Milwaukee-Eight VVT 121
CVO Road Glide – CVO Street Glide
Harley-Davidson recently announced two brand new Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO) motorcycles to be added to the model range for 2023 and overnight H-D has unveiled a bit more about these two new mounts.
The all-new 2023 CVO Street Glide and CVO Road are as full fat as it gets in Grand American Touring and these models debut the new Milwaukee-Eight VVT 121 with variable valve timing.
VVT advances or retards camshaft timing infinitely through a potential range of 40 degrees of crankshaft rotation (20 degrees of camshaft rotation).
Redesigned four-valve cylinder heads incorporate new channels for coolant flow around the exhaust valve areas. An electric pump circulates a coolant solution first to the hotter rear cylinder head, then to the front cylinder head, and then to a new heat exchanger located low on the front of the frame and backed by a thermostatically controlled fan.
Air flow from the fan is directed below the motorcycle for enhanced rider/passenger comfort, especially at low vehicle speeds.
The new cylinder heads feature a combustion chamber reshaped with oval intake ports, low-profile intake valve seats and an enhanced squish band, which combined increase intake air velocity and tumble and accelerate combustion to improve performance and fuel economy.
The compression ratio is increased to 11.4:1 from 10.2:1 (2022 Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine) with the higher compression enabled by the improvement of the cylinder head cooling design, the burn rate in the combustion chamber, and enhanced knock sensing to protect the engine from pre-ignition.
A high-performance camshaft with higher lift and longer duration than the Milwaukee-Eight 117 camshaft contributes to increased power and torque. The valvetrain is updated with high- capacity lifters and inner cam bearing, and valve springs capable of higher lift, to maintain durability with the more-aggressive camshaft in place.
A new intake tract contributes to increased power and lower exhaust emissions. The throttle body diameter is increased to 58mm from the 55mm used on Milwaukee-Eight 117 engines, and the throttle body is positioned closer to the centre of the cylinder spacing and to the intake valves to enhance intake air flow.
A new contoured aluminium intake manifold offers a more-direct air path and creates a smooth transition from the round throttle body to the oval intake ports. New induction components improve tumble and increase mass flow by 7.5 percent and port velocity by 10.3 percent.
A new airbox replaces the Heavy Breather intake used on previous CVO Milwaukee-Eight 117 engines. Airbox volume is 4.0L, approximately 50 percent more than Heavy Breather, which helps improve power by providing more room for the in-moulded velocity stack radius and greater volume of clean air.
The new intake is lighter, requires fewer parts and has no exposed fasteners, and significantly muffles intake sound compared to the Heavy Breather.
Muffler diameter is increased to 4.5 inches from the previous model 4.0-inch diameter.
This all adds up to approximately 8 percent more torque and 9.5 percent more horsepower than the Twin- Cooled Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine.
An improved shift drum with redesigned neutral pocket geometry in the 6-Speed Cruise Drive transmission makes it easier to select and find neutral on the first attempt.
The new CVO models will offer a smoother ride when compared to equivalent Grand American Touring models, with stock rear suspension travel increased by 50 per cent to 76mm.
Fully integrated, sweeping LED lighting makes a statement and promises to eliminate distracting “hot spots” with a more even spread of light.
A first for the Street Glide and Road Glide, a trio of Ride Modes – Road, Sport and Rain – will be available for riders to select from. Two Custom maps will also be available for riders to fine tune to their desired functionality.
Safety features will include Cornering Electronically Linked Brakes, Cornering ABS, Cornering Traction Control, Cornering Drag Torque Slip Control, Vehicle Hold Control and Tyre Pressure Monitoring.
Computer-redesigned fairing sees the exclusive Street Glide batwing fairing elevated to present a faster silhouette and the iconic Road Glide “sharknose” fairing receive an aggressive styling update. Wind tunnel testing has shown both updated fairings reducing subjective helmet buffeting by 60 per cent.
A whole new suite of infotainment technology is introduced through the CVO models and powered by Skyline OS, including a much larger, 12.3 inch touch screen with Apple CarPlay compatibility, touch screen functionality and a Voice Recognition System.
Dry weight comes down by 14 kilograms for the CVO Street Glide model and by 15 kilograms for the CVO Road Glide, with the Street Glide 380 kg ready to ride, and the Road Glide 391 kg. Both bikes hold 22.7 litres of fuel.
Two new eye catching paint schemes will be available for both models. Dark Platinum with Smoked Satin will be the standard strip while a hand-applied, two-toned Whiskey Neat/Raven Metallic will be available for an extra charge.
Milwaukee-Eight VVT 121 Engine at a glance
- Capacity – 1977 cc (121 cubic inch)
- Configuration – 45-degree V-Twin
- Bore x Stroke – 103.5 (4.075 in.) x 117.5 mm (4.625 in.)
- Compression Ratio – 11.4:1
- Power – 115 hp (86 kW) at 4500 rpm
- Torque – 189 Nm (139 ft-lb) at 3000 rpm
