Harley’s CVO (Custom Vehicle Operations) division routinely cooks up some pretty epic versions of already special bikes. But this one is different because where CVO bikes are usually all about luxury, the additional ‘ST’ suffix should tell you that this motorcycle is a step above being ‘just special’. Say hello to the Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST, the most expensive Harley you can buy off the showroom floor today.
Harley started with the CVO Road Glide and then turned everything up to 11. Everything on this bike, including the engine, suspension, exhaust and material finish, is a cut above. This bike gets a few carbon-fibre elements, too, in the form of the rear seat cowl, front fender, exhaust tips and tank console – all fancy elements that are clearly inspired by Harley’s exploits in the mad ‘bagger racing’ category in America.
Naturally, I was quite apprehensive that I’d be riding a $42,000, 380kg flagship on track in the rain. Much to my surprise, the CVO Road Glide ST (yes, a mouthful of a name) was noticeably more manageable than the nearly 160kg lighter Sportster S I had just hopped off. I think a slimmer front tyre – still a 130-section, so not slim in the traditional sense – and those wide ape-hangers are two of the main reasons.
Unlike the Sportster S, to which giving full gas even in Rain mode would be nerve-wracking in torrential conditions, I was already in Sport mode on the CVO within a lap. I think this is one of those few situations where the weight was a boon, not a bane. Because you’ve got close to 400 kilos to haul around, the tyres were firmly glued to the Bira track’s surface.
And that allowed me to experience the full might of the 127hp and 197Nm that this 1,977cc, high-output V-Twin puts out. The engine sounds properly meaty when you whack open the throttle, and that’s thanks to the titanium Screamin’ Eagle mufflers that are standard here. The Brembo brakes are also potent, and they haul this 380kg land yacht down to a halt with surprising ease.
The gearbox was also very un-Harley-like without very pronounced clunks while changing gears –again, a good thing – and this suits the nature of this bike more. Aggressive downshifting wasn’t a problem either, and even in the inclement weather I was riding in, the rear didn’t hop or chatter too much.
Ultimately, the Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST is an exercise in excess, but what an exercise! You can get faster, lighter and more powerful bikes for far less money, but there’s something about a big, powerful Harley bagger that few other bikes can encapsulate the feel and presence of. For the thin sliver of the bike-buying demographic that can afford it, this will be a hoot to ride from coast to coast.
Gavin Rodrigues
Rishaad Mody
