Motorcyclist Magazine evaluates Harley-Davidson's 2023 Road Glide CVO ($48,999 as tested) during the official U.S. press introduction in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Photography: Brian J. Nelson
Video: Adam Waheed
Motorcycle Riding Gear Worn
Helmet: Arai Contour-X
Jacket: REV'IT! Component H20
Pant: REV'IT! Piston
Gloves: REV'IT! Chevron 2
Boots: TCX Rush 2 Air
Read the best motorcycle news and reviews: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/
Photography: Brian J. Nelson
Video: Adam Waheed
Motorcycle Riding Gear Worn
Helmet: Arai Contour-X
Jacket: REV'IT! Component H20
Pant: REV'IT! Piston
Gloves: REV'IT! Chevron 2
Boots: TCX Rush 2 Air
Read the best motorcycle news and reviews: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00 Hey folks, good morning. We're coming from Milwaukee, Wisconsin inside the official Harley-Davidson Experience Center.
00:11 Today we're going to be operating the 2023 Harley-Davidson Road Glide CVO and the 2023 Harley-Davidson Street Glide CVO, that silver bike over there down yonder.
00:27 These are all new vehicles from Harley-Davidson Motor Company out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
00:34 These vehicles represent the creme de la creme in Harley-Davidson's 2023 vehicle lineup.
00:42 These are CVO bikes. Yes!
00:47 Now CVO bikes are so boss because they come with a bunch of upgraded things, like this root beer paint job.
00:56 Look at this paint job. This paint job is boss.
01:01 Did you know that it takes a human being 10 hours to paint the saddlebags on this motorcycle?
01:08 They're painted by hand. Look at that.
01:11 So the CVO also comes with a bunch of cool parts like that intake, this big larger diameter exhaust, and a bunch of neat things to make your riding experience that much more.
01:28 Now these bikes are limited in production number. Harley-Davidson sells every one of these bikes every year.
01:35 In fact, these bikes sell so well, I don't really even understand why they would do a press introduction for them.
01:41 Because they're going to be sold every year whether you folks buy them or not.
01:45 Someone's buying these bikes because they are boss.
01:48 Now this bike starts at $43,000.
01:52 So it ain't cheap, but if you're looking for the best of the best in big-bore V-twin touring comfort, these CVO bikes are it.
02:04 Alright folks, we're going to head to the vehicle right now and put on our motorcycle riding gear, and then we're going to start operating this bike. We'll see in a little bit.
02:13 Alright folks, here we are. Here is the first vehicle we're going to operate.
02:18 This is a 2023 Harley-Davidson Road Glide CVO.
02:23 Look how boss this thing looks with the root beer paint job.
02:27 And look at that engine. Nearly 2 liters of engine capacity, 121 cubic inches.
02:36 I think that's right around 1994 cc's if my math is correct.
02:42 So this thing is actually, if you can even believe it, this thing is water-cooled.
02:48 Harley-Davidson does not like to say it's water-cooled because they don't, but that's what it is.
02:53 So it's water-cooled. The reservoir, coolant reservoir is right here.
02:59 It uses the very smallest amount of coolant.
03:03 And there is the radiator. So it's oil-cooled and water-cooled with the very smallest amount of water fluid.
03:11 Look at that engine. A lot of great modifications to this engine for the 2023 model year.
03:18 The cylinder heads have been updated. The camshaft profile is different.
03:24 This is still a Milwaukee 8 engine design, which I think debuted for the 2016 model year.
03:34 So this is a 45 degree V-twin, one cam on the other side, and four valve cylinder heads.
03:44 And that is the general engine configuration.
03:48 Alright folks, we're going to gear up and go for our ride. See you later.
03:52 Alright folks, here we are on our 2023 Harley-Davidson Road Glide CVO.
04:01 Right away sitting on this bike, geez louise, these things are comfortable.
04:09 This seat is so nice. It supports my rear end. It's awesome.
04:17 I just fit on this bike like a glove. I like that the seat has a nice cutout in it.
04:25 So it holds me in place. There's almost like a slight, not rest, but almost like a slight rest.
04:36 Which locks you in position. I really like that.
04:42 The seat height on this vehicle is really low. I'm standing at 6 feet tall with both of my feet firmly planted on the asphalt.
04:52 If you're a more height challenged rider, you're going to like this thing just because the seat height is so low.
05:00 Now we're operating this bike in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This is Harley-Davidson's hometown.
05:09 They have been manufacturing motorcycles here in Wisconsin for 120 years. Isn't that crazy?
05:18 Over a century of motorcycle manufacturing right here in America.
05:26 So we lost the group. There's lots of stop lights here.
05:32 Because we're good motorists, we adhere to the letter of the law.
05:36 If the light is yellow, we are stopping. We're not skating through like other motorcycle riders.
05:41 We obey all U.S. traffic laws. We are advocates of safety.
05:46 So whenever we operate any type of power sports vehicle, we always don a helmet.
05:52 We always don gloves. We always don appropriate footwear, jacket, and riding jeans or pant.
06:00 So sometimes you're riding with a group and there's a stop light.
