2026 Harley-Davidson Super Glide Review – First Ride

In the hangover of the Summer of ’69, a kid walks out of the backdoor past the terrarium housing a bullfrog named Jeremiah, while the crackling sound of CCR grows louder as the screen door slams behind him. The humidity is, as usual, stifling in the Midwest this time of year. Slowly he opens the door to the man cave and rock n’ roll music spills into the yard. The garage walls are lined with Busch poster girls and playboy centerfolds. There’s dad polishing up his steed as a wire fan works overtime in the corner of the workbench in an attempt to stave off the summertime temps. The boy sheepishly averts his eyes from the scantily clad poster girls as he steps in — depending who’s watching. Pops sits there, cigarette dangling from his lips, intricately polishing every mirrored finish on his Hog while the smoke lingers in the heavy summertime air. “This chrome ain’t gonna polish itself, bud” he says with a smug grin, tossing a rag at the kid as he takes a long pull on that Marlboro Red, chasing it down with a mouthful of Budweiser. 

Willie G. in 1963

After graduating from Artcenter College of Design in Pasadena California in 1957, Willie G. Davidson — grandson of Harley-Davidson co-founder William A. Davidson — began his career at Brooks Stevens Associates, an industrial design firm in Milwaukee with strong ties to the company bearing his namesake. Eventually, in 1963, Willie G joined the family business in the Design Department at the Juneau Avenue headquarters. After some design work with Harley-Davidson subsidiaries, Willie G. and Harley-Davidson launched the first “factory custom” motorcycle in 1971. The machine paired an XL Sportster front end with the big Twin FL chassis.

The time spent in California had left an impression on the young Davidson and that expression can be seen in the design and styling of what would come to be the Harley-Davidson Super Glide. In addition to the Sportster front end and touring chassis complete with a 74 cubic-inch Shovelhead Twin, the Super Glide was doused in chrome and featured a radical fiberglass “boat tail” design — a version of which was first offered as an option for the Sportster in 1970… for $60. The bulbous stepped rear end wasn’t met with much success on the Super Glide and was dropped in favor of a steel fender the following year.

Despite the original machine’s mediocre market success with just 4,700 being sold (10,000 Sportsters were sold the same year, for reference), it’s become a staple in both Willie G. and the Motor Co.’s timelines. It was an example of a pivotal moment in H-D’s history when the company took a gamble on style and innovation. While the Super Glide lost its radical rear end in its first year, versions of the FX Super Glide prevailed throughout the years, however the kickstart only model was discontinued in 1979 — but not before the Motor Co. cranked out a Confederate edition in 1977, just two years before those Duke boys became a Hazzard with ol’ General Lee.

Time marches on, and while various versions of the FX prevailed with the Super Glide moniker over the decades, the original ’71 boat tail Super Glide remains the first “factory custom” from Harley-Davidson. In 2006, the Motor Co. released an upgraded Dyna with a six-speed transmission and styled 3,500 limited editions to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the machine that started it all.

In essence, the Super Glide is a dolled up Street Bob with a few differences and a show-stopping aesthetic — which there is nothing wrong with, particularly since the MSRP is only a grand over the Street Bob at $15,999. The Super Glide features a blinding amount of chrome throughout from its tubeless spoked wheels to the mirrors, many components have been swapped for the mirrored finish. The lower flatter five-gallon tank replaces the bobber-esque version from the Bob and features a chrome tank-mounted display with the serial number on the console. A new chrome handlebar is also fitted which feels slightly higher and wider than the Street Bob’s and is clamped by a new mount with “Milwaukee USA” etched into the chrome. A one-piece seat also includes the rider and passenger saddle, while the White Onyx Pearl paint job complete with red and blue fender stripes rounds out the updates making the Super Glide unique from other Softails.

To touch on some of the highlights of the Softail line, the Super Glide receives the Milwaukee Eight 117 cu. in. V-Twin engine in the Classic state of tune which is said to put out 98 horsepower and 120 lb-ft of torque. Three ride modes are included which can be switched on the fly (Sport, Road, and Rain) and the bike has IMU-based rider aids such as lean sensitive ABS and traction control as well as other niceties like cruise control and a tire pressure monitoring system to check pressures on the LCD screen. The six speed transmission puts power to the rear wheel via belt and both the 19-inch front wheel and 16-inch rear are tubeless and shod in 100/90-19 and 150/80B16 Dunlop rubber.

What’s it like to Glide?

Chrome may not get you home, but it sure attracts attention. When I rolled to a stop during my first outing with the Super Glide, an older woman hollered over, “Hey, Are you going to the American Legion? A bunch of bikes just pulled in there.” To which I replied that I hadn’t planned on it. She then offered to jump on the back of the Hog if I wanted to go crash the party with her. Given that I had just finished Hunter S. Thompson’s Hell’s Angels for the dozenth time, a tale filled with “mommas” and “old ladies” this interaction seemed fitting.

The riding experience of the Super Glide is much that of the Street Bob (surprise, surprise), but I do prefer the ergonomics of the Glide. That said, I’m not sure how many miles I’d be willing to take of my coccyx getting pounded in that seat. The bars are wide, and for normal cruising, they’re comfortable, but for a 5-foot 8-inch dude, my elbows are nearly locked during normal riding, so I really had to stretch to do U-turns. The Milwaukee Eight is a peach of an engine, smooth as butter when you're on the throttle, but gives you that V-Twin rumble that shakes the bars at a stop. Torque comes on smooth from low in the rev-range and keeps spreading on as you short shift your way through the gears. 

The suspension is also, well, Harley-Davidson suspension. The Dual-Bending Valve 49mm Showa fork and hidden shock (hydraulically adjustable for preload) get the job done, but you’ll want to take care riding over, well, anything, because the ergos are going to send that shock right up your tailbone. The clutch pull is heavy and the long throw to each gear lands positively.

Despite some of the things I mentioned above, I truly enjoyed my time just cruising with the Super Glide. I really dig the aesthetic. It’s a bike you’ll be looking back at multiple times as you walk away after parking it. The fit and finish are top notch. Aside from the classic looks though, it’s also on the smaller end of Harley-Davidson’s big Twin offerings, making it more manageable than other big tourers around town or in the garage — and for a limited edition, pricing isn’t bad.

As the adage goes, times change. It’s the only reliable constant. Inevitable. Progress, or get left behind. While I realize I just loaded the comment’s section cylinder with the last sentence, that attitude shouldn’t discredit our appreciation for where we’ve been. We’re only as strong as our foundation, and Harley-Davidson does a solid job of blending its heritage and affect on pop culture with new models that not only stir up nostalgia but also pull you back to a simpler time as you saddle up. There’s plenty of modernity lurking under that classic exterior and the Super Glide is the Motor Co.’s latest example.

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