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2006–2013 · Cruiser · Buyer's Guide
Chrome Flagship, Endless Miles
This is Harley's CVO flagship in full dress, the factory-custom top of the touring range. The heart is a 1802 cc air-cooled 45° V-twin pushing 115 lb-ft of torque and 80 hp through a 6-speed box and a belt final drive. Peak numbers were never the point here. What defines this generation is presence: deep paint, layered chrome, and a level of finish that reads as expensive from across the parking lot. Every panel earns its place. It sits long, low, and heavy, and it wants you to notice.
On the road that 926 lb settles into a low center of gravity, so the mass hides once you are rolling and the bike tracks arrow-straight at interstate speed. This is a machine for riders who measure a day in states, not miles, and who want their motorcycle to feel like an occasion. It ages well when maintained, and the aftermarket support is effectively bottomless. The honest caveat: it is a lot of metal to wheel around a gas station, and the earliest engines carry mechanical quirks worth checking before you buy.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 80 hp (60 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 115 lb-ft (156 Nm) |
| Displacement | 1802 cc |
| Engine | 45° V-twinMotorcycles With V-Twin Engines → |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | BeltMotorcycles With Belt Drive → |
| Fork | Telescopic |
| Front brake | 300 mm |
| Front tire | 130/80B17 |
| Rear tire | 180/65B16 |
| Wheelbase | 63.5 in (1613 mm) |
| Seat height | 28.7 in (730 mm)Motorcycles With a Seat Height Under 30 Inches → |
| Wet weight | 926 lb (420 kg)Motorcycles Over 900 Pounds Wet → |
| Fuel capacity | 6.0 gal (22.7 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Safety
Over the years I have listened to many owners of this bike: in the paddock, at club nights, over coffee after a ride, and in the messages riders send me directly. On the CVO Ultra Classic they mostly agree. They love the engine and the long-haul comfort, and their complaints are about weight, fuel, and ground clearance.
Riders bring up the engine first. They describe deep low-end torque that makes steep grades easy, backed by a rumble they don't tire of. Comfort comes next, and the passenger gets as much praise as the rider: generous seating, a supportive ride, and wind protection that let both finish long days fresh. Some owners also report that it handles U-turns and parking-lot maneuvers with more confidence than they expected from a tourer this size.
The most common complaint is weight. Owners call it a handful at a standstill or when pushing it around the garage, and some say newer riders may find it intimidating. Riders who push hard in tight bends say the floorboards and exhaust touch down early.
Premature cam chain tensioner failure (2006 models)
Spring-loaded cam chain tensioners in Twin Cam 103 engines can wear quickly, leading to plastic shoe debris in the oil pump and potential catastrophic engine damage. Many owners upgrade to hydraulic tensioners or gear-driven cams.
ABS hydraulic control unit recall (2008–2011)
Certain touring models equipped with ABS may experience a loss of brake pressure due to a faulty hydraulic control unit. Harley-Davidson recalled affected bikes to replace the unit. (Recall 18V076000)
Crankshaft runout on early Twin Cam 110 engines (2007–2008)
Excessive crankshaft runout caused vibration and could lead to main bearing failure. Affected bikes were often repaired under warranty with welded crank assemblies.
Six-speed transmission whine
The Cruise Drive helical/straight-cut gearbox produces a noticeable whine in 5th and 6th gears, particularly on bikes with low-mileage break-in. Swapping to heavier gear oil can reduce noise.
Where this Harley-Davidson CVO FLHTCUSE Ultra Classic Electra Glide pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the CVO FLHTCUSE Ultra Classic Electra Glide is actually built for.
If your season runs Sturgis to Daytona and the statement matters as much as the ride, this fits. It has the presence, the soundtrack, and the chrome to hold the front row anywhere.
Made for Florida State Road A1A · Black Hills · Main Street, Daytona Beach
Loaded two-up for Going-to-the-Sun or Beartooth, it eats long days and cross-winds without complaint. Comfort and stability are its native language, though you will work harder than most parking it each night.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
You will get the Americana road-trip feeling in spades, all chrome and small-town main streets. Just know this is a full-dress heavyweight, not a light classic, so the relaxed rhythm comes with real bulk to manage.
Made for Park Loop Road · Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Harley-Davidson CVO FLHTCUSE Ultra Classic Electra Glide. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Successor · 2019–2021
Chrome, Comfort, Zero Compromise
Competitor · 2011–2026
Six Cylinders, Zero Compromises
Roughly $2,900 cheaper used than this bike at 13 yr
Competitor · 2004–2008
The Express Train Goes Luxury
Same Platform · 2015–2016
The Fully Loaded Mile Eater
Compare it with every bike that shares the same spec or equipment.