The 2010 Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide is the second most expensive model in this year’s Motor Corporation catalogue. Customer Vehicle Operations (CVO) is Harley-Davidson’s showcase, where the in-house stylists let loose and decorate key models to produce exclusive, hi-cost machines. The bikes usually sell out every year; so the money is good, the customers are happy, and independent builders are frustrated by the great looks and integrity of the CVOs. Life is indeed good on this front.

At just under $40K, this CVO Street Glide is not the “People’s Bike”.

So what do you get for an extra $15,420 over the $24,399 base price of the standard Touring Street Glide (The fully optioned regular Street Glide goes for $27,129)? A much stronger engine, more chrome, different wheels, paint colors and trim, custom seat, extended saddlebags – and a whole lot of pride aboard this exclusive machine.

Size matters… when we talk motor!
The TC110 engine, the largest available from Harley, has been around since 2007 in various CVO models. With close to 95hp at 5000rpm, and 115lb-ft of torque at 3750rpm, this motor is teaching Harley diehards about low altitude flying, at least when compared to the standard TC96 engine (94 lb-ft @ 3750rpm) or even the TC103 with 101 lb-ft @3500rpm, in such heavy machines.

The Milwaukee developers have worked hard to achieve such torque and power, resorting to high compression ratios, long duration cams and aggressive injection and ignition timing, always within the constraints of ever lower emissions standards.

This baby produces extra torque and power that you can feel; enough so that the new softer clutches and linkage on standard models had to be beefed up to the point that the clutch lever feel definitely heavy. The good news is that the gearbox still feels light and solid, with easy shifts at all times. The clutch on the bike we tested started to bite right at the end of the lever travel, far from the grip, and could not be adjusted externally at the master cylinder, something pretty basic on such an expensive piece of kit.

The TC110 engine, the largest available from Harley, has been around since 2007 in various CVO models.