What To Know
- The Street Glide has dual front disc brakes and a single rear disc brake, while the Softail has a single front disc brake and a single rear disc brake.
- The Harley Davidson Street Glide has a front and rear suspension with adjustable preload, while the Softail has a front and rear suspension with non-adjustable preload.
- The Harley Davidson Street Glide has dual front disc brakes and a single rear disc brake, while the Softail has a single front disc brake and a single rear disc brake.
Harley Davidson’s Street Glide and Softail are two of the most popular motorcycles on the market. Both bikes offer a unique riding experience, but they also have some key differences. In this blog post, we’ll compare the Harley Davidson Street Glide vs. Softail to help you decide which bike is right for you.
Key Differences
- Engine: The Street Glide has a Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine, while the Softail has a Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine. The Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine is more powerful than the Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine, but it also gets slightly worse gas mileage.
- Chassis: The Street Glide has a touring chassis, while the Softail has a cruiser chassis. The touring chassis is designed for long-distance riding, while the cruiser chassis is designed for shorter rides.
- Suspension: The Street Glide has a front and rear suspension with adjustable preload, while the Softail has a front and rear suspension with non-adjustable preload. The Street Glide’s suspension is more comfortable than the Softail’s suspension, but it also costs more.
- Brakes: The Street Glide has dual front disc brakes and a single rear disc brake, while the Softail has a single front disc brake and a single rear disc brake. The Street Glide’s brakes are more powerful than the Softail’s brakes, but they also cost more.
- Features: The Street Glide comes with a variety of features that the Softail does not, including a fairing, saddlebags, and a cruise control. The Street Glide also has a higher resale value than the Softail.
Which Bike Is Right for You?
The Harley Davidson Street Glide is a great choice for riders who want a comfortable, long-distance motorcycle. The Softail is a great choice for riders who want a more affordable, shorter-ride motorcycle.
Ultimately, the best way to decide which bike is right for you is to test ride both of them. That way, you can get a feel for the different riding experiences and decide which one you prefer.
Engine
The Harley Davidson Street Glide has a Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine, while the Softail has a Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine. The Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine is more powerful than the Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine, but it also gets slightly worse gas mileage.
The Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine produces 107 horsepower and 119 pound-feet of torque. The Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine produces 114 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque.
Both engines are air-cooled and have a displacement of 1,746 cc. They are also both fuel-injected and have a six-speed transmission.
Chassis
The Harley Davidson Street Glide has a touring chassis, while the Softail has a cruiser chassis. The touring chassis is designed for long-distance riding, while the cruiser chassis is designed for shorter rides.
The touring chassis is longer and heavier than the cruiser chassis. It also has a longer wheelbase and a lower seat height. The cruiser chassis is shorter and lighter than the touring chassis. It also has a shorter wheelbase and a higher seat height.
Suspension
The Harley Davidson Street Glide has a front and rear suspension with adjustable preload, while the Softail has a front and rear suspension with non-adjustable preload. The Street Glide’s suspension is more comfortable than the Softail’s suspension, but it also costs more.
The Street Glide’s front suspension has a 43 mm fork with adjustable preload. The Street Glide’s rear suspension has a single shock with adjustable preload.
The Softail’s front suspension has a 49 mm fork with non-adjustable preload. The Softail’s rear suspension has a single shock with non-adjustable preload.
Brakes
The Harley Davidson Street Glide has dual front disc brakes and a single rear disc brake, while the Softail has a single front disc brake and a single rear disc brake. The Street Glide’s brakes are more powerful than the Softail’s brakes, but they also cost more.
The Street Glide’s front brakes have dual 300 mm discs with four-piston calipers. The Street Glide’s rear brake has a single 300 mm disc with a two-piston caliper.
The Softail’s front brake has a single 300 mm disc with a four-piston caliper. The Softail’s rear brake has a single 292 mm disc with a two-piston caliper.
Features
The Harley Davidson Street Glide comes with a variety of features that the Softail does not, including a fairing, saddlebags, and a cruise control. The Street Glide also has a higher resale value than the Softail.
The Street Glide‘s fairing provides protection from the wind and rain. The Street Glide’s saddlebags provide storage space for your belongings. The Street Glide’s cruise control allows you to set a desired speed and the bike will maintain that speed without you having to hold the throttle.
The Softail does not come with a fairing, saddlebags, or cruise control. However, you can add these features to the Softail as accessories.
Resale Value
The Harley Davidson Street Glide has a higher resale value than the Softail. This is because the Street Glide is a more popular motorcycle and it comes with more features.
According to NADAguides, the average resale value of a 2020 Harley Davidson Street Glide is $18,000. The average resale value of a 2020 Harley Davidson Softail is $15,000.
Wrap-Up: Harley Davidson Street Glide vs. Softail
The Harley Davidson Street Glide and Softail are both great motorcycles. The Street Glide is a good choice for riders who want a comfortable, long-distance motorcycle. The Softail is a good choice for riders who want a more affordable, shorter-ride motorcycle.
Ultimately, the best way to decide which bike is right for you is to test ride both of them. That way, you can get a feel for the different riding experiences and decide which one you prefer.
Frequently Discussed Topics
- What is the difference between the Harley Davidson Street Glide and Softail?
The Street Glide has a touring chassis, while the Softail has a cruiser chassis. The touring chassis is designed for long-distance riding, while the cruiser chassis is designed for shorter rides.
- Which bike is more powerful, the Street Glide or the Softail?
The Softail is more powerful than the Street Glide. The Softail has a Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine, while the Street Glide has a Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine.
- Which bike has a higher resale value, the Street Glide or the Softail?
The Street Glide has a higher resale value than the Softail. This is because the Street Glide is a more popular motorcycle and it comes with more features.