06:06 If you're not right on them, you might get left behind.
06:10 We're the kind of rider who's going to get left behind today because we follow all rules.
06:16 Alright folks, we are taking a left here.
06:22 Look at those turn signals. This bike is just boss.
06:26 This thing just drips in luxury.
06:30 It's kind of funny because you don't normally associate Harley-Davidson bikes with luxury.
06:35 But that's what these CVOs are. These things are just luxurious V-Twin cruisers.
06:42 Back to the comfort. I really like the seat on this thing.
06:45 This handlebar, if you can even believe it, this is a production handlebar.
06:50 I thought it was some kind of accessory.
06:52 This is actually, if you can even believe it, Harley-Davidson, this is a mid-handlebar height.
06:58 Obviously, if you want the handlebar even higher, you can rotate it forward inside this top clamp.
07:06 So you loosen these four Allen bolts and you can move this handlebar more forward.
07:14 Conversely, if you want the handlebar low in your lap, like you would a touring street bike,
07:21 you can do the same thing and put the handlebar in your lap and then you roll these controls forward.
07:26 So I'm not going to lie, this handlebar is pretty tall.
07:31 This is a tall handlebar, but if you want an even taller handlebar, you can do that by rolling the bar forward.
07:40 There are some Harley-Davidson motorcycle enthusiasts right there.
07:46 Gosh, I can't wait to open this thing up.
07:49 All right, folks, we're going to catch up with you in a little bit when we're out of this stop-and-go city BS.
07:55 All right, folks, we couldn't show you, we don't have the mechanical key to show you.
08:00 There's actually not a mechanical key for it.
08:02 Well, there is to lock the steering head, but this motorcycle uses a proximity-based key fob.
08:11 But Harley-Davidson has actually modified the vehicle code for this event, and these bikes can start without any key fob.
08:21 That security function has been eliminated.
08:25 But normally you'd have to have a proximity-based key fob to have the vehicle start.
08:32 Wow, look at this. This is awesome.
08:36 What a beautiful city in the summer. This is so rad.
08:41 All right, folks, so see, it's crazy comfortable.
08:44 Handlebar is kind of strangely high, but maybe we'll get used to it.
08:52 Now, this vehicle has a hydraulic clutch.
08:55 It may not look like it because there's no traditional clutch reservoir, but this is hydraulic.
09:01 The clutch lever pull is--you still need to have a hefty hand to operate the clutch on this vehicle, especially compared to a normal street bike.
09:11 This is not a wimpy clutch lever pull at all.
09:16 So you're going to have to have a little bit of hand strength to be able to use the clutch.
09:21 Now, Harley-Davidson's, they generally have really on/off clutches.
09:28 So either the clutch is engaged or it's disengaged.
09:32 There's not a lot of clutch slip modulation like there would be in a conventional motorcycle.
09:38 But this clutch lever, just launching the bike away from a stop, it has a little bit more feel than I do remember previous versions have.
09:49 You can kind of drag the clutch a little bit more than you could versus older Harley-Davidson's.
09:57 Older Harley-Davidson's, if you wanted to launch, you just drop the clutch.
10:01 There's no modulation. There's no slipping the clutch.
10:04 So good job, Harley-Davidson, adding some feel to the clutch lever.
10:11 Wow, look at this view, folks.
10:14 This is Lake Michigan to our right.
10:18 All right, seat's super comfortable, handlebar's tall.
10:21 This thing has almost forward foot control.
10:25 So there's floorboards where you put your feet.
10:28 The rear brake is actuated with this big brake pedal here on the right, while the gear shifter has a heel shifter on it, too.
10:39 So you can actually upshift into the next cog by pressing down on that heel shifter.
10:45 I love heel shifters.
10:47 It just makes riding more fun because you just stop down and it grabs the gear and you disappear.
10:55 All right, engine on this bad boy.
10:58 121 cubic inches, which is nearly 2,000 cc, so nearly a 2-liter engine powers this thing.
11:06 Isn't that crazy? Isn't it crazy that this engine's so big?
11:10 Nearly 2 liters, that's the capacity of more capacities than some automobile engines here.
11:18 Now, as you see those folks right there, we are operating this vehicle in the state of Wisconsin.
11:24 The state of Wisconsin does not have helmet law for motorcycles.
11:29 So you actually don't have to wear a helmet in this state if you don't want to.
11:33 Isn't that crazy?
11:35 Again, we're big advocates of safety. It's all gear all the time when we're operating any type of power sports vehicle.
11:42 And that's the facts.
11:44 So nearly 2-liter engine.
11:48 It puts back power via a six-speed transmission and belt final drive.
11:56 God, this engine, it's crazy.
11:58 These engines just get smoother and smoother and smoother and smoother and smoother.
12:04 It is unbelievable how well-engineered this engine feels.
12:11 It's got a really pleasing sound to it.
12:15 It's got a little bit of vibration, but not a lot.
12:19 You'd be really amazed at how little vibration this thing has through the controls.
12:25 And the vibration it does have is the right kind of vibration.
