After taking a year off, the Street Glide Limited and Road Glide Limited are back in Harley’s lineup, and they are better than ever. (Photos by Kevin Wing) Since 2010, Limited models in Harley-Davidson’s lineup have been top-of-the-line, regular-production touring bikes. The CVOs are a step above, but they are limited-production machines with features – engines, accessories, paint – that you can’t get on standard (or “OE” in Harley’s parlance) models. For 2026, there are four Limited models: Street Glide Limited, Road Glide Limited, Street Glide 3 Limited (a trike), and CVO Street Glide Limited. The last time we saw Limiteds in Harley’s lineup was in 2024. There were two, both with a full complement of luggage and touring amenities: the Ultra Limited with the handlebar-mounted batwing fairing found on Street Glides and the Road Glide Limited with the frame-mounted sharknose fairing. That same year, the Motor Company gave the Street Glide and Road Glide a major update, with refreshed bodywork, a larger 117ci Milwaukee-Eight V-Twin (up from 114ci), and new tech, including a 12.3-inch color TFT touchscreen display. The Limited models, however, retained the previous bodywork, 114ci M8, and other features. The Milwaukee-Eight 117 VVT delivers ample torque at all revs. Renewal After taking a sabbatical in 2025, the Limited is back. It features all the Street/Road Glide updates plus many more. The Limited models are the first OE motorcycles to be equipped with Harley’s VVT (variable valve timing) system on the Milwaukee-Eight, which has been exclusive to CVO models since 2023. VVT adjusts timing of the intake camshaft by up to 40 degrees of crankshaft rotation for better performance throughout the rev range. At low rpm, the intake valves open earlier and close sooner to provide stronger low-end torque and better heat management. At higher rpm, intake timing is delayed to help the cylinders fill more efficiently and provide more top-end power and stronger roll-on acceleration. Olive Steel Metallic/Vivid Black (+$2,000) on the Road Glide Limited and Brilliant Red (+$1,200) on the Street Glide Limited are optional colors. The Milwaukee-Eight 117 VVT also uses a new Center Cooled system for heat management. The Twin-Cooled system that’s been around since 2014 uses two radiators hidden in the fairing lowers, and it routes long coolant lines from the cylinder heads to the lowers. Center Cooled is a more integrated system, with shorter, more direct internal coolant passages that provide more uniform heat extraction across both cylinder heads. As the name implies, there’s a single centrally located radiator in front of the engine. The new Grand Tour-Pak has a flush-mount taillight. Since the fairing lowers no longer house the radiators, they can be used for storage. Each lower has a 4.2-liter storage compartment as well as adjustable vents to manage airflow and new LED fog lamps that provide a distinctive lighting signature. Aerodynamics can be further dialed in with an adjustable center vent below the windscreen and adjustable air deflectors on the fairing that can direct airflow into the cockpit or block it out. The new Street Glide Limited and Road Glide Limited are built for the long haul. They’re equipped with a Touring windscreen that’s 4 inches taller than the ones on the standard Street/Road Glides. They have a new 68-liter Grand Tour-Pak that’s large enough to hold two full-face helmets and has a removable liner, a 12-volt charging outlet, a frenched-in taillight, and a luggage rack on top. The Tour-Pak’s integrated passenger backrest has been redesigned for more comfort and has built-in 6.5-inch speakers for the Rockford Fosgate audio system (which includes another pair of 6.5-inch speakers in the fairing and a 200-watt amplifier). You can pack the lowers, saddlebags, and Tour-Pak with 144 liters of whatever you can’t leave home without. The Limited offers first-rate style, comfort, wind protection, and touring amenities. GEAR UP Helmet: Shoei GT-Air 3  Jacket: Cortech Rambler Wax Cotton  Airbag Vest: Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 Plasma  Gloves: Cortech Scrapper 2.0  Pants: Cortech AA Dyneema Jeans  Boots: Cortech Slayer Canvas Skulls Shoes  When it gets cold you can crank up the heated grips and dual-zone seat heating for the rider and passenger, and you can plug heated apparel into the pre-wired connection below the seat. You can upshift with the heel shifter, and you can stretch your legs on the highway pegs. The 12.3-inch touchscreen display with Skyline OS serves as mission control, providing access to all the information and settings you need, including ride modes, audio, navigation, Apple CarPlay, and tire-pressure monitoring. By adopting the latest Street/Road Glide architecture, the Limited models are also lighter than their predecessors. A redesigned fuel tank saves 2 lb but still holds 