Are you in the market for a new Harley-Davidson bike, but you’re confused between Harley-Davidson Street Glide and Road King? If yes, then this article is the right place for you to be.
Harley-Davidson Street Glide vs. Road King are two bikes that are always on top of the wish lists of Harley-Davidson enthusiasts. Both the bikes have exceptionally powerful engines, attractive designs, and features that will make any rider’s mouth water. Despite the positives, they have individual features that make them unique and different from the other one.
In this article, you’ll get to know all about Harley-Davidson Street Glide, Harley-Davidson Road King, the comparison of Harley-Davidson Street Glide vs. Road King, and a lot more. Continue reading to know more about how the two bikes fare against each other.
Harley-Davidson Street Glide vs. Road King comparison
V-twin baggers are often among the top of street bike sales charts and the wish lists of bikers. The perennial leader of this category has long been the Harley-Davidson Street Glide, while Road Glide is very close behind. The Street Glides is revered for the effortless way that these bikes trot along American Roads with the loping cadence of the narrow-angle V-twin motors.
Old-school Harley-Davidson touring bikes don’t get much better than the Road King and Street Glide. However, it isn’t all about the size, but also about the abstract concept that makes the bike special – the feel. With low centers of gravity, boundless torque, and low-rev motors, the holy trinity will truly fill your soul.
Design
The Road King belongs to the old school road of cruiser design. If you look at it long enough, it’ll even make you start missing the tassels that you know will make it feel complete. The Hiawatha headlamp and light bar are traditional, while the chrome dome is a worthy foreground to the biker’s view of the world. The Street Glide makes for a positively clean look. The shark-nose fairing on the black motorcycle has a very badass vibe to it. The Street Glide has hints of Art Deco streamliners, which makes the bike look as cool as a long-distance iceberg. Both motorcycles share the same underpinnings, and each part is suitably industrial-sized and built to last long.
Weight
In traffic, both of the bikes have roughly the same presence that Gulliver had in Lilliput. Moreover, the bikes seem to shrink even the most considerable parking space you might find. As is the case with big Harley-Davidson bikes, their size actually helps with the ease of riding.
Firstly, each bike starts with enough authority that can get even people at a distance from you to take notice. You may enjoy the idea of V-twin earthquakes, but your neighbors might not like it. Maneuvering the bikes in and out of tight spaces will be a good test of your special awareness. The 375 kg (827 lbs) and 387 kg (853 lbs) weight of the two bikes make it evident that they’re loud and powerful. But once you get going, the weight just vanishes into thin air, and you’ll get a smooth and comfortable ride.
Engine
When you drive the Harley-Davidson Road King, you’ll be immediately blown away by its V-twin magic carpet, substantial, and plush. The Milwaukee-Eight 107 engines are as smooth as two pistons that are 873cc each can ever get. The power delivery is a fluid torrent of torque, and each twist of the throttle will feel like stirring molten chrome. Low revs and big displacement will enable highway-shrinking ease. Meanwhile, Street Glide has a Milwaukee-Eight 117 V-twin engine that offers 126 ft-lbs of torque at 3750 RPM.
 Both Street Glide and Road King feel like they can continue giving power-packed performances not just for hours, but for years. This thought will be much more tempting the longer you ride these bikes. If you have to choose, you should go for the Street Glide, as it offers a more impressive engine.
Fairing
The Road King’s wide-open riding position and lack of wind protection make the rider an unwilling representation of a sail. Moreover, it gets fairly tiring at sustained cruising speeds. This is where the Street Glide’s magnificent fairing comes into the picture. It offers some of the best wind protection that you’ll experience in any motorcycle. Given its monumental acreage, this shouldn’t really be a surprise. The term “motorcycle” might somehow feel inadequate when looking at this bike. The bike feels extremely comfortable when you’re doing 200 kph.Â
The Street Glide’s fairing almost halves the sensation of this number that the speedometer needle will be pointing at. 100 kph will feel like 50 kph, you get the hint. This is an outstanding thing for comfort and something that you should be mindful of when you’re on the road. Moreover, the Street Glide will also allow you to pair your smartphone and listen to music. It’ll be an addictive experience, even though you’ll only be able to hear music under 100 kph.
The fairing doesn’t actually block airflow, but it smoothens it under the rider. This creates a proper bubble that you can live in. You can go all over the country this way, using the tank’s real-world range of 400km to great effect.Â
Performance
The Street Glide’s bigger Milwaukee-Eight 117 V-twin engine is exceptionally powerful. If you thought that the extra 10ci doesn’t make a big difference, you’ll be surprised at how wrong you are. This engine is a 1868cc V-twin engine, and it is noticeably stronger than the 107 version. Hard acceleration will spin up the rear wheel in the first two gears, although the traction control waves a white flag. The Road King’s 107 finds its roll-on torque from an otherworldly dimension, so it’ll be noticeable that the 117 has much more oomph to it.
The 117 is the biggest engine that Harley-Davidson makes, and it certainly feels it in every way possible. The 117 engine will make the 107 seem like a tame option. Whichever option you choose, the soul will remain the same, even if the saddlebags prevent the exhaust songs from reaching the biker’s ears. Some bikers might find it annoying, although the bags can be removed.
Being old-school Harley-Davidson machines, these bikes are longer than the shadows that they cast in the early morning sun. These bikes continue proving that the concepts of physics are mostly theoretical. It’s incredibly easy to handle the heavyweights, even when going through tight U-turns. If the two bikes’ centers of gravity went any lower, they would go underground. Even if they don’t require advance notices in triplicate for performing maneuvers, it’ll help if you have a basic understanding of their behavior.
They are unbelievably flickable and capable of changing directions smartly while also remaining as planted as monuments. The ride quality will be good for the most part, although it can get slightly choppy on bumpy roads. You can think of it as minor currents before going back to smooth sailing.
Coming to an unexpected halt at awkward angles might make you feel the bike’s weight just want to keep going. You’ll likely wish that you had done the leg workouts that you always skipped in the gym. The brakes are great enough and so is the suspension. However, you’ll struggle to shake the feeling that motorcycle manufacturers haven’t made the anchors and springs needed to keep such powerful machines in complete control. Both the Street Glide and Road Kind can easily flatten anything under their wheels while saving you the bother of reacting. Even though you might have apprehensions, they won’t think down on any of the speed breakers that you go over. Â
Price
Both the Harley-Davidson Street Glide and Harley-Davidson Road King cost quite a fortune. If you know for sure that you want to have a Big Twin in your garage, you must be willing to invest in one of these bikes. Regardless of the price, the two bikes are certainly well worth the price. The two bikes are effortless, comforting, and most importantly, they’re timeless.
Machines with this much quality often tend to be a lot more than what they appear to the eye. Looked at in this manner, these aren’t actually bikes, but they’re smooth movements. The two bikes are capable of moving you in more ways than one, you’ll definitely absolutely love going on long drives on these bikes.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading. Hopefully, now you know a lot more about Harley-Davidson Street Glide, Harley-Davidson Road King, the comparison of Harley-Davidson Street Glide vs. Road King, and a lot more. Harley-Davidson Street Glide and Road King are two of the best bikes that are always on top of the wish lists of Harley-Davidson enthusiasts. Both the bikes have exceptionally powerful engines, attractive designs, and features that will make any rider’s mouth water. Despite the positives, they have individual features that make them unique and different from the other one.