12:30 The Tuning Fork brand is excellent in making sure that the engines are tuned for the right amount of vibration at different engine running RPM.
12:44 And it seems Harley-Davidson's done the same thing.
12:47 This thing is tuned really well.
12:49 Here at idle, you definitely hear that lump, lump, lump and have more engine vibration than you would at speed.
12:58 But I like it.
13:00 Alright folks, we're going to tune in with you in a little bit.
13:03 We're about to do our photo stop, I believe.
13:06 So we'll do our photo stop and catch up with you in a little bit.
13:11 Alright folks, cruising down this Wisconsin highway.
13:18 This vehicle rides on all-new suspension.
13:22 So the Road Glide's adopted a Showa-sourced inverted fork.
13:29 Harley-Davidson loves using Showa components.
13:32 You probably wouldn't know it's Showa because it's never labeled, but their suspension is always Showa.
13:38 Showa's a Japanese company.
13:40 So this thing has a 47mm inverted fork.
13:44 It looks like a sport bike fork, which I love.
13:48 I'm a big sport bike guy.
13:50 An inverted fork front suspension is awesome because not only does it look super cool,
13:57 but it offers a more rigid design than a conventional telescopic fork.
14:06 So we now have an inverted fork with nearly 5 inches of suspension travel.
14:13 So it's got a lot of suspension travel out back.
14:16 We have two Showa shocks on either side of the bike.
14:21 And they now offer 3 inches of suspension travel, which is an inch more than the previous iteration.
14:30 The previous iteration was right around 2 inches. Now it has 3.
14:34 And this thing rides.
14:36 Harley-Davidson touring bikes always, not always, but in the last decade, they have always ridden marvelously.
14:44 But with this new suspension, the handling precision and the damping precision of this vehicle is on a new level.
14:54 We said earlier that Harley-Davidson is going to hate us, but these bikes are more Japanese than ever.
15:00 That is a signature trait of a Japanese bike.
15:03 It's the precise handling, precise damping response of the suspension.
15:08 And that's what this bike has.
15:10 Soaks up the bumps really well.
15:12 Obviously, we haven't gotten to tackle this bike in corners like we would on the West Coast.
15:18 But just feeling how much more responsive the suspension is, I bet this thing would get some around turns.
15:27 And it's really amazing just moving the bike from left to right like we are now.
15:31 This 800-pound bike dances really well.
15:35 I can't believe how maneuverable this vehicle is.
15:38 It's awesome.
15:40 Good job, Harley-Davidson.
15:44 Now, hanging off that inverted fork is a pair of cross-drilled brake discs.
15:54 So sport bike sizes, again, over 300 millimeters in diameter.
16:00 They're gripped by Brembo-sourced monoblock calipers that are radial mounts.
16:07 Normally, with these bikes, the front brakes are axial mounts.
16:11 The bolts attach to the fork like this.
16:14 And while that works, it allows for more caliper flex because the bolts are mounted this way.
16:21 So there's more flex in the caliper.
16:23 When you mount them radially, which is bolts into the caliper from behind the caliper into the fork,
16:30 there's less flex when you're using those brakes like crazy.
16:35 So radial calipers are always better than axial mount.
16:39 It's cool that Harley-Davidson adopted that technology finally on this vehicle.
16:46 It's also kind of funny that the Brembo calipers are now labeled Brembo calipers.
16:52 Harley-Davidson has been using Brembo for years, probably for as long as I can remember,
16:59 but they've never labeled them Brembo.
17:01 They're always Brembo-made, but they're house-branded.
17:05 Now, Harley-Davidson has given a nod to Brembo.
17:09 They're probably doing that because they really want folks to know that these bikes are becoming more high-spec.
17:17 More high-spec, high-performance bikes for riders who want to go fast.
17:24 I like it. I like it.
17:28 Right now, we are riding in our custom mode, B.
17:33 So to change the modes, you push this mode button, and it's got default modes.
17:38 There is custom mode A.
17:41 Ooh, a nice turn. I love nice turns. God, this thing's awesome!
17:46 The ground clearance is significantly increased than previous versions. That's boss!
17:52 So back to our map. We're riding in custom mode, map B.
17:57 I set that map up earlier. You saw it.
18:00 It's really neat that Harley-Davidson offers a high level of adjustment in terms of the electronics on this vehicle.
18:10 I like that.
18:12 The negative one throttle response, I kind of like it.
18:15 It makes it feel like an old Harley-Davidson, where it's got that little bit more sluggish response.
18:20 Not sluggish, but just more muted throttle response. I like it.
18:25 And I really like how this nearly 2-liter engine, like no engine braking.
18:31 Or not no engine braking, but way less than I remember.
18:38 Having less engine braking just allows this vehicle to roll more efficiently.
18:44 And of course, we have those big triple disc brakes with the four piston radial mount calipers up front and a twin piston caliper at back.
18:55 So this thing has the stomping power.
18:58 Harley-Davidson always gets bad rap for having kind of wimpy brakes, but not so with this thing.
19:04 This thing's got real strong brakes.
