Licks Cycles: Harley-Davidson re-invents its Grand American Touring CVOs

Harley-Davidson has constructed new CVO Road Glide and CVO Highway Glide fashions to introduce what Australian Highway Rider believes will probably be new platform for the touring fashions shifting ahead.

That includes modifications to just about each a part of the bikes, there appears to be little left aside from the names and the enduring silhouettes we affiliate with these fashions left over from earlier fashions.
There’s the brand new 121 cubic inch engine – that’s 1977cc – producing 115hp (86kW) at 5020rpm and 183Nm at 3500. Controlling that torque is Showa suspension, now upside-down on the entrance and all-new on the again, adjustable for preload and rebound damping, and with extra journey.
However that’s solely scratching the floor of the modifications – there’s new Brembo brakes, higher aero, improved consolation within the seats and driving place, upgraded electronics and audio programs, modifications to the fairing designs and lighting, a large digital instrument show… and but the 2 new bikes are appreciable lighter than the fashions they substitute.
Availabilty and pricing will probably be introduced quickly.

The Fashions

The brand new bikes are mid-2023 fashions, persevering with Harley’s follow of launching new bikes mid-year as the corporate has carried out for some time now – and introducing these two bikes now leaves the Motor Firm the chance to get everybody enthusiastic about what else is likely to be coming at a extra inexpensive value, for whereas pricing has been introduced but, no CVO has ever been low-cost.
Harley describes the 2 new bikes thus: “The beautiful new design creates dynamic move among the many key elements of the motorbike – the fairing, gas tank, aspect covers and saddlebags. The result’s a dramatic visible transformation that respects and is clearly developed from the acquainted shapes of earlier Harley-Davidson Grand American Touring bikes.”

Whereas each bikes retain the household look homeowners know and love, the updates are important. The Road Glide’s is described thus: “the silhouette has been up to date to current a sooner total look with the splitstream vent now totally built-in into the design. Undercuts beneath the headlamp are extra pronounced. Signature LED lighting is used as a particular design ingredient and offers on the spot recognition of the brand new mannequin, even at evening. Amber LED flip indicators are seamlessly built-in”.
The Highway Glide’s ‘Sharknose’ fairing is extra aggressively styled. “Extra floor pressure and the definition of a well-trained athlete. In examples of design move, the aft fringe of the brand new fairing pertains to the gas tank form, and the sting of the decrease portion of the fairing to the entrance engine cylinder. A single LED headlamp has a large, horizontal form and seems to have twin components, recalling a key function of all earlier Highway Glide fairings. The “W” form of signature ahead lighting offers on the spot recognition of this new mannequin. Amber flip sign lamps are built-in throughout the outer parts of the signature lighting, eliminating the earlier bullet flip indicators.”
Different modifications abound: a ‘trimmed’ entrance fender (guard), totally different tank and sidecovers, extra compact wanting (however really bigger) baggage, new (19-inch entrance, 18-inch rear) laced wheels with tyre strain monitoring and unique paint finishes.

The ability

The modifications to the Milwaukee 8 engine to create the brand new VVT 121 powerplant are lengthy and detailed, with the outcome being improved warmth administration for the rider with much less warmth coming off the rear cylinder, eight per cent extra torque and 9.5 per cent extra energy… and an improved exhaust notice.
“Variable Valve Timing (VVT) broadens the general powerband, improves torque administration and enhances effectivity to extend vary from every tank of gas (in comparison with the identical engine with mounted valve timing). By means of laptop management, VVT advances or retards camshaft timing infinitely by way of a possible vary of 40 levels of crankshaft rotation. Riders might expertise a 3 % to five % enchancment in gas economic system over a typical drive cycle in comparison with related bikes powered by the Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine.”
There’s a high-performance camshaft, new cylinder heads and intact tract, new airbox and exhaust all contributing to the elevated efficiency and higher gas economic system.
To make discovering impartial simpler there’s a brand new shift drum. Charging output has been elevated so you may add extra equipment and hold your battery wholesome.

