2023 Road Glide: the test ride

The 2023 Road Glide  120th anniversary edition made to celebrate Harley-Davidson 120th anniversary is simply breathtaking. The winning recipe is always the same: a motorcycle that stands out thanks to its shark shaped fairing, and an engine that grants power and riding comfort.

Road Glide 2023: style

Looking at this motorcycle closely it is possible to appreciate the attention to details and the beauty of the paint-job of this special series. Worthy of a mention is also the “Flying Bird” – gold badge to celebrate the company’s 120th anniversary – as the red and gold emblems on the engine covers. The key staylistic element of this motorcycle is the “shark nose”, which is untouched in this version of the motorcycle. The best part of it is that, thanks to how it is connected to the frame – not on the front fork as it happens on the Street Glide models – the motorcycle moves and feels great on every situation and condition. What to say? It is a clear example of style that becomes functional.

Comfort

Once sat on a 2023 Road Glide Special 120° anniversary, it is possible to see – once more – that this motorcycle is among the best in its category. The seat is comfortable and does not constrict the rider to assume one riding position: anyone can adopt his favourite riding position and feel at “home”.  The portion of the seat for the passenger is something incredible: wide, comfortable and, thanks to the tourpack, it makes you feel like you are travelling on a sofa. Exactly what you would expect from a Road Glide.

Engine, Chassis and Technology

This 2023 Road Glide Special – as the Limited – is equipped with the Milwaukee Eight 114 motor which responds great every time the rider is on the throttle and with cruise control… Nothing needs to be pointed out: the cruise control is not adaptive – it does not automatically adapts to the vehicles in front of the motorcycle –  therefore, is a bit old compared to the ones installed on the rivals. Riding on bendy roads with this Road Glide feels easy thanks to how its powerful braking system and how the suspensions work. That is correct, the front system is very convincing and the back suspensions – which were highly criticized in the past – seem finally to work well.

2023 Road Glide 2023 our thoughts

The 2023 Road Glide offers a package that has been making a lot of riders happy since its debut. We loved it on bendy roads, where we took the chance to also experience the hi-fi system: easy to navigate thanks to the handle bars controls or with the 6.5″ touchscreen. Everything else is pretty much what you could expect from a Road Glide with some improvements – suspensions – and something that still needs the company to go the extra mile in order to catch the rivals.
Paintjob and attention to detail is top notch.
What to say? We loved it we are also waiting for something that could really make the Shark better than the competitors. Maybe the new CVO will be capable of doing that? We will see.