Harley-Davidson has unveiled updated versions of its Road Glide and Street Glide motorcycles for 2024, along with a new CVO version of the Road Glide, and we admit to salivating at the prospect of riding them all.
For those of you who haven’t enjoyed the thrill of chasing the horizon on a big Harley bagger, I highly recommend you put it high on your bucket list.
The sound, the vibrations, the huge slab of torque, and the exhilaration of hustling 380kg of metal down the road all combine to create a motorcycling experience like no other. And the 2024 Road Glide, Street Glide, and CVO Road Glide ST, are the perfect bikes to experience it on.
So, what’s new for 2024? Well, Harley-Davidson says the bikes’ updates for 2024 have made them more powerful, more comfortable, and lighter, while packing plenty of advanced technology.
ABR will be test riding these bikes soon, but in the meantime, let’s take a look at the new versions of the Road Glide and Street Glide, and we’ll get to the CVO model (and it’s £38,995 price tag) in a moment.
2024 Harley-Davidson Road Glide and Street Glide
Photo: 2024 Harley-Davidson Road Glide
Both bikes are now powered by an updated version of Harley’s 1,923cc Milwaukee-Eight 117 V-twin engine that features a new cooling system to enhances intake and exhaust flow, and boost performance.
The 1,923cc motor now makes 105bhp and a whopping 176Nm of torque, which compares favourably to the 93bhp and 158Nm of torque turned out by the Milwaukee-Eight 114 found in last year’s bikes.
You can adjust the engine’s characteristics through the use of four rider modes, Road, Sport, and Rain, along with a Custom mode that allows you to create your own Goldilocks set up.
Harley also says the changes to the engine will reduce the amount of heat felt by the rider in a bid to improve comfort, which is a big plus on those hot summer tours in Spain.
And in a further bid to enhance rider comfort, particularly for touring, Harley-Davidson’s designers have been spending their days analysing wind tunnel data to create a new profile for the fairing and windscreen on both models to improve airflow.
Photo: 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide
This, along with adjustable air vanes that allow you to tune that airflow, will reduce helmet buffeting at motorway speeds by an average of 60%, according to the manufacturer (although this will obviously depend on how tall you are).
Elsewhere, rear suspension travel on the Road Glide and Street Glide’s twin shocks has been increased to 76mm to provide a smoother ride. And with another nod to touring comfort, the one-piece seat has been redesigned on both models to be kinder to your backside over long distances.
And for those of you who like nothing better than blasting out Zeppelin while cruising along in the sunshine (and I count myself among you), you’ll find a new 200-watt amp powering a set of onboard speakers worthy of any Jimmy Page riff.
Photo: Both the Street Glide and Road Glide feature a new TFT display
While a Harley-Davidson bagger could never be described as lightweight, Milwaukee’s finest have managed to shave off a few kilos for 2024. The Road Glide now weighs in at 380kg wet compared to 387kg in 2023, and the Street Glide tips the scales at 368kg wet, as opposed to 375kg last year.
Both bikes are still hefty machines, but a seat height of 720mm on the Road Glide and 715mm on the Street Glide will allow shorter rides to get their feet down, making both baggers more accessible than their weight suggests.
Photo: The thrill of touring on bagger is unlike anything else
As touring machines for road-based adventures, big baggers are a joy to ride, combining comfort and character like no other type of motorcycle. And Harley’s updated models are also practical with built-in luggage and a 22.7l fuel tank on both bikes, giving you around 200 between fills ups.
But with a price tag of £27,295 for the Road Glide and £26,795 for the Street Glide, you’re going to need to dig deep to live out your bagger dream. But trust me, when you’re on the open road chasing yet another horizon, you’ll be convinced it’s worth every penny.
2024 CVO Road Glide ST
Photo: The 2024 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST
For those of you with deeper pockets, and a desire for ‘the fastest, and most-sophisticated performance bagger ever produced by Harley-Davidson’, let me present to you the 2024 CVO Road Glide ST.
For the uninitiated, CVO means Custom Vehicle Operations, a name that’s given to the top of the range and best equipped bikes in Harley-Davidson’s stable. So, the manufacturer has taken the standard Road Glide and lavished it with every possible performance, comfort, and styling enhancement it could think of. And boy, what a bike it is.
So, what can you expect for close to £40,000. Well, the bike is powered by an engine exclusive to the CVO Road Glide ST. It’s a 1,977cc Milwaukee-Eight 121 High Output V-twin that has been tuned to produce 127bhp and an incredible 193Nm of torque.
It’s the most horsepower and torque ever produced from a factory-installed engine in a production Harley-Davidson, so you can expect blistering acceleration and a raucous ride.
Photo: The Golden White Pearl paint scheme on the CVO Road Glide ST
To further boost the bike’s performance, its weight has been trimmed to 363kg through the use of lightweight materials, including carbon titanium on the muffler, and carbon fibre on the mud guard, seat cowl, oil pan, and more.
You’ll also get top end Brembo brakes, fully adjustable Showa suspension front and rear, along with a suite of technology. This includes additional rider modes (Track and Track Plus), and a premium audio system featuring a 500-watt amplifier.
And of course, being a CVO model, you get the choice of premium paint finishes: Golden White Pearl or Raven Metallic, as well as CVO exclusive graphics. If you’re looking for the ultimate Harley-Davidson bagger experience, look no further.
I’ll be reviewing the 2024 model Road Glide and Street Glide in an upcoming issue of Adventure Bike Rider magazine. But in the meantime, check out this promotional video from Harley-Davidson showing the 2024 Road Glide in action.