The 2023 Harley CVO Road Glide has a 1,977-cc V-twin engine.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
There’s a secret that Harley-Davidson would prefer you not to know: Most of the company’s motorcycles really aren’t all that quick.
Oh, you can make them fast, and there are generations of V-twin mechanics who can add horsepower and boost torque, but the bikes are still going to be heavy. On top of that, the rider probably isn’t sitting in any kind of position that helps control the machine at speed, clinging to the handlebars for dear life with legs high and forward, and back hunched into the wind. Less Valentino Rossi and more La-Z-Boy.
For years, whenever a small child would ask the inevitable question of any Harley rider – “How fast does it go?” – there was only one suitable answer: “It goes just as fast as I want it to go.” Which, in truth, probably wasn’t all that fast, because too much speed would bring on a wobble and threaten to shake the fillings from your teeth.
Trust me – I own a Harley-Davidson, a 2008 Low Rider, and I bought it new to slow down and smell the roses. It’s a relaxing ride, and I don’t worry about getting speeding tickets because I don’t speed. Harleys encourage you to mosey.
The motor company does, however, have an image to maintain, and that’s one reason why Harley founded its Custom Vehicle Operations division in 1999, to find extra performance right at the factory. The limited-edition CVO motorcycles use higher-end finishes and lighter-weight parts for better handling on the road.
The great benefit for Harley-Davidson is that its CVO motorcycles are both desirable and expensive, the equivalent of a higher-profit performance brand for an automaker.
The fully digital and configurable gauge cluster on the 2023 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide with speakers on both sides.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
By way of comparison, you can buy a standard Road Glide touring bike with 86 horsepower for a starting price of $27,499, and then, if you want, spend a few thousand more on extra features and extra power. You’ll top out at the Road Glide ST for $37,799, which is a single-seater with a larger engine that makes 102 horsepower and weighs six kilograms less.
And then there’s the $16,500 jump to the CVO Road Glide, which is good for 115 horsepower from its 121-cubic-inch V-twin engine. That’s 1,977 cubic centimetres to non-American motorcyclists. That makes for a starting price of $54,299.
But that isn’t the final price. There’s an additional “surcharge” that Harley-Davidson imposed in 2020 that varies by model and is $1,500 for the CVO Road Glide. Dealers can’t explain what the surcharge is for, and the money goes straight back to Harley, but it did mean the price rose while the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) stayed the same. And the surcharge is still there. Once you add on a probable $295 dealer’s administration fee, $450 for the dealer’s set-up, and $800 for the predelivery inspection, then pay all taxes, you’re looking at about $66,000 total.
In fact, you can spend even more if you want to: The good-looking “Whiskey Neat with Raven Metallic” optional paint costs an extra $7,500. As well, the CVO Road Glide Limited comes with a tail trunk and better sound system (and smaller, 117-cubic-inch engine) and lists for $65,999, but this review is of the CVO Road Glide, with its variable valve timing and 391-kilogram wet weight (weight with all fluids including gas, oil and coolant).
It’s a lot of bike to haul down the road and through the corners, but it does handle well for its size. It can be a handful at crawling speeds, especially when the gas tank is full and adds weight high up. It’s also best in traffic to switch the ride mode to Cruise or Rain, because an accidental snap of the wrist on the throttle can bring on an instant, hard acceleration that throws the rider – and the rider’s right wrist – backward with unexpected force. Don’t ask how I know this.
There are three preset ride modes for Sport, Cruise and Rain, plus a couple of custom modes that allow you to choose your own combinations of engine mapping, traction control, throttle response, engine braking and anti-lock braking. They’re effective and easy to switch on the fly. In fact, there’s a lot to keep you busy with the fully digital and configurable gauge cluster, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though those two need a headset to be installed, for voice control. So much for those south of the border who want to ride without a helmet.
The magic of the CVO, once you’ve gotten past the price tag, is the smooth Milwaukee Eight engine that now features liquid-cooled cylinder heads and variable valve timing. It’s lumpy enough to feel every potato thump, but it’s tractable enough that the power is available right through the rev range. This is a higher-compression mill than even the 117 cubic inches of the Road Glide ST, with a longer stroke for its huge pistons that boosts the torque up to 139 lb-ft. That’s a hefty increase from the 125 of the ST and the 109 of the half-priced regular bike.
The magic of the CVO is the smooth Milwaukee Eight engine.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Harley does not provide official zero-to-100 kilometres-an-hour acceleration times, but I used the FastR app on my phone to see the CVO Road Glide would hit that speed easily in less than five seconds. That’s slow compared to a sport bike, but plenty fast enough at the lights to dust most cars.
Is all of this worth the money? Of course not, but that’s not the point. The engine, chassis, rider’s electronic assistance and the infotainment are all incremental improvements over the standard motorcycles in Harley’s lineup, and we can surely look forward to these improvements making their way into more affordable machines in coming years.
Not only that, it looks sharp and it’s built to a high standard of quality. That’s got to count for something when riders of faster bikes are scraping the floorboards around yet another corner, lining up to flash past me on my Low Rider along the straight.
Harley-Davidson's Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO) division is similar to a performance brand for an automaker.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Tech specs
2023 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide
Base price/as tested: $54,299, plus $1,050 transport, plus $1,500 “surcharge,” plus predelivery inspection, fees and taxes. Let’s call it $66,000 out the door in Ontario.
Engine: 1,977 cc V-twin with variable valve timing
Transmission/drive: Six-speed/belt drive
Fuel consumption (litres per 100 kilometres): Claimed 5 combined, 8.6 observed
Alternatives: Indian Challenger Elite, Honda Gold Wing, BMW R18 B
Mark Richardson