2024 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST Review [13 Fast Facts]

February 25, 2024

The sheer spectacle of MotoAmerica’s King of the Baggers (KOTB) is undeniable. American V-twin touring machines transformed into 620-pound superbikes is a unique head-turning display and a golden opportunity for manufacturers. Drawing parallels between conventional sportbikes on the dealership floor and what’s seen lapping racetracks worldwide is child’s play for any marketing team. But what do you do if you’re Harley-Davidson? Well, you develop the 2024 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST performance bagger, tapping into the time-honored “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” adage to connect the dots between the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle Factory Team Road Glides and what bagger fans want for the road.

Milwaukee’s latest hotrod bagger drapes the current-generation CVO Road Glide in the brand’s illustrious Sport Touring (ST) trim. That can mean only one thing—performance. The brawny Milwaukee-Eight 121 High Output engine cranks out extra power, while the CVO RG ST is the first Grand American Touring machine equipped with fully adjustable suspension. Aligning with this racier mindset are rider aids revamped for sportier inclination and a weight loss regime, all working to create what the MoCo hopes is its most potent bagger ever.

The 2024 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST’s potency is plainly evident on paper. So, we descended upon Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s outside course to see how high the bagger bar has risen. With the factory team’s race baggers geared up for testing beside us, we were treated to a unique track day that incorporated low-speed U-turn drills on the back straight alongside the usual racetrack flogging. All this, of course, was done while being escorted by factory H-D newcomer James Rispoli and Team Saddlemen rider Travis Wyman. Now, let’s get on with the Fast Facts.

The Milwaukee-Eight 121 High Output beast provides plenty of performance. Claimed peak figures elicit a doubletake—this race-tuned V-twin pumps out 127 horsepower at 4900 rpm and a staggering 145 ft-lbs of torque at 4000 rpm. That’s 12 more ponies and six additional ft-lbs of grunt compared to the M8 VVT 121 it builds upon. Racing is about maximum output, so engineers opted for a 26 percent greater intake flow, a larger 58mm throttle body, and a high-performance cam. As handy as variable valve timing (VVT) is when aiming for broad torque curves, it stood in the way of peak performance and was removed from the engine, saving a couple of pounds. Admittedly, H-D staffers noted a minor sacrifice in low-end power, which won’t raise alarm bells given these numbers. Reducing the output pulley from 32 to 30 teeth helps compensate and improve off-the-line shove.
Screamin’ Eagle Extreme Flow Titanium slip-on mufflers fit the CVO ST’s go-fast motif. Carbon fiber-tipped titanium cans stand as the final bolt-on bits for this speedy bagger, and the burly all-American soundtrack is also EPA-compliant.

Enough technical stuff—the 121 High-Output V-twin lives up to its name. There are only so many four-letter-words in the English language to sum up the sheer torque on hand. It launches this 838-pound bagger out of pitlane with stern authority, and spins the rear Dunlop when the electronic nannies are hushed. The smooth, soulful underlying character of the M8 121 stands as a foundation for what’s a burly big twin, egging riders to take it to its 300-rpm-higher 5900-rpm redline at a moment’s notice. It’s enough to make you wish for a quickshifter and sporty mid-mount controls instead of the traditional shifter and mini floorboards to help whip through the hearty gearbox when holding it WFO. The same cylinder head design, optimized aluminum intake tract, and liquid-cooled heads unveiled with the M8 121 VVT are employed with great results, helping maintain a refined feel, despite the sneering attitude adjustment.
Updated rider aids and ride modes join the fold. Rain, Road, Sport, Track, and Track Plus riding modes adjust all parameters of the IMU-supported safety suite. With a ride-by-wire system, each mode adjusts the throttle response, engine braking, torque mapping, cornering ABS, and traction control. Interestingly, beginning the test in sport mode revealed it to be the most aggressive of the bunch at initial throttle openings. Meanwhile, the Track modes offer increased smoothing when first rolling on and are said to be based on the H-D RG KOTB throttle maps. Notably, Track mode reduces the nannies’ influence for some tail-wagging fun, disabling rear-to-front linked braking. Track Plus has the least ABS intervention, removes linked braking altogether, and has minimal TC, giving riders a long leash to get loose, though still with some tethers.

Fully adjustable Showa suspension comes to a Harley-Davidson bagger for the first time. The CVO RG ST builds on the gains made by last year’s CVO RG, adding full adjustability to its beefy 47mm Showa inverted fork featuring spiffy DLC-coated stanchions and pairs them up with fully adjustable remote-reservoir shocks—a reference to H-D KOTB race bikes. Motorcycles of this weight and performance ask big questions of their suspenders. While chucking a bagger around a racetrack isn’t exactly common, the Showa units manage the task well with well-tuned damping rates to ensure that things stay fairly tidy through all cornering phases, ably handling the bumps lying in wait on the back straight. Sure, you might feel some movement at max lean and on the gas, but this is a massive step forward compared to Road Glides of old.

This is a bagger with a penchant for cornering. While you might not expect an 838-pound motorcycle to be seemingly eager to bend towards any apex, customizing hard parts and finding its limits comes naturally. Many of its handling gains can be attributed to its sturdier fork and the three-inch rear-wheel travel, now seen on both CVO Glides and standard RG and SG variants. While the shock travel is barely described as adequate in most circles, the boost from two inches improved cornering abilities significantly, along with ride quality. Looking toward the front, the chunky inverted fork stiffens the chassis over the traditional forks currently provided on non-CVO offerings, adding more stability when leaned over. The up-spec baggers edge out a clear win in that category, and we hope those components will propagate across the whole Grand American Touring range.

