Harley-Davidson Road Glide gets the trick CVO treatment

2020 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide

Another trick special touring model has been added to Harley-Davidson’s 2020 Custom Vehicles Operation line-up with the CVO Road Glide set to arrive in April.

The Road Glide will complete the current CVO catalogue that now covers almost the full Harley-Davidson Touring line-up. CVO editions of the polymelia afflicted tripedal CVO Tri-Glide, the CVO Limited full-dresser for those that need to carry a pillion, and my favourite in the CVO Street Glide had already been announced some time ago, thus the CVO Road Glide is a late addition to the 2020 CVO portfolio.

Commanding a $16,745 premium over the current Road Glide Special, the CVO Road Glide will sell for $55,995 ride away in Australia. Kiwis will have to hand over $57,495 NZD.

CVO models generally get the bespoke treatment direct from the factory and come armed with a suite of extras. Most of the fruit can be added to the regular models if you go crazy with the genuine accessories catalogue and have a very fat wallet, but with a CVO model the motorcycle comes with almost the whole orchard straight from Milwaukee.

The crowning glory is perhaps the 117 cubic inch, 1923 cc, Milwaukee Eight 117 donk complete with high performance cams and Screamin Eagle Heavy Breather intake system.

This boosts torque from the 163 Nm of the 114 fitted to the regular Road Glide at 3000 rpm, to 171 Nm at a higher 3750 rpm in the CVO edition.

The slightly more sporting pep is aided by a couple more degrees of lean angle achievable on the CVO models thanks to a larger 21-inch front, the largest available on any Harley Touring model. Both utilise an 18-inch rear while the ‘Knockout’ rims on the CVO model look a little old-school and replace the ‘Prodigy’ variants seen on the Road Glide Special.

You can have it any colour you like as long as it is ‘Premium Sand Dune monotone with a pearl top-coat and graphics highlighted by Smoked Satin Chrome, Gloss Black and Black Onyx detail finishes at various points throughout the machine. Yep one colour option, but it’s complicated…

All the controls are from the mirror-finish chrome ‘Kahuna’ collection.

A built-in wireless headset interface module provides Bluetooth connectivity to the Boom Box GTS infotaintment system. The CVO has a massively upgraded sound system with a pair of 300-watt amplifiers pumping up the volume to 600-watts with 150 per channel. A navigation system is also provided and the set-up is Apple CarPlay compatible. A single Bluetooth helmet headset is also standard with the CVO Road Glide and voice control can be used to command the infotainment system while on the move.  A 6.5-inch colour TFT touchscreen is covered with Gorilla Glass with low reflectivity.