It’s hard to get past the weight of the 2025 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Ultra. It’s an attractive and desirable machine – glistening with quality, heritage, and presence. It sounds good, it rides brilliantly. But, man, it’s heavy.
I say that as a Harley apologist. Normally, when I hear people lament the heft of one of Milwaukee’s iconic machines I respond that the bikes’ weight is kept manageably low.
“You get used to it really quickly,” I say.
But I never got used to the Street Glide Ultra’s mass. Even after two weeks of riding it, I was fighting and fearing its 393-kilogram (866 lbs) wet weight every time I threw a leg over. Which is a shame. On most other counts, the Street Glide Ultra is an excellent touring weapon. It’s the sort of motorcycle that makes Europe feel small.
So, if I had the money, would I buy one? Let’s weigh up the good and the bad (See what I did there?).
SOME NUMBERS
| STARTING PRICE | £28,495 |
| ENGINE | 1923cc twin-cooled Milwaukee Eight 117 V-twin |
| POWER | 107 bhp @ 5,020 rpm |
| TORQUE | 129 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm |
| TRANSMISSION | (Very clunky) six-speed manual |
| WEIGHT | 393 kg |
| FUEL CAPACITY | 22.7 litres |
| SEAT HEIGHT | 725 mm |
| WHEELBASE | 1,625 mm |
| TYRES (FRONT) | 130/60B19 M/C 61H |
| TYRES (REAR) | 180/55B18 M/C 80H |
| BRAKES (FRONT) | Dual disc |
| BRAKES (REAR) | Single disc |
| SUSPENSION (FRONT) | 49mm dual bending valve forks |
| SUSPENSION (REAR) | 76.2 mm dual outboard emulsion with preload adjustability |
SOME BACKGROUND
Touring is Harley-Davidson’s bread and butter. In 2024, its so-called ‘Grand American Touring’ segment represented roughly 58 percent of its total motorcycle sales. Until the advent of the Honda Gold Wing, Harley-Davidson’s motorcycles defined what touring was in America. For many, they still do; Harley dominates close to 75 percent of the touring motorcycle segment in the United States.
In the Land of the Free, they refer to the Street Glide Ultra as a ‘full dresser.’ All the bells and all the whistles. It is designed to go far in luxury and comfort. It’s a new model for 2025 but at a quick glance it is visually indistinguishable from the Ultra Limited it replaces.
I mentioned in my review of the 2025 Street Bob that Harley is very intentional in the consistency of its styling. So, of course the modern Street Glide Ultra carries visual cues that were on the Electra Glide way back in 1969, when the MoCo first started offering its iconic batwing fairing.
But the similarities between the 2025 Street Glide Ultra and 2024 Ultra Limited are incredibly close – to the extent that I can’t understand why Harley’s created the former and dumped the latter. If I had to hazard a guess, it would be rooted in the fact that the Street Glide bagger (which looks like the Street Glide Ultra without top box and lower fairing) is consistently one of Harley’s best-selling models.
There was a time, not too long ago, when Harley sold more Street Glides in a year than all its other models combined. I’d assume that Harley feels it’s a name that sells.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Occupying about as much visual space as a Toyota Yaris, the Street Glide Ultra is a motorcycle with presence. It looks expensive. And it is.
One of the reasons Harleys cost so damned much – and this one, starting at £28,495, certainly costs a lot – is that they are built to a certain standard. The quality here is undeniable. From clutch lever to floorboard, pannier latch to paint, every aspect of this bike has the look and feel of something that is built to last.
This contributes to a motorcycle that is visually stunning – the kind of bike you sit and stare at. It is not, perhaps, gorgeous in the way of a Ducati or MV Agusta, but it holds the eye as a Ford Ranger Raptor might. There is beauty in the bigness. Shining, beautiful bigness.
Hoist your leg over the bike’s 725mm seat – doing your best to avoid catching a boot on the topbox/passenger backrest – and you are welcomed by one of the finest butt rests in the biz. Your seated stance is wide here, so the low seat height is deceptive; there’s a lot to go between your legs and it helps to be tall if you want to straddle it with feet flat on the ground. I’m 6-foot-1; I wouldn’t want to be any shorter on this bike.
But, I’ll be damned if it ain’t all-day comfy. Hands fall naturally to the big, shiny ‘bars, allowing shoulders to relax. The grips and shiny levers are standard Harley fare: built for large, strong hands. Feet rest easily on the massive floorboards.