Lighter Heavyweights

At 391kg, you’d hardly describe the CVO Highway Glide as something aside from a heavyweight motorbike, but it surely’s 14 kg lighter than the earlier model, achieved by shaving of a gram right here and a gram there… for the Road Glide, its weight is down 15kg.

Gear and ergos

47mm the wrong way up Showa forks grace the entrance of the brand new CVOs providing 117mm of wheel journey, with radially-mounted Brembo brakes offering the stopping energy. Rear suspension journey sees a welcome improve in wheel journey to 76mm – up a whopping 50 per cent.
HD describe the rear suspension like this: “Showa twin outboard emulsion know-how shock absorbers function a brand new distant hydraulic pre-load adjustment knob positioned ahead of the left saddlebag. Changes can simply be made to rear suspension preload with out instruments or elimination of the saddlebag to accommodate as much as a further 100 kilos of cargo loading or short-term passenger changes past the first suspension loading situation. Pre-load adjustment for the first loading situation (the situation that the bike will most frequently be utilized in, for instance rider solely or rider plus passenger) is achieved by eradicating the suitable saddlebag and adjusting the threaded preload adjuster with the offered spanner device. Rear suspension rebound damping can also be adjustable to offer supreme suspension efficiency throughout a variety of loading situations. Adjustment is made utilizing a dial on the underside of every shock absorber, which requires elimination of the saddlebags.”
Australian Highway Rider criticised the rear suspension on the final Road Glide examined by the journal, saying “It’s snug, however the brief journey suspension struggles on something tough.”
An additional inch of rear wheel journey mixed with upgraded elements will assist, however at almost half a ton with two folks on board we’d have favored to have seen much more (the Extremely has round an inch extra).
The entrance brakes are four-piston Brembos gripping 320mm rotors, 20mm up from earlier fashions. The rear can also be a four-piston Brembo with a 300mm disc. The entrance brake lever is adjustable.
A Cornering Anti-Lock Braking System (C-ABS) is included.
New LED lighting abounds, with the symptoms now built-in into the fairing design, so no stalks.
These CVO fashions function a “signature lighting with a definite look that identifies these bikes as the brand new CVO fashions.” There’s even a particular 10-second shutdown sequence for “a dramatic impact curb aspect”.
A low seat peak of simply 678mm (laden) makes it straightforward to get your ft down, whereas the brand new seat form is extra snug on the lengthy haul.
The CVO Highway Glide’s handlebar has a brand new form – wider and flatter for a extra pure driving place. It may be adjusted by way of 27 levels for personalisation.
There’s been work carried out to enhance the best way the bikes punch by way of the air.
“Aero and Thermal Consolation are knowledgeable by all-new fairings with a “floating” windshield design, a part of a totally new aerodynamic system. Every aero system ingredient was created utilizing CFD (computational fluid dynamics) instruments, wind tunnel evaluation and real-world subjective testing with an emphasis on lowering rider helmet buffeting at freeway velocity. Many riders will discover that the mixture of improved aero design and adjustable components leads to a big enchancment in total aero consolation in comparison with the fairing/windshield mixture of earlier Grand American Touring fashions.”
Harley claims helmet buffeting is lowered by as much as 60 per cent, one more reason your editor is within the background cheering.
“…with a lot of the breeze hitting my helmet midway up, buffeting was positively a difficulty”, he wrote in his evaluate of the Road Glide S a few years in the past.
Riders can now dial in airflow by way of the fairings by way of an adjustable management vane within the centre vent of each new fashions – the ensuing change in air strain behind the fairing reduces buffeting. There are additionally adjustable vanes on the trailing fringe of the Highway Glide’s fairing to channel air onto the rider’s chest, and air deflectors on the fork skirts of the Road Glide designed to scale back turbulence.

