibrations in the handlebars that often occur at high speeds, letting you push the limits on the Road Glide without constant feedback on the handlebars.
#4 - A Comfortable Riding Position
The Road Glide may not be the largest bike in the Grand American Touring lineup, but it’s no lightweight. Weighing 855 lbs in running order with a 64-inch wheelbase and a total length of 95.7 inches, the 2023 Road Glide has a substantial footprint. Fortunately, this footprint is made easier to manage because of the bike’s upright riding position and a laden seat height of only 25.9 inches. The lower seat makes it easier to firmly plant your feet and maintain control over the bike when stopped. Then, when cruising at highway speeds, you can easily rest your feet on the floorboards and enjoy the ride without compromising your comfort or control.
#5 - Plenty of Room for the Necessities
As a touring bike, the Road Glide is designed to give you the confidence to go the distance without impacting your comfort or how far you can travel. Harley-Davidson manages this by equipping its best-selling bagger with sleek saddlebags that offer 2.3 cu.ft. of space for all the necessities and more. Moreover, accessing your gear is no longer a hassle, thanks to the one-touch opening that genuinely puts everything you need at your fingertips.
#6 - Two-Up Rides Made Easy
Riding two-up is always easy with a Grand American Touring bike like the Road Glide. This road warrior comes with a passenger seat and a premium hand-adjustable rear suspension that tailors the ride quality to your needs, whether riding solo or with a passenger. Most notably, the stock passenger seat is low profile but easily upgradable. For example, you can add a different seat and accompanying accessories like the Air Wing H-D Detachables Two-Up Luggage Rack for extra storage space.
Riders looking for the best overall setup for chasing the horizon with a passenger will appreciate options like the Long-Haul Package. This outfits the Road Glide with many long-distance essentials, including a Harley Hammock Heated & Cooled Seat, heated hand grips, and a heel shifter. Your passenger will also enjoy an upgrade with an improved seat and the H-D Detachables Two-Up Tour-Pak Mounting Rack and docking hardware that’s easily attachable and detachable based on your riding needs.
#7 - Tech-Savvy Tools Front and Center
Chasing the horizon is an incredible experience that Harley-Davidson makes even more enjoyable by equipping the Road Glide with the latest infotainment features. The 2023 Road Glide is fitted with the Boom! Box 4.3 infotainment system, giving you access to AM/FM radio, SiriusXM presets, and your smartphone. The system also offers Bluetooth capability, voice recognition, and text-to-speech, meaning you never miss a call, text, or update when you’re in the saddle.
#8 - Behind-the-Scenes Tech to Enhance Your Ride
Situational awareness is critical when riding because you’re vulnerable to your environment. While other vehicles, the climate, and road conditions are beyond your control, you do have control over your focus and how responsibly you ride. Fortunately, Harley-Davidson enhances that focus and heightens your awareness with the optional Rider Safety Enhancements suite on the 2023 Road Glide.
This suite of innovative technologies runs the gamut from basics like antilock brakes and electronically linked brakes to a tire pressure monitoring system and vehicle hold control. However, its cornering-specific features are the most notable and well worth the investment for many riders as they go the distance. These technologies include a Cornering Enhanced Anti-Lock Brake System, Cornering Enhanced Electronic Linked Braking, Cornering Enhanced Traction Control System, and a Cornering Drag-Torque Slip Control System. As the name suggests, they heighten your control when cornering, improving how the Road Glide responds and ensuring you get the most out of your experience in the saddle.
Well-Rounded and Ready to Ride
It’s easy to see why the Road Glide is one of the most popular bikes in the Grand American Touring family. Its signature shark-nose fairing gives it a distinct appeal and serves a unique purpose to improve rider comfort. Moreover, the fairing’s design ensures you can push the bike’s limits and experience the full power of the Milwaukee-Eight V-Twin engine. It’s an incredible combination only bettered by the bike’s classic Harley-Davidson style and the long list of features, available upgrades, and optional add-ons that heighten its appeal, add to its value, and transform your experience in the saddle.