2022 Harley-Davidson Road Glide ST

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Bike Reviews

By BikeReview - 17 August 2022

Test: Nick Ware Photography: Heather Ware

I feel like saying I upgraded to the Street Glide ST’s ‘big brother’ when I swapped for the 2022 Harley-Davidson Road Glide ST, but they’re practically the same size and an extremely similar machine. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the big bagger…

Single seat bagger, but there is an option for a pillion.

Realistically, the Road Glide has a bigger presence, with the solid mounted front fairing, that is significantly larger than the Street Glide ST’s batwing. Personally, the aggressive styling and twin front headlight bars are tops in my books. The solid mounted fairing on the Road Glide offers a number of benefits for the taller rider, which may in fact be an issue for some smaller riders.

2022 model panniers give more cornering ground clearance.

The larger, solid front fairing sits a little further away and gives the impression of ‘more space’ between you and the front wheel. Additionally, the gauges are spread out across the front, and the touch screen display is a bit more of a reach. This wasn’t a problem for me, I actually prefer the layout, however, if you’re already worried about size and distance, it’s worth considering…

The Road Glide ST steers better than the Street Glide.

The Road Glide ST offers a decent amount of storage, particularly in the front fairing. On the left and right you have two quite deep, flip-up lids that easily hold your phone, wallet, and keys. A locking mechanism on these wouldn’t go astray, even a wireless phone charging system could be implemented. Regardless, they’re perfect to chuck your gloves in. The 2022 model lacks a pillion seat is a bit of a disappointment for me, but the aftermarket option is always available.

The Road Glide ST is immaculate on the freeway, with very little wind buffeting, courtesy of the huge, solid front fairing. With cruise control set, the morning commutes were an absolute breeze. I typically would expect either a heated seat or grip option on a bike of such calibre, but hey, can’t have it all.

The Road Glide has the larger, solid mount front fairing compared to the Street Glide’s fork mounted fairings.

Around town, the fairing being mounted statically makes the front end feel weightless, no pushing a heavy dash and headlight around. The Road Glide ST actually feels quite nimble and balanced at slow speeds, and eager to tip in at higher speeds.

The Road Glide ST definitely favours the taller rider for bar positioning, and I had issues with the intake on the right-hand side getting in the way of my leg. Regardless of my position, my shin always leans up against the pipe, and it is particularly difficult to tap the rear brake pedal without adjusting and bring your leg first out to the side. I’d suggest lowering and/or extending this if you’re considering the Road Glide and are a taller rider.

The mighty new 117 Milwaukee-Eight engine.

The Milwaukee-Eight 117ci is a beast and offers more than enough torque to get the big bagger going. Sitting at 120km/h on the freeway is a breeze, and I can easily drop back to fifth, or even fourth for overtakes. It would’ve been nice to have seen some bigger HP numbers, but I think with a few upgrades, we’ll start to see some proper ‘performance baggers’ out of these new Road Glide ST’s. Besides, the Harley-Davidson range is all about grunt and torque, not so much power!

Gear shift is a little on the long and clunky side but as expected for this style of gearbox.

The ST models sit 15-20mm higher than the Specials, which makes riding a little more comfortable around town, especially when it comes to potholes and bumps on the freeway. Unless you’re really interested in building a performance bagger, the factory suspension setup is more than adequate, for me at least.

Standard switches on the left, plenty to learn there.

Check out the ‘Boom!’ speaker – its huge.

In terms of audio, this BOOM! Box GTS system is something special, and if you’re one to crank Springsteen full-noise, at 140km/h in a bandana and singlet, it’s the audio system for you. The system offers some fantastic smartphone integration, and the GPS functionality is incredibly easy to use.

Overall, the Road Glide is a beast, with fantastic styling, intimidating road presence and surprising performance, you won’t be disappointed. The price is definitely up there at $45,995 but if I had the money, I’d have one of these parked in the garage in a heart-beat!

Out on the open road, the Road Glide ST is a dream…

www.harley-davidson.com

Price: From $45,995 (ride away)

Colours: Vivid Black or Gunship Gray

Warranty: Two-years unlimited km

Service: 1600km then every 8000km

Claimed Power: N/A

Claimed Torque: 168Nm@3500rpm

Wet Weight: 382kg

Fuel capacity: 22.7L

Engine: Air-cooled Milwaukee-Eight 117 V-Twin, 1923cc, 103.5 x 114.3mm bore x stroke, 10.2:1 compression ratio, ESPFI, two-into-one-into-two exhaust

Gearbox: Primary drive: 34/46. Six-speed ratios – 1st: 9.593, 6.65, 4.938, 4.0, 3.407, 6th: 2.875 Final Belt 32/68 Clutch: Wet multi-plate, cable actuation

Chassis: Mild steel; tubular frame; two-piece stamped and welded backbone; cast and forged junctions; twin downtubes; bolt-on rear frame with forged fender supports; MIG welded.

Rake: 26° Trail: 173mm

Suspension: 49mm dual bending valve forks, Premium standard height hand-adjustable rear suspension

Brakes: 300mm rotors, Four-piston fixed calipers (f), 300mm rotor, two-piston floating caliper (r), ABS

Wheels & Tyres: Bronze Prodigy wheels, 130/60 – 19in (f), 180/55 – 18in (r), Dunlop

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 1625mm

Seat height: 715mm

Ground clearance: 140mm

Overall Length: 2405mm

Lean Angle: 32/31 degrees

Instruments: Multi-language multi-function touch screen digital full colour TFT display, handlebar mounted controls, Central Screen, BOOM! Audio System with GPS and touchscreen, charging port in fairing, LED lighting all around.