Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide: bikesales Bike of the Year 2023 finalist

Harley-Davidson is famous for its Grand American Touring bikes, and it has been a leader in that field for a lot of its 120-year existence. But the current platform is a little tired and requires a refresh to keep customers coming through the doors. Enter the new CVO Street Glide and its CVO Road Glide sibling.

Armed with a new engine, a heap of new technology, updated equipment, and fresh styling, the new CVO models are a big step-up from their standard counterparts. And while the changes are exclusive to the uber-special CVO models for now, it is safe to assume many of the updates will filter down to the regular models in the coming years.

The new engine is a beauty. Dubbed the Milwaukee-Eight 121, it uses the same platform as the 117 equivalent, but increases in capacity, horsepower, and torque. The donk also adds variable valve timing, a new cooling system, and other new internals that improve performance. The result is a 1977cc V-twin engine that is incredibly smooth, usable, and a whole lot of fun.

The other big improvement is electronics, which now includes a 12.3-inch TFT display, Apple CarPlay, ride modes, cornering ABS, cornering traction control, cruise control, heated grips, drag torque slip control, hill hold control, and a Rockford Fosgate audio system.

Combine all that with enhanced brakes, suspension, chassis, and styling, and you have a Grand American tourer that proves Harley is at the very top of its game.

As you’ll find out shortly, the price tag of the CVO Street Glide will exclude a fair chunk of prospective buyers.

CVO (Custom Vehicle Operations) models are designed with exclusivity in mind. Put simply, they are the very best Harley has to offer, and they have price tags to match. People who buy CVO models are looking for something unique and collectible, and something that offers premium style, performance, and comfort.

The CVO Street Glide is a luxury machine and will likely appeal to those with deep pockets, as well as hardcore Harley fans that want a piece of history in their sheds.

For everyone else, it's very likely you’ll soon be able to pick up a regular Street Glide with many of these new features for a more digestible price tag.

One thing is for sure – we didn’t nominate the CVO Street Glide for its value. Checking it at a whopping $62,495 ride away, the CVO Street Glide is the most expensive model in the 2023 BOTY field by a long way.

And if you’d prefer the stunning Whiskey Neat paint scheme over the standard Dark Platinum, then you can add another $7810 to the total.

The good news is that all the features we mentioned earlier come standard. Once you fork out that huge figure, there isn’t really much else you’ll need to add. Of course, Harley owners love customising, and there are definitely plenty of ways to do that, but pricey extras are not essential.

With CVO badges and the best components that Harley offers on production models, the CVO Street Glide is a luxury machine that comes with a certain degree of status and street cred for its owner. And that costs money.

In celebration of Harley-Davidson’s 120th anniversary, editor Dylan Ruddy headed over to Milwaukee for the inaugural Homecoming festival, which coincided with the global launch of the new CVO models. And he was impressed with the how much the Road Glide and Street Glide platforms had improved with the new updates.

“These bikes are a massive step forward for the Harley-Davidson touring range, and the exclusive and high-end nature of the CVO designation means they will be an excellent addition to any shed,” he said.

He also acknowledged the downside of the large price tag, but chose to view the CVO Street Glide and CVO Road Glide as previews of a new era for the Motor company.

“In 12 months’ time, we may see the regular Road Glide and Street Glide with many of these features, and they might be more in line with most people’s hip pockets.

“Either way, Harley has well and truly achieved its goal of building a grand touring platform for a new era. These models might just take Harley to the top of the touring tree.”

Price: $62,495 ride away
Engine: Milwaukee-Eight 121 VVT V-twin
Output: 115hp (86kW) at 4500rpm, 183Nm at 3500rpm
Transmission: Six-speed
Weight: 380kg (wet)
Seat height: 715mm
Fuel capacity: 22.7 litres