Harley-Davidson’s Performance Touring Surprise in Las Vegas
Experience Harley-Davidson’s unexpected venture into performance touring with the CVO Road Glide ST, inspired by the thrilling King of the Baggers racing series.
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Last year, Harley-Davidson invited me to Las Vegas to test-ride a new motorcycle. The unusual part? The test included laps at the Las Vegas Speedway—a track designed for high-performance sport bikes, not Harley’s heavyweight cruisers. This hinted at something unexpected.
A High-Performance Bagger Born from Racing
The motorcycle was the Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST, a high-performance light touring bike influenced by Harley’s involvement in the fast-growing King of the Baggers (KOTB) Racing League. Originally a MotoAmerica sideshow, KOTB gained momentum as Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycles pushed their touring bikes to new performance limits.
What began as an exhibition race struck a chord with Harley and Indian fans, accelerating tech advancements in consumer models. The result? The CVO Road Glide ST, a luxurious yet surprisingly capable machine, blending race-bred technology with street-legal touring for $45,000.
Introducing the CVO Road Glide RR: A Track-Ready Bagger
Harley-Davidson built on the CVO Road Glide ST’s success by unveiling the CVO Road Glide RR, a limited-production, factory-custom bagger packed with race technology. With only 131 units and a $110,000 price tag, it stands as one of Harley’s most exclusive, high-performance motorcycles.
In motorcycling, RR marks a race-ready production model, and the CVO Road Glide RR follows that tradition. Jochen Zeitz, Harley-Davidson’s Chairman, CEO, and President, summed it up: “With this limited series, we’ve taken all the lessons from the track and created the pinnacle of street-legal bagger performance.”
Track DNA Meets Touring Capability
Unlike standard baggers built for comfort and long-distance cruising, the CVO Road Glide RR blends speed with touring. Harley-Davidson applied KOTB race bike innovations, making this the closest thing to a track-ready bagger.
Here are some of its standout features:
- Milwaukee-Eight 131 V-Twin Engine: Produces 153 horsepower and 150 lb-ft of torque, making it the most powerful production Harley ever.
- Carbon Fiber Components: The fairing, saddlebags, and bodywork are made from lightweight carbon fiber for improved aerodynamics and weight reduction.
- Öhlins Suspension: Equipped with a fully adjustable FGR 253 Hypersport Superbike fork and twin Öhlins rear shocks for enhanced handling.
- Brembo Braking System: Twin 320mm rotors and race-spec Brembo calipers come pre-wired for track use.
- Track-Optimized Ride Modes: Includes six ride modes from Rain to Track Plus, with custom settings available.
- Titanium Akrapovič Exhaust System: Saves 10 pounds over the standard system while improving performance and sound.
- 12.3-inch TFT Display: Provides navigation, ride data, and a minimalist Track Mode.
- 500-Watt Rockford Fosgate Audio System: Blends race performance with long-distance touring comfort.
A Motorcycle for Collectors or Racers?
At $110,000, the CVO Road Glide RR is far beyond the reach of most riders. It sits in a league of its own, much like Harley-Davidson’s rare 1994 VR1000 sport bike, which was also built in limited numbers and has since become a collector’s item.
While some of these 131 Road Glide RRs may end up as collector’s trophies, it would be a shame not to see them on the open road—or even better, on a racetrack. This is Harley-Davidson’s boldest step yet into high-performance motorcycling, proving that even baggers can be thrilling, aggressive, and built for speed.
Whether on the highway or the track, the CVO Road Glide RR is a statement piece—a motorcycle that embodies the unexpected evolution of Harley-Davidson’s performance legacy.
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