38 | JUNE 2026 QUARTERLY SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT SECTION
NEXT-GEN TRIKE
2026 HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROAD GLIDE 3
By GREG DREVENSTEDT Photos by KEVIN WING
Harley- Davidson has given its Trike platform the biggest revamp since launching a line of factory- built three- wheelers in 2009. The three models for 2026 are the Road Glide 3, Street Glide 3 Limited, and CVO Street Glide 3 Limited, which all feature a revised chassis with a new rear suspension system that significantly improves handling, stability, and comfort.
The trike’ s previous live( solid) axle has been replaced with a de Dion- type suspension. This design uses a castaluminum axle connected via a spherical joint, allowing vertical movement with minimal impact on the chassis. If one wheel moves, the other follows with reduced disturbance to the rider and passenger.
A Watts linkage centers the axle, and a stabilizer bar controls roll during turns. Power is transferred from the differential to the rear wheels through left and right half- shafts, each with inner and outer CV joints. The final belt- drive sprocket has been relocated from the axle to the chassis- mounted
This ain’ t your granddaddy’ s trike. A lighter, more responsive rear chassis and suspension system have transformed Harley’ s Trike platform. differential, which removes its weight from the suspension and simplifies maintenance. A new reverse drive system eliminates the weight of the previous electric reverse motor mounted on the rear axle.
The redesigned rear chassis reduces unsprung weight