Is The 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Motorcycle Good For Beginners?

The Harley-Davidson Street Glide, a touring-style motorcycle, made its debut in the 1980s and was designed with the batwing fairing the company introduced in 1969. No less ionic than the motorcycle itself, the batwing fairing provided the Street Glide with a silhouette that would become distinctly recognizable on the open highways and would go on to captivate a dedicated fan base on its own.

For the 2024 model year, Harley-Davidson has redesigned the Street Glide, and many of these updates make for a more comfortable ride quality. But do they make the 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide a good option for new riders? Conventional wisdom has it that new riders should opt for something light and inexpensive. While the new Street Glide challenges this notion with a few beginner-friendly features, it's still a bulky, powerful machine that may get tough to control unless you're a seasoned rider. To help you determine if it is a good choice for a first bike or whether you should pick a different model that's meant for a new rider, we've explored the key specs of the 2024 Street Glide below and explained the possible advantages or drawbacks of these features.

The new Harley-Davidson Street Glide is fitted with a Milwaukee-Eight 117 V-Twin engine that has a displacement of 117ci (1,917cc) and delivers 105 HP at 7,600 rpm and 130 lb-ft of torque at 3,250 rpm. While these stats are undoubtedly impressive, they make the Street Glide a little too powerful for the average new rider. Motorcycles like the Honda Rebel 300 or the BMW G 310 R, both affordable bikes that have an engine displacement of around 300cc, are a better pick for someone new to riding.

If you have your heart set on owning a Harley (and we certainly understand that sentiment), you could even consider a pre-owned Iron 883, which has a more manageable engine displacement. Keep in mind that the Iron 883 is a cruiser and not a touring motorcycle. If you're set on buying a touring bike, you may want to look at options from brands like Suzuki and Honda, which make reliable and easy-to-handle touring and adventure motorcycles that are better suited to new riders.

The reason why new riders are often advised to stick to the sub-500cc category when picking a motorcycle is that these bikes are a lot easier to control and handle. More importantly, they're also cheaper to fix than an expensive Harley when you eventually make one of the many mistakes that new riders make in the process of getting used to their bikes.

The unique batwing fairing was one of the signature design elements of the Street Glide, so it's not surprising that Harley-Davidson hasn't deviated too much from this aesthetic when updating the fairing. For the new Street Glide, Harley-Davidson utilized computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to engineer a fairing design that reduces wind buffeting and optimizes aerodynamic efficiency. This not only improves the performance of the motorcycle but also keeps the rider comfortable during highway travel.

The redesigned fairing has integrated LED lighting and turn signals, as well as a split-stream vent opening. Whether you like the change in design or not, there's no denying that it improves visibility — a feature that's especially handy if you intend to do a lot of long-distance riding. As is typical for touring motorcycles, the 2024 Street Glide has saddlebags as well, which are perfect for stowing any belongings while you ride. Cycle World notes, "The Street Glide's saddlebags have 2.42 cubic feet (68.5 liters) of capacity, which is pretty ample if you don't plan on loading them with, say, T-shirts from every Harley dealership you've ever visited."

The 2024 Street Glide weighs 774 lb. — that's 18 lb. lighter than its predecessor, the 2023 Street Glide. Having said that, it's still a heavy motorcycle. While you're in motion, you're unlikely to notice the weight of the Street Glide. In fact, you might even appreciate the road presence and stability it provides. However, if you ever have to walk your bike backward or pick it up in case it tips over, that's when you're really going to feel the weight. If you're new to riding, handling a bike as heavy as this one might prove tricky. The good news, however, is that the Street Glide 2024 produces more horsepower and peak torque than its predecessor. This performance enhancement means you're less likely to feel the weight of the motorcycle while riding and maneuvering it in congested areas or on winding roads. 

The ride quality and seating on the Street Glide are fairly comfortable as well. Harley-Davidson has updated the suspension using longer-travel rear shocks — this makes bumpy rides less taxing on the body. What's more, a Revzilla review noted that the stock seat of the Street Glide was comfortable because it "locks you into one position, fore and aft. You can't slide forward much, and the step at your back means you can't slide back."

Despite all these performance improvements, a lighter motorcycle like the Kawasaki Z400, the Honda Rebel 500, or even the Harley-Davidson Nightster, all three of which weigh under 500 lb., might be more manageable for new riders, especially if you're not particular about owning a touring motorcycle.

Harley-Davidson has also updated the infotainment setup by adding a new 12.3-inch TFT touchscreen display that allows you to access navigation as well as entertainment controls with just a few taps. You also get a 200-watt amplifier as well as two 5.2" fairing speakers that deliver crisp sound while you're on the road. Whether you're listening to navigation prompts or your playlist, you'll enjoy these infotainment updates. You can also access the built-in Ride Modes through the display and change them up if you'd like a different riding experience in terms of engine braking and power delivery.

Another area where the 2024 Street Glide has received a big update — and one that's pretty important for new riders — is the rider safety features. Compared to the 2023 Street Glide, which was only equipped with an Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) and Electronic Linked Braking (ELB) system as standard, the 2024 version includes ABS and ELB, as well as a traction control system, vehicle hold control, tire pressure monitoring system, drag-torque slip control system, and more. All of these features can go a long way toward keeping you safe while you're riding your motorcycle on the highways or city streets.

Harley-Davidson carries a few affordable motorcycles, but the Street Glide isn't one of them. The motorcycle has a starting price of $25,999, with specific colors and customizations pushing that figure up even higher. For instance, opting for the Whiskey Fire color theme adds $850 to the price of the motorcycle. That's not to say you shouldn't purchase the 2024 Street Glide. However, a bike as expensive as this one is typically more suited to seasoned riders. 

Remember that learning to control a motorcycle is something that will take a good amount of skill and time. As a new rider, you're more likely to make mistakes during this process that will result in scratches, dings, or even more substantial damages. Picking a less expensive motorcycle gives you a certain degree of financial cushioning, and any possible expenses that you may have to pay for yourself won't sting as much. What's more, if this is your first bike, there's a chance you'll ride it a few times, only to realize it doesn't suit your riding style or preferences. If you've purchased something expensive like the Street Glide, you may not be able to switch to a different model, given that you will incur some amount of depreciation when you try to sell it, especially if there are any obvious signs of wear and tear or damage to the motorcycle.

While the motorcycle is iconic and the 2024 updates make it all the more desirable, your first motorcycle presents a steep learning curve. An affordable Kawasaki or Suzuki motorcycle meant for beginners might be a better pick, in that these bikes might help you enjoy the learning process.