As the Harley-Davidson Street Glide turns 40, it has more youthful vitality than ever. The original Street Glide featured a then-new 82ci Evolution motor that put out 69 ft-lbs of torque and 50 horsepower, a 5-speed transmission, and a full touring pack. The new 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide has more than double the horsepower and nearly twice as much torque, a Milwaukee-Eight 117 powerplant, 6-speed Cruise Drive, and sleek sidebags. Of course, that only scratches the surface of difference. Suffice it to say, this is the boldest redesign of the Street Glide since 2007, when it started its rise to prominence in the pantheon of Harley-Davidson models as an alpha bagger.
Unquestionably, Harley-Davidson is challenging the faithful with the 2024 Street Glide. As was hinted with the 2023 CVO Street Glide, the people’s Street Glide gets a new Milwaukee-Eight 117 motor and, most conspicuously, a dramatic reimagining of the iconic batwing fairing that points to the future rather than dwelling on the past.
Senior Editor Nic de Sena was slated to review the new Street Glide, and he is featured in the action photos. However, rain interrupted his test schedule, and as he left for Spain to test the latest from KTM and Moto Guzzi, Editor Don Williams picked up the baton. A long-time Street Glide fan, Don tested the three personalities of the Street Glide—urban brawler, long-distance Grand American Touring bike, and, now, something of a sporting tourer inspired by the MotoAmerica’s King of the Baggers race series. Let’s just say many miles and hours were logged behind that sleekly modern fairing. Here’s what Don discovered, and it’s quite a bit.
- The appearance of the new Street Glide fairing isn’t the only thing modern about it. Sure, you can’t miss the new countenance, with its integrated LED turn signals. However, behind that fairing is a TFT screen that measures over a foot from corner to corner. Yes, the analog-style gauges of old are banished in favor of a customizable screen that offers far more information than ever before, and it looks dazzling—and this is coming from someone who loved the old dash. The Skyline OS is impressively powerful and easily manipulated, though there will be a learning curve, especially for dedicated Luddites. I’m just teasing here, as we’ll get back to it in more detail.
- The Milwaukee-Eight 117 powerplant is a stunner. Those of us who have been piloting Street Glides for a while remember when we had to downshift on the slightest highway grade if we wanted to keep up with the flow of traffic. With 130 ft-lbs of grunt available at the twist of a throttle to get to 3250 rpm, the 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide rockets up the steepest hills at triple-digit speeds in 6th gear and never feels like it is straining. Vibes are nice and pronounced at idle, melting into a polite rumble once up to speed. Despite the power and displacement, this is not a fatiguing motor, unless you want it to be.
- There are three preset power modes, plus a user-configurable mode. Harley-Davidson software and motor engineers conspired to give you Sport, Road, and Rain modes. If you’re like me, you prefer a tailor-made power delivery, and that’s where the Custom A mode comes in. You get to mix the perfect cocktail of engine mapping (three levels), throttle response (five levels), engine braking (five levels), traction control (three levels), and ABS (two levels, always on). Setting this up is intuitive, using the left thumb joystick.
- The Sport mode definitely has a kick. The throttle response for the full-power setting is enhanced to the point where you need a deft hand to stay smooth in close quarters, be they tight twisties or urban settings. If you have room to let the 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide stretch its legs, the Sport mode shines. It works in the wide open spaces of the Mojave Desert, and on roads that feature open sweepers. If you like to nod to the guy next to you at a red light in town, be sure to select Sport mode before the light turns green and the hammer is dropped. A friendly encounter in Compton on Long Beach Boulevard rider on a stunt-cage-encased sport bike cage left him impressed. To maintain his dignity, he pulled a block-long wheelie in response. To be fair, it was a good one.
- In the canyons, cruising city streets, and casual riding, calls for the Road mode. This mode is the do-it-all and do-it-in-a-friendly-manner option. Although the edge is cut off the throttle response, the Milwaukee-Eight 117 is no slouch in Road mode. It hauls, and it’s easy to ride. Unless you’re a top-notch rider, you can go faster in the canyons in the Road mode, as it prevents chassis upset when in and exiting corners, something to consider on a bike that weighs 811 pounds with a full tank, and that’s before you get on. This is the mode most riders will tap, unless they want to dive into Custom A mode and know what they want.