19:07 Of course, the feel out of the front brake lever is a little bit muted.
19:11 It's not like it would be on a Ducati Superbike, but that's okay.
19:17 I mean, these bikes are, they're cruisers.
19:20 So having a muted brake response is not a bad thing in our opinion at all.
19:27 It's also worth mentioning that this vehicle uses high quality stainless steel hydraulic lines.
19:36 No wimpy rubber hoses here.
19:39 So that's a nice touch.
19:42 Not only does it look nice, but it helps the rubber hoses with time, they can start flexing a little bit.
19:49 Just breaking down over time.
19:51 The stainless steel weave lines don't allow that to happen.
19:55 So that's a cool touch.
19:58 In terms of engine heat, it's a pretty mild day here in Wisconsin.
20:04 Got 68 degrees Fahrenheit is the air temperature.
20:09 So it's not too hot.
20:11 This engine doesn't, you definitely feel a little bit of engine heat, but you're not really, to be fair, we haven't ridden in stop and go traffic, so we can't speak on that.
20:21 There is a little bit of engine heat, but it's certainly not overwhelming.
20:25 We have these really nifty air deflectors here on the port and starboard side, which deflect air into the cockpit if you want.
20:37 I really like that. That's cool.
20:39 This windscreen's nice too.
20:41 You can adjust, the windscreen's fixed obviously, but it's got this cool little air vent so you can direct air into the cockpit.
20:51 I like that as well.
20:53 It's a nice cool air, cool, moist, humid air blowing over us.
21:00 I like it.
21:01 In terms of fuel economy, we're doing pretty good.
21:07 This thing's getting 42 miles per gallon. Isn't that crazy?
21:13 42.3 mpg, that's pretty dang good.
21:17 All right, folks, here we are inside the ride modes configuration.
21:22 This system is pretty advanced for Harley-Davidson.
21:26 I'm really surprised that they were able to do this. This is awesome.
21:30 Look, you can actually set your own ride mode settings. I like that too.
21:34 Custom A. Do you want a copy from another mode? No, we don't care. We'll just make our own right now.
21:40 So, engine map. This is the engine power.
21:44 So, we want road, sport. Let's try sport.
21:48 Sport engine map.
21:52 And then back.
21:54 Engine braking. Now, you can actually adjust the engine braking on this vehicle.
22:00 Let's put a little bit more freewheeling effect.
22:03 It goes all the way down to -2.
22:06 What that does is it actually opens the throttle bodies during deacceleration.
22:11 It feeds fuel into the engine, which reduces engine braking.
22:16 A lot of motorcycles have that adjustable electronic engine braking.
22:20 Now, cool that Harley-Davidson adopted this on this Road Glide.
22:23 Throttle response.
22:25 Ride-by-wire throttle allows you to modify the sharpness of the throttle.
22:31 I dulled it down by -1 just to see what that feels like.
22:35 If you're someone who wants a real lively throttle, you can boost that.
22:39 But I generally don't like a super lively throttle.
22:42 Traction control. Three modes. Road, rain, sport.
22:47 This is IMU-powered traction control.
22:50 So, the IMU chip is basically the same chip that's in your iPhone,
22:56 which gives the vehicle positional awareness in three axes.
23:02 So, you've got the axis of yaw, which is this.
23:06 Roll, which is this.
23:08 And pitch.
23:10 So, those three axes, this vehicle basically knows where it is in relation to the pavement.
23:17 And it applies traction control response based on the position of the vehicle
23:24 and other inputs, including gear position and throttle.
23:29 And there's some other ones here, but I can't recall off the top of my head.
23:33 Then we have anti-lock braking.
23:36 Two modes, road and rain.
23:38 Anti-lock brakes are fixed.
23:40 It's always on. You can't disable ABS.
23:43 This vehicle also has a proportional braking mechanism,
23:48 where if you're over 25 mph and you actuate either the front brake or the rear brake pedal,
23:57 it's going to manipulate the other brake automatically
24:00 just to help you have a more leveled ride when you're operating this vehicle.
24:05 That is over 25 mph.
24:08 If you are under 25 mph, you are manipulating the front brakes and the rear brake independently of each other.
24:18 That's a quick walkthrough of these adjustment settings you have.
24:23 I really like the tactile function of this new switch gear.
24:26 This new switch gear is awesome.
24:28 Not only does it look really sweet, but the tactile response is nice and sharp.
24:33 Very similar to the Motorrad Crew.
24:37 Good job, Harley-Davidson. It's nice to see you guys paying attention to the details
24:42 and learning from some of your top competitors.
24:45 Now, this color dash is a 12-inch color TFT screen.
24:51 It's also touchscreen compatible. How cool is that?
24:54 You can use your fingers to adjust the touchscreen. I love that.
24:58 So neat.
25:02 Very, very nice.
25:05 This button shows you the various settings.
25:08 We have air temperature, tire pressure right here.
25:12 We're gearing up for our video pass.
25:15 So we have a video pass here.
25:17 We're using the video pass to collect content for you folks who are going to be tuning into this content.