6 gallons, and the triple‑clamp is fabricated using a liquid‑aluminum forging process that shaves off another 7 lb. These plus other changes result in a 24-lb weight savings on the Street Glide Limited compared to the 2024 Ultra Limited. The lowers have storage compartments and adjustable vents. Got all that? Okay, let’s ride. Charleston to Daytona Beach The only way to properly suss out a touring bike is to lay down some miles. We started our journey at Low Country Harley-Davidson, a 66,000-square-foot dealership in Charleston, South Carolina. Before our ride, we had breakfast and sat through a presentation about the new bikes next to a wall display of more than a dozen rare and award-winning Harleys dating back to the 1970s. If you’re in the area, drop by for a visit. LED fog lights and highway pegs are standard. Our 400-mile route would take us on backroads to Jekyll Island, Georgia, for an overnight, and then on more backroads to Amelia Island in the northeast corner of Florida. Our destination was Daytona Beach for Bike Week, so from Amelia Island we cut inland, slabbed it on Interstate 95 for a while, and then returned to the coast at Flagler Beach for the final 40 miles down State Route A1A to Daytona. When it came time to choose bikes, I opted for a Street Glide Limited in Brilliant Red with chrome trim. The base price of $32,999 for either the Street Glide Limited or Road Glide Limited is for Dark Billiard Gray paint with chrome trim. Other color options cost an extra $600-$2,000 (Brilliant Red is $1,200), and the black trim option adds $1,400. The new Central Cooled system positions the radiator directly behind the front wheel, freeing up the fairing lowers for storage, lighting, and ventilation. Our motley crew of editors and influencers spent about a half hour getting things dialed in. Packing the Tour-Pak and saddlebags. Figuring out menus and settings. Adjusting levers and air deflectors. Pairing smartphones. Setting up Apple CarPlay (which requires a Bluetooth helmet communicator). Finally, once everyone had finished their coffee, gone to the bathroom, done social media posts, and smoked one last cigarette, we were ready to roll. Many modern motorcycles come with ride modes that change the character of the bike, and that’s one of the first settings you choose. The Limiteds have four ride modes: Road, Sport, Rain, and Custom. Each mode alters multiple parameters: engine mapping (power delivery), throttle response, engine braking, traction control, ABS, and drag-torque slip control. The Custom mode allows you to mix and match various parameters. I liked the power delivery, extra engine braking, and lower TC/ABS intervention of Sport mode but found throttle response too abrupt, so I created a Custom mode that started with the Sport settings but dialed back throttle response to a more relaxed level. Voila, happy camper. Flanking the 12.3-inch touchscreen display is a pair of 6.5-inch speakers. Easing into the plush seat, I shifted gears inside my head: I turned off my concerns about breakfast (did I really need that second helping of grits?), learning about the bike, and preparing for the ride, and I cranked my situational awareness up to 11. As with many group rides, we had a leader and a sweep, and the rest of us rode in staggered formation between them. Leading our ride was none other than Cody Wyman, who is racing in the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup this year. Navigation was Cody’s problem, so all I had to do was concentrate on the ride. There’s genuine pleasure in traveling on a luxurious American V-Twin touring bike. Harley-Davidson has been in the game for a long time, and its designers and engineers know what they’re doing. On the ride was Scott Nash, chief engineer for the Touring and Trike segments. During coffee and lunch stops, Scott talked about the evolution of the Touring platform, from the Project Rushmore bikes that were introduced over a decade ago to the current CVO and OE models. The amount of customer research, detail-sweating, and testing that goes into Harley-Davidson motorcycles is nothing short of impressive. And the result of those efforts is clearly evident in the finished product. A 4-inch-taller windscreen and adjustable vents and deflectors optimize airflow. Touring riders are the toughest customers to please because they spend long hours in the saddle. A couple years ago, my buddy, Eric, and I logged more than 4,000 miles over nine days on a 2024 Road Glide and Street Glide. We kicked off the trip with back-to-back 700-mile days on the interstate to get from California to Texas in time to see a solar eclipse. We dealt with 100-degree heat, sub-freezing cold, and pouring rain. Those Glides delivered comfort, wind protection, always-available torque, straight-line stability, and agile backroad handling, all while carrying full loads of gear. I can only