The Sharknose 2023 CVO Road Glide Launches A New Chapter For Harley

Harley-Davidson has launched its new 2023 CVO Road Glide motorcycle, offering a more aggressive and powerful bike over the standard Road Glide.

Harley-Davidson remains the king of motorcycles in the United States. Now, it has bolstered its lineup with two editions to the CVO range. The new Street Glide, and the bike we are looking at here, the Road Glide. The CVO stands for Custom Vehicle Operations. Motorcycles that offer limited edition customized alternatives to the mass-produced models that Harley usually produces. The new CVO Road Glide offers just that with an epic shark nose.

The Road Glide also gets its power from a Milwaukee-Eight engine, providing nearly 2,000 cc as well as over 100 hp. It is quite an expensive bike priced twice as much as the standard bike, but you get a great-looking and powerful machine for your hard-earned dollars.

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As the mantra with CVO bikes is to make them look as different as possible from the standard, the new Road Glide is sporting a radical shark nose design for its new fairing. Harley says this offers more surface tension and definition to the Road Glide. And it's a dramatic change from the standard Road Glide's fairing. The front of the bike is now pointier and more aggressive. With a more angular headlight housing and more bodywork to cover the frame of the bike. The headlight has a wide and horizontal shape, and a head-on view shows off the twin elements of the design.

Harley-Davidson has also changed other design features. The front fairing is now trimmed at the rear of the panel, while the manufacturer has ensured there is also less skirt depth. This is to reduce the visual mass at the front of the bike and reveal more of its distinctive wheel design. This trimming of the skirts also reveals the inverted forks and the radial brake calipers from Brembo which further differentiates the bike from the standard model. All of these changes are exclusive to the limited-edition CVO.

The paintwork also sees a few additions compared to what is on offer with the standard bike. First, the standard colors are Dark Platinum with Bright Smoked Satin pinstriping, while the fairing color matches. The powertrain and air cleaner complement it with a Gloss Black finish plus Scorched Chrome accents. Harley-Davidson is adding some exclusive optional colors to the new CVO Road Glide too. Including Whiskey Neat and Raven Metallic two-tone, which also features bright orange pinstriping.

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One of the differences between the CVO specials and the regular Road Glide is the engine. In their CVO series, Harley will add larger-displacement engines over the mainstream models. Engines that work their way into the mainstream range of bikes when the CVO editions are again upgraded. For this latest CVO, the engine Harley-Davidson has chosen is the Milwaukee-Eight VV 121. This is a 121 cubic inch powertrain, with a compression ratio of 11.4:1 while the company recommends that 91 octane fuel is used with the engine.

It's a powerful, 45-degree engine too, offering 115 hp or 1,977 cc. The engine also has 139 lb-ft of torque, and it provides eight percent more torque and 9.5 percent more horsepower than the twin-cooled Milwaukee Eight 117 engine. This is in standard Harleys such as the regular Road Glide and Street Glide. Meaning it is also a bigger engine compared to what Harley used in the 2022 CVO Road Glide. The power level of the 2023 Road Glide in its conventional form is 86 hp with 111 lb-ft of torque. It's not just the power that Harley has worked hard on with the engine. But they’ve put a lot of effort into making sure the engine provides a better experience for the rider too.

For example, the new Milwaukee-Eight has an improved cooling system. This is focused on the exhaust valve area of each cylinder head, helping to improve the thermal comfort of the rider. Harley says this is particularly noticeable during low-speed riding situations, and in hot weather. The newly redesigned four-valve cylinder heads all incorporate new channels for coolant flow around the exhaust valve areas. An electric pump circulates a coolant solution to the hotter rear cylinder head, then to the front, then to a new heat exchanger low on the front of the frame. A fan then directs airflow below the bike for that enhanced comfort.

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To make the Road Glide as good for long-haul road trips as possible, the CVO edition has had a few extra things done to increase long-haul ergonomics. For starters, the seat shape is now redesigned. New padding materials have offered a big improvement in comfort over long distances. Harley says that it allows the hips of the rider to rotate to a neutral position. This is relative to the spine. In theory, it will help reduce fatigue on a rider's back and neck.

Smaller details help to make the bike more comfortable to ride too. The front brake hand lever is adjustable for reach to match the best hand size or preference of the rider. Little details like this will make the overall riding experience much more enjoyable. One new feature that will make long-haul trips more enjoyable is the bike's new infotainment system, powered by the Skyline OS. It's the most technologically advanced infotainment ever on a Harley. It replaces all the regular analog instrumentation and switches found on previous CVO bikes.

The system even works with Apple CarPlay, although not Android Auto. But it does support regular connectivity to either type of phone. Nor do you need an app on your phone to get the system to work, with it providing a much more seamless experience.

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As you would expect, the CVO is more expensive than your standard Road Glide. Prices for the bike start out at $42,999 for the MSRP, for both the Road Glide and Street Glide. The bikes should reach Harley-Davidson showrooms globally in mid-July. To put it into context, the starting price for the standard Road Glide in 2023 is $21,999, so it is nearly a $20,000 increase to the new CVO version.

The CVO Road Glide offers more power, more aggressive looks, and a few extra features over the standard Road Glide. The bike has all the power needed for daily riding. While it should also provide a great platform for riders to enjoy long-distance trips without getting uncomfortable.

Source: Harley-Davidson

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