25:26 This video footage won't be in this video, but it'll be in another video that we publish here at the Motorcyclist Meg YouTube channel.
25:35 We love our videos.
25:38 No one posts as many videos as us on these models at these new bike events.
25:45 So pretty neat.
25:47 What's up, Kyle? This is Kyle Weiman.
25:49 He is the Bagger Racing Champ Dude.
25:52 And he is leading our ride today.
25:54 Thanks for leading us, Kyle.
25:56 Absolutely. My pleasure.
25:58 Turn around past the crest. You'll see it up there on the left.
26:01 Thank you. Thank you.
26:03 So Kyle, if you can even believe it, he comes from a long generation of motorcyclists.
26:10 His family owns a motorcycle dealership.
26:14 And he lives, eats, and breathes the Harley-Davidson lifestyle.
26:19 That's why it's so cool that they're actually racing these bikes.
26:24 Because he's a motorcycle racer.
26:26 And his family has a great lineage with Harley-Davidson.
26:30 And now he gets to compete on Harley-Davidson. How cool is that?
26:33 I think it's really neat.
26:35 Who in a million years would have thought they were going to race these Bagger-style motorcycles?
26:41 I sure didn't.
26:43 So very neat here.
26:46 [motorcycle engine revving]
26:50 Here we go, guys.
26:52 Doing our content.
26:55 There was the drone.
26:57 The gentleman was flying the nice drone, which is neat.
27:00 There's the other videographers right there, which are recording the video footage.
27:06 Hopefully it's in 4K.
27:08 We only publish 4K videos here at the Motorcyclist Meg YouTube channel.
27:14 So it better be in 4K.
27:16 Because if it ain't in 4K, your eyes ain't watching it.
27:19 And that's the facts, Jack.
27:21 There's the photographer, Kevin Wing.
27:24 He's hanging out, taking some nice photos.
27:27 And these are just local civilians operating their Ford diesel trucks.
27:34 I'm not a Ford guy. I'm a Dodge guy.
27:37 So if they were operating Dodge diesel trucks, I'd be stoked.
27:41 All right, folks. We are going to pull in here to the Harrington State Beach Park
27:46 and await our next instructions.
27:48 It's worth mentioning that when we're at these new vehicle press introductions,
27:55 we have to adhere to another company's timetable and schedule.
28:00 We can't just do what we want.
28:02 We can't pull over.
28:04 We can't do things the way we do things when we're in our office
28:10 and testing the vehicle according to our rigorous testing procedures,
28:15 which includes evaluating the performance of the vehicle after dark.
28:20 We can't do that. We're on their timetable.
28:22 We're guests of them, so we have to follow the rules.
28:26 And that's that.
28:27 All right, folks. We'll tune in with you in a little bit here.
28:31 While we're waiting, we have a couple other nice features.
28:33 These are two storage cubbies on this Road Glide.
28:38 This fairing is fixed. It's not mounted to the fork, so it's fixed.
28:42 It never moves.
28:43 There is a USB-C type adapter for charging gadgets.
28:49 And then we have another storage box here.
28:52 This is carpet lined.
28:53 They're both carpet lined to keep your goodies from getting messed up.
29:01 Now, that starter mechanism, that is one area where Harley-Davidson really needs to make an improvement.
29:07 That starter is not reassuring at all.
29:11 It sounds like the engine's not going to start.
29:14 Let's try it again, folks.
29:17 There is the ignition.
29:20 [makes engine sound]
29:21 It does not sound very reassuring.
29:23 Harley-Davidson, can you beef up the starter mechanism or maybe even invent the type of starter mechanism that American Honda uses on its vehicles, like its Goldwing,
29:36 where the starter mechanism is integrated into the alternator and you push the button and it goes, "Rrrrp!" and just starts right up.
29:43 Do that. That would be sick.
29:45 All right, folks. We're going to do another photo and video pass.
29:51 God, this thing.
29:53 This bike, like these Harley-Davidson CVO or even these Harley-Davidson Touring bikes, they've really come a long way.
30:02 It's unbelievable how polished these vehicles are now.
30:07 You know, Harley-Davidson's not going to like to hear this, but these bikes are more Japanese than ever.
30:14 They're very precise in their build, you know, everything on it from the clutch to the throttle response to the suspension.
30:22 It's way sharper. It's way sharper and more refined feeling, and I really like that.
30:28 Yet, even with the refined feeling, of course, it's a Harley-Davidson, so it's going to still have some quirks like the curious starter,
30:41 but it's also going to have this awesome sound.
30:44 The sound sounds so sick. Listen to that thing. It sounds boss.
30:50 I love this engine. This thing gets.
30:55 All right, folks. Here's the real test.
30:57 We're going to see if we can seamlessly pair our iOS-enabled smartphone with this vehicle.
31:06 To do that, we go to Device Manager, Add New Device.
31:12 Bluetooth is on. Bluetooth is on. Add New Device. Searching.
31:20 Let's see what we got. Now let's turn on our phone.
31:24 Bluetooth on. Let's see what we got here.
31:27 Oh, there we go. Yep, 379. That's me right there.
