Harley-Davidson CVO 1980 Road Glide ST FLTRXSTSE 2025 — Specifications

At nearly €48,000, this CVO Road Glide ST is not a motorcycle, it's a declaration of war. Imagine a bagger, those American road behemoths, that we've shaken by the shoulders, yelling at it to wake up. The intention is clear: Harley-Davidson is aiming straight for the heart of the King of the Baggers arena, responding blow for blow to Indian with a heavy artillery that we weren't expecting from Milwaukee.

The shock initially comes from its engine. This 1977 cm³ Milwaukee-Eight 121 High Output is a reworked showpiece by the Screamin’ Eagle division. With 126 horsepower and a monstrous torque of 193 Nm, it's the most powerful engine ever signed by the brand. You can feel the touch of competition in the optimized intake and specific camshaft. The result? A locomotive that pulls hard from 3750 rpm, with a surprising appetite for a Harley. The sound should be a symphony of deep bass, but here, it's the push in the back that impresses.

Harley also did its homework on the scales. By using carbon fiber and titanium, they have lightened the beast by 12 kg compared to a standard CVO. At 380 kg fully fueled, we remain in the liner class, but each kilo removed is felt in the support. The cycle part is up to the ambition: 47 mm Showa inverted fork, Brembo radial brakes, fully adjustable suspensions. It's serious, almost sporty, wrapped in a Road Glide silhouette with a fixed nose recognizable among a thousand. The giant digital dashboard and the Rockford Fosgate sound system recall that we are in a luxurious floating palace, but the soul is elsewhere.

Because the craziest thing is the electronics. Finding "Circuit" and "Circuit Plus" modes on a Harley of nearly two liters is like offering an F1 helmet to a semi-trailer driver. These modes progressively disable the aids, even allowing controlled rear wheel slip. It's a direct concession to the track, an admission that this GT is designed to swallow circuits as much as interstate highways. For the experienced rider who dreams of taming a bagger on smooth asphalt, it's an unprecedented playground.

So, who is it for? Certainly not for the novice, nor for the pure-sugar traditionalist. At this price, we are bordering on the irrational. But for those who want the most extreme American bagger, the most technical one, the one that can cross swords with an Indian Challenger RR on a circuit without blushing, the CVO ST is a fascinating object. It's a Harley that has learned to run, without denying its DNA of a comfortable giant. It is not perfect, it is excessive, and that is precisely what makes it captivating.