Actually, I think you have a really good question here. So here is my take on it and what I think about CVOs:

A little history about me:

I had a 2003 Fatboy before getting my 2014 SG and I slowly turned my Fatboy into a combination of a CVO and Heritage over the 11 years I owned it at it looked nothing like stock at the end. I did the exhaust, put all of the chrome pieces you could put on it, chromed my lowers, wheels, etc. I put on the passing lamps, windshield, and almost put on the hard bags before I got the SG.

So then I bought the 2014 SG and I did my exhaust, I'm planning on adding the passing lamps, upgrading the audio, front and rear shocks, adding the lowers, chroming my lowers and wheels, etc. Does this pattern sound familiar? At the end I will have spent lots of money upgrading it anyway. I could have bought a limited and taken off the tour pack?

I'm not sure I would buy a CVO even if the sticker shock didn't scare me because I want to make the bike what I want to make it, the way I want to make it, and customize it myself. I want to upgrade only those things I feel are important to me and some of the things on the CVOs I've seen I wouldn't normally buy or care about in some cases. For example, I didn't like the Fatboy CVO seat for 2003 and I would have had to change that out if I bought it, etc. The new Rushmore CVOs come with electric saddle bag locks with switches in the fairing... Really??? Who really needs that? You pay for those in the price and when things like that break, you have to fix it. The CVOs do come with a bigger motor but I came off of a 88ci anyway and love the 103ci. If I want more power later, I can upgrade it then and spend the money later and do the SE stage 2-4 kits, or refresh it and have it rebuilt, or even put in a S&S motor.

The other thing is that I don't need a flashy paint job because I light the look of modified but not too crazy (sleeper but clean customized look) and not too much extreme. I do like the CVO paint schemes and colors though. If and when you have to do body work, the painting gets exponentially difficult and expensive with CVO paint or a custom paint job vs. black or standard color. A fender bender or rock chip can be a big deal. One example here is that I just experienced with my SG already... I got my inner fairing painted and my color is hard to match. I should have ordered it color matched though harley and not had it done by a local painter because you can tell it was painted and that just with my Big Pearl Blue (pearl and metal flake). CVO colors and body work or any custom paint for that matter might be harder to match? The other thing is that if I wanted a cool paint job, I would prefer a custom paint job I could design myself to make the bike a one of a kind and not a paint scheme that others may already have. This is the same view I have with tattoos.

I want to spend cash upgrading my bike to keep my payments low and give it "my" touch. I think that in most cases you can build a better bike by upgrading it yourself with better after market (non harley) parts. Let's see here... Boom Audio=junk, Harley suspension=Junk, Stock SG Harley headlight=junk. You can get better aftermarket systems and in most cases save money. Rockford Fosgate, Biketronics, J&M Audio, Progressive Suspensions, Ohlins, Non Harley LED lighting, etc.

Apparently, spending $100 - $300 cash every month on average ($2k a year or so) upgrading my bike has become a hobby and lifestyle for me anyway so I guess I could afford the extra money for the CVO if I wanted? No matter if bikes or cages, I would be spending money on motorsports, somehow, someway, anyway. I'm that kind of guy and I guess that's what I do.

So it would depend on what kind of guy you are. Do you like researching and upgrading stuff to make your bike the way you want it or do you want to buy a bike, leave it alone for the most part and ride it? I have friends that do it all three ways. Friends that buy them stock and ride them and don't care about upgrading anything, friends that buy them and upgrade them often, and friends that go out and buy the loaded bikes (some of them buy CVOs) and then just ride them too.

I had an older wiser mentor tell me one time: "you can pay me now or you can pay me later" and I think that might be true here. I got a good deal on my new 2014 SG for 19k out the door. I figure after all of my needs, wants, and upgrades are over (if that ever happens), I will have around 6-7k (at the most) invested in upgrades (28k or so total for my bike). I'll still have over $13k less in my bike (after my upgrades) vs. the same year SG CVO ($38k msrp/$42k out the door). I could have spend that money and I would have gotten the bigger motor and a cool paint job but I was not interested in the motor or paint at the time. I would have had most everything I wanted and more (even though it's all Harley upgrades) and I would have had it the day I rode it off the lot. BUT... I think I can build myself a bike with most every upgrade I want and use m my money strategically and spend less IMHO. At the end of the day, the looks, comfort, and performance on my bike will be dialed in by me, for me, exactly how I want it, and I suppose it will be "my custom" CVO made by me?

Sorry this got long...

