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"As soon as you push it off the kickstand, you will know this is an all-new bike."
Theo Keetell tells me this in a low voice, careful not to disrupt the ongoing presentation of the brand-new 2023 CVO Road Glide and Street Glide at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee. I'm skeptical. After all, Theo is part of the company's marketing team and in my experience CVO models haven't always been innovative. But, within a few hours I would learn he was absolutely right.
Since 1999, Harley-Davidson has been producing limited-edition CVO (Custom Vehicle Operations) models. The typical recipe is to throw some Screamin' Eagle performance parts on a few current models, crank up displacement, wire in some upgraded electronics, then drip them in premium paint and offer them in limited quantities at a premium price point. While the CVOs are consistently expensive and exclusive, they are not always exciting. I've ridden more than one CVO where, if it weren't for the paint color or the shape of the air cleaner, I wouldn't have known the difference. This year is different.
The team at Harley-Davidson wants to make sure I understand that nearly everything about these bikes is totally new. "This is the most high-performing engine we've ever made," boasts Mike Carlin, Chief Engineer at Harley-Davidson. OK, they have my attention.
Like the Revolution Max engine (found on the Pan America, Sportster S, and Nightster) the Milwaukee-Eight VVT 121 engine in the CVO Street Glide now has variable valve timing. It's a first for a Harley-Davidson Big Twin engine and Dustin covered all the details in his first-look article. In short, a new high-performance, computer-controlled camshaft improves fuel performance by up to 5%, creates 115 horsepower (a 10% increase), and puts down 139 foot-pounds of torque (an 8% increase), according to Harley-Davidson. Newly designed cylinder heads are now liquid-cooled, decreasing engine temperature by nearly 60 degrees and allowing for an increased compression ratio of 11.4:1, up from 10.2:1.
A few important engine components found new homes. The radiator and fan are now low on the front of the frame and the intake tract was shifted to allow for better airflow and a larger throttle body diameter. The airbox design is now 50% larger, requires fewer parts, has no exposed fasteners, and, in true Harley fashion, still offers a constant massage for your right calf. Surprisingly, the muffler, which also grew in diameter, sounds great stock. Lastly, but perhaps most friendly of all, an improved shift drum lets you find neutral easily.
That's the M8 VVT 121 by the numbers. Would the ride live up to the hype of the presentation? It was time to get on the road and find out.
Riding the 2023 Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide
I was tossed the keys to a CVO Street Glide in Dark Platinum and told to "follow Travis." Travis Wyman and his brother, Kyle Wyman, are two of the world's fastest riders on baggers. Kyle won the 2021 MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers championship and leads the standings this year, and the brothers finished second and third in the series last year. Together, they led our group of journalists out of Milwaukee and through rural Wisconsin. Over the day we rode a mix of long quiet straightaways, tree-covered twisties, scenic sweepers, congested highways, and, of course, a healthy dose of stop-and-go city traffic. Besides the requisite photo stops and taco breaks, the remainder of my day was spent in the (all-new) saddle of the CVO Street Glide.
On the street, the engine is fast and responsive, with smooth and accessible speed available through the entire twist of a throttle. There is more power, in more places, than any Harley I've ever ridden.
In a responsible, corporate-approved, and completely legal way, Travis Wyman absolutely launched into our first highway on-ramp. For him, it probably felt slow. For me, I felt like I might get sent into a new dimension. All out in third gear resulted in more than one giggle inside my helmet. This engine is fast. I give it 10 out of 10 on the yee-haw scale.
In contrast, the CVO Street Glide is also polite, stable, and responsive. Up front is a new, confidence-inspiring, inverted 47 mm Showa fork with 4.6 inches of travel. The triple-tree has been improved and is now made from aluminum instead of steel, resulting is a stiffer and more precise front end and a seven-pound weight reduction. The dual disc Brembo front brakes now pinch larger rotors for noticeably better braking. In the back, the rear suspension gets 50% more travel and a decidedly un-techy manual pre-load adjustment knob.
There are a fistful of electronic rider aids, including cornering ABS and traction control, plus electronically linked braking. Even in the most spirited part of our ride, the CVO Street Glide felt well controlled and agreeable.
