As motorcycle purists, it is easy to turn our noses up at trikes. They don’t lean, they’re heavy, and they require a three-point turn sometimes. However, it is easy to forget that they have their place for those who cannot manage a single-track vehicle.Trikes also give you a lot of luggage space but allow you to still enjoy the elements – nothing beats the feeling of the open sky above you, while a large V-twin thrums away beneath you. No, a convertible car can’t quite match the feeling of being out in the elements. Oh, and if you ride along with a pillion, a trike gives them a much more comfortable perch. However, this is quite an ignored market, so where would you look for the best trike for long-distance cruising? Why A Harley Trike Is An Obvious Choice Harley-DavidsonWe weren’t kidding when we said that manufacturers ignore this segment. It is a niche, which is why you won’t find a trike in anyone’s portfolio other than Harley-Davidson. There are some very respected outfits that will do an aftermarket conversion of whatever touring bike you want to a trike, but with all due respect to their quality, a manufacturer’s factory warranty is a very different quality level. There’s also the matter of after-sales support – a custom bike requires custom parts and custom expertise, so if you put in a lot of miles, sourcing parts and know-how can be problematic. So, a Harley with three wheels is most often the correct answer. The Harley-Davidson Street Glide 3 Limited Is The Best Trike For Long-Distance Cruising Harley-DavidsonThere are three trikes in Harley-Davidson’s range for the 2026 model year. The Street Glide 3 Limited sits in the middle, and it is a good balance of price and features. Coupled with the features and the engine, its balance means that it is the best trike for long-distance cruising. Priced Like The Premium Product That It Is Harley-DavidsonThe Street Glide 3 Limited is a premium product, and as such, it is priced like one. It costs just under $40,000, at $39,199. There are a fair number of options, like any Harley touring model, and that means that the price can climb quite quickly when you tick those boxes. However, even with the base model, you’re not going to really want for anything on a long-distance ride. Milwaukee Eight VVT 117 Is A Known Quantity Harley-DavidsonHarley-Davidson’s overhaul of its touring lineup this year has included the trikes as well. Out goes the Milwaukee Eight 114, and in comes the 117 – with VVT, too. Although there isn’t much change in the peak power and torque figures, there is a difference in the way the torque is formed — its spread, and the overall efficiency also goes up a little because of this. The peak figures are 105 horsepower at 4,600 RPM and 129 pound-feet at 3,250 RPM, and they go through a six-speed gearbox to the rear axle.Harley-Davidson Claimed fuel efficiency is 39 MPG, which is good considering its size and weight. A notable upgrade to the driveline with the MY26 trikes is the ‘reverse gear’. It is now the integrated starter’s job, and a lot simpler to engage. More Rear Suspension Travel Means More Comfort Overall Harley-DavidsonThere is a standard chassis, with no big changes to the primary structure. 48mm dual-bending valve telescopic forks are present at the front, just like the Street Glide Limited. The big change this year is the rear suspension. Harley-Davidson has pivoted to a De Dion rear axle, which has increased the rear travel from 2.3 inches to five inches. In terms of a trike, that’s a huge difference, and will make the Street Glide 3 Limited a much easier choice to make on long rides, when the inevitable bad patch of road shows up.Harley-Davidson The front brakes are similar to the touring range, with twin floating discs and a four-piston fixed caliper per disc. At the rear, a two-piston caliper is assigned to each solid disc. There is the necessary integrated parking brake as well at the rear. Cast aluminum alloy wheels are present all around with a 19-inch front and two 18-inch rear wheels (wide ones, as this is a trike). For the same reason, the rear tires are radial tires while the front is a bias ply. 50 Percent More Wheels Means 50 Percent More… Size? The Street Glide 3 Limited is actually not that much longer than a regular touring motorcycle, at 105.7 inches. The wheelbase is where things start to look like this is a trike – it is 67.7 inches. The width is where you really are aware that this is a trike, at 57.3 inches! The fuel tank is a small-ish six gallons, considering its weight and the purpose of long rides, but the Milwaukee Eight VVT 117's great torque spread should help somewhat with the tank range. One area where you will not feel like you need more is the luggage space. There is a massive 7.1 cubic feet available. Limited Harley Means A Near-Unlimited Feature Set Harley-DavidsonWhen you don’t have to worry about competition or weight, then you can bung in as many features as you like. Which is what Harley has done with the Street Glide 3 Limited. It has a 12.3-inch TFT with H-D’s Skyline OS, which has Bluetooth, navigation, and Apple CarPlay. The list of standard features is extremely long, and includes bits like heated seats for both occupants, a heel and toe gearshift lever, and all-LED lighting.Harley-Davidson The options list is long, and it follows Harley’s usual touring bike options format: the better paint options will cost you up to $2,250 for a two-tone colorway, the blacked-out theme is a $1,400 option, and a six-speaker upgrade for the audio system will cost you a little over $3,100. Safety gets a front seat here, with cornering functions for the traction control, drag-torque slip control, ABS, and electronically linked brakes. There are ride modes thanks to a by-wire throttle, and TPMS is standard. In-House Competition Is A Real Threat Harley-DavidsonThe CVO Street Glide 3 Limited is brilliant, but the incredibly high price will have a limited audience, and the large engine means more fuel stops on your long-distance cruise. The Road Glide 3 shares its driveline with the Street Glide 3 Limited, and you do save a few thousand dollars, but why not invest in the company and give them a throne and add luggage space all at the same time? Depending on your budget, either of the other two will make great companions on a trip, but as with everything in life, there are different compromises to be made.Source: Harley-Davidson USA