 

I think it all depends on if you are the hands on type or just the type to want to throw the leg over and go. My example: I love black bikes, all of mine I have purchased new have been. I bought a 14 Roadking for 18K plus the tax,title,freight, crap. (I had a trade in but for this example I will just say it was a purchase). It was all stock, end of the model year, last one in the dealer. There was a $2000 gift card with it. So I bought the heated grips, docking kit, sissy bar, backrest, and a few other things. With swapping and trading and buying on the forums. I had my version of the CVO. It has Chisel wheels, stretched bags, streetglide rear fender/lights, streetglide front fender and side covers. Added Daymakers (used) and to make the HO engine a little peppyer, got a thundermax, true duals and ac from trade in bike. I would say I have $4500 with all the swapping and selling I have done (being patient is the key) and I have one that is different than anyone else has, it is fast, looks good. I did all the work myself. If I didn't have a lift, and tools, and ability, I probably would have bought a CVO and got a part time job to afford the extra payment. Hope this helps make your decision.

 

I think it is a subjective decision. I had a 2011 RGU and by the time I spent the money and did everything I wanted to it I could have got the 2011 Ultra CVO and saved money...and I still didn't have chrome wheels or the 110ci engine. So, at the end of 2013 when I went looking for the next bike the CVO was at the top of the list.


I ended up getting the 14 CVO Limited, all I needed to do to make it to my liking was a cam swap, S&S Power Tune header, Fullsac muffler mod and a tune. I have never regretted getting the CVO and have ridden the daylights out of it. At two years old I have 42k+ on it and have enjoyed every single mile of it.


Again, everyone has their own like/dislikes and budget. For me, the CVO was worth the extra expense.

 

I have had 6 Road glides...each one I have added parts to and in the end swapped out what I could to the next glide....when I dropped the hammer on my 15 CVO Road Glide I was kinda of lost as once I transferred over my parts from my 13 Road Glide Ultra, I was basically done. But now that I have had the bike for a year and is all I have to do is check the oil and air pressure in the tires its kinda nice. As for the cost, I belive that when its time for the next Road Glide I will come out with more on my plate towards the new one. So all in all it depends on how long you keep and how much you modify your bike.


A stock bike usually only draws low blue book even on a person to person sale. So if you like to change things you know you never see a return on your investment; that is where the CVO shines. You can get all the goodies and get most of your money back.

 

If you price it out you find that a CVO is a deal.

Plus get it when you can negotiate, (a left over if you will) with pipes, tune, dyno, them: switching my day maker passing lights, day maker head light, (now a spare for me)getting everything off my SG, linkage, seat, chrome oil cover, billet oil filter, CD lights, windscreen, trim etc. And giving me my other parts, i gave them stock parts back, i still paid less than list out the door with a free 1000 mile. So for me it was well worth it and i haven't even wanted anything else for the bike, except the back rest.

I turned their comment that all we can give you is book + 1K, regardless of your mods, to OK, give me all my mods, put the mods that i want on the CVO give me the rest back, the 1500 discount, + no prep, delivery.

And I am totally satisfied, not seeing somebodies something else and saying hmm.

Sticker shock, oh yeah, but considering all the above it was a good deal.

Did they still make some money off of me, most definitely.

You need a car or truck you don't need a Harley, they know that, always be ready to walk.

So is it worth it? Everybody has some vice of sorts and does it make sense to pay over 20K, 30K for a motorcycle, only you can answer that.

 

I ran some numbers for FLHTCU, FLHTK and CVO for 2012, 2014, 2015.

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/gener...l#post14518809

 

Nice spreadsheet.

 

I am currently considering weather to buy a new bike now that mine is paid for. Momma has put her foot down and told me that if I I buy a new one it has to be a CVO.

Why?

Let me explain her reasoning.

My 2011 FLTRU had a MSRP of about $22500. I have put $12000 worth of extras into the bike (Notice I did not say that I invested money in the bike ) not including installation. That makes my total $34500 plus installation. MSRP on 2011 FLTRUSEs were about $35000.

Today my bike with 26000 miles is worth about $15000 and the CVO is worth about $26000. Even if I would spent $1000 upgrading the stereo and $2000 doing a stage 2 the CVO would have been a better deal costing me less in the long run and I would have owned a CVO for the past 5 years.

Moral of the story....

If you are a chrome junkie, the CVO is the way to go.

 

Your bike would be worth more Scott if you got rid of that damn windshield.

 

You are mean, mean person. You have thoroughly hurt my itty bitty delicate feelings. Besides without a windshield I would end up eating a lot of bugs and I hate bugs!