The dash is car-like, with stereo speakers on either side of a 12.2-inch TFT touchscreen display that takes about two minutes to fully boot up.
Both grips are littered with buttons. They are largely intuitive IF you are able to look at them, but can be fiddly when operating with gloved hands. They’re not backlit, so don’t plan on using them at night.
Below the display is a slide-out shelf/drawer for your phone. The drawer is lined with rubber and there is a USB-C port for charging. I loved this. Most bikes these days have places to plug in a phone, but very few have a place to put that phone.
The drawer is not lockable, nor are the glove compartments in each of the lower fairings. The glove compartment hatches are one of the few areas where I’d raise an eyebrow in terms of quality. They seem flimsy and likely to break.
Lifting eyes back toward the road, the bike’s fixed windscreen occupies much of your lower view. It is an effective screen in terms of weather protection, but sub-par when compared to the magic screen on the Low Rider ST.
ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION
The Street Glide Ultra is driven by a “twin-cooled” Milwaukee Eight 117 cubic-inch V-twin engine. That’s 1923 cc in Not America. And “twin-cooled” here means that the bike has liquid-cooled cylinder heads but retains much of its air-cooled aesthetic and feel.
The twin cooling means that, despite its weight, the bike is able to claim peak outputs of 107 bhp at 5,020 rpm, and a beefy 129 lb-ft of torque at just 3,500 rpm.
Unlike the models in Harley-Davidson’s Softail line-up, the engines of the different touring models do not have different tuning. Yet. I’m sure that will happen soon. Meanwhile, you do get three modes – Sport, Road, and Rain – which affect power delivery as you’d expect.
The Street Glide Ultra accelerates with remarkable smoothness. Fortunately, you don’t give anything up to the weight in terms of thrust. You get all of the addictive, torquey goodness found on lighter H-D big twins. And there is something deeply satisfying about getting a bike this large to hustle out of roundabouts with such urgency.
Befitting the spirit of a touring bike, the sound of the standard exhaust is a little less Biker Mice From Mars than what you might get from the cruiser line-up. The up side of this – apart from making you less likely to be the target of neighbourhood noise petitions – is that you are able to hear the mechanical workings of the engine a little better. It helps you appreciate the engineering at play.
In terms of the six-speed transmission, I’m not sure if it was an issue with just the bike that I rode or if all that weight creates additional strain, but I found things to be particularly agricultural. True, no Harley’s transmission can be described as slick, but that’s never bothered me before. On the Street Glide Ultra it was problematic.
Shifting gears was akin to lifting a 4kg kettle bell with my toes. Sure, I can do it, but I don’t want to do it over and and over and over again. Getting stuck in stop-start traffic on the A350 had me feeling the burn.
BRAKES AND CHASSIS
One aspect of the Street Glide Ultra that really failed to win me over was its “Cornering Enhanced Electronic Linked Braking” system.
Harley explains the system like this: “This feature electronically applies braking effort to both wheels when the rider applies the front brake lever and, on some models when the rider applies the rear brake pedal. ELB can help many riders achieve better braking performance. It boosts braking power when needed while minimizing or stopping the linking for lighter braking or at lower speeds.”
It’s a linked braking system, in other words, of the sort that Honda and others have been offering for decades. My memory is poor, but I think it’s a feature that’s been on Harley touring rigs for a while. On the Street Glide Ultra, however, it’s annoying and off-putting.
Way back when I was 15 years old and taking driving lessons, my driving instructor had a car with an additional brake pedal on the passenger side, allowing him to intervene when he felt I was approaching a situation with too much gusto.
Harley’s ELB system reminds me of that. I’d be approaching a roundabout or the like and feel the pedal depress more firmly – as if the bike had decided that I didn’t know what I was doing – and then be unsettled as the whole show hobby-horsed from hard braking.
Before buying a Street Glide Ultra I would want assurances that the ELB could be turned off, or its intensity reduced.
The suspension of the Street Glide Ultra, on the other hand, is all kinds of dreamy. This is really where your money goes. On the move, the bike handles brilliantly and magically – able to absorb all but the worst bumps while still being firm enough to hustle.
That is, it has no problem hustling as much as I’m willing to hustle an enormous, heavy motorcycle with 31 degrees of lean angle. Which, admittedly, is not much. But over the years, I have seen plenty of braver/better riders pushing H-D touring machines in ways I couldn’t believe. These bikes will take (and give) so much more than you might think.
