ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE RIDING | 2024 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Limited

Have you ever had one of those Zen-like moments on a motorcycle? You know, the kind where you're riding along, the sun is shining, the bike is purring like a kitten, and you have nothing better to do and nowhere else to be. You're thinking of nothing other than the ride at hand, with not a care in the world. Well, I had that just the other day as I thundered my way from Sydney to Surfers Paradise on Harley-Davidson's 2024 Road Glide Limited.

The Road Glide Limited has one primary purpose: to get you from point A to point B in maximum comfort. And it does this magnificently!

To truly test it as any tourer should be tested, I decided to ride the 900 kilometres from my place near Sydney to Surfers in one day. I didn't take the fun roads; I simply pointed the Limited up the M1 freeway. Boring? Yes! Informative? Another yes. You see, when you're not focused on attacking corners, dodging animals or avoiding small town coppers you have all the time in the world to assess the bike you're riding. You simply set the cruise control and run a bunch of experiments; what body position gives the best wind protection, how easy is it to fiddle with the bike's menu with the switchblock buttons, what part of my delicate bottom is starting to smart if any, and how loud can I sing along to Hump de Bump by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers blasting from the Limited's speakers before other motorist start looking at me strangely.

The Limited is packed with features to make the miles as comfortable as possible. It boasts a vast sharknose fairing, lower engine skirts, and a tall screen to shield you from the elements. There's a four-speaker stereo system, a rider and passenger seat that's more like a lounge chair than a motorcycle seat, and a bunch of electronic gizmos aimed at enhancing comfort and safety—all easily displayed on a clear and easy-to-read TFT touchscreen.

I don't have the space to wax lyrical about the Limited's touring appointments and abilities, so let me summarise it like this. The Limited is as comfortable as a bike can get for serious long hauls. It has all the bells and whistles you'll ever need, and there's ample luggage room with the one-touch hard panniers and the voluminous top box—enough to carry half your house with you.

The Limited is not alone in offering these comforts, but what sets it apart from most of its full-dresser competition is its thumping 114ci Milwaukee-Eight V-twin engine. That's 1868cc for us Aussies, and it's a big part of what provided me that Zen moment on the road. Nothing, absolutely nothing, sings the song of our people like a big V-twin cruising down the highway.

As with most V-twins, it's all about torque with the Limited. There's no need to drop a gear to climb a hill or to overtake—there's more than enough torque to handle it. That comes in handy even when you're not on the highway, making it easy to pull out of tight corners and cruise through a town's 60 km/h speed trap in sixth gear.

The Limited's Showa suspension is perfectly suited to eating up the miles on the motorway, offering a very comfortable and compliant ride. The suspension can get flustered if you push through bumpy corners, but attacking curves is not the Limited's raison d'être.

There is one area I would like to see improved when Milwaukee calls me for advice (as I'm sure they will not!) are the front brakes. They're not terrible, but they're not great either. Adequate? Yes. Good? No. The lever feels wooden, with minimal feedback, and the power is underwhelming. Come on, Harley! Call Brembo, get some more powerful brakes, and give us the stopping power that a 423-kilogram touring rig deserves.

Now, after looking at the Road Glide Limited's spec sheet, you might think, “Gee, the specs are almost identical to the Ultra Limited, even the price is the same.” And you'd be right—they are very similar. So, what's the difference?

There are two main distinctions apart from the styling. First, the Road Glide has a frame-mounted fairing, as opposed to the Ultra's bar-mounted fairing. This reduces effort at the handlebars and minimises the effects of buffeting, like when overtaking a semi on the highway for instance. The second key difference is the seat height, which matters if you have shorter legs and are trying to manoeuvre a 400-plus kilogram touring bike. The Road Glide Limited's seat sits just 735mm off the deck, 5mm lower than the Ultra's.

So, to wrap up this short review, I'll say this: the Road Glide Limited was built by the Motor Company to do one thing—rack up big miles in maximum comfort, all while being serenaded by that lovely V-twin. And if judged by those criteria, it's bang on the money.

It easy cheap, but when a bike does what it says it does on the tin so thoroughly it's hard to argue that even at close to $50 grand ride away, it's good value for money.

Now, show me the Vance & Hines exhaust catalogue, and I'll be off for another Zen moment on the road.