Top cruiser Harley Davidson CVO Limited 2019
“Limited” from Harley Davidson has always been a top-class device, and when you want to improve something that is already selling with a bang, you have to think about how not to spoil it. For example, why not transfer the development of a new version to the Custom Vehicle Operations division
The Harley Davidson CVO Limited represents the pinnacle of Harley touring bike development with all the gadgets and features of the Ultra Limited, with the addition of contributions from the CVO division. An updated on-board information and multimedia system, an updated, sleek design, and the most powerful existing production engine. Like the rest of the CVO line, the Limited comes in three different color options with varying amounts of flair, so let's take a closer look at the new product.
Design Harley Davidson CVO Limited
It’s hard not to recognize references to the classics in the design of the Harley Davidson CVO Limited. It all starts with the typical FL-series design, including its heavy frame and beefy fork, which gives the cruiser not only visual weight, but also physical weight. These forks harken back to the days long gone when the forks were covered and protected by beer can-style shrouds. The full-length front fender does a great job of keeping mud out while exposing as much of the stylish Tomahawk wheel as possible.
The 2019 CVO Limited's running lights and front turn signals also look classic, although without the usual crossmember of previous years, to which they were previously attached. They are now attached to the fork guards. The single headlight is slightly recessed into the batwing, and above the headlight there is an air duct slot, the outlet of which is directed directly at the rider to lightly blow through the air pocket formed by the windshield, while eliminating too powerful turbulence in the helmet area. A thoughtful detail for a more enjoyable ride.
CVO Limited dashboard
CVO Limited dashboard
The CVO Limited instrument panel inside the Batwing consists of four round dial gauges, complemented by light bulbs and an LCD display with all important parameters. But the most important part of the tidy is the updated on-board Boom! Box GTS. Its 6.5-inch color LCD touchscreen with gesture support is almost more useful than the rest of the dashboard. It displays cruiser operating parameters, tire pressure, navigation, and when connected via Bluetooth to a smartphone, provides navigation through the music list and phone call options if such a nuisance as a call while driving happens to you. You can also connect a phone or flash drive to this system via a USB port, or simply tune in to a radio station (including satellite).
Exterior CVO Limited
Regardless of the paint scheme chosen, the engine heads are finished in the vibrant Blaze Red color that marks the 2021 model year engines, with Kahuna Collection chrome accents sprinkled here and there for a more custom look.
A traditional tank panel with a round lid divides the 23-litre tank all the way down to a deep seat that supports the rider's fifth point at 71cm (assuming the rider has enough weight to push the suspension through 5cm of free travel)
The passenger part of the seat is raised significantly and has a backrest and armrests attached to the Tourpak rear pannier, which distinguishes the new product from the line of baggers.
Additional LED lights illuminate the rear end, so for those who like to hang the cruiser with LEDs, the first stage of mandatory work has already been completed. And if you’re not one of those people, then at least you’ll be sure that the “canneries” won’t be able to ignore you. Hard side cases complete the luggage capacity, which has a total volume of 133 liters. This volume is enough for tourism, a weekend trip, and, of course, for serious grocery shopping.
Luggage containers with a total volume of 133 liters
I thought that Harley-Davidson could no longer surprise me.... Every time I start to think that I have already “seen everything” and not a single motorcycle can truly surprise me, the universe, having performed a spectacular somersault, presents another surprise. That’s how it was when I first seriously got behind the wheel of a Harley-Davidson, that’s how it was when my heart trembled when I saw the heretically beautiful purple Road Glide Ultra, and that’s what happened this time too. That day I was going to pick up the “next” Harley. It would seem, what could go wrong here? Well, Harley, well, almost an “electric” (only without a rear case). What does CVO mean there? Something like factory tuning, like AMG in Mercedes, which means a more powerful engine, more expensive gadgets, whistles and noisemakers - as they say, “complete stuffing” and all according to Feng Shui. My mood was high; I would spend a couple of days leisurely parading along the roads of the capital and its suburbs on an impossibly Pontyar and comfortable motorcycle, what could be better?
At first glance, the motorcycle did not impress me at all. A dark gray “electric train” without a rear trunk, what didn’t I see there? So the first surprise for me was the seat. As you probably guessed (sarcasm), I've ridden a Harley-Davidson many times before and have some idea of the level of comfort that awaits me. And then... As usual, one might even say casually, having placed my butt in the saddle, I suddenly fell through. In a very real sense, he failed. The saddle turned out to be much softer than expected, so the fifth point sank much deeper. Oops. And, damn, it's convenient. The only thing I could find an analogy with is expensive automatic massage chairs. Well, you know, in shopping and entertainment centers, usually next to the food court or cinema, there are always a couple of these. 10 rubles per minute. 10 wheels a minute, Karl! Once, for the sake of experiment, I sat in this for 5 minutes, very nice, by the way, but 10 rubles per minute! From this level of comfort, my butt just started to glow, and I was pretty surprised at such an unexpected start to acquaintance. However, this is just the beginning.
