2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide and Road Glide Are the New American Dreamin' Beauties

We took our time going through all the aspects of Harley-Davidson's releases, just to make sure there is nothing we missed. We'll be covering all the Milwaukee goodies throughout the day, so stick around if you plan to learn everything we know about the 2024 Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Harley launched four new motorcycle models this week, two in the regular lineup and another two on the CVO aisle. This story is about the regular models, which in our case are the Street Glide and the Road Glide.

You all know how the two models share most of their component parts, so the changes you're about to read below apply to them both. As usual, the thing that separates them visually from one another, the front end, still does that.

Neither of the two bikes was subject to any major change last year, so the American company had to make sure the upgrades made for 2024 are enough to keep buyers interested in the two Grand American Touring two-wheelers. So we're promised no more no less than a "new era of touring performance, technology, and design."

The general design lines of the two Glides remain largely the same as before, but there are minor tweaks made here and there meant to improve aerodynamics. The main goal Harley was trying to achieve with the minor nip and tucks was to deliver a reduced subjective helmet buffeting at highway speed.

Buffeting is what happens when the turbulent air thrown off the bike's windscreen hits the rider's helmet, at times causing very nasty momentary visual impairment. The goal of bringing that value down in the new tourers was met, it seems, as the value of helmet buffeting dropped by as much as 60 percent compared to the previous models.

The comfort of the rider has also been increased on the new tourers, and that's nice to hear, given how both machines are often used for long-distance travel. In this respect, it appears, Harley left no stone unturned and no item unmodified.

First up, the seat of the bikes has been redesigned and it now features new padding materials. But that would have amounted to little improvement if changes to the suspension system hadn't been made. So the bike maker increased the travel of the rear suspension by no less than three inches.

On top of it all the selectable ride modes are there to ensure the bikes are properly set up for different road and riding conditions, so four settings for riding modes are on the table: Road, Sport, Rain and Custom.

The two 2024 Harley-Davidson Glides are now controlled by means of Harley's new Skyline operating system, which uses a 12.3-inch screen as an interface. This screen is so impressive in size it makes all the analog instrumentation useless and even replaces many of the switches the bikes once had.

Harley made some changes in the engine department on both touring bikes as well, adding a touch more power coming from a slightly bigger engine.

The two bikes continue to hold in their frames powerplants of the Milwaukee-Eight V-Twin variety, only they are now 117ci in size. The units have also been gifted with a new cooling system and enhanced intake and exhaust flow, allowing them to be punchier on the road. What that means is the powerplant develops 105 hp and 130 ft-lb in both models.

The 2024 versions of the Street Glide and Road Glide are already listed by Harley-Davidson on its configurator, and we're told we are to expect the bikes to reach the dealers' lots by the end of the month.

The 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide comes in two trim options, chrome and black, and with a choice of eight body colors. The cheapest version, the one in the base color and with the ABS, cruise control, and security options as standard, is listed with a sticker reading of $25,999.

The 2024 Harley-Davidson Road Glide comes with the exact same choices (two trims and eight body colors), and given how it's largely the same bike but with a different face, the exact same price: $25,999.

You should keep in mind though that's only the starting point, as simply going for another color can add anywhere between $600 and $850, plus $1,350 if you go for the black finish options. The pricing also does not include the $850 freight charge.

As said, there are a few more Harley stories coming throughout the day, so stay tuned for more. A little spoiler: we're also going to talk about the first-ever CVO offering in the adventure touring segment.