Electronics

There’s an enormous array of electronics offering leisure and security for anybody aboard one of many new CVOs. There’s an enormous 12.3-inch touchscreen TFT show, driving modes, Apple CarPlay, smartphone connectivity and storage, WiFi connectivity, Bluetooth, voice recognition, a Digital Audio radio possibility and a Rockford Fosgate Stage II audio system with 150w fairing and saddlebag audio system.
Every bike is provided with a single headset, too.
Harley-Davidson’s security gear is embrace:
• Cornering Electronically Linked Brakes (C-ELB)
• Cornering ABS (C-ABS)
• Cornering Traction Management (C-TCS) with modes
• Cornering Drag Torque Slip Management (C-DTSC)
• Automobile Maintain Management (VHC)
• Tyre Strain Monitoring (TPMS)
The driving modes embrace Highway, Sport, Rain and two customized modes.
Harley describe every this fashion:
• Highway Mode: Meant for every day use, Highway Mode delivers balanced efficiency. This mode affords less-aggressive throttle response and fewer mid-range engine energy than Sport Mode, with a better degree of C-ABS and C-TCS intervention.
• Sport Mode: Sport Mode can maximise the rider’s connection to the motorbike. The rider can expertise the total efficiency potential of the motorbike in a direct and exact method, with full energy and the quickest throttle response. C-TCS is about to its lowest degree of intervention, and engine braking is elevated.
• Rain Mode: This mode is designed to provide the rider better confidence when driving within the rain or when traction is in any other case compromised. Rain Mode can also be an acceptable setting
for riders constructing confidence as they turn out to be acquainted with the motorbike. Throttle response and energy output are programmed to considerably restrain the speed of acceleration, engine braking is proscribed, and the very best ranges of C-ABS and C-TCS intervention are chosen.
• Customized Mode: Inside two accessible Customized Experience Modes the rider might create a set of efficiency traits to fulfill private desire or for particular conditions. To create a Customized Mode the rider makes use of the contact display screen show to pick their mixed desire of engine torque supply traits, engine braking, throttle response, and C-TCS and C-ABS intervention, inside particular ranges.
The massive 12.3-inch touchscreen interface replaces earlier combined analog and digital programs with an enormous, new show.
You may select between three show choices…
• Cruise: Essentially the most conventional presentation depicts a separate speedometer and tachometer with satellite tv for pc gauges for gas degree and engine temperature. Minimal widget data could also be contained throughout the tachometer.
• Sport: Meant for efficiency riders, this view locations a dial tachometer in the course of the show with a digital speedometer in its centre. This view expands areas for widgets to provide the rider alternative to show extra data.
• Tour: Meant for long-haul riders and shows a centred navigation map and turn-by-turn directions from Apple machine projection or the embedded navigation show. Widget data might be exhibited to the suitable of the map, or the rider can change to Full View to increase the map over extra of the show space.
Widgets are objects of extra data, together with outdoors temperature, vary, journey meters and so on.
There’s additionally a experience planner to be used at the side of the Harley-Davidson Experience Planner web site.

Paint and Finishes

The brand new CVO Road Glide and CVO Highway Glide fashions will probably be provided with two paint/end decisions:
Commonplace Darkish Platinum with Vivid Smoked Satin pinstriping and colour-matched internal fairing. Powertrain and air cleaner are Gloss Black with Scorched Chrome accents on the engine inserts. The decrease rocker bins, pushrod tubes and exhaust are completed in Scorched Chrome. Adversary Assortment equipment are completed in Black powder coat with machined highlights.
Non-compulsory for a further cost, Whiskey Neat/Raven Metallic two-tone with colour- matched internal fairing. This complicated paint scheme is hand-applied. Raven Metallic panels are laid over the deep orange Whiskey Neat base, with airbrush accents and a brilliant orange pinstripe on the color break. Powertrain and air cleaner are Gloss Black with orange accents on the engine inserts. The decrease rocker bins and pushrod tube collars are painted Whiskey Neat. Pushrod tubes and exhaust are chrome. Adversary Assortment equipment function a Black and Orange double anodised end.