Last year, I was invited to Las Vegas by Harley-Davidson on behalf of another publication to test-ride a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The odd part about the invitation was that some of the “testing” was set to take place at the Las Vegas Speedway, a complex of race tracks on the outskirts of the city—a rather unusual location for testing a Harley-Davidson, which does not currently produce a modern race-replica or dedicated sport bike that competes with the other major brands.
The bike in question ended up being the new Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST, a rather unexpected (and non-traditional) high-performance light touring entry that benefited from Harley-Davidson’s involvement in the suddenly popular and highly competitive King of the Baggers Racing league (aka KOTB, below). The racing, initially intended as somewhat of a sideshow lark by the MotoAmerica racing folks, pits luxurious touring bikes against each other on a racetrack, a place very far from their intended area of use.
The single KOTB demonstration race was unexpectedly exciting and resonated with a likewise unexpected group: Harley-Davidson and Indian touring motorcycle riders who owned the consumer-facing touring bikes, known as “baggers,” that the racers were riding. The series quickly expanded, and the track-only race bikes became only superficially similar to the consumer models, as racing machines tend to be. But the race tech also trickled down to the consumer bikes, resulting in the unexpectedly capable - and still luxurious - $45,000 CVO Road Glide ST.
Now, Harley-Davidson is offering a limited run of factory custom (and street-legal) bagger machines that use much of the tech and parts from the actual race bikes. The price per copy is $110,000, but buyers will be getting a highly specialized - and uniquely powerful - motorcycle that can hustle around a racetrack but still coddle the rider on a weekend getaway. It’s called the CVO Road Glide RR (below). Only 131 units will be built.
In motorcycle canon, models with an “RR” designation usually signify the most advanced versions and/or limited edition models from a motorcycle manufacturer, such as the Honda CBR-900RR or the Yamaha FZR-400RR. Typically, these are track-focused machines often used as racebikes that are available to the public as street-legal models. So it is with the CVO Road Glide RR. “With this limited series of motorcycles, we’ve taken all the lessons from the track and created the pinnacle of street-legal bagger performance,” Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, CEO and President said in a press release.
CVO Road Glide RR Technical Overview
Up until now, the KOTB race bikes and the consumer machines they represented had one primary commonality: the frame. By rule, the race bikes must use the same frame as the street-legal machines; aside from that, pretty much anything else was fair game, especially the all-important engine and suspension.
And while the race bikes have fairings and saddlebags, they were typically remade in carbon fiber to shave as much weight as possible from the stock bikes, which typically weigh in at close to 800 pounds. Indeed, the race bikes had a base weight limit as well - a minimum of 620 pounds, which is still hundreds of pounds more than a typical MotoGP or Superbike machine. In racing, light makes right - or at least faster, typically - and KOTB competitors shaved and cut wherever possible to come close to that 620-pound bar. Meanwhile, engine power soared as newly-reborn racing departments at Harley-Davidson and Polaris-owned Indian went to work. Here’s a look at highlights from a recent KOTB race:
With the CVO Road Glide RR, Harley-Davidson is essentially building 131 race bikes with turn signals, headlights and a stereo in the abbreviated fairings. The monstrous 2.1-liter Milwaukee Eight V-Twin in the RR makes 153 horsepower and 150 pound feet of torque - the most of any production-series Harley, ever. Until now, the new-think, fully modern, liquid-cooled 1.25-liter Revolution Max motor in the Harley-Davidson Pan America Special adventure bike (below) was the company’s all-time horsepower king.
The Milwaukee Eight in the RR appears to be air-cooled (and is, partially). However, a well-hidden liquid-cooling system flows around the hottest part of the tops of the cylinders, allowing for more power output from the 131-cubic-inch motor that has a wide range of internal upgrades from even the Road Glide ST motor, which is no slouch at 121 claimed horsepower. But it’s down over 30hp on the RR’s motor. Both bikes include a six-speed transmission with traditional foot-and-clutch shifting.
Additionally, the RR gets several more items directly from the race bike, including a fairing/windscreen and saddlebags made from carbon fiber (but more robust, painted and practical for actual use as intended), a braced rear swingarm formed from billet aluminum that could qualify as a piece of industrial art (below), and other trick bits including billet gear and brake levers, a tank “hump” for bracing the rider’s leg while racing (it is removable for touring), and a lightweight titanium Akropovič 2-to-1 exhaust system that shaves a solid 10 pounds off the stock system.
Suspension-wise, the RR is equipped with an Öhlins FGR 253 Hypersport Superbike fork - essentially the same gear as the race bikes. It’s fully adjustable for nth-degree tweaking for the track or highway. Out back, twin rear Öhlins shocks are also adjustable and feature remote reservoirs and tuning bits mounted up near the saddlebags as on the sibling ST - except the RR’s are better and have more suspension travel.
You’ll need some boffo brakes to haul down a 750-pound sled from triple digits and the RR comes equipped with a triplet of top-spec Brembo calipers with twin 320mm rotors up front, and the calipers come safety-wired for track use from the factory. I haven’t seen that in a long while.
Speaking of speed, the RR is restricted to a top speed of 125 mph from the factory, according to early test rides by other publications. This restriction is not necessarily for safety but because the tires that come stock on the RR are rated for 130 mph at most. It’s not exactly clear if changing the tires will allow the speed limiter to be lifted, and 125 mph is really moving - on a tour bike. But the KOTB race bikes can hit over 180 mph as can most top-spec street-legal sport bikes sold today; so far, the RR’s true top speed capabilities remain a mystery.
In terms of electronic aids, the RR errs more on the street bike side of the equation with numerous nannies including several ABS system, traction control, linked brakes (that unlink in race mode), and six ride modes ranging from Rain to Track Plus, with Road mode being the likely companion while on the street. Riders can also choose to create several custom modes for special circumstances.
In the cockpit, the race bikes keep things simple with minimalist displays since the focus is on the track. However, the RR retains the configurable 12-inch wide color TFT panel of the Road Glide, which can show included GPS maps and more. It can also be put in a stripped-down Track mode, showing revs and speed in a simplified display.
The RR is, at heart, a light touring road motorcycle, so it does come with a 500-watt Rockford/Fosgate stereo system in the fairing, complete with dual 6-inch, 3-way speakers. Just connect your phone or tune into your favorite FM stations or satellite radio and head out on the highway.
Who Is The CVO Road Glide RR For?
Clearly, a $110,000 motorcycle isn’t likely within the budgets of most hard-core Harley loyalists. Even a CVO-level Harley like the RR’s sibling CVO Road Glide ST doesn’t cross $50,000, making the RR a bit of an outlier in the Motor Company’s pantheon of heavy metal. The only model the company has produced that comes close is the now sought-after 1994 VR1000 sport bike, another small-batch special which had a then-astronomical $50,000 price tag.
Those VRs now belong to collectors (or auction houses) and rarely if ever turn a tire on pavement; I’d suspect many Road Glide RR units may meet the same fate, which is a shame seeing as how it’s likely the most sporty sport-touring model ever made available by Harley-Davidson. Hopefully, some owners will get their RRs out on the open road (or the race track) and enjoy this race-replica that also happens to be a touring mount. I know I would.
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