imagine how much more enjoyable that trip would have been on a pair of 2026 Limiteds. We had it relatively easy on our two-day ride from South Carolina to Florida. Nothing but sun and 70-degree days. The roads were flat, the curves were gentle at best, and the landscape was mostly pine barrens and marshland. But it’s on roads like these, without the distraction of epic scenery or roller-coaster twisties, that you can really focus on how a bike feels. Comfort for the long haul. The Milwaukee-Eight 117 VVT makes a stump-pulling 131 lb-ft of torque that peaks at 3,250 rpm, and about 90% of that torque is available from 1,750 to 4,750 rpm. Whatever gear you’re in, there’s always enough grunt to make a quick pass or drop the hammer just for the thrill of it. The ride modes make it easy to dial in your preferred engine characteristics, from sedate to aggressive. When shifting gears there’s more mechanical noise than what you’ll find on many other modern motorcycles, but somehow it seems fitting on a big Harley. I want a visceral experience; some thrum from the engine, a little clunk from the gearbox. The slip/assist clutch keeps lever engagement light, and 6th gear is an overdrive, so the big crankshaft turns only about 2,250 rpm at 60 mph. Harley claims 45 mpg in mixed riding, which allows you to ride about 270 miles between Buc-ee’s gas stations. Though modernized, Harley’s batwing fairing remains instantly recognizable. It’s been part of Harley’s FL touring lineup since 1969. At our relaxed pace on mostly straight, entirely dry roads, we didn’t have much need for Harley’s Rider Safety Enhancements, which are standard on the Limiteds. The suite of electronic rider aids includes linked brakes, ABS, traction control, and drag-torque slip control, all of which work in a straight line and in corners, as well as vehicle hold control (hill start assist) and tire-pressure monitoring. When it comes to safety features, I’ve believed it’s better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them. Life is unpredictable and riding can be risky, so I’ll take all the help I can get. It’s About the Journey Just as it was enjoyable to ride the new Limited, it was a genuine pleasure to be back in the South, the region of my birth. At various times and places, I spent nearly two decades living in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, the three states we rode through during this test. Being able to say “yes, ma’am” without getting weird looks or order sweet tea in a restaurant always warms my heart, reconnects me to my roots. But I don’t miss the humidity. Nor the bugs. American V-Twin luxury touring doesn’t get much better than this. Spending several full days on the Street Glide Limited left me feeling content. No need was left unfulfilled. Fatigue brought about by wind, engine heat, or undue vibration was never an issue. Cruising down city streets and highways on such a regal machine filled me with pride. And it looked right at home in front of the historic hotel where we stayed on Jekyll Island. In Daytona, I struck out solo, spending a few hours riding and photographing the Ormond Scenic Loop &and Trail. Then I cruised north to St. Augustine to have lunch with my sister-in-law, Erica, and her husband, Dan. In a sea of blinged-out and hopped-up Harleys at Bike Week, the Street Glide Limited always stood out as a class act. If my schedule allowed, I would have gladly canceled my flight home and spent the next few weeks on the Limited exploring America’s blue highways. 2026 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Limited in Brilliant Red 2026 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Limited Base Price: $32,999 Price as Tested: $34,199 (Brilliant Red) Website: Harley-Davidson.com Warranty: 2 yrs., unltd. miles Engine Type: Air-/liquid-cooled, transverse 45-degree V-Twin, OHV w/ 4 valves per cyl. & VVT Displacement: 117ci / 1,923cc Bore x Stroke: 4.075 x 4.5 in. / 103.5 x 114.3mm Horsepower: 106 @ 4,600 rpm (factory claim) Torque: 131 lb-ft @ 3,250 rpm (factory claim) Transmission: 6-speed, cable‑actuated wet slip/assist clutch Final Drive: Belt Wheelbase: 64 in. Rake/Trail: 26 degrees/6.7 in. Seat Height: 29.1 in. (unladen) / 27.5 in. (laden) Wet Weight: 893 lb (factory claim) Fuel Capacity: 6 gal. Fuel Consumption: 45 mpg (factory claim) Estimated Range: 270 miles The post 2026 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Limited Review appeared first on Rider Magazine.

Kiss your Yamaha R6’s and CBR600RR’s goodbye. Picture this. It’s 2006. You walk into a motorcycle dealership. The showroom floor is covered in a sea of Yamaha R6s, CBR600RRs, GSX-Rs, and Ninja ZX-6Rs. 14,000 RPM race-bred rocket ships you could ride off the lot for less than the price of a used Civic. Today? That ... The post These 5 Killers Ended The 600cc Supersport Class Forever appeared first on YouMotorcycle.

