Customizing and Accessorizing the Harley-Davidson Road Glide

As the oldest continuously operating motorcycle manufacturer in America, Harley-Davidson has spent the last century perfecting and evolving its lineup. Harley-Davidson bikes are renowned for their seemingly endless options for customization just as much as they’re recognizable by their signature rumble. It’s a definitive combination that leads many riders to Republic Harley-Davidson searching for a Harley-Davidson Road Glide for sale near Houston, TX. But what makes the Road Glide the perfect customizable bagger? Moreover, what are your options for customizing and accessorizing this legendary Grand American Touring bike? 

The 2023 Road Glide: A Blank Canvas

Before you start customizing the Road Glide, it’s important to know what you’re working with. In other words, what can you expect from the bike straight from the factory? For 2023, the Road Glide is available in three colors—Vivid Black, Redline Red, or Atlas Silver Metallic. It’s powered by the Milwaukee-Eight 107 V-Twin engine and is immediately recognizable by its shark-nose frame-mounted fairing. Beyond this, it features the standard equipment expected of a Grand American Touring bike, like an upright riding position, floorboards for long-distance comfort, a plush passenger seat, spacious saddlebags, and the latest Harley-Davidson infotainment system.

Seat Upgrades: Adding More Comfort to Your Ride

One of the easiest ways to customize the Road Glide is to update its seat. While the standard seat is comfortable and accessible with its 25.9-inch height, Houston riders can swap it with a Low-Profile Solo Touring seat that gives the Road Glide a slammed custom aesthetic. This seat is finished in smooth black vinyl and has a tapered nose that brings your legs closer together to heighten your control without compromising your comfort. Harley-Davidson also offers a Low-Profile Passenger Pillion that improves passenger comfort and is easy to attach and detach when riding two-up or solo.

Houston riders have dozens of other options beyond the low-profile seat. For example, Harley-Davidson ensures the Road Glide can accommodate riders of different heights with the Reach Seat. With its wider seating surface, the Reach Seat is ideal for riders with shorter inseams and, like the Low-Profile seat, brings your legs closer together. It also features more supportive padding, which provides the ideal riding position and enhances rider comfort.

Bags and Luggage Upgrades: Carrying All the Necessities for Your Ride

As a Grand American Touring bike, it’s no surprise that the saddlebags on the Road Glide are easily customizable. The 2023 Road Glide offers 2.3 cu.ft. of storage capacity with its standard streamlined saddlebags, but Harley-Davidson has several options that do double duty by expanding the bike’s storage capacity and enhancing its look. For example, the Chopped Tour-Pak luggage carrier has a sleek silhouette that enhances the bike’s profile and offers 1.9 cu.ft. of storage space. The larger King Tour-Pak carrier boasts 2.5 cu.ft. of storage space and, like the chopped version, complements the bike’s already distinct aesthetic. With these options, the saddlebags never look like an afterthought. 

Apart from adding custom saddlebags, you can also modify the Road Glide with add-ons like luggage racks that are specifically designed for your setup. Houston adventurers that opt for the Tour Pak luggage carrier can add another level of functionality and protection with accessories like the Premium Tour-Pack Luggage Rack. This rack system sits on top of the luggage carrier, protecting it from scratches and damage but also giving you another place to tie down gear for longer journeys beyond the Houston city limits.

Windshields and Deflectors: Enhancing the Quality of Your Ride

The Road Glide is immediately distinguishable by its shark-nose fairing, which adds to its appeal as a long-distance touring bike. Moreover, Houston riders can benefit from the fairing and enhance the bike’s ride quality and aesthetic with subtle upgrades. For example, Harley-Davidson offers several windshield options, ranging from 12 inches to 19 inches, along with low-profile options like a four-inch windscreen. You can also skip the windshield altogether and opt for add-ons like a contoured wind deflector that gives the Road Glide a minimalist aesthetic in the front and complements other upgrades like the color-matched fairing lowers that help control airflow and improve your comfort.

Tech-Savvy Upgrades: Staying Connected, Informed, and Entertained

The 2023 Road Glide rolls off the production line with the Boom! Box GTS infotainment system, but even that can be customized. Tech-savvy Houston riders looking for a customizable powerhouse will find it in the Road Glide and be pleasantly surprised to learn that upgrading the bike’s tech is easy. Harley-Davidson guarantees as much by giving riders dozens of options, from a SiriusXM Satellite Radio Kit to various Rockford Fosgate accessories, including a subwoofer kit and a 400W amplifier. You can also upgrade the system by adding speakers in the fairing and the saddlebags for a truly immersive listening experience as you chase the horizon.  

Customization Made Easy: Road Glide Packages

There’s no question that Harley-Davidson thinks of everything when it comes to customizing bikes like the Road Glide. The available accessories and upgrades are seemingly endless, which can be overwhelming for many riders. How do you narrow your options and successfully bring your vision to life? Fortunately, Harley-Davidson thinks of that, too, and offers several packages designed to help you easily customize your Road Glide.

The Long-Haul Package

The Long-Haul Package recognizes that the Road Glide is meant to chase the horizon and venture beyond the city of Houston to satiate your need for speed and adventure. Think of the package as the gateway to customizing the Road Glide for those adventures, ensuring you have all the necessities before you embark on your journey. The package includes bagger basics like the Harley-Davidson Detachables Two-Up Tour-Pak Mounting Rack with a passenger backrest pad, the Harley-Davidson Hammock Heated and Cooled Seat for optimal comfort wherever the road leads, heated hand grips, and a heel shifter for seamless shifting and comfort on longer journeys.

The Empire Package

Where the Long-Haul Package readies the Road Glide for longer journeys, the Empire Package takes a more balanced approach and appeals to Houston riders looking for comfort and style wherever they ride. The package upgrades the bike’s standard V-Twin engine with the Screamin’ Eagle Stage I Powertrain that enhances the bike’s output and iconic rumble. In addition, you can ride around Houston in style from the comfort of the Low-Profile Solo Touring Seat and enjoy exclusive components like the Empire footboards, derby cover, and hand and foot controls that give your Road Glide a distinct appearance that perfectly reflects the Harley-Davidson brand.  

Customization Made Easy

Harley-Davidson gave rise to the chopper and the idea that motorcycles can and should be customized. Houston riders see this firsthand in Grand American Touring bikes like the Road Glide that offer the legendary performance expected of a Harley-Davidson and plenty of options for personalization. It’s an incredible balance between giving riders the power they want and need without impeding their unique personalities. Luckily for us, striking that balance is something Harley-Davidson does incredibly well, and it’s why so many riders in and around Houston are drawn to best-selling powerhouses like the Road Glide. This bike is a blank canvas waiting for its muse.