From 2010 on the heat will be an issue but all the die hard Harley fans are still giving HD a pass. The CVO's have had that catalytic converter for awhile but that damn thing right by your right foot don't make sense. a lot of people have been wrapping the pipes with header wrap and getting some relief.

I don't know why HD Don't just stick the CAT in the mufflers as they do the cruiser models. We could get rid of them easier and get rid of most of the right leg cooking. They stick the damn cat in the headpipe right by the right foot on the touring bikes since 2010 and they are to hot to ride in the summer.

That is also the reason the Bike was more lethargic than the 08 model. The 2010 EPA standards got tougher and the EPA is killing the big touring bikes.

 

Ain't that the truth? LOL!

Cookie cutter bikers..

 

Schu is a proud member of ASOA
















( Alien spacecraft owners association)

 

+1 on excess heat being an issue for larger H-D engines.

I could be mistaken, but my understanding is that by 2014 the entire H-D fleet must meet EPA standards - and at the moment they can't. Cooling down the engines is going to be part of it. The only liquid-cooled engine H-D has currently is the V-Rod - and given that time is running short, I wouldn't be surprised to see the MoCo using some variant of the V-Rod engine in their big touring bikes to meet the EPA regulations by 2014.

 

I forgot to mention that I liked the feel of the ABS brakes better now than in years past. They actually feel like they're working. When I rode an '08 V-Rod, the rear brake was creepy. I know it was OK, and I probably would have gotten used to it, but it just didn't feel right. On Saturday's ride I was very happy with the brakes.

As far as the value in a CVO, it's all what you want and are comfortable with. I bought my FSXT for two reasons: it's what I could afford at the time, and I knew I'd want to customize it myself. If I had a little more cash, I might have purchased a Fat Boy, but I didn't want to pay the extra money for extras I would switch out. I regretted missing out on the 16" front wheel, but since then, I'm glad I got the bike that I did.

I've easily put $30K into it over the years, but that includes maintenance like new tires and labor on some of the extras (95" hop-up, gear-driven cams, wheels, wide tire kit, etc). The thing is, I'm a creative person, so I like dreaming up paint schemes and figuring out where to put the chrome and all that fun stuff. It's been trial and error over the years, and when I got the bike back after the wreck, I thought I was done. Then I got the ape hangers and realized that was the missing piece. Perfect. Well, then I dropped the heat shields on my Big Shots and wrapped them with black header wrap and now it's perfect... until something else catches my eye or I get bored or...

A friend of mine bought a 2010 Ultra Limited and has dressed it up some. Beautiful bike. He got first place at the bike show I organized a couple of weeks ago. I voted for my boyfriend's Flathead, but my heart is with the old guys, what can I say? Anyway, it was before I wrapped my pipes and we were talking about new exhaust. He said it was only money. I said, "Yeah, but I have $30,000 in a $5,000 bike and you have $5,000 in a $30,000 bike." I wouldn't trade mine for his, but I guess it comes down to that old saying: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

I believe those new standards come to California in 2012, so Harley is going to have some quick decisions to make. I doubt they would give up the CA market as they sell more motorcycles here than in any other state.