Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide

BRUCE REEVE FOR THE TORONTO STAR

Harley-Davidson's four CVO models, including the Road Glide, carry an extensive array of visual and performance goodies.

Bruce Reeve

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

A few years ago during a tour of back roads in upstate New York and Pennsylvania, a group of us shared time aboard a Harley FLHT Electra Glide, BMW K1200LT and Honda Gold Wing. On a technical level, the Harley was well behind its German and Japanese rivals, something apparent on the road as well, where the FLHT wheezed hoarsely to keep up and wiggled and flexed under cornering pressure.

And yet the Harley was also blessed with a sweet spot in its operating range – at a more relaxed pace, the big twin's tractor torque could feel almost hypnotic, with the chassis in perfect harmony while sweeping along gently undulating roads. Outside of that narrow zone of tunefulness, it didn't take long to hit a few sour notes, but for many, many people, Harley's song choice has been the right one.

Even the Milwaukee faithful, though, have been demanding more solid underpinnings for the touring models, and this year Harley delivered, with a sturdy new frame and other chassis upgrades.

Among the beneficiaries of this major step forward is the CVO Road Glide, a low-slung, hot rod bagger, one of four models this year assembled by Harley's Custom Vehicle Operations group. The CVO models carry an extensive array of goodies, most notably the Screamin' Eagle Twin Cam 110, Harley's biggest engine, displacing 1,803 cc and producing 115 lb.-ft. of torque at 4000 r.p.m.

With a list price of $39,419 for the CVO Road Glide, good bones should be part of the package. Motorcycle frame design has undergone huge change in the past 25 years while Harley's touring design has been essentially static, but the new robotically welded frame is built from fewer and stronger elements. The previous rather delicate-looking swingarm has been replaced by a longer and heftier unit that harbours a wider wheel and 180 mm tire. Load capacity is increased by about 32 kilograms and tire life improved.

On previous Harley touring bikes, even a simple lane change across uneven pavement could produce a gentle shimmy or a hip shake, but the Road Glide feels rock solid. Pressed harder in a sweeping corner, there's no sign of flexing or wiggling, while steering effort remains light and neutral.

Suspension has been recalibrated for the new chassis, and like Harley's other touring models, the CVO relies on air-assisted twin shocks. These have some benefits, including a plush ride quality under ordinary road conditions and adaptability to different loads, but also limitations, including a tendency to become very firm under greater compression from an abrupt bump or pothole, which can lift you out of the bike's broad and well-shaped seat.

I took a few whacks on the Road Glide while navigating through some bumpy Muskoka back roads, which also required me to pick my way around numerous sand patches left over from winter. Fortunately, CVO models come standard with ABS, something first offered last year by Harley as an option. Visually, there's nothing to indicate the presence of ABS, since Harley uses rotation sensors hidden in the wheel bearings to maintain traditional appearances. With Brembo four-piston calipers all around, there's no concern about stopping distances, but the feedback through the fat front lever remains blunted, and when the ABS engages, it pulses noticeably through the lever and clunks choppily at the rear, something you need to train yourself to expect during a hard stop.

Harley CVO models are designed for considerable cosmetic impact, but for me the biggest kick is the Screamin' Eagle Twin Cam 110 engine. It provides an effortless shove forward at anything beyond idle, but unlike a standard 1,584 cc big twin, it builds with surprising ferocity to the 5400 r.p.m. rev limit.

The vibration-isolating engine mounts have been redesigned on the latest frame to reduce the amplitude of shaking at idle, but they also work admirably to eliminate vibration at higher revs. A number of times I had to remind myself to shift into the top ratio of the six-speed gearbox, because even in fourth gear at highway speed it feels comfortably smooth, with pin-sharp mirror images.

Throttle control via the twist grip is electronic – no cables – and for the most part this felt seamless, though on a couple of occasions during a throttle blip for a downshift it delivered an unseemly surge. Among the advantages cited for throttle-by-wire are the elimination of cable clutter and the integration with the cruise control, which works smoothly.

Another useful electronic trick comes into play if you're stuck in traffic on a hot day, as I discovered during a spring heat wave while the Don Valley Parkway was closed, prompting nearby gridlock. At idle, the engine management will shut down the firing of the rear cylinder, greatly reducing the heat dispersed around your thighs.

Although the Harmon/Kardon sound system on the CVO Road Glide is very good, it's best appreciated in a traffic jam as well, because turbulence and wind noise overpower it at higher speeds. A big part of Road Glide's personality comes from its broad frame-mounted fairing with a stubby windscreen, but the hot rod abbreviation lends itself better to boulevard cruising than long-distance touring.

Although the engine and chassis are willing to run at a grand touring pace, the turbulence off the lip of the low screen can be annoying, and the effect is even more pronounced in a stiff headwind. An electrically adjustable windscreen would work wonders here.

It would take more space than available to list the CVO Road Glide's custom and chrome embellishments, which deliver an undeniable presence. We should expect as much for a price tag of 40 grand, of course.

But beyond the surface allure, you've got both the meat and the motion: Milwaukee's most scintillating big twin and a chassis with matching fortitude. Everything you need to rock 'n' roll, with or without the sound system.

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