JT Nesbitt’s idea of designing a motorcycle that can last 100 years isn’t just about durability—it’s a design philosophy rooted in longevity and resistance to disposable culture. At the core of his thinking is a rejection of modern production cycles, where machines are often designed around short-term relevance and planned obsolescence. Instead, Nesbitt treats a motorcycle more like a piece of industrial art or architecture, something that should age with dignity, remain serviceable, and still matter decades after its creation. This illustration showcases the unique component design of the Magnolia 4. A 100-year motorcycle, in his view, has to be built on a foundation that transcends fashion. That means mechanical simplicity where possible, repairability over replacement, and materials that age well rather than degrade quickly. It’s about making every system understandable, accessible, and capable of being maintained by future generations who may not have factory support or diagnostic tools. There’s also a cultural layer to it. His inspiration comes from early American motorcycles, industrial-era craftsmanship, Japanese sword metallurgy, aviation logic, and even broader artistic influences. The idea is that a machine should feel like it belongs to a longer continuum of design history, not a single product cycle.  This final rendering depicts what the finished production motorcycle will look like. Nine have already pre-sold. In that sense, a 100-year motorcycle is an argument against obsolescence itself. If it’s well-conceived, it should be worth keeping alive indefinitely. At the heart of the 100-year motorcycle idea is a simple principle: reduce everything to what is absolutely necessary, then make those parts as strong and serviceable as possible. Instead of layering complexity onto performance, the design philosophy strips the machine down to its most durable mechanical core. “Have the fewest number of moving parts possible and make sure those parts are as strong as they can be.” JT Nesbitt Rule 1: Make it Simple Reductive mechanical design is the first rule Nesbitt has followed in the design of the Maglonia 4. That means using the fewest possible component parts and eliminating unnecessary systems entirely. The engine uses overhead cams driven by bevel gears and a shaft instead of a cam chain, removing multiple wear points and moving parts. Valve actuation happens directly over the cam, which eliminates rocker arms altogether.  The transmission is a simple 3-speed unit designed to take advantage of engine torque, using only a single shift fork and no shifter drum or PAL-style mechanism. Even the starter system is simplified. The starter motor and generator are combined into a single unit with no sprag clutch or intermediate drive components. An oil screen replaces a traditional disposable filter, further reducing service complexity. Fewer moving parts and stronger individual components means longer life. Rule 2: Eliminate Fluids The second rule is to use the least number of fluids as possible and simplify what remains. The only essential fluids are oil and fuel. The engine is designed with just three radial oil seals in the powertrain, and instead of relying on traditional gaskets, mating surfaces use RTV sealant throughout. Cooling is handled through an optimized fin design, eliminating the need for a water-cooling system entirely. Even braking is reconsidered. Drum brakes are used for their longevity and mechanical simplicity, avoiding hydraulic brake fluid entirely. The wheel design is also rethought to help manage heat, drawing inspiration from Ettore Bugatti’s approach to mechanical elegance and thermal efficiency. The goal is to remove systems that degrade, leak, or require constant maintenance over time. Rule 3: Limit Electronics The third rule is to limit electronics to only what improves reliability. In this philosophy, simple non-sequential port fuel injection is preferred over carburetion for consistency and durability, and electronic ignition replaces mechanical points for long-term reliability.  Beyond that, electronics are intentionally minimized. The motorcycle is designed with a kickstarter, eliminating the need for a battery-dependent starting system altogether. The intent is not to avoid modern technology, but to use only what demonstrably increases longevity while removing everything that introduces unnecessary failure points. The Legacy of 100 Years The Magnolia 4 is an exercise in restraint and intention. The result is a machine shaped as much by what has been left out as what has been included, where durability and clarity of design take priority over short-term innovation cycles. That thinking is what defines its “100-year” ambition. It’s a philosophy that treats the motorcycle less like a consumable product and more like a long-term mechanical companion. For a deeper look at the mind behind it, readers can explore our featured profile on JT Nesbitt (published in the June 2026 issue), where his broader design influences and approach are examined in greater detail. Nesbitt’s 100-year motorcycle ultimately asks a question completely opposite of the rest of the motorcycle industry.  What would it take for a machine to outlive the era it was born in, and still feel relevant when it does? The post The Motorcycle That Will Last 100 Years appeared first on Rider Magazine.