Having completed all the bureaucratic procedures, I left the representative office and went on about my business. And then everything went wrong again. Having already managed to get used to the new 107-inch engine, I rolled out onto a wide avenue and twisted the throttle with all my heart... What did that CVO of yours mean? Factory tuning, right? Did they say anything about the engine? It was said, right? What did I listen to? Oh... In general, the Screaming Eagle engine (including full intake and exhaust) about 114 cubic inches is neither here nor there for you. So, when I revved up the gas with all my heart, the city was lit up by the roar of an angry lion, which had been stepped on, and the motorcycle, completely unexpectedly for me, rushed forward, trying to tear my wrists, except perhaps tearing off the rear tire in a burnout (I suspect that If I had been 40 kg lighter and held the front brake at that moment, I would have pulled it off). Having let off the gas and caught my breath a little, I asked myself the question - what actually happened now?
Having finally turned on my brain, I realized that I had gotten a completely unusual motorcycle, so I should forget all previous judgments and start all over again. About a comfortable chair, but to call this work of the twilight American genius just a saddle or a seat, I can’t even dare to add anything here, comfort has moved to a level where there is nothing special to compare it with. Moreover, when the fifth point sank into this chair, the back, or rather the lower back, received decent support, one might even say a backrest. In this connection, the fifth point, remembering that it usually has to be content with the very spartan “perch” of a sportbike, resolutely resisted any attempts to leave such a sweet bliss. Yes, on the “perch” the turns are faster, and in general there’s no point in relaxing on the road, but damn it...
Otherwise, as far as comfort is concerned, everything is at the level of the Harley-Davidson Touring series and even more. Handles, levers, buttons, instrument dials, multimedia system - everything is in its place. But the devil, as we know, is in the details. Yes, the shape of the parts is the same, but here and there there are decorative overlays, many parts are made of metal or even wood (this is not exact, I didn’t pick, but it’s very similar), and not plastic. The approach itself is noticeably different. Top Harley-Davidson models are already famous for their meticulous approach to quality and decorative design, but on this motorcycle it is even more noticeable. When you look around the interior, the eye does not linger on anything specific that stands out, well, except that the glowing red company logo on the tank attracts the eye. At the same time, the abundance of details and quality of execution create a feeling comparable only to looking at some royal tapestry in some museum. Royalty is the word that comes to mind.
The exterior is in no way inferior to the interior of the motorcycle. And what at the very beginning seemed ordinary to me, in reality showed a significant difference. The basic shapes and lines remain the same, but everything is actually different. It was necessary to roll the motorcycle out into the sun so that its appearance, so to speak, would reveal itself. Firstly, it has a completely different level of painting. Despite the fact that the motorcycle is made in dark colors, a different level of quality immediately becomes visible. Deep black, with gray lines emerging from the depths with even lighter edgings, forming the silhouette of a rushing flame, and all this with a slight candy effect. Not the best color scheme in my opinion, by the way, but the level and quality of the paint more than makes up for it. In general, the appearance turned out to be businesslike, strict, but with a twist. Personally, I was also hooked by the moderate amount of chrome. Reject the god chromium, for he is a false god. No, don’t think so, there are enough chrome parts in the motorcycle, but it doesn’t look vulgar. All chrome elements are located in their places and do not spoil the overall strict appearance of the motorcycle. Even the engine, apart from the intake system, is very modest in terms of chrome parts, which is good.
