2010 · Cruiser · Buyer's Guide
Two Bikes, One Statement
Harley built the 2010 CVO Softail Convertible to be two bikes at once. Pull off the detachable windshield and saddlebags and you have a slammed factory custom, all long-and-low stance and 18-inch chrome Stinger wheels wrapped around a fat 200mm rear tire. Bolt them back on and it turns into a boulevard tourer ready for two-up miles. The Screamin' Eagle Twin Cam 110B fills the frame with 1803 cc of air-cooled 45-degree V-twin, and the hand-painted color work marks this out as limited-run CVO metal rather than showroom filler.
On the road it makes 110 lb-ft and 75 hp, so the character lives in the low-end shove and the sound, not in outright speed. The 24.4-inch seat and low center of gravity make 756 lb feel planted the moment you are rolling. This is a bike for the rider who wants presence and a statement before anything else. The honest caveat: some units carry a flat spot in the fuelling, and the small 5.0-gallon tank keeps your range short, so plan your stops on a long day.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 75 hp (56 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 110 lb-ft (149 Nm) |
| Displacement | 1803 cc |
| Engine | 45° V-twin |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Belt |
| Front brake | 292 mm |
| Front tire | 130/70R18 |
| Rear tire | 200/50R18 |
| Wheelbase | 64.2 in (1631 mm) |
| Seat height | 24.4 in (619 mm) |
| Wet weight | 756 lb (343 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 5.0 gal (18.9 L) |
| Top speed | 105 mph (169 km/h) |
| Fuel economy | 37 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Swing a leg over and the first thing that registers is how close the ground is. At a stop your boots plant flat and the mass settles low between your knees. Thumb the starter and the air-cooled twin lopes with that uneven 45-degree beat you feel through the grips, the tank, and the pegs. It is metered vibration, the kind that tells you the engine is alive without buzzing your hands numb over an afternoon. The riding position is feet-forward and arms-open, built for rolling the boulevard rather than attacking a back road. Out on the interstate it settles into a composed, unhurried gait that holds its line through crosswinds and truck wash. The belt drive keeps the driveline quiet and smooth under the exhaust note. This is a bike you ride at its own pace, and it rewards you for it.
My picture of the FLSTSE didn't come off a spec sheet. It built up slowly, over years of listening: talk in the pits, candid conversations with people who actually own one, the give-and-take at rider get-togethers, and the notes that land in my inbox from folks living with the bike week in and week out. Put it together and the sentiment runs in one clear direction. What owners return to first is the motor, and right behind it, the way this Harley refuses to be pinned to a single job.
The one point nearly everyone raises is the pull. Owners describe a strong, torque-rich V-twin with a character all its own, one that builds from low in the rev range and keeps a steady surge underneath you as you roll on. For passing on the highway or settling into an unhurried cruise, riders say it simply does the work, with no need to chase the tach. This is the trait that surfaces most consistently in what I hear, and for plenty of owners it is the reason the bike ended up in their garage.
The other thread that runs through almost every conversation is how readily the bike shifts roles. Owners like that the screen, the bags, the passenger seat, and the backrest all come off and go back on in a few minutes with no tools involved, taking it from a fully dressed long-hauler down to a clean, pared-back cruiser and back again. Riders who split their week between short around-town runs and longer trips tell me that flexibility is a big part of why the bike keeps earning its place for them. Its exclusive, custom appearance sits under all of it, and that is something owners bring up with real pride.
Erratic fuelling and torque dip
One test bike exhibited a significant torque and power black hole between 2000 and 3200 rpm, resulting from a possible fuelling issue. Not all bikes are affected.
Sticky throttle grip
A few owners report the throttle grip does not return smoothly when released, staying where it is instead of snapping shut. Replacement or lubrication may be required.
Where this Harley-Davidson CVO FLSTSE Softail Convertible 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 FLSTSE Softail Convertible is actually built for.
If your calendar runs through Sturgis and Daytona and you want sound, presence, and a statement under you, this is exactly your machine. It looks and feels the part everywhere the faithful gather.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
For classic style and unhurried two-lane miles through small towns, the look is spot on and the relaxed gait suits the rhythm. Just keep the short tank range in mind on remote stretches.
Made for Acadia National Park · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
Clip on the windshield and bags and it will carry you two-up in real comfort, but the 5.0-gallon tank and modest range make it a better weekend tourer than a coast-to-coast marathon machine.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
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 FLSTSE Softail Convertible. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