31:32 Pairing. Oh, my God. It's actually going to work. I'm so stoked right now.
31:37 Yep, pair. Accept. Connection in progress. Look, we paired.
31:44 Not now. We paired. Yes.
31:48 Now let's listen to some music. Let's see what we got here.
31:56 Yeah, this is boss. Do you hear the sound from the stereo?
32:02 Look at this Rockford Fosgate speaker stereo. This is boss.
32:09 Listen how good that sounds.
32:14 Wow, this is unbelievable.
32:17 We also have a pair of speakers right back here in the saddlebags.
32:22 This sounds really good. Good job, Harley-Davidson.
32:27 This is a big improvement, the quality of the sound system.
32:31 I like that it actually gets loud, too.
32:34 Well done. Well, folks, that was crazy easy.
32:39 I can't believe how easy and seamless it was to pair our iOS-enabled smartphone with the vehicle.
32:49 Good job. Sound system's awesome, too.
32:54 I can't believe how good it sounds, even with wearing earplugs, even while having my face shield closed.
33:06 Should we give her the beans? Let's give her the beans.
33:11 Yeah, the beans. I love giving her the beans.
33:18 Cruising around in this menu system, we also have an equalizer.
33:22 You get this through this, through the sound setting.
33:26 Audio routing, volume settings, and equalizer.
33:31 HD signature, country, jazz, pop, rhythm and blues, metal, rock, classical.
33:38 I'm a big pop guy. I always like pop equalizers because it really boosts the treble, makes things sound good.
33:44 We'll run with that.
33:47 We have our volume control button here.
33:49 Our next track here is the pause button where you pause so you can talk.
33:59 Very neat. I really like the switch gear.
34:02 I know we said that before, but the tactile function on it is pretty dang good.
34:07 There's a lot of buttons and a lot of things going around on the switch gear, but so far, so good.
34:14 I love how sharp this 12+ inch color TFT display is.
34:21 A lot of things going on on this bike.
34:23 This bike is becoming pretty technically advanced, which is really neat to see Harley-Davidson finally joining the modern era
34:33 with sophisticated electronic control in addition to its ride-by-wire, in addition to its IMU-powered ABS and traction control.
34:46 I really like that.
34:49 That starter motor, though, gosh, that is definitely not good.
34:55 But a small gripe that we would live with considering how awesome the other features are on this bike.
35:04 Now, you're probably wondering, this vehicle, of course, comes with heated hand grips.
35:10 The button is actually located right here on the left handlebar.
35:16 You push that button, and it's got three increments of adjustment.
35:20 So that's off. It kind of looks like it's on, but that's off.
35:25 And then you can toggle with that setting to heat your hand grips up.
35:35 All right, folks, we're doing another photo pass.
35:39 This is the life of a modern power sports journalist is just photo pass after photo pass,
35:46 video pass after video pass, work, work, work, no hobbies.
35:52 And we do that to get our U.S. power sport audience the best and most entertaining editorial on the interwebs.
36:08 Yeah!
36:09 All right, folks, we just finished up another photo stop.
36:13 And for an 800-pound bike, 800-plus-pound bike, it's certainly a lot to maneuver at these low speeds like right now
36:23 when you're doing those tight parking lot maneuvers.
36:26 But you get a little bit of speed beneath you, and this thing works really good.
36:31 I can't believe how maneuverable an 800-plus-pound bike can be.
36:39 All right, folks, we're just waiting for our ride leader to depart this roadway,
36:44 and then we will follow him and we'll continue talking about this vehicle.
36:49 I want to talk about the wheels.
36:52 1918-inch wheel combo.
36:56 I think I might have said something different earlier, but they're 1918s front and rear shod with Dunlop's American-made tire.
37:07 So nice tires on this thing.
37:09 I really like the rims.
37:10 The rims, they're contrast cut and spoked.
37:16 Like, they're so boss-looking, like wire spoke with contrast cut.
37:21 I've never seen a wheel like that.
37:23 Leave it to Harley-Davidson and its CVO department to pull out all the stops and invent new styling touches,
37:31 at least new to me because I've never seen that.
37:34 Very, very, very sick.
37:38 Should we listen to some music while we're killing time?
37:45 Now, sitting here idle, the engine does throw off a little bit of rider heat.
37:49 A little bit of engine heat would be lying to say if there was nothing here.
37:53 It's not a crazy hot day.
37:56 Again, we'll go through the menu system here, and it'll tell us 71 degrees right now, but you definitely feel some heat.
38:03 So that's the deal with that.
38:05 We've got a nice fuel gauge, which keeps tabs on the capacity of the six-gallon fuel tank.
38:12 The fuel tank, shape of it just like the rest of the body panels and the hard case saddlebags has been reshaped.
38:20 The lines on this thing are sick.
38:23 Everything lines up.
38:24 It's not willy-nilly style.
38:26 This motorcycle is congruently shaped with straight-up excellent proportions.
38:32 I've really, you know, seen photos on the interwebs and seen photos on Instagram like, "Ah, whatever. It just looks like a Challenger. Who cares?"