In addition to the first VVT Big Twin engine, the Street Glide and the other 2023 CVO, the Road Glide (which, unfortunately, I did not get to test), bring practical improvements in technology, storage, and lighting. For the first time, the CVOs come with ride modes, including the option to store custom settings. They're accessed through a relatively intuitive Skyline OS system displayed on a massive TFT color touch screen. I changed ride modes, checked what gear I was in, engine rpm, fuel range, and GPS throughout the day, but didn't overthink it. To me, that's a sign that the OS was well designed. I was able to forget about it.
And what about storage and lighting? The saddlebags, which appear smaller, are now larger. There's a simple but brilliant storage drawer to conveniently charge and access your phone or hold a few bucks for toll roads. I couldn't test the new "Omega-shaped" LED lights with integrated turn signals because our ride ended while the sun was still up, but from a design perspective, I found them a well considered evolution to the iconic batwing fairing. Both CVOs also come with a 500-watt high performance audio system and the largest saddlebag speakers ever offered by Harley. To me, they take up valuable space and electricity, but hey, to each their own.
A touring rider's perspective
Like many other H-D customers, I have put thousands of touring miles on Harleys. So it stood out to me when VP of Design Brad Richards began his introduction of the new CVO models by stating, "Touring is what hooks the brand to the soul."
The Motor Company infamously does not comment on future product, but Brad's comment, along with the R&D investment and rider-focused improvements found in these CVOs, leads to me to think Harley is banking heavily on the continued support of its touring customers.
As a touring rider, I found the VVT 121 fast. It's got great power and behaves reliably, with precise fueling and a comfortable throttle response. It's a useful mix of fun and forgiving and the speed improvements alone might drive the most demanding (and wealthy) customers to the dealer today. But, once the dust settles and these limited bikes have sold out, the lasting impression from these CVOs may not be speed, but comfort and luxury.
The all-new saddle is fantastic. I sat all day and never thought about it. The newly designed fairings offer a massive reduction in buffeting. The cooler-running engine is very noticeable — and very welcome especially in stop-and-go traffic. Smaller things like finding neutral easily, being able to see what gear you are in even with the clutch lever in, and having 20% more charging ability for accessory gadgets and heating, all make for a more comfortable experience. All of the small changes, from the upgraded and clever storage to the improved wind management, take some of the friction out of long-range touring. If luxury means "a great deal of comfort," then Harley has made good on delivering a luxurious touring experience.
I can't say I felt the 31-pound weight reduction Harley-Davidson touted, but this Street Glide is about as sporty as I imagine an 838-pound cruiser can be while still offering all the comforts for a great American road trip.
The CVO lineup is exclusive by design and the price, $42,999 for the bike I tested (MSRP goes up to $48,999 if you want the Whiskey Neat/Raven Metallic paint) will weed out most buyers. But Harley has made significant investments into the new engine, rider comfort, and technology and the benefit for the rest of us is that it’s easy to imagine these improvements moving into the rest of the Grand American Touring line in years to come.
| 2023 Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide | |
|---|---|
| Price (MSRP) | $42,999 (as tested) |
| Engine | Milwaukee-Eight VVT 121, 1,977 cc, air-and-liquid-cooled, eight-valve, V-twin with variable valve timing |
|
Transmission, final drive |
Six-speed, belt |
| Claimed horsepower | 115 @ 4,500 rpm |
| Claimed torque | 139 foot-pounds @ 3,000 rpm |
| Frame | Tubular steel, two-piece stamped and welded backbone, twin down tubes, bolt-on rear frame |
| Front suspension | 47 mm fork; 4.60 inches (117 mm) of travel |
| Rear suspension | Dual rear shocks, remote preload adjustment on the left shock, and threaded preload and rebound damping adjustment on the right shock; 3.0 inches (76 mm) of travel |
| Front brake | Dual Brembo radial-mounted four-piston calipers, 320 mm (12.6-inch) discs with ABS |
| Rear brake | Brembo four-piston caliper, 300 mm (11.8-inch) disc with ABS |
| Rake, trail | 26 degrees, 6.7 inches (170 mm) |
| Wheelbase | 64 inches (1,625 mm) |
| Seat height | 28.0 inches (711 mm) unladen |
| Fuel capacity | 6.0 gallons (22.7 liters) |
| Tires | Dunlop D408F 130/60B19 front, D407T 180/55/B18 rear |
| Claimed weight | 838 pounds (380 kilograms) wet |
| Available | Now |
| Warranty | 24 months |
| More info | harley-davidson.com |
