Of the many storied models in Harley-Davidson’s 123-year history, the Super Glide is one that stands out. It was one of the bikes that proved instrumental in helping the Motor Co stave off bankruptcy in the face of incumbent Japanese competition by bridging the gap between the entry-level Sportster models and the heavyweight touring motorcycles.
Like Harley-Davidson did a few years ago with the Hydra-Glide revival, which, too, resurrected an iconic yesteryear model with modern underpinnings borrowed from the Heritage Classic, the latest Super Glide is based on the same mechanical foundation as the current-gen Street Bob.
- Has bespoke white/blue/red livery, mimicking the original ’71 model
- Uses a teardrop-shaped, larger 18.9-litre fuel tank
- Comes with a numbered plaque under the speedometer
The original Super Glide’s iconic livery of a base white paint with red and blue stripes was quite fetching, and H-D has draped this latest iteration, too, in the same. What has not carried over from the original ’71 model, however, is the boat-tail rear fender design. Instead, the 2026 Super Glide uses the same rounded rear fender as the Street Bob. In fact, pretty much all of the Super Glide’s mechanicals are shared with the Street Bob – although that’s not a bad thing at all. Touches such as a Super Glide emblem with a numbered plaque below the speedometer and standard-fit cross-spoke wheels (an accessory on the Street Bob), as well as the colours, differentiate it from the donor model.
Power comes from the latest-gen Milwaukee-Eight 117 (1,923cc) Classic V-Twin engine, which makes 98hp at 4,600rpm and a tidal wave of torque totalling 162Nm. The same basic frame and cycle parts as the Street Bob are wrapped around this engine, with most key dimensions, such as rake, trail, ground clearance and wheelbase, also shared between the two. With its mini ape handlebar and mid-mounted foot controls, the Super Glide’s riding position, too, is likely to be very similar to the Street Bob’s, if not entirely the same.
Where the Super Glide differs, however, is that it has an even lower 665mm perch in comparison to the Street Bob’s already very approachable 680mm one. The seat unit is also entirely different. While the Street Bob comes with split seats for rider and pillion, the Super Glide uses a single-piece seat that is more authentic to the original for both rider and passenger. Its 18.9-litre fuel tank, too, is an improvement over the Street Bob’s relatively small 13.2-litre unit. As a consequence, the Super Glide weighs 297kg, which is 4 kilos more than the 293kg Street Bob.
In the US, the 2026 Harley-Davidson Super Glide retails for USD 15,999 (approximately Rs 15.26 lakh based on the exchange rate at the time of writing), which is slightly higher than the Street Bob’s price in the same market – USD 14,999 (around Rs 14.31 lakh).
Vishal Venugopal
Ved Janve