38:42 But getting up and close and really getting to see those lines and that paintwork and the attention to detail and the contrast cut with wire spoke rims and just things like this, like touches like that, and the billet floorboards on the mid controls.
39:00 This bike is just, it's really boss.
39:03 It's so neat that Harley-Davidson, I mean, look at the aluminum billet mirror stalks.
39:09 They really put a lot of effort into making this bike sick.
39:14 And 43 grand base price without this insane custom paintwork.
39:20 It's a lot of money, but these bikes are, they're jewelry.
39:24 They're heavyweight American V-twin jewelry, straight up.
39:30 All right, folks, we are moving.
39:33 And look how pretty it is back here.
39:36 This is awesome.
39:41 Now, this part of Wisconsin is the Kettle Moraine part of Wisconsin, eastern Wisconsin.
39:48 And this is said to have these crazy ancient glaciers, which carved out this terrain to make it look like it does.
39:57 Look at it. It's absolutely beautiful.
40:01 What a great way to see the wonders of mother nature that on this 2023 Primo Road Glide CVO, this bike is boss.
40:15 A couple of strikes, though, after spending 100 some miles today in the saddle.
40:22 Of course, that starter, that starter, number one, it doesn't sound good at all.
40:27 Number two, the battery capacity is just, I think it's too small because this thing sounds like it's not going to start.
40:35 I'm so nervous.
40:36 I'm like, I've been conscious to turn off the key and not leave the radio running, not leave the high beam on like I would on my personal motorcycles.
40:46 So definitely the charging system is a little bit suspect.
40:51 And that starter, it should be a better quality, especially for a $43,000 bike.
40:56 You got to remember, American Honda has that boss crazy AGM starter on its $5,000, 150cc scooter.
41:08 So if they can do it, Harley can do it.
41:10 Number two, the seat on this bike, the seat is awesome and super supportive, but it's a little bit, while it locks you in place, it locks you in place too much.
41:21 I can't scoot back as much as I'd like.
41:24 I'd love to scoot back more on the seat of this thing, but I can't because it's holding me in place.
41:30 So I guess if you're a shorter person, you might like that more.
41:34 Another squawk I have is with the mid controls.
41:39 They're technically, they're mid controls, but they're pretty far forward.
41:43 Yet they're not full forward controls, but I wish the floor board was longer.
41:47 I like to put my feet toward the back of the floor boards, but there's not really any support because they're so short.
41:56 So I wish these floor boards were longer.
42:01 So those are really the three main gripes I have with this thing.
42:06 Obviously you can fix them all, minus the starter.
42:10 I mean, you can fix the battery by putting a larger capacity battery, I would assume.
42:15 But you've got to remember, these bikes, all these doodads and gizmos and electronic widgets, they require a lot of juice.
42:24 And of course Harley-Davidson's upgraded the charging system on these bikes over the years, but they just require a lot of juice.
42:32 And you start adding accessories to bikes like this, adding another auxiliary GPS or any other kind of add-ons that you might have.
42:43 When you're an avid motorcycle touring rider like us, it's going to suck down more juice.
42:48 So something to be cognitive of.
42:53 This air deflector really does a good job of just these two side air scoops and this top one do a great job of pushing air onto the rider's legs and torso.
43:05 So while we got a little bit of hot back there, just idling and not doing anything, you get some speed underneath you and you're cooling off fast.
43:15 Alright folks, we're riding back in the Sport mode.
43:19 Sport is the most aggressive engine power and throttle response mode.
43:25 Well I think you can actually tune the throttle response even more to have it even sharper in the menu system.
43:32 But Sport really makes this 1982cc liquid-cooled V-Twin really get up and run.
43:43 Thing's got gobs of torque. I like that you don't really even have to downshift this thing.
43:48 This thing has so much torque, like right now, we're in 6th gear and you just twist the throttle and the thing's just clunk clunk clunk clunk just lugging forward.
43:57 So awesome having that much torque at your disposal.
44:02 These brakes are really responsive. The lever feels a little bit soft initially, but once you start getting in that lever, you can feel those calipers squeezing the brake rotor. It's really neat.
44:20 Oh yeah, love the sound of this vehicle. This thing sounds awesome.
44:29 It's surprising though, it's got a nice engine and exhaust note, but it's not that loud.
44:36 I mean, I like quiet bikes, I'm not really up for making a big scene.
44:40 So I like quiet bikes, and if you are a person who wants a motorcycle with a really pleasing sound, but not enough to wake up the neighbors when you're coming home at 2 in the morning, this bike does a pretty good job of skating that fine line.
44:57 Awesome, more curbs. Now we're talking.
45:09 I love curves. I love curves on any type of motorcycle.
45:16 Who wants to listen to this thing get up and go?
45:20 Oh yeah, oh yeah, she gets!
45:25 Yeah! Woo!
45:28 Sorry folks, I got carried away with the speed.
45:32 Who knew that this American engineered engine could have that much torque, that much power, and that much charisma?
45:44 That was fun.
