Harley is making some big changes

[fourteenfour]

Someone sneaked shots of the next CVO Street Glide and Road Glide from the York factory, featuring 121ci engines, upside down forks, radial brembo brakes, and adjustable windscreens.  That last photo is apparently distorted by a wide angle camera in use

 

 

[TEWKS]

Wow interesting!  I hope the profile shot on that Road Glide is distorted like you say, that’s just outright frightening! 

[fourteenfour]

Cleaner side picture of the CV Road GLide

 

 

[Lowndes]

That pic is better because it left out the fairing.

[Skywagon]

It needs a helium valve so you can air it up and make it lighter.  

[wbw6cos]

I was at a bike show a few years back and I sat on one of those big ones and could not lift it off the side stand.  Level floor.  Carpet, no less.  

[MikeB60]

21 minutes ago, wbw6cos said:

I was at a bike show a few years back and I sat on one of those big ones and could not lift it off the side stand.  Level floor.  Carpet, no less.  

U need to eat some Wheaties squid!

[Hosstage]

They ride lighter than they actually are....

[Skywagon]

They ride great...probably nothing better....just hard to move around.  My buddy dropped his with the wife on the back while maneuvering for gas.  He was doing about 2mph.  He couldn't get it back up on his own.  I showed him the back maneuver and he was able to do it.

[Hosstage]

What, you can't just hump 900 pounds up off the ground?

[Skywagon]

27 minutes ago, Hosstage said:

What, you can't just hump 900 pounds up off the ground

 

He's not Roug 

 

Noticed the CVO is fairly inexpensive....:)

 

[Hosstage]

Yup, damn near giving the things away!

[fourteenfour]

16 hours ago, wbw6cos said:

I was at a bike show a few years back and I sat on one of those big ones and could not lift it off the side stand.  Level floor.  Carpet, no less.  

 

Turn the wheel to face the direction you are lifting the bike, so all the way to the right. It will come off the kickstand without even needing to touch the bars.

 

 

14 hours ago, Skywagon said:

Noticed the CVO is fairly inexpensive....:)

 

and yet they still sell very well and this with some dealers applying markup.

 

Oh, to that $51,999 price you need to add in both the $850 freight charge and $1200 surcharge which means the starting price is actually $54,049

 

Harley has been charging a surcharge on every motorcycle for the last two years and because of that they are able to claim their per unit profit has increased and as they have promised the per unit profit will go higher they will need to either keep the surcharge, roll the surcharge into the MSRP, or both. However based on their very significant sales drop last year they may be at the end of their rope for pricing.

[fourteenfour]

the side picture I posted in my second post reveals the 121 engine has VVT which helped explain the odd engine size considering their previous motors.

[old_farmer]

On 3/15/2023 at 1:53 PM, wbw6cos said:

I was at a bike show a few years back and I sat on one of those big ones and could not lift it off the side stand.  Level floor.  Carpet, no less.  

There's a reason they sell so many trikes these days.

[Hosstage]

The key to popping them off the side stand is to hop on and push off as you do it, using your weight to straighten it up. And as mentioned, turning the bars helps stand it up.

Just be sure to catch it before it goes over the way.

Ask me how I know...

[fourteenfour]

two more pictures found

 

[Hosstage]

That fairing is looking very Bender-esque.

[fourteenfour]

https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-news/harley-davidson-cvo-street-glide-121-revealed-2024/

 

 

So some actual complete pictures of the Street Glide CVO

[Ponch]

I thought their business model was awful for customers and then Zeitz took over the helm and said hold my beer...or was it Prosecco? 

[fourteenfour]

They release their Q1 2023 results on the 27th, going to be interesting. They did promise increase in profit per unit but I don't see how overall that will offset the loss of sales.

[Hosstage]

As expensive as the CVO and trike models are, they sell out almost as fast as they arrive at the dealerships.

[Rinkydink]

Glad to see them upgrading the biggest problems I had with their scoots. Brakes and suspension. 

[gmcjetpilot]

You can buy a used R1200RT for $7000. A 2023 R 1250 RT base model is $19,695, and tricked out with all the functional sparkle or  Farkale for $26,195.....  2022 CVO Road Glide Limited ($44,899). Wait that does not include the accessories you must buy.  Wow such a tough choice.

[Hosstage]

Used HD RoadGlide, $10,000

 

2023 BMW R1250RT, $27,975

2023 HD RoadGlide Limited, $29,750

 

2023 BMW R1250RT Exclusive Limited CVO model fully loaded with high end custom paint, not offered. Sorry, you gotta ride the pedestrian model like everyone else.

[fourteenfour]

Don't forget there is some real appeal to the Harley line up in that their seat heights are very low and the seats themselves are very comfortable and a lot people also like that they look and feel of the V twin as well.

  

 

[Hosstage]

I agree on the low seat. When on the RT, I was on my tip toes. Granted, it weighs almost 300 pounds less than my Ultra, that made it workable, though a little challenging with the wife on it.

[fourteenfour]

Well the made it official

 

 

[bmwnomad]

You buy a Harley for the name, not the motorcycle. 

[Hosstage]

Have you owned one?

[fourteenfour]

8 hours ago, bmwnomad said:

You buy a Harley for the name, not the motorcycle. 

 

Uh no.

 

I am back on one after realizing that BMW no longer makes any motorcycle I want to ride.  I have had far too many BMW motorcycles and while I enjoyed them all for different reasons I am came to realize I wanted something simpler. I had placed a lot of hope on the R18 line when it was announced but it is actually worse than the R1200C line up; of which I had more than one through my BMW ownership.  Seriously the R18 is ridiculously bad, so bad some big motorcycle publications did little if no coverage after the launch because they did not generate interest. 

 

Back to simpler, I really like the R nine T line up and wish they had recreated the RT of old, simple fairing without the electronics and some bags. I would be all over one; give me a classic R100RT from 1980 look with that red... and oh my.

 

hence I just bought a 2023 Harley Davidson Low Rider ST...  see the resemblance?    Fixed fairing, hard bags, and simple.  I am adding a taller windscreen to the Harley and a color matched chopped tour pack. One of the greatest features about Harley is the aftermarket and this is on top of all the optional accessories they sell directly.

 

[Joe Coastie]

Don't forget that the Harley dealers are all networked together for parts and/or accessories.

Something BMW isn't.

[Hosstage]

1 hour ago, Joe Coastie said:

Don't forget that the Harley dealers are all networked together for parts and/or accessories.

Something BMW isn't.

Not to mention that the number of HD dealerships far outweighs BMW dealerships here in the States. That matters when touring this large country, and when pursuing standard dealer service near home.

[9Mary7]

Bet they'll sell you a service manual too........

[Hosstage]

They sure do!

[Skywagon]

On 4/30/2023 at 7:28 AM, Hosstage said:

Not to mention that the number of HD dealerships far outweighs BMW dealerships

This is a big deal. There are 18 Harley dealerships here in Houston. There are 3 BMW dealers.   Nationwide it is probably a bigger ratio. If you break down on a Harley you can likely find help nearby. BMW… not so much

[Hosstage]

There are also a lot of independent shops that will work on Harleys, old and new, very few that will tackle a BMW of any vintage.

[MikeB60]

I'm not so convinced that having a dealer available for a breakdown is really that big of a deal. If it's a tire issue there are plenty of options.  Get a road side assist plan that will get the disabled bike to the nearest dealer. Or better yet rent a uhaul and drag it home.

 

That said, I'm not worried, at all, about about my bike leaving me stranded on the road. Unless it's an easy fix in which case I can most likely take care of the issue myself any dealer Harley or BMW is not going the be able to get you back on the road quickly during the busy riding season. I'm gonna ride what I like dealer availability be damned!

[dirtrider]

1 hour ago, MikeB60 said:

I'm not so convinced that having a dealer available for a breakdown is really that big of a deal. If it's a tire issue there are plenty of options.  Get a road side assist plan that will get the disabled bike to the nearest dealer. Or better yet rent a uhaul and drag it home.

 

That said, I'm not worried, at all, about about my bike leaving me stranded on the road. Unless it's an easy fix in which case I can most likely take care of the issue myself any dealer Harley or BMW is not going the be able to get you back on the road quickly during the busy riding season. I'm gonna ride what I like dealer availability be damned!

Morning Mike 

 

In my area both the BMW dealers & Harley dealers have a policy to move travelers or riders on trips to the top of their repair waiting list when practical. All but one Harley dealer is actually open on Sundays with an emergency repair crew that can quickly do things like replace broken drive belts, install tires, and minor electrical repairs.  With the Harley dealers, if the Sunday tec's are not busy on emergency repairs they will also install just-bought Harley accessories for customers.  

 

A couple of years ago one of my local BMW dealers even partially opened & called a tec in on a Sunday  to help a traveling couple get their BMW repaired so they could make a next stop connection.   

[Hosstage]

Dr is right, travelers are pushed to the front of the line when possible.

As far as the number of dealers available being a plus, a lot of people like to have the dealer perform the service on their bikes, it helps to have one close to the house if possible. Chances are higher that happens with Harley over BMW, depending on where one lives.

There is no perfect motorcycle. Hence Harleys, BMWs, Ducatis, etc.

If people just buy Harleys for the name, Harley must be doing something right, they've been selling well over 100,000 premium class motorcycles per year for many, many years, a lot of those sales are repeat buyers. If they were terrible bikes, repeat sales would tumble.

[MikeB60]

27 minutes ago, dirtrider said:

Morning Mike 

 

In my area both the BMW dealers & Harley dealers have a policy to move travelers or riders on trips to the top of their repair waiting list when practical. All but one Harley dealer is actually open on Sundays with an emergency repair crew that can quickly do things like replace broken drive belts, install tires, and minor electrical repairs.  With the Harley dealers, if the Sunday tec's are not busy on emergency repairs they will also install just-bought Harley accessories for customers.  

 

A couple of years ago one of my local BMW dealers even partially opened & called a tec in on a Sunday  to help a traveling couple get their BMW repaired so they could make a next stop connection.   

DR, Point taken, I think most dealers are going to do what they can to get a rider on a trip back on the road. Especially with BMWs parts availability is an issue not so much with Harleys. My point was that personally, I'm not going to make a decision on what bike to ride based on dealer availability while traveling. 

[realshelby]

Was in Colorado several years back. Camped beside two Harley riders ( these were motorcyclists, not bikers....) that had come up from Florida if I recall correctly. 

Wheel bearing went out in a cast wheel in Louisiana. Local Harley dealer took him in late Saturday. No wheel in stock. The bearing fail had ruined the one on the bike. They ended up taking parts off other bikes to get it running. Different wheel, but 100% road worthy. 

To this day that impresses me. 

[John Ranalletta]

27 minutes ago, realshelby said:

Was in Colorado several years back. Camped beside two Harley riders ( these were motorcyclists, not bikers....) that had come up from Florida if I recall correctly. 

Wheel bearing went out in a cast wheel in Louisiana. Local Harley dealer took him in late Saturday. No wheel in stock. The bearing fail had ruined the one on the bike. They ended up taking parts off other bikes to get it running. Different wheel, but 100% road worthy. 

To this day that impresses me. 

During the Unrally in the Black Hills, as I remember, one of our riders (@Endobob ?) had a shift lever break on a new GS or RT.  The BMW dealer in Sturgis didn't have one in stock and refused to take one from a bike in his large inventory.

[9Mary7]

6 hours ago, John Ranalletta said:

During the Unrally in the Black Hills, as I remember, one of our riders (@Endobob ?) had a shift lever break on a new GS or RT.  The BMW dealer in Sturgis didn't have one in stock and refused to take one from a bike in his large inventory.

That is a dealer I wouldn't patronize......

[Lone_RT_rider]

They were working on the new bat wing fairing in 2017 when the Pan American program and all the derivatives of that bike and it's engine came to being.  Funding was shifted from the new Touring platform to the Pan-Am and the new Touring program was canceled.  It's good to see that it's back.  There was a LOT of CFD/airflow work done on that fairing that the lighting is awesome. Buffeting on the old bat wing fairings is pretty bad (I own an electra-glide with one) and they knew it really needed work. The new fairing is a big improvement over what the HD riders have been living with for decades. 

 

I had not seen the new Road Glide fairing though.  Interesting....to say the least. 

 

Shawn 

[Hosstage]

Big changes going forward sometimes mean going back...

 

[Skywagon]

Cant tell for sure....is that a springer seat...Love those.  Fun to bounce along.

[Hosstage]

It is. Makes up for the less than stellar suspension. What's old is new. The new Highway King Electra Glide.

[Red]

Looks like two hours of riding followed by 4 hours of cleaning and polishing.

[Hosstage]

44 minutes ago, Red said:

Looks like two hours of riding followed by 4 hours of cleaning and polishing.

For some, sadly, that is true. I got over that a long time ago. It's not easy though, they look so pretty when they're all shined up!