Menus
- V2, 1868 cm3, around 100 hp, 165 Nm, 398 kilos with full fuel, € 39,550
- A certain vision of the exception made in Milwaukee and a really punchy 114 engine !
- Discovery
- In the saddle
- In the city
- On motorways and main roads
- On departmental
- Part-cycle
- Brakes
- Comfort and duo
- Consumption / autonomy
- Conclusion
V2, 1868 cm3, around 100 hp, 165 Nm, 398 kilos with full fuel, € 39,550
A certain vision of the exception made in Milwaukee and a really punchy 114 engine !
Twelve thousand six hundred and forty: this is the price, in euros, which separates the catalog price, at Harley-Davidson, of an already invigorating Street Glide (€ 26,910) of its CVO version, subject of this test and displayed at € 39,550. "But for that price you have a 4×4!" exclaims my neighbor from the parking lot, completely stunned that we can put so much money in a motorbike. First effect of CVO Street Glide: quickly build a reputation in your neighborhood.
Certainly, but already, one can very well live a fulfilling life without 4×4, unless one is Daktari or Colt Sivers, the right man, these two professions being a little on the decline these days. And then the CVO Street Glide weighs 398 kilos with the full tank, which puts the price per kilo in a much more advantageous angle, a priori comparable to that of poor quality foie gras with which my neighbor feels obliged to treat his guests. during the end of year celebrations. Moral of the story: everything is relative.
Thus, since 1999, Harley-Davidson has created a CVO department. CVO for Custom Vehicles Operation, Wholesale, Custom Machine Manufacturing. Historically, CVOs are available in limited series (this has often been 2500 copies per reference, per year and for the whole world); we recognize them by their more neat paintwork, an overdose of accessories that bikers love, a neat finish, as well as an engine with optimized performance, first by the assembly of parts from "Screamin ‘Eagle", then, more recently, by a Harley engine boosted in displacement and which the rest of the range cannot benefit from. So for 2017, while Harley has upgraded its big V2 with Milwaukee Eight technology with three different versions, the Touring range as a whole has the 107 ci (1745 cm3) engine in two versions (fully air cooled on stripped-down machines, like Road King 107, or with the high water-cooled engine on those which are a little streamlined, like the Ultra Limited Low 107) while the CVOs have the 114 ci (1868 cm3) ). And don’t think the gap is just anecdotal !
The CVO policy is therefore an exclusive and very high-end treatment applied to one of the flagship models of the range. In recent years, Harley has generally offered 3 to 4 CVO machines in the catalog, their presence on the market generally being two years, with a renewal by alternation of two machines per year. In 2017, therefore, in addition to the Street Glide, the CVO range includes the Limited, already tested on the Den, as well as the Pro Street Breakout..
Discovery
In his painting "Sunburst Orange / Starfire black", there is no denying that our CVO Street Glide throws it in. Although if we compare with the previous generation of CVO Street Glide 110, tested five years ago on the Den by my colleague the valiant Damien, this one is more, dare the word but all the same, impossible to pass quotes, "discreet". The front one, dripping with chrome and spangles, looks a bit like a "circus boss’s motorcycle", while ours, with its cylinder guard and "Agressor" wheels (sic), circled in black, are more sober. . The same goes for the dashboard and the tank console, colored on the old model, while the new one leaves room for wood-style inserts. Well, it’s more Plastiwood® only pure beech vein, but at the same time, it is in tune with American culture where even the big Cadillacs had, in the 60s and 70s, woodwork that smelled good of plastic and glue.
We are not going to quibble for so little, because we have to admit that the rest of the bike looks damn good. Between the quality of the chrome, the depth of the paint and the profusion of accessories, we can attest that this bike catches the eye. Even captures it, as soon as we get into the details, with the specific elements, such as the two LED bars at the rear integrated into the hull, the flush tank cap which can be removed with a push, the new clutch housing, the air filter specific to the 114 engine, or even the speakers integrated into the saddlebags at the rear, the leather saddle with its stitching, we are indeed in high-end treatment.
And for the rest, it’s a Street Glide, with "batwing" fairing and low bubble: a machine that knows how to dose better than anyone a nonchalant posture with, all the same, the appeal of the road. On the other hand, in 5 years and of a generation of CVO Street Glide, the bike has taken almost 5500 € of price increase..
In the saddle
Before you start, you have to think about two figures: 690 mm is the saddle height, in millimeters. Very good. 380 and 398: it is the weight, in kilos, respectively dry and with the full ones. Very good too. Admittedly, the CVO Street Glide remains a big bike and the most puny builds will be advised to set their sights on a Chinese 125..
Because despite the weight that requires a little attention when maneuvering at a standstill, the task is not insurmountable. As with any good self-respecting custom, the center of gravity is extremely low and once you understand that you should not fight against this weight, but play with sensual movements of the pelvis, all is well..
On the handlebars, the plethora of equipment specific to the Street Glide is coupled with the delicate attentions of the CVO line. We have already talked about the finish, but the feelgood factor is nested in the details. Thus, the liquid crystal display in the base of the meter is made by "inverted" crystals, ie clear on a black background, whereas it is the reverse on the more "commoner" Harleys. In addition to the two trips and the remaining range, we also have information on the tire pressure. This is how we treat the high-end customer !