There is a parable about Harley-Davidson and their “positive vibrations”. You probably heard? I heard it. And I used to think that this was a bug that was being carefully turned into a feature. Well, you know, when you have some kind of shortcoming, but you don’t want to admit it at all, and by hook or by crook you try to pretend that this is how it should be, but the whole world around you simply doesn’t understand and underestimates it. It's about the same here. Those motorcycles that I tested before had a very good sound, adjusted for noise and toxicity restrictions. But as for the vibrations... On a standing motorcycle, some “lambada” was still present, but I somehow poorly associated it with “positive vibrations”, causing, at best, a smile of affection. I won’t mention here the Sportster Roadster, whose engine shakes as if in an epileptic fit, that’s a completely different story. With the StreetGlide CVO, things are different. Firstly, the sound. Oh, these basses, these beautiful basses of real fir-fir-fir. I don’t know how the engineers managed to make such a rich bass sound while meeting noise and toxicity standards, but they succeeded. The sound is simply beautiful, especially at low and mid-range speeds, and, frankly, I can’t even find an analogy for comparison. I heard a similar sound only once, when a 27-deck ferry was leaving the pier in Helsinki towards Sweden, and the ship’s diesel engine, probably with a power of about 10,000 hp, began to gain speed, and I found myself on the upper deck, near the pipes. Here is the same powerful uterine sound. At high speeds the sound is similar to the roar of an angry lion. At the same time, I don’t really want to shut up this lion. Secondly, as for vibrations, the engineers did some magic either with the balancing or with the engine mounts in the frame, but I didn’t feel any special vibrations from the word at all. And what about “positive vibrations” - when you come to the garage, start the motorcycle and let it warm up for a couple of minutes, then at low speeds this uterine low fir-fir-fir creates some kind of its own special vibration in the air, this is not only a sound, it something closer to shock waves. The operation of the engine is felt throughout the body, and not just by ear, even if you are not sitting on it at the time. Now these are vibrations. And they are really positive!
Okay, enough about the appearance, let's move on to the ride quality. Well, he's on his way. No, he doesn’t just drive, he rushes. With the same sound of an angry lion and with the same determination and inevitability, he rushes along the road. The 114-inch engine, which, for a moment, is almost 2 liters of volume, produces fantastic locomotive torque. In first gear, if you twist the throttle carelessly, as I did, the motorcycle literally takes off, perhaps without tearing up the asphalt. If he had been a little lighter, the burnout would have been inevitable. At maximum speed, of course, it cannot compete with plastic vacuum cleaners, but at the start from a traffic light and up to 100 km/h, it will definitely make them nervous. The elasticity of the motor is a separate issue altogether. With careful operation of the gas, the engine allows you to slowly parade, and, if such a need suddenly arises, to accelerate sharply, and all this in third gear. And this sound... It literally envelops you while driving, and at the same time, it feels more like it is felt on the skin than on the ear. Vibrations, so be it. Other road users are also unlikely to miss this sound. At the same time, the exhaust sound is not annoying, but rather arouses respect.
There’s not much to say about the suspension and brakes. The driving sensations are so smooth and even that you don’t immediately remember that this iron monster still has suspension and brakes somewhere. The double-disc front brake releases all this steel weight easily and naturally; two fingers on the brake lever are more than enough. Out of habit, I use the front brake more, but in the city, in principle, you can only use the rear brake, if necessary, ABS will help you. The combination of an overly comfortable seat and suspension makes the ride incredibly comfortable. I must admit, I cannot say where the work of the suspension ends and the work of the seat begins, but this tandem completely banishes from consciousness such concepts as small and medium-sized potholes, the thickness of road markings, road joints on bridges and other similar misunderstandings.
And there are all sorts of nice little things. Many people have long been accustomed to the fact that you don’t need to insert a key into a motorcycle, but they are not accustomed to the fact that you can open and close the cases directly from the remote control (which also doubles as a key tag). By the way, the panniers are quite standard, even slightly smaller than usual in the touring series, but this is due to the stereo speakers, which are located in the lids of the panniers. Their volume is quite enough for any purpose, except perhaps for trips together over long distances, and that depends on the passenger. They say that there are girls whose “traveling clutch” is less than a cubic meter in volume, but these are just rumors.) A special mention is due to the excellent cruise control, which allows you to control the motorcycle with your hands completely relaxed. A special feature of this cruise control is the gentle release of the gas when exiting the speed-holding mode, allowing the driver to level the throttle position and preventing “pivot” when the automatic system no longer maintains the speed. The system is not new for a long time, but I can’t help but mention such a convenient function; on trips of more than 100 km in one direction, it should be mandatory on such a heavy motorcycle.
And, like the cherry on the cake, like the diamond in the crown, the stereo system crowns it all. The sound quality of music on Harley-Davidson motorcycles has been excellent before, but this one stole the show. A multi-way stereo with at least 6 speakers sounds not just good, but much better than what you would generally expect from music installed on a motorcycle. Hungry guys and other owners of all sorts of BMW touring series, you will probably be upset, but what they put on your motorcycles at the factory is not something that wasn’t sitting next to you, it wasn’t even smoking on the sidelines. At a speed of 130 km/h, the music practically does not lose quality (adjusted for wind force, of course). This stereo system starts to “sound lousy” somewhere from 150 km/h and beyond. At low speeds, the stereo system’s “positive vibrations” can rival the sound of the exhaust, and together they create a simply phenomenal effect. The navigator and other joys of a modern motorcycle in the multimedia system, of course, have not gone away, but even if you remove all this and simply leave only the music playback function, then this will be more than enough for happiness.
