2022–2023 · Tourer · Buyer's Guide
Milwaukee Thunder, Digitally Crowned
The CVO Road Glide Limited is Harley-Davidson's factory-custom touring flagship. It is built to be a statement as much as a way to travel. The engine is the air/liquid-cooled Milwaukee-Eight 117, a 1923 cc 45° V-twin making 126 lb-ft and 105 hp. Those two numbers show the priorities: a deep, easy wave of torque, not a rev-hungry top end. The frame-mounted sharknose fairing defines the bike. It carries the LED headlight, a TFT display with navigation and a premium audio system. Cornering ABS, traction control, cruise control, TPMS, heated grips and a full luggage system all come standard, finished in exclusive hand-crafted paint.
This bike is at its best on long, straight, fast miles. It holds its line at highway speed with real composure, the 6.0 gal (22.7 L) tank supports a big touring range, and the fairing keeps the weather off you. At 963 lb (437 kg) wet it is a lot of motorcycle, but the 28.2 in (716 mm) seat lets you plant both feet. It suits the rider who wants Harley atmosphere and serious distance from one machine. The honest caveat: the fork is non-adjustable, and there are no ride modes or smartphone connectivity. Also check the service history for the known ACR failure, which can damage the cylinder and head.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 105 hp (78 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 126 lb-ft (171 Nm) |
| Displacement | 1923 cc |
| Engine | 45° V-twin |
| Cooling | Air/liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Belt |
| Front tire | 130/60-19 |
| Rear tire | 180/55-18 |
| Wheelbase | 64.0 in (1626 mm) |
| Seat height | 28.2 in (716 mm) |
| Wet weight | 963 lb (437 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 6.0 gal (22.7 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Lighting
Safety
Thumb the starter and the 117 settles into a deep, loping idle that sounds exactly the way a CVO should. You sit low, 28.2 in off the ground, with the sharknose filling the view ahead. The first thing you notice is the mass. Paddling 963 lb out of a parking space at walking pace takes deliberate footwork, and the bike never lets you forget what it weighs. Once it rolls, that weight fades into the background. Because the fairing is mounted to the frame rather than the bars, the front end feels uncluttered in your hands, and at interstate speed the air parts around your chest while your shoulders drop. Set the cruise control, switch on the heated grips as the evening cools, bring the audio up, and the engine's beat becomes the soundtrack instead of the workload. It's a bike that rewards an unhurried rhythm.
ACR (Automatic Compression Release) failure
Some owners report ACR blowout causing cylinder and head damage; parts availability may be delayed.
Where this Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide Limited FLTRKSE 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 Road Glide Limited FLTRKSE is actually built for.
This is the Harley you ride to Sturgis or Daytona and park with pride. The CVO paint, the sharknose and that 117 voice make the statement, and the fairing makes the ride there easy.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
For big routes like Going-to-the-Sun or Beartooth, the range, luggage and weather protection deliver. If you tour two-up at full load, note that only the rear shock adjusts.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
It will carry you comfortably along Highway 1 or the Blue Ridge, but at 963 lb it's a bagger. It likes a flowing pace, so if tight twisties are why you ride, look lighter.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
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 Road Glide Limited FLTRKSE. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