FANCY BITS
One of the key selling points of the Street Glide Ultra is that it is loaded with technology to make your ride safer and more enjoyable.
The aforementioned cornering linked brakes, riding modes, cornering ABS, cornering traction control, cornering drag-torque slip control, vehicle hold control, tire pressure monitoring, cruise control, and heated grips are just some of the rider aids that come standard.
The bike’s infotainment system is brimming with information and features. Apple CarPlay compatible, it offers sat-nav, stereo, and controls in 25 different languages. With the right equipment, you can get voice recognition, so theoretically you could be riding along and just ask the bike to identify the nearest petrol station. I didn’t test this feature, however.
I like that the satellite navigation isn’t dependent upon your phone. Yes, it takes a stupidly long time to boot up, but once it’s up and running it’s reliable. As I’ve mentioned many times before, the ‘navigation via an app on your phone that runs off another app (Google Maps)’ is a nice idea that never works as it should. Having an actual old-school set-up means you can confidently ride to the far-away places that the bike’s package promises.
In terms of tech and electronic features, nothing is left on the table with the Street Glide Ultra. Outside of considerably more expensive CVO models, this is the best that Harley has to offer.
BASIC MAINTENANCE
When it comes to basic stuff, Harley big twins are surprisingly easy to work on. A basic service – ie, replacing the oil, oil filter and air filter – is relatively simple. All of the filters are easily accessible. You won’t need to remove any panels or fairing to get at the oil plug or oil filter.
On a standard Harley (ie, one that doesn’t have Stage 2 upgrades), replacing the air filter is simply a matter of removing a single panel. No lifting of the tank required here.
Because the bike sits rather low, getting at the oil drain plug can be a little tricky if the bike is on the ground. You will be crawling on your belly and contorting to get at the drain plug, but it is possible.
Harley suggests that you perform this basic service every 5,000 miles (or every year, whichever comes first). So, you may find yourself compelled at some point to buy a bike lift.
Meanwhile, replacing the spark plugs is also blissfully easy. If you are a cautious sort of person, it’s a job that may take you five minutes. Everyone else will probably be able to switch them over in about 3 minutes. Harley suggests doing this every 30,000 miles or two years, whichever comes first.
WHAT IT’S LIKE TO RIDE
You’ll need a strong left leg to get this thing off its stand, and a strong right leg to keep it from carrying on the other way.
Harley says this bike weighs 393 kg “in running order.” I’m guessing that’s with a tank that’s 90-percent full? Top up the Street Glide Ultra’s 22.7-litre tank and I’m willing to bet you’re pushing upward of 400 kilos. Add a rider and you’ve got a hell of a lot of mass to deal with. Pretty much half a ton before adding luggage or a passenger.
At speeds above 15 mph, though, the bike is wholly manageable.
At highway speeds, it is bliss. I have ridden pretty much every big touring bike that’s come along in the last 15 years – from Harley-Davidson, Indian, Victory, BMW, Kawasaki, and Honda. On the motorway, this bike is easily one of the best. Thanks in no small part to that fantastic suspension. It is just so smooth, so relaxed, so comfortable. I would choose this over a car for a cross-country haul.
Within that same context, the cruise control works brilliantly – holding steady, smooth speed even on steep inclines. The bike’s excellent LED headlight throws a huge spread of light, effectively eliminating any concerns you might have about riding at night. Its heated grips are delightfully toasty (although, navigating to their controls in the menu requires too many steps). The stereo is clear and loud enough to be heard at 75 mph, while wearing ear plugs and a helmet.
You get my point: if you’re going a long way, the Street Glide Ultra is one of the best ways to go.
It’s thoroughly enjoyable on A roads and fast, flowing B-roads, too. The Street Glide Ultra moves with a floating nimbleness that belies its girth. It can be a whole hell of a lot of fun.
Until you hit traffic, or a country lane, or need to do anything that requires low-speed finesse. At that point, the heavy unwieldiness of the Street Glide Ultra can be overwhelming. Riding the thing becomes physically and mentally demanding on a level that I just don’t want for day-to-day activities. Navigating the car park at Tothill Services should not make me feel as if I’m participating in some sort of Japanese gameshow challenge.