Do you want to get caught up in the wave, no, not the wave, the tsunami of Harley-Davidson magic? Oh, I'll tell you how to do it. Get out on the road, preferably a long country road in warm weather, turn on a good Hard & Heavy louder, place your butt in the seat a little more comfortably, lean back a little, relax your arms and let's go... Sunset, a passenger and friends nearby, if desired. The effect will be amazing. I guarantee you, doctor. You will drive and smile from the entire width of your face, and you will not be able to help yourself. I’ll tell you more than that, with this positive wave you will infect those around you, and they will smile back at you. It’s like a dream come true, this warm, “lamp” feeling of the wind, this is the freedom that you have so often thought about, but which is constantly trying to elude you...
He who understands life is in no hurry. Truly so. Of course, it’s an indescribable thrill to go off into the pink-orange sunset listening to classic hard rock, especially with friends and associates, but it’s still retirement. And it doesn’t matter how old you are, you have already understood life, you have nowhere to rush, you have passed everything, you have managed to do everything, you have achieved a lot and now you can have a little calm regularity. But, damn it, this is Pen-si-ya, and the hellish flames in the eyes are replaced by embers. And this is the best case, I don’t even want to talk about the worst case with grumbling, warm slippers and Viagra. So no, apparently I haven’t understood life yet and I’m still in a hurry to get somewhere, but the smell of burnt rubber and hot asphalt and the heart-rending squeal of my inline four still make my heart beat faster. Let’s reject heretical peace and comfort, let’s overcome the vile promises of internal organs that dream of comfort and measured tranquility, and let’s look for shortcomings in the motorcycle.
The task is actually not the easiest. Of course, you can say that the motorcycle doesn’t move (compared to the R1), and in general Harley is outdated and use other grumblings of haters. But first, I try to be objective, which means I won't "judge a fish by how it climbs a tree." And secondly, something tells me that most of those who shout loudest about the fact that Harley is crap have never ridden one, and, what is even more likely, secretly dream of buying one. There is such a mental disorder (we need to find a name) when you really want something, but you know that it is unlikely that you will ever succeed, and you need to scold this something in every possible way so that it is not so offensive and you have to justify yourself to yourself. Well, I digress, let's get down to business. Of course, the Street Glide CVO will not show off its dynamic characteristics in their absolute values, and it is also unlikely to cross the 200 km/h mark, but it does not pretend to be so. We value those who are calm and unhurried, but here, I must admit, it will be difficult to find flaws. Okay, how much does it cost?
How much-how much? These are Kazakh tenge, I hope? In rubles? Are you kidding? No, they're not joking. I won’t even tell you the amount, it’s not only indecent, it’s unpronounceable. For this amount you can buy a two-room apartment in a very good condition in a very decent area of Moscow (outside the Third Transport Ring, of course, but definitely inside the Moscow Ring Road). And this amount must be paid for the motorcycle. It only has 2 wheels, and you can’t live in it... It’s mind boggling. Competitors from other manufacturers are at least 2 times cheaper, and this takes into account options (and not only factory ones). This amount immediately changes everything. A motorcycle from the category of not the cheapest toy moves into the luxury category - and there are already somewhat different laws, and manic attention to small details and decorative elements becomes a severe necessity. For such and such an amount... I’m not one of those who “earned money” for this category of goods, but there is also a demand for Rolls-Royce, which means this motorcycle will find its buyer. In this context, this technique can no longer be viewed as simply the achievement of a certain maturity (or old age); it is a much more significant manifesto. This motorcycle very clearly demonstrates that its owner has really achieved a lot in life, that he can afford a really expensive toy. But from the point of view of an expensive toy, the motorcycle is magnificent, and it has no flaws, it’s just that only some people have the money to buy it...
Well, it's time to say goodbye to the motorcycle. It became a bit of a revelation for me, since I had never driven this category of equipment before. Did I like him? Of course yes, yes. Do I want one for myself? The question is wrong. The right question is how to make money on such a motorcycle?
So I take my leave. Thank you for your attention. Peace for everyone.
Chassis CVO Limited
The traditional FL Series frame is constructed from tubular steel members supported by a solid axle member, creating structural integrity. This is a duplex frame that fully supports the engine instead of using it as a loaded structure. Mounted in a durable head tube, the fork is angled at 26 degrees and has a long trail of 17 centimeters for excellent straight-line stability. The lean angles are 34.3 degrees to the right and 33.4 degrees to the left, so the cruiser's stability doesn't force you to fight it in every turn.
