2018 Harley-Davidson Touring CVO Road Glide

Well, this is interesting. The premium CVO Road Glide has a 21-inch front wheel—the first-ever “factory-installed” on a Harley—and an 18-inch rear wheel. Folks, these just happen to mirror the wheel diameters of high-flying 450cc motocross bikes. One might wonder how this happened. Dirt bikes need a large front wheel to eat up bad terrain; the Harley’s 21-inch front wheel gives the front end a kicked-out, chopperish look, while also happening to roll over road irregularities well (aided by a Showa cartridge-style fork). In back, dirt bikes need adequate wheel diameter for ground clearance and terrain mastering, without undue seat height. In the CVO Road Glide’s case, the rear 18-incher allows using a low-profile 55-series tire for sharper cornering. See? The universe provides.

In keeping with CVO’s mission, the CVO Road Glide also has H-D’s big 117ci Milwaukee-Eight engine, which develops a claimed 125 pound-feet of torque, the most of any production Harley. A dark exhaust treatment, unique paint choices, the up-level Boom! Box 6.5 audio, wireless intercom, and navigation further reward owners.

Likes: Twenty-one-inch front wheels are a rarity on pure streetbikes. Approve!

Dislikes: BMW's C650 GT scooter has an electric height-adjustable windshield. How about it, CVO Road Glide?

Verdict: A serious bit of Harley kit that's not for newbies.