Harley-Davidson unveiled the rest of its 2026 lineup last week, which included the Custom Vehicle Operation (CVO) editions; five motorcycles that “represent the pinnacle of Harley-Davidson design, technology and performance.”
According to Harley-Davidson, these are limited production, super-premium motorcycles that feature “show-stopping finishes, elevated performance and exclusive components.” They’ll also cost you a mint.
Also highlighted in that new-model introduction was the Solo Trim Package, which will be available on three models of Motor Co. machines in 2026. The trim level includes a solo style seat, “Dark Billiard Gray” paint, and cast aluminum wheels ... and that’s it. The Solo Trim Package will be available for the Street Bob, Heritage Classic, and Street Glide models, carrying an MSRP of $14,999, $19,999 and $24,999, respectively.
Now, gray (grey?) motorcycles aren’t exactly newsworthy. Plenty of OEMs have offered models in the black-mixed-with-white colorway over the years, most notably Ducati’s 2017 Monster 1200S which was available in “Liquid Concrete Grey.” That one always stuck out to me, mostly because when I think of the iconic Italian brand, I see red. So, a grey paint scheme on a 1200cc V-twin powered Monster just felt, well, weird. But it turned heads, and sold well, as far as I know. It also marked a sign of the times, and things to come. The Millennial Grey Era had begun.
There’s a slate grey house that sits on the corner in a Portland, Oregon suburb. Out front is a slate grey Jeep Wrangler. The stairs, porch and pergola on the patio are grey, too, and throughout much of the year, so is the sky above. I would walk past that place on trips to the grocery store, always wondering why anyone would want to live in the confines of that color. But if you take notice of the cars parked at your local shopping plaza, you’ll see that, for the most part, four colors are represented – black, white, burgundy and grey.
The internet defines Millennial Grey as “the ubiquitous 2010s home decor trend of using cool, neutral gray for walls, furniture, and floors, symbolizing a minimalist shift from older styles but becoming seen as bland, sterile, and "corporate."”
That trend has now found its way out of the home interior space and into the motorcycle market, with nearly every OEM offering a machine in some iteration of that neutral, achromatic color. Honda has a “Gray Metallic” for most motorcycles, Yamaha offers “Ice Storm” on the MT-10 models, Kawasaki produces the Versys 1100 in “Metallic Graphite Gray,” the Indian Chief comes in “Chalk,” and for 2026 Husqvarna is offering the TE 300 Pro in, you guessed it, all grey.
Sure, all of these manufacturers produce motorcycles in other colorways – some of which are distinctly recognizable, e.g., red on a Ducati, blue on a Yamaha, yellow on a Suzuki, or green on a Kawasaki. But the business of building and marketing grey bikes seems to be directly connected to a generational interest in subtlety. Less flash, more focus.
Does this help sell bikes, though?
Harley-Davidson’s new Solo Trim Package is the motorcycle industry's Millennial Grey moment, a moment that has otherwise passed in popular culture, or so I’m told. A reactionary response to the Tuscan and ornate styles of the 1990s (see: Deco Eco), the grey colorways on cars, homes, interior design and even clothing seems to be fading, with a shift toward Gen Z’s preferred color, green.
While I am not a fan of the muted, slated, subtle tones of this achromatic color, I do like the simplicity offered in the Solo Trim Package from Harley-Davidson. The single seat, no nonsense aesthetic - free from chrome or leather accoutrements – speaks to me. And the price point isn’t bad, either. But what do you think? Given the choice, would you choose a motorcycle that has no chroma, or one that carries a more distinct color, something that tells a story about the person who purchased it? Because as much as I wondered about the people that lived in that grey house with the grey car on the corner in Portland, I’m more curious about the motorcyclist that picked the purple bike from the showroom floor.