COMPETITION
| NAME | SPECS | PRICE |
| Indian Roadmaster PowerPlus Dark Horse | • 1834cc liquid-cooled PowerPlus V-twin • 120 bhp • 133.8 lb-ft torque • 672mm seat height • 423 kg wet weight • 22.7 liters of fuel | £30,755 |
| BMW K 1600 Grand America | • 1649cc liquid-cooled inline six • 158 bhp • 132.7 lb-ft torque • 750mm seat height • 367kg wet weight • 26.5 liters fuel | £25,825 |
| Honda Gold Wing Tour | • 1833cc liquid-cooled flat six • 125 bhp • 125 lb-ft torque • 745mm seat height • 393kg wet weight • 21 liters of fuel | £33,499 |
| Harley-Davidson Street Glide Limited | ??? | ??? |
| Harley-Davidson Road Glide Limited | ??? | ??? |
As is so often the case with Harley-Davidson motorcycles, there’s not much out there that competes directly with the Street Glide Ultra. That’s especially true in the United Kingdom and Europe, where Indian Motorcycle has dropped its air-cooled Thunderstroke V-twin platform (it’s still alive and well in the US).
I’m starting to come around to the idea that Indian may, possibly, perhaps come out OK from its split from Polaris, so I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a bad idea to throw £30,755 (more than I earned in the whole of 2024) at them. But I’d still give the more powerful Roadmaster PowerPlus Dark Horse a pass because of the fact that it weighs so much more than the already-too-heavy Street Glide Ultra.
Without knowing any details about the forthcoming Street Glide Limited and Road Glide Limited models (probably very much like the Street Glide Ultra, though), and despite the fact that I still think the Gold Wing is one of the greatest motorcycles of all time, I’d be inclined to give the BMW serious consideration. I rode the first-generation K 1600 B way back in 2017 and fell in love with it. The Grand America is just the B with a top box. I’m willing to bet the platform is even better now.
On the surface, the BMW is also the cheapest and lightest of the bunch, but, of course, BMW has a habit of making you pay for stuff that comes standard on the other machines. Additionally, it doesn’t quite have the spirit of the Harley or the Indian.
VERDICT
The longest road in the United Kingdom is the A1, which boasts 410 miles between its start and finish. The longest road in the United States, meanwhile, is US Route 20, which runs 3,237 miles from Boston, Massachusetts, to Newport, Oregon. I drove that road once; it took me a week to get from one end to the other.
The Street Glide Ultra was made for American roads – both in terms of distance and design. It is built for long hours in the saddle, navigating wide, well-paved, and technically unchallenging highways.
If I still lived in the horizon-stretching flatness of the US Central Time Zone, I would love to have this thing sitting in my garage; it would fill me with glee and purpose and ambition to explore. But since I live in West Sussex, I’ll admit that a part of me was quietly relieved when Harley’s logistics team arrived to take it away.
The Street Glide Ultra is prohibitively large for British use. It’s just so damned heavy. Knowledge of its weight (and, to a lesser extent, its size), eats away at one’s desire to take it out for a spin. Thoughts of having to wrangle it on local roads makes you not want to bother.
It is not the sort of bike you jump on at the end of the day when you’ve got 45 minutes free and the weather’s just right. Instead, it is a long-haul machine for routes you have researched, making sure you’ll avoid tricky junctions or mud-covered lanes.
In and of itself it’s a great bike, but it’s not a great bike for here.
UK and European riders keen to get the Harley touring experience would be better served by the more affordable, lighter, and better-handling Low Rider ST. No, its suspension isn’t as plush, it doesn’t have a top box the size of Twickenham, and it doesn’t have an infotainment system. But it also doesn’t have brakes that second guess your actions, and it’s markedly more user friendly on the roads and in the situations that we encounter most often.
In a sentence: the 2025 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Ultra is simultaneously a motorcycle that I absolutely love and that I definitely do not want. Other riders will be fine with the bike’s weight, and I wish them many happy miles.
THE THREE QUESTIONS
Does the 2025 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Ultra suit my current lifestyle?
Not so much. I don’t live in the sort of place where it excels, and parenthood has limited the number of opportunities I get to ride off and spend weeks at a time in those places.
Did the 2025 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Ultra put a smile on my face?
Definitely. Despite my criticisms, I loved riding the bike. It is a joy in the right conditions. If someone gave me one, I would kiss them on the lips in thanks.
Is the 2025 Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST better than my current motorcycle, a 2012 Kawasaki Versys 1000?
Yes. Easily.
Leave a Reply