Harley-Davidson CVO Softail Deluxe FLSTNSE (FLSTNSE)

The Machine's Character

Harley built the CVO Softail Deluxe as its dress-uniform cruiser, and the hardware follows the look rather than the other way around. The air-cooled 1801 cc 45-degree V-twin sits rigid in the frame and makes 90 hp, though the number that shapes the ride is 108 lb-ft, fed through a 6-speed box and a belt. Everything you can see is finish work: deep CVO paint, chrome laid on thick, rear shocks hidden away so the back of the bike reads clean. It sits at the top of the factory-custom scale, not the performance one.

The 25.8 in seat drops you low and both boots land flat, which is what makes 782 lb workable in the real world. Once rolling it settles and stays settled at highway speed. The price of that clean silhouette is short rear travel, so broken pavement arrives with no warning, and lean angle runs out well before your nerve does. This is a bike for riders who want presence when they arrive and a relaxed cadence getting there. Ask it to hustle and it will politely decline. Ride it at its own pace and nothing in this segment carries more visual weight.

Hard Numbers

Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.

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Key specifications
Power	90 hp (67 kW)
Torque	108 lb-ft (146 Nm)
Displacement	1801 cc
Engine	45° V-twinMotorcycles With V-Twin Engines →
Cooling	Air-cooled
Gearbox	6-speed
Final drive	BeltMotorcycles With Belt Drive →
Front brake	300 mm
Front tire	130/90B16
Rear tire	MU85B16 77H
Seat height	25.8 in (655 mm)Motorcycles With a Seat Height Under 30 Inches →
Wet weight	782 lb (355 kg)
Fuel capacity	5.0 gal (18.9 L)
Top speed	106 mph (170 km/h)

Equipment check

Chassis

Cruise Control Motorcycles With Cruise Control → Standard

Lighting

LED Headlight Standard

Safety

ABS Standard

Known issues

Hydraulic clutch master cylinder seal failure (RECALL)

drivetrain common Recall

The master cylinder primary cup can tear, causing the clutch to lose its ability to stay disengaged. This can lead to unintentional creep and low-speed tip-overs.
Incorrect clutch release plate (RECALL)

drivetrain occasional Recall

Certain 2014 FLSTNSE units built 3 May 2013 - 14 Oct 2013 may have an incorrect clutch release plate, which can stop the clutch from disengaging and make the bike hard to slow or stop. NHTSA campaign 13V517000.
Premature lifter and cam shoe wear

engine occasional

Owners report lifter failures around 5,000 miles and accelerated cam shoe wear between 10,000 and 25,000 miles. Early models had an inner cam bearing issue, which was reportedly fixed before 2014, but lifter problems persist.
Cruise control sensor failure

electrics rare

Single report of cruise control sensor malfunction requiring replacement.

The Numbers Compared

Compare the technical specifications of the Harley-Davidson CVO Softail Deluxe FLSTNSE with other bikes in its class.

Head-to-head: Harley-Davidson CVO Softail Deluxe FLSTNSE vs. its rivals

Power

90 hp This bike 93 hp Triumph Thunderbird Commander 78 hp Indian Scout Sixty 79 hp Suzuki Intruder C1500T 75 hp Moto Guzzi California Classic

Torque

108 lb-ft This bike 111 lb-ft Triumph Thunderbird Commander 66 lb-ft Indian Scout Sixty 97 lb-ft Suzuki Intruder C1500T 65 lb-ft Moto Guzzi California Classic

Displacement

1801 cc This bike 1699 cc Triumph Thunderbird Commander 1000 cc Indian Scout Sixty 1462 cc Suzuki Intruder C1500T 1064 cc Moto Guzzi California Classic

Wet weight

782 lb This bike 838 lb Triumph Thunderbird Commander 564 lb Indian Scout Sixty 800 lb Suzuki Intruder C1500T 553 lb Moto Guzzi California Classic

Seat height

25.8 in This bike 27.6 in Triumph Thunderbird Commander 25.0 in Indian Scout Sixty 28.3 in Suzuki Intruder C1500T 29.9 in Moto Guzzi California Classic

Alternatives to the Harley-Davidson CVO Softail Deluxe FLSTNSE

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 Softail Deluxe FLSTNSE. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.