This Harley-Davidson touring nameplate first appeared for the 1998 model year as a frame-mounted-fairing alternative to the company’s more traditional batwing-fairing touring bikes. It was developed around the same long-distance touring formula that had defined Harley-Davidson’s big FL family for decades, but its fixed fairing gave it a distinct look and character that set it apart from the rest of the lineup. In Harley-Davidson’s own historical materials, the Road Glide is listed as running from 1998 through 2009, then returning for 2015 and continuing onward, which means the nameplate has had more than one production period. After a break from the main touring range, it came back for the 2015 model year and re-established itself as a performance-oriented bagger with the same shark-nose style fairing that had made it recognizable. The model’s history reflects Harley-Davidson’s broader touring evolution: comfort and long-range capability remained central, but the Road Glide gradually became one of the brand’s most distinctive choices for riders who wanted a large touring motorcycle with a more aggressive, wind-tunnel-influenced front end. In 2024, Harley-Davidson introduced an all-new Road Glide as part of a major touring update, giving the nameplate a fresh generation while preserving its role as the hard-edged counterpart to the Street Glide. Today it remains one of the company’s signature long-distance touring motorcycles and one of the most recognizable bagger silhouettes in American motorcycling.
MODEL HISTORY