They say that nostalgia sells, and America’s grand old motorcycle company is bringing back one of its most famous nameplates – although (for now at least) it looks like it’s only going to go on sale in North America.
The Super Glide is significant to Harley-Davidson for a number of reasons, not least the historical fact that it was the first complete motorcycle to be penned by Willie G. Davidson, grandson of company co-founder William A. Davidson and the man generally credited with creating Harley’s classic custom bike look.
The 1971 FX (which stood for Factory Experimental) Super Glide bridged the gap between Harley-Davidson’s minimalist Sportsters and its heavyweight tourers. It took the chassis from the big FL model and grafted on the narrow front end from the XL Sportster. Combined with a small tank and a flag inspired white, red and blue livery, it created an iconic silhouette that’s still very much part of The Motor Company’s DNA today.
While the original Super Glide wasn’t an initial runaway sales success, it captured the zeitgeist of the era and echoed what custom bike builders were doing in the early Seventies. The Super Glide was probably too radical in its design for riders at the time, especially with the outrageous ‘boat tail’ rear end, but it would evolve and stayed in the Harley-Davidson line-up for 13 years. The FX range was replaced by the Dyna platform in 1991, but the Super Glide name hasn’t featured in the Harley-Davidson catalogue for a number of years now.
The 2026 Super Glide is closely related to the entry level Street Bob. It shares the same air and oil-cooled 1923cc, 98bhp, Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine and Softail chassis, but gets wire wheels, a bigger fuel tank (with tank mounted instruments, a la the first Super Glide) and a fancy pearlescent white paint job finished with red and blue striping.
H-D’s promotional pictures show it alongside the 1971 original and, we have to say, it’s an authentic looking tribute to an all-American motorcycle. That Seventies machine might look longer and lower, but the paintwork and overall look captures the style that made the Super Glide an icon. It’s instantly identifiable as a Harley-Davidson, with all those styling cues that made Willie G.’s designs so famous.
Harley says they’re making a 2500 run of the new Super Glide. It’s being designated a 2026.5 model and it’s one of the company’s many special editions honouring 250 years since the founding of the United States of America. Each bike is numbered, with a plaque on the fuel tank, and with only a $1000 price increase over the Street Bob, it doesn’t carry the kind of premium you’d expect from a limited-edition model.
We’ve recently ridden the Street Bob (look for our review coming soon) and if you’re in the market for that straightforward ‘iron horse’ experience it’s a motorcycle that still delivers. Sure you can modify your Bob to create a more individual look, and take it closer to the Super Glide, but could we see full production of the Glide for 2027 – with bikes making it over here?
If it does, it won’t be the most sophisticated motorcycle you’ll ever ride, but that’s a big part of the charm. The massive belt-driven V-twin is all about the torque and the character. It’s authentic and evocative. Sure, the gearbox is crude, but with so much torque you barely need to shift anyway. It’s as old school as old school gets, although modern tech like cornering sensitive ABS and traction control aid safety, while ride modes allow some tweaking of the throttle response. Handling of the Street Bob was better than we expected, even if it’s quite a bit away from the cutting edge, and you’d expect a similar experience from the Super Glide – even if it weighs a few kilos more.
We think the Super Glide looks great and ticks all the boxes for someone looking for a traditional Harley-Davidson. CEO Artie Starrs recently announced the company’s ‘Back to the Bricks’ business strategy, which will see a focus on traditional dealerships and product lines. The drive for lower priced products will likely see the arrival of a single-cylinder Sprint, which will be based on the Hero-built X440 currently only sold in India, while a reengineered version of the classic air-cooled 883cc Sportster has also been hinted at.
As the company seemingly returns back to its roots after dabbling in the world of EVs and adventure bikes, the Super Glide feels like the kind of motorcycle we expect to see emanating out of Milwaukee in the coming years. After all, if you want a traditional Harley-Davidson, you probably want it to look, feel and sound something like this!
