It’s quite common for mainstream UK riders to have a pop at Harley-Davidson’s bikes. They get criticised for their weight, their power outputs, and their technology.
But the Milwaukee firm is still a massive player, especially in its home market – where heavyweight cruiser machines are still the mainstream for most American riders.
And for 2024, it’s unleashed a bevy of new bikes that are actually fairly high-tech, with plenty of touring kit, new engines, and some pretty impressive power outputs.
There are three main headlines in this release. First up, the Pan America adventure touring machine is available in CVO format for the first time, in the 25th year of the special factory tuning programme.
CVO stands for Custom Vehicle Operation and it’s Harley’s in-house upgrade arm, which builds special editions of the major models, adding performance parts, special paint jobs, extra chrome and loads of other options, straight from the factory.
And now, it’s turned its attention from the usual big twin cruisers to the firm’s adventure tourer, for a ‘GS Adventure’ style revamp, adding semi-active electronic suspension with Adaptive Ride Height, tubeless wire-spoked wheels, aluminium luggage, quickshifter and aluminium sump guard – nice.
Away from the posh Pan America adventure tourer, there are also upgrades for the high-end Road Glide and Street Glide ‘sporty’ touring models.
The base bikes get a new engine, the Milwaukee-Eight 117 cubic inch (1,923cc) V-twin, with a revised cooling system, 105bhp peak power and 130 ft lb of torque.
There are new electronics, massive 12.3-inch TFT LCD dashboard instead of the old analogue clocks, and three selectable rider modes.
But perhaps the biggest headline-grabber is the engine on the CVO versions of the Road Glide and Street Glide. Those flagship machines get a 121 cubic-inch(1,977cc) version of the Milwaukee-Eight engine, making a hefty 127bhp and 145 ft lb of torque.
Now, Harley claims that’s the most powerful engine it’s ever put in a bike, seemingly ignoring the 150bhp on the Pan America in the same press release.
Regardless, it’s a lot of power for an old cruiser, even one that weighs just under 400kg ready to ride. Luckily, they’ve given the Glides a load of high-end Brembo braking kit, uprated Showa suspension, and a decent set of electronic rider aids.
You pay for it though: the top-end ST version of the Road Glide costs a brain-bruising £38,995…
More info: www.harley-davidson.com
TECH HIGHLIGHTS AND PRICES
CVO Pan America
Keeps the 150bhp Revolution Max 1250 V-twin engine, semi-active front and rear suspension, touchscreen display, selectable ride modes, and Daymaker Adaptive Headlamp technology from the standard bike, and adds a host of rugged accessories. That includes Adaptive Ride Height suspension, rugged aluminium top and side cases, a Screamin’ Eagle quickshifter, tubeless laced wheels, auxiliary LED forward lighting and an aluminium skid plate
Pricing for the CVO Pan America: £23,495
Street Glide and Road Glide
Harley claims both bikes are more powerful, lighter, and more dynamic, and feature all-new visual design elements.
Both models feature an evolved fairing profile that appears refreshingly modern yet retains Harley-Davidson design DNA. Additional key features include:
- Updated Milwaukee-Eight 117 (1,923 cc) V-twin engine features a new cooling system which further optimises thermal comfort for the rider and enhanced intake and exhaust flow to boost performance.
- Selectable Ride Modes – Road, Sport, Rain and Custom – to electronically control the performance characteristics of the motorcycle.
- Infotainment technology is powered by Skyline OS and presented on a 312mm (12.3-inch) TFT colour touchscreen that replaces all analogue instrumentation and most switches. A new 200-watt audio amplifier powers a pair of fairing-mounted speakers.
- Improved aerodynamics enhance rider comfort and reduce subjective helmet buffeting at highway speed by an average of 60 percent. Rear suspension travel is increased to 76 mm. A redesigned one-piece seat shape and padding materials offer a significant improvement in long-range comfort for most riders.
Pricing for the MY24 Street Glide starts at: £26,795
Pricing for the MY24 Road Glide starts at: £27,295
CVO Road Glide ST
Harley claims the CVO Road Glide ST is the quickest, fastest, and most-sophisticated performance bagger it’s ever produced. A deep solo seat and 152.4mm (six-inch) riser paired with the handlebar puts the rider in an aggressive, upright position with West Coast custom style.
Key features include:
- Two premium paint choices: Golden White Pearl or Raven Metallic. A Screamin’ Eagle graphic on the fairing sides and fuel tank is inspired by the Screamin’ EagleHarley-Davidson Factory motorcycles raced in the MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers series. CVO 25th Anniversary graphics celebrate a milestone in factory customisation.
- The Milwaukee-Eight 121 (1,977 cc) High Output V-twin engine is exclusive to the CVO Road Glide ST model, tuned to produce 127 horsepower (94 kW) and 145 lb.ft. (193 Nm) of torque – the most horsepower and torque ever from a factory-installed engine in a production Harley-Davidson motorcycle. A lower final drive ratio is selected to enhance acceleration performance in every gear.
- The use of alternate materials to help reduce dry weight to 363 kg. Mufflers have lightweight titanium shells and forged carbon fibre end caps; forged carbon fibre composite is used to form the front fender, seat cowl and tank console; the oil pan is formed of lightweight composite; and wheel design and wave-style front brake rotors are optimised to minimise unsprung weight.
- Fully adjustable front and rear suspension is provided by Showa remote reservoir rear shock absorbers and inverted 47mm Showa 1×1 forks.
- Premium Brembo braking components provide outstanding braking feel and performance for added rider confidence.
- Selectable Ride Modes – Road, Sport, Track, Track Plus, Rain, and multiple Custom modes – electronically control the performance characteristics of the motorcycle.
- A suite of infotainment technology is powered by Skyline OS. A colour touchscreen replaces all analogue instrumentation and most switches. A premium audio system features a 500-watt amplifier and Harley-Davidson Audio powered by Rockford Fosgate Stage II 165 mm fairing speakers.
Pricing for the CVO Road Glide ST: £38,995