Harley-Davidson has revealed 13 ‘new’ models in its specialty and non-cruiser platforms – none of which are particularly new.
Less audacious manufacturers might acknowledge this as a ‘bold new paint and graphics’ sort-of update but the MoCo pitches it as “a dramatic evolution.”
OK, sure. Whatever. The updates come in four different platforms: touring, adventure touring, CVO, and trike.
Touring
There are two ‘new’ touring models. They are:
- Street Glide Limited
- Road Glide Limited
“These deluxe Grand American Touring motorcycles are optimized for customers who prioritize luxury, performance and long-haul comfort for both rider and passenger,” declares a Harley-Davidson media release.
Driven by a 1923cc Milwaukee Eight 117 V-twin, the bikes aren’t a marked departure from what’s come before. For example, I am really struggling to see how the 2026 Street Glide Limited is particularly different from the 2025 Street Glide Ultra that I rode last year. Perhaps Harley also struggles to make the distinction; the Street Glide Ultra is not listed as a 2026 model on Harley’s US website.
Adventure touring
On the adventure touring side of things, Harley-Davidson has announced the Pan America 1250 Limited, which is effectively the Pan America 1250 Special that we know and love from 2021 but which has been farkled to the wazoo.
You get 120 liters of “rugged aluminum” luggage, a quickshifter, muffler guard, skid plate, radiator guard, and adjustable pedals as standard.
“The long list of factory-installed accessories makes this model an exceptional value for the customer,” claims Harley’s media release.
Hmmm. Starting price on a 2026 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Limited is £22,995. Whereas Guildford Harley-Davidson currently has a Harley-Davidson Certified 2021 Pan America 1250 Special for £6,995. Effectively the same bike, and, as I say, it is Harley-Davidson Certified. That means it’s gone through all kinds of additional quality checks.
(Putting on the hat I wore when I worked for H-D’s UK and Ireland PR many years ago, Harley-Davidson Certified bikes are a pretty good deal, y’all)
CVO
Harley-Davidson’s Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO) wing has been producing fancier, more expensive versions of existing models since 1999. In 2026, five motorcycles “represent the pinnacle of Harley-Davidson design, technology and performance,” declares a very humble media release. They are:
- CVO Street Glide
- CVO Street Glide ST
- CVO Street Glide Limited
- CVO Street Glide 3 Limited (a trike)
- CVO Road Glide ST
Just looking at this list of CVO bikes, wanna take a wild guess as to what continues to be Harley-Davidson’s best-selling model?
At any rate, CVO bikes often serve as a platform for things that end up coming to the rest of the line-up a few years later. So, the things to look at here are the 1977cc Milwaukee Eight 121 V-twins that are driving these bikes. The current standard production engine is a 1923cc Milwaukee Eight 117.
There is different tuning for different models, but the headline figure is that the 121 engine claims 114 to 127 horsepower.
Trike
You don’t care about trikes, do you? I’d say the number of trikes I see on British roads each year can be counted on one hand. And that number has gone up significantly in recent years because I live in the same town as one of the UK’s very small number of trike owners.
But, if you are interested, the Street Glide 3 Limited and Road Glide 3 get new rear suspensions.
I can’t hear you over the rumble of my freedom
“Hey, wait,” I hear you cry. “That’s only 10 models. I thought you said there were 13.”
Yes, rounding out this week’s announcement and appropriately bringing the number of new models to the same number as original US states, are three Liberty Edition models. These are existing models that have been given different graphics to commemorate the United States’ 250th birthday. They are:
- Liberty Edition Street Glide
- Liberty Edition Street Glide 3 Limited
- Liberty Edition Heritage Classic
“Each features a base color of Midnight Ember, a heavy metallic black that is exclusive to the Liberty Edition,” explains a media release. “Special graphics include a Liberty Edition eagle graphic on fuel tank sides with see-through #1 medallion, Liberty Edition eagle graphic on the fairing, additional graphics and Liberty Edition console and engine cover inserts. Seats feature blue seam stitching, red/white/blue striped accent stitching, an embossed center panel and embroidered Bar & Shield logo.”
I am deeply disappointed that these Liberty Edition models lack the gaudy, psychedelic decals of the 1976 Liberty Edition bikes, but, hey-ho.
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