The feeling that they know who they are again

On Monday night, Harley-Davidson unveiled the first chapter of its 2026 model year. We spontaneously organized a biker talk livestream, where we watched the presentation together. The show was a real surprise—in a good way. You immediately got the feeling that Harley-Davidson had finally understood what had been wrong in recent years.

Strong presentation with lots of spirit

The focus was actually on the new colors. It may sound unspectacular, but Harley-Davidson cleverly implemented the theme and involved various employees from the development departments. Anyone who has ever been to the powertrain factory in Milwaukee immediately sensed the typical Harley spirit that resonated throughout the presentation.

It was opened by Paul James and Bill Davidson—and that was a statement in itself. It just felt good to see an authentic presentation again that came from the brand itself.

The hidden message on the website

But the biggest surprise came later. A viewer of the livestream was the first to notice that Harley-Davidson had already listed the upcoming 2026 models on its official website—covered up, but with names. So now we already know what to expect.

And that's really cool: for example, it's now clear that a Street Glide Limited is on the way. Conversely, this means that the current Street Glide with Tour-Pak will be discontinued. This is also likely to lead to some changes in pricing, as the Limited traditionally has significantly more features.

CVO Road Glide 2026 missing from the lineup

Another big surprise: the CVO Road Glide will not be part of the lineup in 2026. The CVO Pan America will also disappear, to be replaced by a Pan America Limited. In addition, the names CVO Tri Glide, Road 3, and Street 3 appear—all covered, but clearly recognizable.

Road 3 is particularly exciting. It is a first for Europe. The reason for this is likely to have been the previous issue of double headlight approval. This problem now appears to have been resolved.

What we can expect for the 2026 model year

Street Glide Limited, Road Glide Limited, CVO Street Glide, CVO Street Glide Limited, CVO Street Glide ST, CVO Road Glide ST, Road Glide 3, Street Glide 3 Limited, CVO Street Glide 3 Limited, and the Pan America 1250 Limited.

A strong first chapter

Overall, Harley-Davidson has implemented Chapter 1 very effectively. The presentation came across as fresh, credible, and much closer to the community. I would be interested to know who was in charge behind the scenes—because this style suits the brand well.

Now we have to wait and see what Chapter 2 brings. The next revelation is scheduled for January 14, 2026—and we can really look forward to it.

Text: Harleysite / Image credit: Harley-Davidson

Night talk on Chapter 1 of Harley-Davidson

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