45:47 Hats off to the powertrain team here in Wisconsin for manufacturing such a marvelous engine.
45:56 This thing feels head and shoulders better than other Americans B-Twin product offering.
46:09 It's just crazy smooth, has the right amount of engine vibration where you want it, when you want it.
46:17 Engine doesn't kick off an obscene amount of heat, sounds super boss, the character of the power band can be tweaked electronically, the dynamic engine brake can be tweaked electronically.
46:33 This is a really cool powertrain. I really like it. Big fan.
46:40 Alright folks, more gentle curves. Another thing I like about this Road Glide CVO is the rear view mirrors.
46:49 They're shaped really nice, aesthetically, they look clean, and they have good surface area to show what's going on behind you.
46:58 Some riders would peel these off and be like, "I don't like the look of them, but I love mirrors."
47:02 You gotta be able to see what's going on behind you, but you want to be able to see what's going on behind you in an aesthetically pleasing way.
47:09 These mirrors do just that.
47:14 This thing is just really a regal ride.
47:18 Smooth, comfortable, good suspension, damping and holding, and just really a great bike for logging miles.
47:27 Alright folks, we are headed south right now, back to Harley-Davidson's campus in Milwaukee.
47:37 I know we talked about the engine, but I'm really blown away by how much acceleration this thing has.
47:44 Gear position indicators, number 6 gear we're in, you twist this thing and look at it!
47:52 Look at the speedometer! This thing just lunges forward! It's crazy how much torque this engine has.
48:00 And that's without having to downshift. You downshift to gear, and now she really goes!
48:06 Look at that speedometer crawling up now! Pretty neat!
48:11 Well folks, of course we're in rush hour traffic here in southeastern Wisconsin.
48:19 Rush hour traffic means we get to test this vehicle during stop and go riding conditions.
48:29 And so far so good, we've been riding in these conditions for probably 2-3 miles now.
48:36 Engine heat is not excessive, definitely not having excessive engine heat feeling, especially our lower extremities.
48:47 It's 75 degrees Fahrenheit, so not crazy warm out, but not exactly cold out either.
48:55 So the heat management of this motorcycle is, I'd say it's pretty okay for a big V-twin.
49:07 For a big air, oil, liquid cooled V-twin.
49:12 Well folks, there she is, Harley Davidson's 2023 Rogue Glide CVO.
49:17 This was a fun 100-some miles on this bike. I love the styling of this thing.
49:23 You really have to see it up close and person to really understand the lines.
49:27 It's such a sleek looking motorcycle, really has nice proportions, excellent curves.
49:33 The styling on this thing is awesome!
49:37 The engine, engine, gobs of torque, gobs of power, great exhaust note, not too soft, not too loud.
49:45 Engine vibration is precisely tuned, very similar to the tuning fork brand, where the engine really is harmonically balanced power train.
49:56 It sounds so awesome, has tons of power, and we've got 45 miles per gallon if you can even believe it.
50:04 Chassis and handling, that inverted fork, it just offers more support, more ground clearance.
50:11 This thing still rides really well over bumps, and it's going to do even better in the corners.
50:18 Sound system, switch gear on this bike, the switch gear and the user interface is a huge improvement.
50:25 Harley Davidson really nailed it with the switch gear and the user interface.
50:31 We don't see motorcycle manufacturers nail it in that segment very often.
50:36 Honda screws it up, the tuning fork brand screws it up, Ducati, you know they screw it up, but Harley Davidson, this is a home run, so good job on that.
50:46 A couple misses on this bike, that seat, while it was initially pretty comfortable, it turned out to be pretty uncomfortable toward the end of the ride.
50:55 It just really locks you in position, and it doesn't have a lot of support.
51:00 So this seat was a miss for us. Another miss is just the starter, the starter mechanism.
51:06 When you push the starter button on this bike, it sounds like it's not going to start.
51:11 And that big starter, the actual starter motor, it just doesn't look really aesthetically pleasing.
51:20 There it is, looks like a starter motor that would be on a tractor.
51:23 So Harley Davidson, can you update this and get this to be more functional? We need it.
51:30 Other than that, for $43,000, this is a boss bike.
51:35 This thing looks the part, it rides great, the fit and finish and attention to detail on this bike are exquisite.
51:44 Of course, Harley Davidson stands behind this product with a two year unlimited warranty.
51:50 There's also additional warranty options available as an accessory at your Harley Davidson dealer.
51:58 Well folks, would I spend my $43,000 on this bike? Absolutely.
52:03 It's a head turner, it's got great power, the user interface and sound system on this bike are straight up excellent.
52:11 And $43,000 is a lot of money, but if you're looking for the most regal, fast and comfortable, high performance V-twin road glide bagger, this thing's it.
52:24 Well folks, that wraps up our official review of this vehicle.
52:28 As always, make sure to surf on over to MotorcyclistOnline.com.
52:32 That's where all of our written content comes to life.
52:34 Give this video a thumbs up if you liked it, thumbs it down if you didn't, because we love to hear from the naysayers.
52:40 We'll see you in the next episode. Thanks for riding with us.
52:43 [Music]