2017 Harley-Davidson Touring Street Glide

The Harley-Davidson Street Glide first appeared in 2008 when company patriarch and chief styling officer Willie G. Davidson created his FLHX ‘ultimate personal touring bike.’ Who can argue style and spec with the grandson of company co-founder William A. Davidson? The 2018 model is a bagger with a sweet Batwing fairing.

The Milwaukee-Eight engine—introduced in 2017—is just the ninth generation of "big twin" engines developed by H-D, but only its third all-new Big Twin in 80 years. What's the difference? There are four valves per cylinder, totaling eight valves; get it? The change also marked a modern return to the single-camshaft configuration as used on the famous Knucklehead since 1936. To keep your spine intact, the engines all have internal counterbalancers and large-diameter telescopic forks.

READ: 2017 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special: Tested

The 796-lb Harley-Davidson Street Glide is powered by a six-speed, chain-driven, 1,750cc 45-degree V-twin with a combination of air-cooled, liquid and oil-cooled eight valves in two cylinders with 111 ft-lb of torque. {p} Additional features include 2.3 cu-ft of storage capacity, 6.0-gallon fuel tank, 27.4-in seat height, Enforcer cast aluminum wheels (19-in front/18-in rear), Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI), 2-1-2 dual chrome exhaust with tapered mufflers, H-D's Boom! Box 4.3 infotainment system, electronically linked Brembo front and rear brakes, cruise control, security system and optional ABS.

The Harley-Davidson Street Glide pricing starts at $20,999 for Vivid Black, $21,499 for Black Tempest, Industrial Gray Denim, Wicked Red, Electric Blue, or Silver Fortune, $21,999 for Legend Blue/Vivid Black, and $23,399 for Hard Candy Shattered Flake or Hard Candy Chameleon Flake.

"Sleek lines, a big front fairing, and very functional bags have all been tied together well to make for a win. But don’t let the classic look fool you; it’s still packing the technological punch Harley-Davidson debuted with its Project Rushmore models in 2014: navigation, a fully functional touchscreen, and voice activation for music, phone, and GPS."

Garrett Gales - Contributor, Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine