The Motorcycle That Gets Better Once The New-Bike Excitement Wears Off
A new motorcycle has a strange way of making every ride feel important. The first few weeks are filled with small discoveries, long looks in the garage, and excuses to take the scenic route home. But that excitement eventually settles. The question then becomes whether there is enough substance underneath the novelty to keep the bike interesting. Some machines answer that question through performance, some through comfort, and others through character. But some of the best ones, especially the ones in the touring segment, do something else. They become part of a rider’s routine, changing from an object of fascination into a reason to ride.
Why The New-Bike Feeling Starts To Fade After The First Few Months
There is nothing complicated about enjoying a new motorcycle. Everything feels fresh. The engine note has not become familiar yet, the controls still feel worth exploring, and even the process of cleaning it can seem strangely satisfying. A new motorcycle also carries expectations with it. You imagine the roads it will conquer, the trips you will take, and the kind of rider it might turn you into.
But eventually, reality replaces that imagination. The bike becomes transportation, recreation, and sometimes simply another machine sitting in the garage. A bike that depends entirely on being new can lose a lot of its magic surprisingly quickly. On the other hand, a bike that has a strong mechanical personality, a recognizable design, and enough capability to keep finding new uses can become more interesting as the months and years roll by.
Legacy Can Turn A Motorcycle Into A Lifestyle
Some motorcycles develop a relationship with their owners that goes beyond specifications. Their design becomes recognizable from a distance, their sound becomes familiar, and their role in the rider’s life expands. The motorcycle becomes connected to weekend rides, road trips, meetups, and the rituals surrounding ownership.
This kind of longevity is particularly important with heavyweight touring motorcycles. These machines are not usually bought simply because they have impressive horsepower figures. They are bought because riders see themselves spending years with them. Harley-Davidson has spent decades building that culture around its touring motorcycles, and this one particular bike from the old American brand has become one of the company’s defining shapes.
The Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST Should Remain Relevant As The Years Pass
The CVO Road Glide ST is a little bit of an unusual motorcycle because it sits between several familiar categories. It is a touring motorcycle with saddlebags, a large fairing, and a six-gallon fuel tank. But Harley-Davidson has equipped it with components that would not look out of place on a much more aggressive performance machine. But this was not the reason we chose the Road Glide.
The Harley-Davidson badge itself is enough to get anyone excited, especially when H-D’s big, long history is brought so far into the modern world as the CVO series of motorcycles. The CVO Road Glide ST is one of those motorcycles that starts exciting to own simply because it is a Harley, but goes on to prove that the brand’s legacy isn’t just for show.
Its Milwaukee-Eight 121 Is Built To Feel More Alive
At the center of the Road Glide ST is Harley-Davidson’s Milwaukee-Eight 121 High Output Engine. Headline figures from this 1,977cc engine measure 127 horsepower at 4,900 rpm and 145 pound-feet of torque peaking at 4,000 rpm. This already puts it above the regular Road Glide, which offers 115 horsepower and 139 pound-feet of torque. A high-performance camshaft, a Heavy Breather intake, and a higher 5,900-rpm rev limit are also present. So this still delivers the muscular low-speed shove expected for a large American V-twin, but there is a little more incentive to keep the throttle open when the revs climb.
The ST also uses a six-speed transmission, as most motorcycles now usually do, but with a belt-final drive. The bike also gets a relatively short 10.233 first gear ratio and a fairly long 3.067 sixth gear ratio. This combination helps the V-twin feel responsive when the motorcycle is moving away from a stop, but in sixth gear, it still has the legs needed for highway riding. Harley also claims a 44-mile-per-gallon fuel economy. Combine that with the six-gallon fuel tank, and you get an impressive 264-mile range on a full tank of gas.
Serious Suspension Hardware Is A Standard Inclusion
The chassis is where the Road Glide ST makes its biggest argument for being something more than a traditional touring motorcycle. Up front is a 47 mm Showa inverted fork with adjustable preload, compression, and rebound damping and 4.6 inches of travel. At the rear, dual Showa remote-reservoir shocks provide three inches of travel, with separate oil and gas chambers designed to maintain consistent performance under demanding conditions. This level of adjustability is significant on a motorcycle that weighs 838 pounds, but it allows the rider to tailor the bike’s performance exactly as they would like it when factoring in different types of roads or riding styles.
Now, the geometry still remains very cruiser/tourer-like with a 26-degree rake, 6.7 inches of trail, and a 64-inch wheelbase. Braking duties are handled by dual floating wave-style front rotors with four-piston radial-mounted calipers and a single rear disc with a four-piston caliper. A 5.1-inch ground clearance obviously means this bike can’t go off-road, but the 26.7-inch seat height makes the bike extremely approachable for anyone.
The Design Should Keep Turning Heads
The Road Glide’s sharknose fairing is one of Harley’s most recognizable touring designs, and the ST takes that identity and injects it with a more performance-oriented paint scheme. The carbon-fiber front fender helps cut weight while still adding that bit of sport inspiration. The single-seat also has a raised rear section to help keep the rider planted while accelerating whenever you find yourself competing with the sport bros.
As far as technology goes, Harley-Davidson doesn’t skimp here either. A 12.3-inch full-color TFT dash runs Skyline OS, giving the rider access to navigation, connectivity, and motorcycle information. The electronics package also includes selectable ride modes and rider aids designed around the bike’s performance focus. All of these distinctions help keep the Road Glide as fresh as the day you pick it up from the showroom.
The Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide Has A Lot Of Personalities To Cover
Price: $44,999
The real test of a motorcycle tends to start when that first novelty wears off. You’ve taken the photographs, you’ve taken it out on its maiden voyage, and that showroom excitement has now faded away. The Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST, however, is deeper than that. The High Output engine, adjustable forks, Brembo stopping power, and substantial touring capacity give it different characters to choose from. It can go from a long-distance machine one weekend to a surprisingly serious corner-carver the next. Admire it as a CVO, enjoy it as a Harley, and ride it as a performance bagger. This versatility is ultimately what keeps it exciting long after the first few weeks at home.
Source: Harley-Davidson
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