They say less is more. The 2025 Harley-Davidson Street Glide turns that on its head and declares, “if less is more, imagine how much more more would be!”
The Street Glide is and has always been the quintessential bagger. It’s not a style of bike I typically like, but the Street Glide wears it beautifully and continues to make a serious statement. Our tester’s Midnight Flame paint is a $3,800 Factory Custom option that adds very subtle flames in a gorgeous metallic to the bike’s bodywork; it’s a subtle nod to classic Hot Rod style. It’s also been updated with new LED elements with integrated turn signals in the signature Batwing fairing, which itself has been re-shaped for better airflow and a leaner look.
Not-so-lean, mean, cruising machine
At 811 pounds, the Street Glide is about the farthest thing from lean. It can be a bit of a bear to manoeuvre around parking spaces, but it also bears mentioning it’s recently dropped quite a bit of weight as part of a new update. Said update also sees improvements to the chassis for better handling and manoeuvrability; it’s indeed not nearly as unwieldy as you might think if, like me, you’re new to this style of bike. But I still wouldn’t call it a corner carver. It’ll take quite a bit of lean, especially for a cruiser, but you need to push and use your weight to make anything other than leisure happen. I wish I had more context with older Harleys to see how much of an improvement the Street Glide is on this front.
I don’t need to have saddled up on older Harleys to see how much improvement has been made on the technology front. There are not-inexpensive trucks that have less going on than this motorcycle. Keyless go, anti-lock brakes, Vehicle Hold Control which locks the brakes at rest with a quick flick of the brake lever, traction control, slip control, cruise control, Electronically Linked Braking which grabs the front if you slam the rear brake and vice-versa. It even has tire pressure monitoring.
Apple CarPlay — on a bike?!
More obvious than any of those niceties is a colossal 12.3-inch TFT touchscreen, and it even responds to gloved hands! It’s running Harley Davidson’s new Skyline infotainment software, which is super easy to use and looks great, even in harsh light. While it is a touch-enabled screen, it can — and should — be used entirely via handlebar controls. The left brings up the menu, and has a directional pad for navigating through and selecting menus. These include ride modes, GPS navigation, and even Apple CarPlay.
The right side has controls for media playback, including AM, FM, SiriusXM, and Bluetooth. You can conveniently store your phone in a large pop-out tray with a USB-C charge port under the screen, too. I was skeptical of the viability of any media playback on a bike, but the Street Glide’s twin Rockford Fosgate speakers, powered by a four-channel, 200-watt amp, are more than up to the task of blaring tunes clearly, even with a highway’s headwind. Speaking of, it’s fairly minimal with the new Batwing design, and can be dialled even less with an adjustable vent.
What’s powering the Street Glide?
Another new addition is the Milwaukee Eight 117 V-Twin engine that was previously only available on top-shelf CVO Harleys. As you might guess, it displaces 117 cubic inches, and produces 105 horsepower and 130 pound-feet of torque. Keen eyes will note a discrete radiator tucked in at the bottom of the front fairing, providing liquid cooling to the cylinder heads. The Street Glide can handle hot city traffic without breaking a sweat, even if you are. Ask me how I know.
For what’s ultimately an inherently imbalanced engine, with its 45-degree V design, the Street Glide idles surprisingly well and generally runs smooth. There’s enough potato-potato-potato grumble to feel properly authentic, and enough raw, unbridled, no-replacement-for-displacement, stump-pulling grunt to feel effortless in any situation. You’re never in the wrong gear, there’s always power, and the slipper clutch makes it easy to be lazy and lean on the engine to work for you. It’s not obnoxiously loud, either, but has a distinct Harley exhaust note and is authoritative enough to project its power.
How does the Street Glide ride?
For all its concessions to modernity and engineering enhancements to make it a better Main Street marauder, the Street Glide remains most at-home on the highway. It’s so unflappably stable, you could almost take your hands off the bars (with the cruise control) and it’ll just keep on glidin’ ahead. Wind buffeting is exceptionally well-controlled for a bike without an unsightly windshield, ride comfort is top notch, and the pre-load of the rear shocks is adjustable without tools if you’re riding two-up. It can’t be done on the fly; you have to pull a saddlebag.
No matter what you do, the ride comfort, even on these big sexy wheels, is superb. Just as important is the saddle; the Street Glide’s is a beautifully stitched leather seat with thick, firm foam padding that remains comfortable even on long hauls. The handlebars on the Street Glide are a touch low, encouraging an upright position that has you leaning very slightly forward. It works well at all speeds, it’s ergonomically sound, and you can definitely position yourself to lean back a little if you’re so inclined. [Pun intended? —Ed.]
Final thoughts
The 2025 Harley-Davidson Street Glide is a sweet peach of a bike that I ended up liking more than I thought I would. It’s a classic bagger updated to look modern and mean without losing an ounce of the authentic swagger that put these on the map, and in the hearts and minds of so many. Ditto goes for the engine and chassis; the Street Glide hits all the right notes without any caveats, beyond what’s inherent to the nature of the beast. You’re looking at $38,099 as-tested for the bike shown here; it’s not a small ask especially for a motorcycle. But when you consider what the Street Glide can do, the comfort and practicality it extends to you, and the indomitable style it offers, suddenly it starts making sense.
