Harley-Davidson already rolled out the red carpet for its 120th-anniversary models and 2023 lineup in January. Despite the Nightster Special and Road Glide 3 trike spicing up the Motor Company’s announcement, the brand promised even more releases to drop throughout the year. That includes Harley’s signature Custom Vehicle Operation (CVO) series, but several leaked photos could spoil the big surprise ahead of time.
On March 14, 2023, blogger Dr. Dan Morel received a video (via WhatsApp) of two unannounced H-D models from a source at an unspecified Harley-Davidson plant. The resulting images give us a sneak peek behind the Bar and Shield’s upcoming rollout. Of course, without official confirmation from the brand, we can’t speak in any certain terms. However, photos of the reimagined Road Glide and Street Glide nudge the firm's Touring platform in a new direction.
All signs point to Harley pushing deeper into the performance bagger segment with both models featuring an inverted fork, dual Brembo-branded front calipers, and a Milwaukee-Eight 121 V-twin. The two tourers don’t just earn up-spec componentry, they also receive a futuristic facelift from Harley-Davidson's renowned design team. That includes an angular take on the Road Glide’s Shark Nose fairing. The Street Glide’s iconic Batwing Fairing also earns a re-sculpting, but a set of LED running lights headline the makeover.
Similar to many CVO releases, the two Glides also sport extra bodywork and crash bars. The trick paint jobs and 121 cubic-inch engine align with Harley’s factory custom series as well. In addition to the performance-derived equipment and eye-catching aesthetics, Morel believes the new models could benefit from the same electronics suite that governs the Pan America.
Without hard evidence, however, we can’t venture into such conjecture. For now, we have to focus on more concrete speculation. Whether the revamped models arrive as CVO entries or 2024 models, we’ll have to wait for Harley to reveal the full details.
