What’s New on the 2025 Harley-Davidson® Street Glide® Ultra for Portsmouth Touring Enthusiasts
For touring riders in Portsmouth, VA, the roads are more than pavement—they’re part of a rhythm, a routine, and often, a challenge. From long coastal stretches to winding backroads through Tidewater country, a touring bike needs to meet the moment with confidence, comfort, and endurance. That’s exactly where the 2025 Harley-Davidson® Street Glide® Ultra steps in, with a series of updates crafted specifically for riders who demand real improvements. This year’s model sharpens its focus on wind control, passenger comfort, and intuitive technology—all features that matter most when you're logging serious miles in and around the Hampton Roads area.
What stands out immediately on the 2025 Harley-Davidson® Street Glide® Ultra is its enhanced wind management. Harley-Davidson® completely reworked the Batwing fairing using computational fluid dynamics and time-tested road input. For local riders who deal with crosswinds along the Chesapeake Bay or the unpredictable blasts coming off the James River Bridge, this upgrade means business. A taller windshield—four inches higher than the one on the standard Harley-Davidson® Street Glide®—dramatically reduces helmet buffeting. According to Harley-Davidson®’s testing, buffeting is cut by up to 60 percent. That’s not a small tweak; that’s the kind of comfort that makes a three-hour ride to the North Carolina border feel like less of a chore and more of a flow.
Harley-Davidson® also dialed in the fairing lowers and added adjustable air vents, a small but significant detail for those dealing with Virginia’s changing seasons. Paired with larger, fork-mounted air deflectors, these new components allow you to fine-tune your airflow based on the day’s weather. That kind of modular control gives riders heading out from Portsmouth into more humid or cooler territories the ability to stay comfortable without compromising their setup. The redesigned fairing skirt also plays a role here, smoothing out airflow and improving the bike’s front-end aesthetic without sacrificing utility.
Comfort over distance is the cornerstone of any touring bike worth its weight, and the 2025 Harley-Davidson® Street Glide® Ultra refines this in subtle but meaningful ways. The new two-up seat rotates the rider’s hips slightly forward, relieving pressure on the lower back during extended hours in the saddle. This ergonomic adjustment is especially noticeable on long stretches down Route 17 or while navigating the rolling highways of the Eastern Shore. Your passenger gets just as much attention, with the standard King Tour-Pak® luggage system now integrated with a large back pad and supportive armrests. It’s clear Harley-Davidson® didn’t just consider solo riders—they accounted for those who share the road with someone on the back seat, ride after ride.
Storage capacity also saw a notable increase. With 4.9 cubic feet of total storage space from saddlebags, fairing cubbies, and the Tour-Pak® carrier, the 2025 Harley-Davidson® Street Glide® Ultra more than doubles the room available on the standard Harley-Davidson® Street Glide®. For riders commuting between Portsmouth and Norfolk, or those planning an extended trip out west toward the mountains, that extra capacity isn’t fluff—it’s functionality. It means you can pack your gear, your passenger’s essentials, and still have room for what the road throws at you.
Beneath the styling and touring refinements is the kind of performance consistency riders in the region have come to expect from the Ultra platform. The Milwaukee-Eight® 117 V-Twin returns with a solid 105 horsepower and 130 ft-lb of torque. But it’s the delivery that makes the difference. SHOWA® dual outboard emulsion rear shocks with three inches of travel respond well over imperfect surfaces—something Portsmouth riders know is all too common once you’re off the interstates. The shocks feature hand-adjustable hydraulic preload, so you can quickly dial things in if you're hauling a heavier load or carrying a passenger.
While the ride quality remains grounded in Harley-Davidson®’s touring DNA, the 2025 Harley-Davidson® Street Glide® Ultra moves forward with a thoroughly modern tech package. One of the most noticeable upgrades is the 12.3-inch color TFT display featuring the Skyline™ OS. Unlike previous systems, this screen is both visually crisp and functionally intuitive. Riders can navigate menus, select ride modes, manage audio, or access embedded navigation—all with the kind of responsiveness and clarity that makes mid-ride adjustments easy and distraction-free.
The navigation system now includes a hands-free voice recognition function that responds to conversational prompts. Riders familiar with the maze of toll roads and back routes surrounding Portsmouth will appreciate the ease of simply saying, “Find me a gas station,” instead of fumbling with buttons. It’s a level of integration that feels natural, especially on longer rides when quick decisions need fast, accurate input.
Safety updates round out the changes for 2025, reinforcing Harley-Davidson®’s focus on keeping riders in control regardless of conditions. The model now comes standard with the full suite of Rider Safety Enhancements, which includes a cornering-enhanced anti-lock brake system (C-ABS), cornering traction control (C-TCS), and cornering electronic linked braking (C-ELB). These systems continuously adjust based on lean angle and other real-time variables, offering added confidence during braking and acceleration through turns. For local riders navigating tight curves on country roads or wet pavement near the coast, these features can make all the difference between a close call and a clean ride.
One standout feature for 2025 is Vehicle Hold Control (VHC). It’s not a parking brake replacement, but when you're stopped on an incline—say, leaving a parking deck in downtown Norfolk or paused at a hilltop intersection—it keeps the bike from rolling until you’re ready to go. Just squeeze the brake lever, and VHC holds the line. It’s a small, smart feature that pays dividends in daily use.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) is now part of the standard equipment as well, offering real-time alerts when pressure strays outside optimal range. It’s the kind of feature you hope you never need but appreciate when it matters.
Visually, the 2025 Harley-Davidson® Street Glide® Ultra also gives riders more options to match their personal style. The new paint lineup includes Mystic Shift and Iron Horse Metallic/Vivid Black—both designed to complement the black or chrome trim packages available for the year. Even the tank medallion has been redesigned to coordinate with your chosen trim. It’s not about flash; it’s about refinement and consistency. The small touches matter, especially to riders who spend serious time detailing and maintaining their bikes between rides.
In Portsmouth and surrounding areas where riding conditions shift with the seasons and the terrain, the 2025 Harley-Davidson® Street Glide® Ultra brings practical updates that experienced riders will notice and value. This is not a radical departure—it’s a precise and thoughtful evolution, shaped by real-world needs. The result is a bike that’s ready for longer days in the saddle, unpredictable weather, and everything that comes with the life of a committed touring rider.
For riders ready to upgrade or curious about the latest in touring innovation, visit Bayside Harley-Davidson® in Portsmouth, VA to experience both in person and schedule your test ride.