- The Rain mode tamps things down, and isn’t a bad choice in heavy traffic. If you’re stuck in traffic in regressive states that don’t allow lane splitting, dropping into the Rain mode isn’t a bad idea. It gives you plenty of room for error, and it takes away power you won’t be using anyway. The power delivery is relatively lazy, especially if you’re switching from Sport mode. It has its place, especially if the pavement is wet or consistently dirty. The traction control will kick in at a moment’s notice, as will the ABS.
- I fell in love with my Custom A mode. I like pushing buttons to get what I want, and Custom A does just that. I wanted something between Sport and Road, with my other tastes indulged. In case you’re wondering, I went with the Sport power mode, +1 throttle response (second most aggressive of five settings), +1 engine braking (ditto), Road traction control (I like that safety net), and Road ABS (Rain is the other option). With that, the 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide responded precisely as I would like it to, and it worked for me everywhere—city, suburbia, rural, mountains, and open road. You likely will make different choices than I made. When you pay attention to how they all work together, you can craft a Milwaukee-Eight 117 of your dreams.
- Switching between modes is quick and easy. There’s a semi-dedicated switch on the right handlebar for selecting the mode. It is integrated into the new turn signal buttons, which have a new ergonomic design. Instead of the unappealingly bulbous old turn signal buttons, the new buttons are flat and angular. Feedback is hugely improved. Initially, I thought there would be a conflict between actuating the right turn signal and the mode switch. I was wrong, and it’s fantastic. Sometimes, the little things offer a huge benefit, and the new turn signal buttons fit into that category.
- The tachometer does come into play on the 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide. Because the Milwaukee-Eight 117 is so smooth when wound up, it’s easy to hit the rev limiter when accelerating onto the freeway with authority. When you reach the rev limit with the throttle seriously twisted, the rev limiter hits pretty hard. Creeping up on the limiter reveals a softer side to the ignition cutting out. Peak torque comes at 3250 rpm, and the motor isn’t about horsepower, so remember to shift well before hitting the limiter at 6000 rpm.
- Around town, the weight of the 2024 Street Glide melts away. Maybe it’s the additional power on tap, or it could be the 18-pound weight loss, but the new Street Glide feels far more agile than its predecessor. While it is inarguably not a lightweight when dodging cars and splitting lanes, the Street Glide has an endearing willingness to change lanes. The weight is most noticed when braking, as you know that about a half-ton is trying to slow down—the 300mm rear disc is your friend. Of course, maneuvering parking lots highlights the heft, though the smooth clutch engagement is a big help.
- Hit the twisties, and the newfound agility lets itself be known. Older Street Glides were reluctant to change lines once chosen upon corner entries. The 2024 Street Glide and Harley-Davidson-branded Dunlop tires allow low-effort line corrections as needed, while retaining its stability in turns. When I think back to the pre-Rushmore Street Glides, it’s amazing how far the Touring platform has progressed. I already talked about how incredible the motor is, and it will serve you well on curvy roads if you set it up to get along with your riding style. If you’re not up to that, just put it in Road mode and smile. Braking is impressive, though don’t ignore the rear brake when diving into a turn. The 19-inch 130mm front tire can get overwhelmed in hard braking, so it’s the 180mm rear to the rescue. Cranking up engine compression braking helps.
- The new fairing changes the character of the Street Glide on the open road. Several aspects of the new batwing make it great. It is less vulnerable to crosswinds and oncoming trucks with a 150+ mph closing speed on two-lane roads. The Splitstream vent is adjustable, making a massive difference in head buffeting if it’s set up right or wrong. The fairing offers excellent protection, and the mirrors are unobtrusively superb. Whether you approve of the modernization of the styling, the practical results are undeniable. I don’t miss the old batwing at all.
- With the power of the Milwaukee-Eight 117 on tap and the new fairing, cruising on open roads at 90+ mph all day is well within reason. While I would never suggest that you exceed any speed limit—perish the thought—if there’s no one around and you want to make some time, the 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide is happy to fulfill your desires. Over 100 mph or so, the stability starts to crack, but not many riders will want that ticket.
- Although the suspension is upgraded this year, there’s room for improvement. While the Showa Dual Bending Valve fork is unchanged, the rear wheel gets an extra inch of travel, though it’s a still-modest three inches. The emulsion shocks do what they can, taking the edge off rougher roads. The extra travel gives additional cornering clearance, though rough corners will convince you to slow down. There are no damping adjustments, so you get what you get. I’d like to see electronically adjustable damping, at least, and semi-active suspension as an option—this is a motorcycle with a $25,999 MSRP. That would improve what is already an outstanding motorcycle.
