2025 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Ultra (FLHXU) Review: The Ultimate Full-Dress Bagger Experience

The parking-lot sodium light is the color of cheap diner mustard when I thumb the starter on the Street Glide Ultra (FLHXU). Boom—114 cubic inches clear their throat like a bass drum dropped down a stairwell.

Why the Street Glide Ultra Is More Than Just a Big Harley

Reality check: the internet loves to call this thing a “two-wheeled Winnebago,” as if that’s an insult. Yeah, it’s big—like, “my cousin tried to parallel-park it and now he’s in therapy” big—but once you’re moving, the FLHXU shrinks around you the way a good barstool shrinks once the first beer arrives. Harley stuffed every creature comfort in here, yet somehow forgot to bolt in the guilt.

I spent a week with the bike, mostly at night because the heat index was flirting with the surface of Mercury. Here’s the unfiltered play-by-play, served in coffee-shop-sized sips so you don’t choke.

1. The Seat Is a La-Z-Boy Someone Fed Protein Shakes

First evening I climbed on wearing gym shorts (don’t judge, it was 97 °F) and my tailbone sent me a thank-you card. Two hours later, lower back still happy, I realized the real magic is the backrest for the passenger—my wife actually stayed awake for the sunset ride instead of using my kidneys as snooze buttons.

2. Infotainment That Won’t Narc on You

The Boom! Box GTS screen is bright enough to read lyrics at high noon on Mercury, yet at 2 a.m. the auto-dimming kicks in so soft you’d swear the pixels are whispering. I paired Spotify in less time than it takes the barista to misspell “Kyle.” Downside: fingerprints show up like crime-scene dust; keep a microfiber in the left fairing pocket next to your toll change.

3. Storage Is a TARDIS Wearing Leather Chaps

I shoved a DSLR, two bottles of kombucha, and a hoodie in the rear bags and still had room for the charger that looks like it could jump-start a 747. The lids close with a thunk so satisfying I caught myself reopening them just to re-close.

4. Heat Management—There’s the Rub

In stop-and-go traffic the rear cylinder bakes your right thigh like a rotisserie chicken. I learned to keep boots unzipped at red lights and to plan routes that start moving after 8 p.m. Freeway speeds? All is forgiven; the twin fans spin up and the engine becomes a gentle space heater.

5. Suspension Is Goldilocks-Ish

The Showa 49 mm fork and rear emulsion shocks swallow frost heaves without the wallow of older Touring frames. Dial the preload two clicks for two-up, and the bike stops squatting like it’s taking a bathroom break every time you crack the throttle.

6. That Throttle—Oh Boy

114 Milwaukee-Eight makes 123 lb-ft of torque, which means you roll on at 70 mph and the tach barely twitches. Passing semis feels like cutting warm butter with a lightsaber. Con: if you sneeze, you’re in the next county.

7. The Audio System Is a Nightclub Glued to Your Handlebars

At 80 mph with a half helmet I still heard Stevie Ray Vaughan’s pick scrape over the strings. Max volume rattles mirrors, which is either a feature or a cry for help.

8. Fuel Range Sneaks Up on You

Six-gallon tank plus 45-ish mpg equals “I forgot where gas stations live.” I got cocky, pushed the low-fuel light for 38 miles, and finally rolled into a Sheetz with 0.7 gallons left—bike never coughed, just gave me the mechanical version of a raised eyebrow.

9. Wind Management Is a Love Letter to Tall People

I’m 6'2" and the stock windshield parked the slipstream right at helmet chin. One twist of the clutch-side knob and it dropped two inches, letting clean air hit the faceshield; no buffeting, no whistle, just calm.

10. Weight—Let’s Not Pretend

Dry weight is 842 pounds, so U-turns at the coffee-shop curb demand the respect you’d give a sleepy bear. I dropped mine once at 0.5 mph; engine guards kissed the asphalt, no drama, no cracked plastic, just my ego limping.

What Riders Are Saying About the 2025 Street Glide Ultra Online

Street Glide Ultra, FLHXU, Harley-Davidson touring, full-dress bagger, Milwaukee-Eight 114—these words swirl around Google like seagulls chasing fries, but the real review happens at 1:13 a.m. on a lonely state highway when the LED headlight paints the centerline neon and the stereo is whispering Tom Petty because you’re finally alone enough to admit you love that song.

The Final Verdict After a Week With the Harley-Davidson FLHXU

Week’s end, I rolled back into that same mustard parking light, killed the engine, and sat there listening to the fuel pump sigh itself to sleep. The bike didn’t feel like a compromise; it felt like the friend who shows up with coffee and a trailer when your project car blows up. Sure, it’s heavy, hot, and pricey enough to make your accountant twitch, but the miles taste like freedom, and the seat still feels like cheating.

Go ride one—just maybe wait till the sun goes down.

2025 Street Glide Ultra (FLHXU) – Full Specifications & Global Pricing Table

Category	Specification
Engine	Milwaukee-Eight® 117 V-Twin, 1,923 cc, 4-valves per cylinder, liquid-cooled heads
Torque	130 ft-lb (176 Nm) @ 3,250 rpm
Power	≈ 105 hp (78 kW) @ 4,600 rpm
Bore x Stroke	4.075 in × 4.5 in (103.5 mm × 114.3 mm)
Compression Ratio	10.3 : 1
Fuel System	Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI)
Transmission	6-Speed Cruise Drive®
Final Drive	Carbon-fiber reinforced belt, 32/68 ratio
Front Suspension	49 mm Showa® Dual Bending Valve fork, 4.6 in travel
Rear Suspension	Dual outboard emulsion shocks, 3 in travel, hydraulic preload
Front Brakes	Dual 320 mm floating rotors, 4-piston fixed calipers, ABS
Rear Brake	Single 300 mm rotor, 4-piston caliper, ABS
Front Tire	130/60B19 61H
Rear Tire	180/55B18 80H
Wheelbase	64 in (1,625 mm)
Seat Height	Laden 26.9 in (683 mm) / Unladen 28.5 in (725 mm)
Ground Clearance	5.3 in (135 mm)
Fuel Capacity	6.0 gal (22.7 L)
Oil Capacity	5 qt (4.7 L) with filter
Weight	In-running order 866 lb (393 kg)
Storage Volume	4.9 cu ft (0.139 m³)
Infotainment	Skyline™ OS, 12.3-in TFT touchscreen, Apple CarPlay®, BT, nav
Audio	2× 5.25 in fairing speakers, 50 W per channel
Safety Tech	Cornering ABS & TCS, linked braking, traction control, TPMS, Vehicle Hold Control
Warranty	24 months, unlimited mileage

Global Pricing for the 2025 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Ultra (FLHXU)

Region	MSRP
USA	$30,749 – $33,899 USD
Europe / UK	£28,495 – £31,595 GBP (on-the-road incl. VAT)
Asia (example Japan)	Approx. ¥4,850,000 – ¥5,300,000 JPY (converted from USD + local taxes & freight)