Circuit-Ready, Saddlebag-Equipped, and $165K: The Fastest Way to Confuse a Track Day Crowd

It’s finally happened — Harley-Davidson has created a race-inspired Road Glide. The CVO Road Glide RR, costing a staggering $165,000 AUD, is the most powerful Milwaukee-Eight production Harley yet, with a race-tuned motor, race-spec suspension, and enough carbon fibre to make a superbike jealous.

Developed with learnings from the ‘King of the Baggers’ championship battle against Indian and Troy Herfoss, this is a Road Glide that has swapped highway cruising for apex hunting. It remains street-legal, has saddlebags, and even packs a 500-watt stereo, just in case you want to blast AC/DC while attempting to scrape the knee.

          

Big Cubes, Big Power

The CVO Road Glide RR is powered by a new Screamin’ Eagle Milwaukee-Eight 131 V-Twin, delivering 153 hp (114 kW) at 5,750 rpm and 203 Nm of torque at 4,750 rpm. Performance additions include:

  • CNC-ported heads with 42mm intake valves and 34mm exhaust valves
  • A 68mm throttle body and a high-volume aluminium intake manifold
  • Screamin’ Eagle Stage IV internals, including high-performance lifters, heavier valve springs, and high-capacity oiling components
  • A billet clutch basket, machined from 7075 aluminium, making it stronger and lighter
  • A lower final drive ratio: The 30-tooth front sprocket (down from 32) provides quicker acceleration in every gear
  • A reinforced six-speed transmission, straight from Harley’s factory race bikes

Harley also enlisted the help of Akrapovič for a full titanium 2-into-1 exhaust, slicing over 10 pounds off the bike while giving it a more agro bark.

          

Suspension & Handling

To get this 340kg beast to handle Harley have also gifted it with superbike-spec suspension, including:

  • 43mm Öhlins FGR 253 superbike forks, fully adjustable and featuring pressurised cartridge internals for precise damping
  • Screamin’ Eagle Öhlins remote reservoir shocks, with full adjustability and race-derived internals
  • A billet aluminium swingarm, 10% stiffer and 10% lighter than the standard steel unit—machined from a 100kg block of aluminium down to just 8kg
  • Increased ride height, adding extra lean angle: 36° right, 35° left (compared to 33° on the CVO Road Glide ST)

              

Bigger Brakes, Because you’ll need them

Hauling up a beast like this requires serious anchors, and Harley have also thrown some astonishingly high-spec stoppers at it:

  • Brembo GP4-RX monoblock calipers, machined from solid billet aluminium
  • Dual 320mm front Brembo T-Drive discs, with floating mounts for better heat dissipation
  • A 300mm rear rotor paired with a four-piston Brembo calliper
  • Cornering ABS and electronically linked braking

             

Road Glide on a Diet

Harley says the CVO Road Glide RR is 23kg lighter than the CVO Road Glide ST, thanks to some clever engineering:

  • Full titanium exhaust
  • Carbon-fibre fairing, fenders, and saddlebags
  • Billet aluminium powertrain covers
  • Mid-mount billet aluminium foot pegs, replacing the traditional floorboards

          

Tech & Infotainment

A CVO Road Glide of any description has to have cool gadgets, and the RR brings some new tricks to the table including dedicated racetrack electronics:

  • New Track & Track Plus ride modes with reduced ABS, minimal traction control, and independent rear braking
  • New Custom ride mode, allowing for engine braking, power delivery, and safety settings to be individually adjusted
  • Rider Safety Features, including Cornering ABS, Traction Control, Drag-Torque Slip Control, and Vehicle Hold Control
  • 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, featuring Bluetooth, Wireless Apple CarPlay, and GPS navigation
  • 500-watt Rockford Fosgate system, proving that even a performance bagger needs a loud soundtrack

Only 131 units of the CVO Road Glide RR will be built, and none will be officially sold in Australia. If one does manage to find its way Down Under, buyers can expect a price well north of $165K AUD before factoring in import taxes, shipping, and compliance costs. Whether the world needs a track-ready Road Glide with saddlebags is open for debate, but we’re sure glad it exists!