- The new TFT display is a work of art. There are three display choices—Sport, Tour, and Cruise. Sport puts the analog-style tachometer front and center, with a digital readout of the speed in the center. On the screen’s sides, you have user-selectable info. The Tour mode moves the tach/speedo combo to the left, with GPS dominating the screen. If you like, the GPS can be smaller, and extra info displayed on the right. Traditionalists will have to make do with the Cruise display, which does its best to replicate the old dash with an analog-style speedometer and tachometer. I’m good with Sport if I know where I’m going and Tour when I don’t. Oddly, I was a big fan of the old dash, but I find Cruise fussy.
- The Skyline OS is both intuitive and complex. Much like Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop, there are far more features than any single person will use. So, you have to sift through what’s there and focus on what matters to you. I wish the dash had Apple CarPlay so Waze is integrated, but this will have to do. I’m not going to delve into the entertainment part of the system—that keeps your right thumb busy—as I don’t listen to music when I ride, and covering everything in Skyline OS would double the length of this review. I will say that one semi-obscure feature it has concerns the radio—you get a list of available stations for listening. Maybe this isn’t something new, but it’s new to me—impressive, even though I would never use it.
- The switchgear is modern and easy to operate. Four-way switches with a central joystick are something we can all understand; though the stand-alone “return” button is usually required, I think a left stab of the joystick should suffice. Cruise control is intuitive and steady. The start/kill switch is on top of the right cube, as the switch array faces the rider. I accidentally hit the kill switch a few times when returning my hand to the throttle after making some sort of adjustment; it startled me the first time, as you can imagine. Oh, and the under-display tray for your mobile device is a nice touch.
- Unless you’re willing to write a check, don’t test-ride the 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide if you own an older edition. The difference is enormous and you’ll plonk down your money, unless you simply can’t part with the old-style dash and dislike the appearance of the new batwing. In every way, the new Street Glide is an improvement over its predecessor. The 2024 will go down in Harley-Davidson lore as a revolutionary leap forward for the Street Glide, and there’s no going back.
Location photography by Brian J. Nelson and Kevin Wing
2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Specs
ENGINE
- Type: Milwaukee-Eight 117 V-twin
- Displacement: 117 cubic inches (1923cc)
- Bore x stroke: 4.075” x 4.5”
- Maximum power: 105 horsepower @ 4600 rpm
- Maximum torque: 130 ft-lbs @ 3250 rpm
- Compression ratio: 10.3:1
- Valvetrain: Single cam w/ pushrods; 4 vpc
- Cooling: Air and oil
- Lubrication: Dry sump
- Transmission: 6-speed Cruise Drive
- Clutch: Wet multiplate w/ assist and slipper functions
- Primary drive: Chain
- Final drive: Belt
CHASSIS
- Frame: Mild tubular steel w/ two-piece stamped and welded backbone
- Front suspension; travel: Non-adjustable Showa 49mm Dual Bending Valve; 4.6 inches
- Rear suspension; travel: Spring-preload adjustable emulsion shocks; 3 inches
- Wheels: Cast Aluminum
- Front wheel: 19 x 3.5
- Rear wheel: 18 x 5
- Front tire: 130/60 x 19; Dunlop Harley-Davidson D408F
- Rear tire: 180/55 x 18; Dunlop Harley-Davidson D407T
- Front brakes: 320mm discs w/ 4-piston calipers
- Rear brake: 300mm disc w/ 4-piston caliper
- ABS: Standard; adjustable
DIMENSIONS and CAPACITIES
- Wheelbase: 64 inches
- Rake: 26 degrees
- Fork angle: 29.25 degrees
- Trail: 6.7 inches
- Seat height: 28.1 inches
- Fuel capacity: 6 gallons
- Estimated fuel consumption: 44 mpg
- Curb weight: 811 pounds
TRIM OPTIONS
COLORS
- Billiard Gray
- Vivid Black (+$600)
- White Onyx Pearl (+$850)
- Whiskey Fire (+$850)
- Blue Burst (+$850)
- Alpine Green (+$850; Chrome Trim only)
- Atlas Silver Metallic (+$850; Black Trim only)
- Sharkskin Blue (+$850; Black Trim only)
2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Price: $25,999 MSRP
2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Review Photo Gallery
