Harley Davidson CVO Road Glide Limited Anniversary Edition (2023 - ) review

Simply put the CVO Road Glide Limited Anniversary is the ultimate Harley tourer taken to its ultimate level of spec and finish, and it pulls it off exquisitely. Whatever your view of full-dress, American style tourers, how can it be anything other than five out of five here? The base Road Glide is Harley’s biggest tourer by virtue of a frame-mounted, twin-headlight fairing setting it apart from the more familiar Ultra Glide with its ‘batwing’, handlebar-mounted single-light equivalent. On top of that it’s got, well, everything. This includes Harley’s biggest 117 cubic inch engine, its uprated touch-screen infotainment system, heated grips/seat, unique premium paint, custom wheels and other cosmetic parts and even a gold-plated, individually numbered plaque. Yes, it’s a gaudy, exercise in excess and nothing less than a two-wheeled Winnebago motorhome. But it’s also the ultimate Harley tourer and American motorcycling at its over-the-top best.

You might argue the merits of the ‘full dresser’ concept, but not its execution here. The Road Glide’s standard ‘armchair’ riding position was already all-day comfortable but in this CVO trim (short for Harley’s hand-finished Custom Vehicle Operations department) it is also premium upholstered and heated, with a detachable backrest included. It’s arguably even more luxurious for any pillion, with backrests, armrests and their own stereo speakers. In terms of touring comfort, bikes simply don’t get more sumptuous. One quibble - the screen’s not adjustable although, in its defence, I never saw the need for it to be.

If your idea of practicality is luxurious two-up, all day touring on wide, well-surfaced roads or motorways at 70mph or so, then the CVO Ltd is perfect. And, if you invest in this sort of bike, that may well be all you use it for. In the context of the more varied real world, the CVO probably isn’t the sort of bike you’d choose, though. Although not quite as big as, say, BMW’s K1600GTL, it’s still a massive, heavy (437kg) bike that’s awkward in traffic, parking and low-speed manoeuvring. That bulk is also intimidating for smaller or less experienced riders. While pleasant to swing gently through bends it’s also a long way removed from any true sportster while finally, and most tellingly, it’s also so valuable and precious that any normal practical commute or journey, especially if through rain or winter, would be nothing short of criminal.

Although by no stretch of the imagination a performance or sporting machine – and a fairly old-school Harley at that – the CVO does have its compensations. First, by being the ‘ultimate Road Glide’, it’s fitted with Harley’s top incarnation of its current Milwaukee Twin 45-degree, air-cooled push-rod V-twin. So, where the standard Road Glide Ltd gets the 114 cubic inch (1,868cc) version of the motor, the CVO gets the larger, more powerful 117 cubic inch (1,923cc) unit with around 105 horsepower and 166Nm of torque, up from the 114’s 87 horsepower and 160Nm. Perhaps no great shakes against, say, the warp-like 160 horsepower of the BMW K1600’s six-cylinder perhaps but in terms of character it’s still about as good as it gets for powering this two-wheeled expression of the American dream. Braking, via big twin front discs and a single rear all linked and assisted by ABS, is, well, more than adequate, too.

‘Ride and handling’ on a heavyweight, luxurious, American full-dresser? Let’s see… It’s tempting to say the CVO Road Glide should get five stars for ride quality and just one for handling! In fact, the latter isn’t that bad. Yes, you need to be fully aware of the bike’s sheer bulk and weight. And, yes, it’s about as nimble as a Scania and just as intimidating. But you then realise the suspension is decent at controlling things and the steering, if wide and rangy, is nothing to worry about. Once you realise that and relax into the thing you realise this latest and best incarnation of Harley’s full dresser is actually far more competent than naysayers would have you believe and there’s a great deal of fun to be had wafting this yacht along twisty roads.

Well, it was never going to be cheap, was it? Harley’s most expensive bike not only looks vulnerable to massive depreciation it’s also an insurance nightmare, monstrously heavy and has Harley’s most powerful engine. All of which has the potential to add up to sky-high running costs. The reality is likely to be somewhat different. CVO versions tend to hold their money well, mileages are likely to be minimal and, although heavy and powerful, it’s is nowhere near as bad when it comes to munching through consumables as that BMW K1600GT or a Triumph Rocket 3.

True, there’s an awful lot ‘to’ the CVO Limited. But hang on a mo’, because the core bike, 117 V-twin included, is proven and dependable. Equally proven infotainment system aside, there is actually very little in terms of potentially unreliable electronics, it’s all hand-built with an emphasis on quality and, overall, considering its rarity and value, I’d bet my cat that very few CVOs are going to be ridden hard or, for that matter, ridden much at all. So, what’s likely to go wrong?

After all the excess and exclusivity this is very standard fare. The CVO, like all other ‘big twin’ Harleys, comes with an industry-typical two years/unlimited mileage covering all parts and labour. Its service schedule is also the same and fairly straightforward, with a basic break-in oil and filter change at 1,000miles followed by major services every 10,000 miles, although some recommend interim services at 5,000 miles as well. That said, with so much bodywork, accessories and suchlike maintenance costs are likely to be higher than an average Harley simply due to the time it will take to access everything.

Are you ready? First, you’ve got all the standard Road Glide stuff, so three-box luggage, frame-mounted fairing, infotainment system with phone connectivity and things like that. Then you’ve got the bigger engine. There are also fancy gloss black and contrast chrome ‘Tomahawk’ wheels over the plain ones of the standard bike, more luxurious Alcantara seats with gold and red contrast stitching, embroidered CVO logo and rider backrest thrown in (all heated as standard, along with the grips), FM radio, intercom, Rockford Fosgate Stage 1 speakers, cornering ABS and traction, hill hold control, keyless ignition and LED lights all round. Then there are the uprated cosmetics on this limited edition including the one-off, ‘Heirloom Fade’ paintjob with hand-laid details, a special ‘Speedbird’ art deco tank ‘medallion’ with glass inserts, custom CVO gauges, Kahuna Collection grips, pegs, brake pedal cover, muffler end caps and footboards and, if all that isn’t enough, the tank’s special 120th Anniversary console insert is gold plated with a laser-etched serial number. The one tested here is No. 102 of 1,500.

Simply, if you want the biggest, best, most and most exclusive American full dresser, this is it. Yes, it’s hard to make a case for a bike that costs £50K when the perfectly adequate Road Glide Limited is virtually half that. While being pretty much as good to ride and able to draw just as many admiring looks. But having the most, the rarest, the best and all that has never been a rational, objective choice. The CVO is all that and probably always will be. Riding it truly makes you feel like the king of the road.