The new Tomahawk wheels are shod in 130/60-19 front and 180/55-18 rear , providing a solid contact patch area. The Showa Dual Bending Valve fork softens road unevenness and, although it has no settings, handles bumps and holes much better than conventional forks.
At the rear, a gas-oil shock absorber contributes to the CVO Limited's soft ride. With the help of an adjustment wheel, it is easily and quickly adjusted according to the spring preload, thanks to which you can change the stiffness of the suspension for driving alone, with a load or with a passenger. This is important given the carrying capacity of the motorcycle.
proprietary Reflex Linked-Brake system electronically balances the braking forces of the front and rear brakes for increased stability. This system also has ABS as standard.
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Yes, Pindostan! Yes, Hollywood. As well as Malibu, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and other neighborhoods of Greater Los Angeles. Yes, Harleys, which I had a chance to ride on the southwestern flank of the Probable Enemy. So, have you listed all the stamps? But no, the main ones remain - the Legend and the Captivating Feeling of Quality. Well, I’m not at peace with the first one - excuse the old punk: I respect companies with a rich history, but I don’t suffer from brand mania, especially since there are actually a lot of brands “with a past”. In the end, the antics of Soichiro Honda, who was stung all over his head, are somehow closer to me, despite the acuteness of the racial issue, than the gloomy asceticism of the bootlegger-like William Harley and the Davidson brothers.
But the feeling of quality is amazing! But the feeling is completely different from what is mentioned in the advertising brochures of all sorts of trade winds. Here this quality is not in the glamorous buttons. It's real. Iron. The black frame "head" (on the Softail it is forged in one piece, as was common in the 20-40s, and not welded from stampings or pipes), from which a shiny grease fitting protrudes. Chrome-plated oil lines running from the tank to the dry sump are especially noticeable against the overall black background. Rough welds of the pendulum, making it clear that this chassis is in no way like a speed bump - a real cop will immediately run over along with his Colt and dog. The gloomy muttering of a large “air vent”, not muffled by the water jacket and not desecrated by the rustling of the “upper” timing chain. And - blued-alloyed “bang!” switching on the transmission. Damn, that's good! But both the press releases and a quick glance at Blackline left me indifferent. Well, they shoveled Night Train outwardly; well, they installed two squiggles instead of a “horned” steering wheel. Now you need to reach forward and down to the handles, and the footpegs remain wide (very wide, wider than other chopper-like Harleys!) spaced. So, what's worth noting here? And especially a test drive?
But they didn't ask me. “They gave me the ball - ... whose!” I... went. A dash from a place - onto the highway, there at a good pace for about 20 miles, and then, without dropping too much, into the mountains. And - it stuck! It really struck me that the motorcycle turned out to be so integral and balanced, in all its details, nuances and sensations. No irritation either from the short-travel suspension or from the strange, at first glance, ergonomics. Vice versa. Tight driving position, rigid chassis, “stretched” but not extreme geometry, which is also smoothed by a narrow rear cylinder, responsive but not harsh, engine with a good traction reserve (as pilots say, “the car follows the handle” )… Traditionally, the first three gears are “short” - and the subsequent ones are a little more “extended”. An obvious excess in the city, in the mountains and on the highway, the six-speed gearbox proved to be a very useful “innovation”. And only the widely spaced footpegs screeched frighteningly in turns, once again reminding us: “It’s a chopper, baby!” Therefore, don’t waste all your money, but just enjoy the process.
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BEFORE THE FIGHT? The company's factories are scattered throughout the country; on the historical site there are now only offices, and in the immediate vicinity, that is, Milwaukee and its suburbs, there are only a design center and an engine plant producing “old” model power units. They took us there, showing us...
...Showing that this is not old school! Modern production with automatic processing lines (almost the same as those of Yamaha or KYMCO), without its own “foundry”, but unusually brightly lit. Impact wrenches are used there only during assembly, and even that is mechanized to the limit.
There is also a factory museum in Milwaukee. Let me note: our group was unobtrusively focused on “non-format” Harleys. The very first “Harshe” was a pre-production motorcycle from the late 70s with a V4, which stood in the main exhibition (and next to it were mock-ups of the V2 and V6 overhead engines, which were developed in parallel) - as well as the contents of the storage rooms. There our attention was drawn to the failed VR1000 superbike project of the first half of the 90s (and, judging by the two racing machines and two in the road version, it was clearly being prepared for the series!) - and three prototypes of the 1100ONS, which was being prepared in the late 70s to replace Sportster.
What are these hints for, do you think?