The 2024 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST fared well in the slow stuff, too. To be honest, I’ve never had to barrel headlong into a back-to-back set of U-turns on a racetrack, but there is a first for everything. While dipping the big gal into those tricky sections is intimidating for the uninitiated, it only requires a little finesse with the clutch and brakes. After all, there are plenty of examples of baggers making their way through gymkhana courses with great success.
Speaking of slowing down, radially mounted Brembo calipers are part of the program. Four-piston Brembos clamping on wave-style 320mm rotors haul this big beasty to a stop. Meanwhile, a matching four-piston Brembo caliper and a single 300mm rotor take care of duties in the rear, which sets the standard for rear braking hardware. Thanks to the massively long touring bike wheelbase, using the brakes simultaneously has a profound effect; hence, linked braking is standard. Repeated laps elicited a small amount of fade when grabbing the adjustable brake lever—not unexpected when repeatedly slowing this much mass down from high speeds.

Sportier ergonomics come to the 2024 Harley-Davidson Road Glide CVO ST. They say if you want to fast, go alone. The ST wears that statement like a badge of honor. The sculpted solo seat holds the rider in place and maintains the RG’s traditional approachable seat height. Still, the most welcome change here is the flatter, lower Moto Bar and riser, which hoists the handlebar six inches above the top yoke. Together, they keep the rider’s arms in a casual position and are much preferred to the tall, rubber-mounted handlebar on the standard ’24 Road Glide. Still, whipping into a full-lock U-turn stretches my outside arm’s wingspan to its absolute limits. Mini floorboards align with the performance looks, though mid-mount footpegs seem more appropriate and mimic the racy rearsets on the factory bike. We’re still dealing with a conventional bagger rider triangle.
We’ll give a handling nod to the CVO Road Glide ST’s weight loss regime. H-D claims the CVO RG ST is 25 pounds lighter than the CVO RG. At a glance, we can see where H-D engineers cut weight. There are abundant forged carbon fiber bits to reinforce this theme, including the front fender, tank fender, and seat cowl. Lighter mufflers and mini floorboards save a few ounces, and the CVO ST does away with the full-regalia audio system—the side case lids are sans speakers. Instead, it relies on a Rockford Fosgate Stage II system with 6.5-inch fairing speakers and a 4-channel, 500-watt amp. How do they work? Probably fine. Honestly, I was too busy hooning around a racetrack to test the audio.

On that note, the infotainment system confirms it’s still a bagger. H-D revamped the Road Glide’s looks last year, and the new appearance has since trickled down to non-CVO models. As such, wind protection is quite good and said to provide 60 percent less buffeting than prior shark-nose fairings, and those claims hold the most water when the adjustable vent is fully open. Harley’s updated infotainment is now the gold standard on Grand American Touring machines. The digital 12.3-inch TFT display features an intuitive layout and UI that is easily navigable via the switchgear. Owners can choose between three unique display modes: Cruise, Sport, and Tour. As per usual on RG models, the touchscreen works well with a gloved hand, though it’s a long reach to do so—stick with the thumb controls.
Apple CarPlay is supported, though Android Auto has ducked out of the motorcycle market. Android devices can still be paired, and a USB-C charging port is tucked inside the side cubby. That’s all good because navigation is native to all CVO models and doesn’t rely on your mobile device—it’s a $349 option on the standard Road Glide or Street Glide models.

Undoubtedly, The 2024 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST is The Motor Company’s sportiest bagger to date. I’ll fully accept that the words “sport” and “bagger” are at odds with each other on a certain level. However, H-D has used the CVO RG platform to improve its touring flock, yet the race-inspired ST badging manages to expand on those gains. If racing has one indisputable positive side effect, it’s precisely that. The CVO Road Glide ST offers a link to Harley’s King of the Baggers racing efforts in a much purer way than prior Road and Street Glide ST iterations, which are going the way of the dodo, though the West Coast style Low Rider ST cruiser endures. Yes, the price to join this club is a high mark, but as it stands, there isn’t a bagger as pointed and ready for action coming out of Milwaukee today.

Photography by Brian J. Nelson and Kevin Wing

RIDING STYLE

Helmet: Arai Contour-X
Jacket: Alpinestars Solano
Gloves: Alpinestars Crazy Eight
Jeans: Alpinestars Copper V3
Boots: Alpinestars Oscar Monty V2

2024 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST Specs

ENGINE

Type: Milwaukee-Eight 121 High Output V-twin
Displacement: 121 cubic inches (1977cc)
Bore x stroke: 4.075” x 4.625”
Maximum power: 127 horsepower @ 4900 rpm
Maximum torque: 145 ft-lbs @ 4000 rpm
Compression ratio: 11.4:1
Valvetrain: Single cam w/ pushrods; 4 vpc
Exhaust: 2-1-2 dual exhaust w/ titanium mufflers and carbon-fiber end caps
Cooling: Air and oil
Lubrication: Dry sump
Transmission: 6-speed Cruise Drive
Clutch: Hydraulically actuated w/ assist and slipper functions
Primary drive: Chain
Final drive: Belt

CHASSIS

Frame: Mild tubular steel w/ two-piece stamped and welded backbone
Subframe: Bolted on w/ forged fender supports
Front suspension; travel: Fully adjustable Showa 1×1 inverted 47mm fork; 4.6 inches
Rear suspension; travel: Fully adjustable Showa remote-reservoir emulsion shocks; 3 inches
Wheels: 7-spoke cast aluminum
Front wheel: 19 x 3.5
Rear wheel: 18 x 5
Front tire: 130/60 x 19; Dunlop Harley-Davidson Series D408F
Rear tire: 180/55 x 18; Dunlop Harley-Davidson Series D407T
Front brakes: 320mm wave-style discs w/ radially mounted Brembo 4-piston calipers
Rear brake: 300mm disc w/ Brembo 4-piston caliper
ABS: Standard