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Even an untrained eye can see that the design of the fuel tank, front and rear fenders, fairing and saddlebags on the 2023 Ultra Limited is almost identical to those same items on the 1969 FLH. That\u2019s not to say that the machine beneath hasn\u2019t been vastly improved \u2014 back then, vibration would literally break off parts, and if a bike wasn\u2019t leaking it meant there was no more oil in it. But what remained in view stayed pretty much the same. Well, that has changed with the introduction of the 2023 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide and Street Glide models, which are drastically different from the non-CVO bikes that share their names.<\/p>\n
Harley\u2019s CVO division (Custom Vehicle Operations) was created in 1999 as an outlet to offer factory-customized models utilizing the company\u2019s vast selection of parts and accessories. The first models to come out of the CVO design centre were the FXR2 and FXR3, both in very limited numbers (1,800 examples total), and both based on the FXR model, which hadn\u2019t been in production since 1995.<\/p>\n
Aside from being exclusive models, Harley had thrown every accessory in the book at them and gave them flashy custom paint jobs \u2014 and charged an appropriately high price. The customizing branch has since evolved into a showcase of Harley\u2019s newest technology and high performance, through a handful of limited-edition specials based on regular-production models.<\/p>\n
Departing CVO Tradition<\/strong><\/p>\n The CVO Road Glide\u2019s frame-mounted fairing looks taller top to bottom, and it has a large opening below the windscreen that directs airflow into the cockpit to reduce buffeting. The windshield has been laid down at a very shallow angle, and now \u201cfloats\u201d atop the fairing for an overall lighter appearance. The twin LED headlights and tacked-on turn signals of the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Could the future of the CVO program be the introduction of heavily revised models? You probably don\u2019t know it, but you can tie a link from luxo-tourers like the BMW Grand America, the Honda Gold Wing, and the Kawasaki 1700 Vaquero, all the way back to 1969. That year, Harley designers developed the batwing fairing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":61818,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[366,1843,2548,1852],"tags":[2562,2246,99,473],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/motorcyclemojo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/BJNC9694_P-300x200.jpg\")
While the CVO Road Glide and Street Glide are based on existing models, they are, in fact, entirely new motorcycles. The first noticeable change is the all-new silhouette. Both machines boast completely redesigned fairings and bodywork, while still maintaining styling cues that link them to the originals \u2014 the Road Glide to the 1980 FLT Tour Glide and the Street Glide to that 1969 Electra Glide.<\/p>\n