For the rest, we appreciate the keyless start and the intuitive operation of the Boom Box, in particular thanks to the buttons located at the base of the commodos. Still, when it comes to infotainment, Indian’s Ride Command has surpassed the Harley system. On the other hand, the sound system of the CVO is better than that of the Indian! One everywhere, ball in the center…
In the city
You have to dare to run such an expensive machine in the millimeter space of the peripheral’s interface. 40,000 balls, anyway! But CVO Street Glide helps push the pill. Not because it has earned you the envious looks of connoisseurs, but because it is, all in all, easy to carry, thanks to a weight located at the very bottom and excellent balance at low speed.
The big 1870cc V-twin overflows with force from the lowest graduations of the tachometer. It even has an almost brutal operation, with a fairly firm clutch that bites suddenly and a downright copious response from the first millimeters of gas coiled (it’s an expression: there is a by-wire). So, you have to dose gently, even more in the rain. But the fans of sensations adore: it deposits, this Harley, but by applying, it is also flexible with its big V2 which resumes at 1500 rpm without hiccuping. Suddenly, in town, in third at a little over 2000 rpm, we scroll on the boulevards in style !
Braking is powerful and easy to control. During our test of the new Harley-Davidson range, in the fall and in Washington State in the United States, the weather and driving conditions did not really allow us to see how much one of the arguments put forward by Harley-Davidson was valid: according to Milwaukee, Milwaukee Eight engines heat up significantly less in town. And this test in Paris makes it possible to validate it: no more Harleys that burn your thighs! There, the fan comes on quickly and the heat release is limited. Last good point: the rigid saddlebags with a capacity of 68 liters make it easy to carry a lock.
On motorways and main roads
3000 rpm in 6th gear, the spaceship cruises at 130 km / h with a low growl. Protection, without being exceptional (depending on your size, the shoulders will be protected, but not necessarily the top of the helmet, while air nets return to the thighs; at the same time, if you want full protection, there is a Electra Glide or even better: a car) is quite correct and allows you to swallow the terminals without suffering.
And this, even if the rear shock absorber is a little firm on small irregularities, the overall comfort remains high level despite everything. Once again, we can only praise the breath of this 114 engine, Power, torque, all this is also there. but above all, little inertia, an ability to propel you forward with a good big blow of gas with a big potato available from 2500 to 4000 rpm and which does not run out of steam above. It’s downright addicting, this engine.
On departmental
And suddenly, a good engine on the highway is also a very good engine on the small highway! Here again, block 114 participates in the (great!) Pleasure of driving this bike, of vigorously reviving when exiting a curve, of savoring this emotion. The CVO Street Glide is definitely one of the machines with a big motor character. And, as its chassis is healthy, especially for a custom and in absolute terms, even a little, we take pleasure in taking it from one turn to another, even if, in the event of a rather heavy attack , we inevitably manage to find the limits.
But the pleasure is not there: it lies in the connection that one feels with this downright generous twin-cylinder, its ability to propel you with a unique and suave mixture of strength and smoothness..
Part-cycle
Classic and not necessarily different from the standard Street Glide. 1625 mm wheelbase, front tire 130/60 x 19, rear tire 180/55 x 18, the biggest difference lies in the difference in equipment and finish, responsible for a weight increase of 19 kilos on the CVO. The angle take, in both cases, is 31 ° on one side and 32 ° on the other.
Brakes
Harley-Davidson is not very talkative in its technical sheets. We are happy to know that there are fixed 4-piston calipers and 32 cm discs. So. Still, the braking is very satisfactory, powerful and measurable. And all the more so, with the potato of the engine, we can arrive downright quickly on the bends. But the braking ensures, on condition of coupling the effort well and not neglecting the rear.
Comfort and duo
It is very correct there too, without however being exceptional, due to a somewhat firm rear suspension. For the comfort of the passenger, a small sissy-bar will not be luxury and even less when accelerating given the resources of the 114.
Consumption / autonomy
The neatly painted tank is 22.7 liters and its orifice, CVO version requires, withdraws with a subtle pressure / rotation. On this test, consumption on the motorway was a little over 5 l / 100 and that on small roads a little less than 6 l / 100. Enough to leave clearly more than 350 km of autonomy, which is in line with the touring vocation of this bike..
Conclusion
The CVO Street Glide is a bit like the Holy Trinity of the biker. One: a very high-end level of equipment and finish. Two: a masterful CVO engine, powerful and torquey, which hums well at half speed and which does not at all make you think of mounting a Stage 1 or a Stage 2, it works so well from the outset. This engine is a purchasing motivation in itself. Three: the sum of the parts is sublimated in the spirit of Street Glide, relaxed and stylish bagger.
Admittedly, at nearly 40,000 €, we go a bit beyond the rational approach to motorcycles. The question is less whether it is worth them than whether it has everything to arouse desire. Insofar as the engine room pulls with the force of a locomotive and the chassis ensures, which combines to provide driving pleasure at all times, the answer is undoubtedly positive. !
Strong points
- Really nice, punchy, smooth, powerful and good-sounding motor
- Almost brutal response to the throttle (excellent for sensations, less for the cozy!)
- Build quality and attention to detail
- Posture on the road
- Driving pleasure
- Correct braking
- Convincing sound system and boom box
- Milwaukee Eight engine that runs cooler in town
Weak points
- Clutch a little firm
- Firm rear suspension
- Faux wood on the dashboard, it’s kitsch !
- Price a little high, possibly !
Datasheet
Test conditions
- Itinerary: 800 km with a duo ride in the Belgian Ardennes, the motorway and many small roads, as well as a few days of daily use in Paris
- Motorcycle mileage: 950 km
- Problem encountered: the GPS mapping bugged once with a black screen in the middle of Paris. Windows-style troubleshooting: you shut down, you restart, it works…
Competition: Indian Chieftain
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