2017–2019 · Tourer · Buyer's Guide
Factory Luxury, Factory Torque
The CVO Ultra Limited sits at the very top of Harley's full-dress touring line, and it wears that status in every detail. The 1868 cc 45° V-twin runs air and liquid cooling together, making 101 hp and a thick 122 lb-ft that rolls this bike off the line with no drama. A six-speed box and belt final drive keep the delivery smooth and quiet. What sets the CVO trim apart is the finish: hand-laid paint, heated Hammock seating, power-locking hard luggage, and the Boom Box touchscreen. ABS comes standard. This is American luxury touring built without a budget ceiling.
On the road this is a bike that rewards distance over pace. At 950 lb wet it carries its mass low, so once you are rolling it feels planted and calm, though you feel every pound walking it backward out of a parking spot. It ages well on the back of genuinely solid build quality, and aftermarket support is effectively bottomless if you want to make it your own. Who is it for? The rider who logs real miles two-up and wants presence and comfort ahead of everything else. Just know it goes without traction control and ride modes, so smooth inputs matter.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 101 hp (75 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 122 lb-ft (165 Nm) |
| Displacement | 1868 cc |
| Engine | 45° V-twin |
| Cooling | Air/liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Belt |
| Fork | Telescopic |
| Front brake | 300 mm |
| Front tire | 130/80B17 65H |
| Rear tire | 180/65B16 81H |
| Wheelbase | 64.0 in (1625 mm) |
| Seat height | 28.3 in (720 mm) |
| Wet weight | 950 lb (431 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 6.0 gal (22.7 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Lighting
Safety
Thumb the starter and the big twin settles into that deep, uneven idle you feel through the floorboards before you really hear it. Roll onto the highway and it all comes together. The Hammock seat cradles you, the fairing pushes clean air over your shoulders, and the heated seat takes the bite out of cold mornings. Vibration stays civil at cruise, more texture than buzz, so your hands stay fresh after hours in the saddle. At 80 mph the bike sits rock steady, wide and unbothered by crosswinds or truck wash. The stereo fills the cockpit, and the lighting lays down a genuinely wide, bright pool after dark. This is a machine that shrinks a long day. You climb off surprised at how little the road took out of you.
This picture comes together over years of listening rather than any single ride: talk in the paddock, owners walking me through life with theirs, conversations at club nights, and the notes riders drop into my inbox. For this bike the sentiment lands in one place. It reads as a comfort machine above all, with bulk and cost the reservations that keep surfacing.
The engine draws the loudest agreement. Riders keep calling the big V-twin's torque effortless off idle, with easy highway pace and simple roll-on passing. Comfort follows close behind, and two-up riders praise the passenger accommodation as much as their own saddle, pointing to the backrest, armrests, and floorboards. For all its mass, many find it turns through sweepers more willingly than they expected. A few single out strong, progressive front braking and the bespoke, tailor-made finish.
The complaints group tightly. The steady one is sheer weight at walking pace: riders describe wrestling it around a garage and call the mass intimidating for some. The other is what it costs to live with. Owners report maintenance and insurance that run steep, matching a price that already sits well up the ladder.
Secondary clutch actuator recall
The secondary clutch actuator cylinder may leak fluid internally, causing the clutch master cylinder to lose the ability to generate enough lift to disengage the clutch. This can result in an inability to shift or loss of control, increasing crash risk. Harley-Davidson recalled affected models (NHTSA 18V734000) to replace the secondary clutch actuator piston assembly.
Poor CB radio performance
Some owners report that the factory CB radio has extremely limited range, often failing to communicate beyond 50 feet, with dealers attributing it to the bike's 'small footprint'.
Infotainment touchscreen malfunction in rain
Water droplets landing on the touchscreen can cause the radio to mute and switch to an information screen. The manufacturer considers this normal operation, but it can be frustrating for riders caught in wet weather.
Where this Harley-Davidson CVO Ultra Limited FLHTKSE 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 Ultra Limited FLHTKSE is actually built for.
If your calendar runs on Sturgis and Daytona, this is your machine. The sound, the presence, and the CVO finish make the statement you want, and it carries you and a passenger there in real comfort.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
Built for exactly your kind of trip: long days, full loads, and weather that turns on you by the hour. The comfort, luggage, and highway stability suit big park routes ridden two-up.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
You'll love the comfort and calm on open sweepers, but at 950 lb this is no canyon carver. Great for relaxed scenic days; look elsewhere if you want to attack tight twisties.
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 Ultra Limited FLHTKSE. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
