Road Glide® vs. Street Glide®: Which Motorcycle is Right for You?
For well over a century, Harley-Davidson® motorcycles have been conquering the highways of America. Their touring bikes are particularly renowned for their comfort-minded features and convenience. However, with so many options on the table, it can be challenging to choose the right model for your riding needs.
Two of the most popular touring motorcycles in the Harley-Davidson catalog are the Road Glide® and the Street Glide®. Each has its own unique benefits and both are excellent touring bikes, but they do differ in key ways, which is why both models have such die-hard fans!
Doc's Harley-Davidson in Kirkwood, MO, is your STL-area Harley-Davidson® motorcycle dealer, in business since 1955. Below, you’ll find a comparison between the company’s Road Glide® and Street Glide® touring motorcycles so you can decide which model is best for your riding needs.
Road Glide®
The 2020 Harley-Davidson® Road Glide® weighs in at 820 pounds, making it the heavier option between the two bikes. Its shark-nosed, frame-mounted fairing can be a little more challenging to work with, but it’s lighter in weight than the fairing on the Street Glide.
The Road Glide offers you not one but two spacious glove compartments to stash your stuff while you ride. The seat height is 29.6” which can be beneficial to taller riders.
Street Glide®
The 2020 Harley-Davidson® Street Glide® is a little bit lighter than the Road Glide at 796 pounds, which can improve your power-to-weight ratio and improve acceleration. However, its front end is heavier due to the batwing fork-mounted fairing, which is attractive and stylish.
Of the two bikes, this motorcycle is more popular with riders because of its styling. The BOOM!™ Box 4.3 Infotainment System is easier to reach on this bike compared to the Road Glide®.
The seat height on the Street Glide is 26.1”, so it’s more comfortable for shorter riders to sit astride. At a suggested retail price of $21,999, this bike is also a bit spendier by $300.
How To Choose
The best way to choose the best Harley touring bike is to give them both a test-ride if you’re permitted to do so. Riding each bike will allow you to determine whether it feels comfortable for you and has the features you want. If you can’t test-ride at the dealership, then try out your friends’ bikes to see what feels better for you. It’s very hard to choose outside of actually riding both motorcycles because both models have a lot of similarities. Features shared between these bikes include:
- Boom!™ Box 4.3 Infotainment System with the option to upgrade to the GTS version if desired
- H-D™ Connect options
- Milwaukee-Eight® 107 engine
- Electronic sequential port fuel injection (ESPFI) fuel system
- 111 pound-feet of torque
- Dual Daymaker® Reflector LED Headlamps
- Cruise control
- Security system
- Bluetooth™ hands-free mobile phone access
- Two 5.25” speakers
- Voice recognition
As you can see, both of these Harley touring motorcycles are worthy of your investment, but only you can make the final decision. Ready to see some models? Browse our great selection of new and used Harley-Davidson touring motorcycles, including the newest Road Glide® and Street Glide® models on our website before heading into our Kirkwood, MO, dealership location.
Talk to our staff about financing options if you’d like to make use of them for your Harley-Davidson touring motorcycle purchase. Doc’s Harley-Davidson proudly serves the greater St. Louis region, including the city of St. Charles, MO. Remember — it’s always a party at St. Louis’ premiere dealer!