Road King CVO: High tech and high style coexist in beautiful harmony
By Lance Oliver
Photos by Riles and Nelson
Fly-by-wire throttle linked to sequential port fuel injection? Probably some high-tech Japanese racer replica.
Anti-lock brakes? Maybe a European sport-tourer.
Actually, no. I'm talking about a Harley-Davidson Road King.
Specifically, the 2008 FLHRSE4 Screamin' Eagle Road King, the latest
version of this iconic model from Harley's Custom Vehicle Operations
division.
Each year since 1999, the CVO division has been turning out limited-edition models showcasing the
Motor Company's Screamin' Eagle performance parts, items from its huge
accessory catalog, and special paint jobs.
For 2008, all four CVO models are powered by Harley's Twin Cam 110
engine, a 110-cubic-inch powerplant with different heads and cams and
other Screamin' Eagle parts. Bolt it all together and Harley says the
110 pumps out 115 foot-pounds of torque at 3,000 rpm (measured at the
crankshaft). Low-end torque doesn't get much lower-end than this. Just
2,000 rpm on the tach gets you 80 percent of maximum torque.
That Twin Cam 110 also gets a new finish for 2008, called "granite
and chrome." The "granite" portion is a special gray paint with actual
stainless steel flake in it.
But the really big news for 2008 isn't the Twin Cam 110. It's the
bits that make it go, and the parts that make the two touring CVO models
stop.
First, let's look at the throttle. Instead of throttle cables
controlling the fuel injection, an electronic sensor now tells the
injectors what your throttle hand is doing on both the Road King and the
Ultra Classic Electra Glide CVOs. At first glance, it may sound like
added complication. Who needs fly-by-wire on a touring motorcycle?
Actually, it reduces complication, Harley's CVO engineers note. Both
the Road King and Ultra Classic come with electronic cruise control,
which works more seamlessly with the electronic throttle control than it
did with the old throttle cables.
And, there's another advantage to electronic throttle control for a
company known for styling. No cables means a cleaner look for the
handlebar. The electronic wires run inside the handlebar.
The other big news is Harley's new ABS system, which is standard on
the Road King and Ultra Classic CVOs and will be a $795 option on all
regular Harley touring models and VRSC models for 2008. It's an all-new
system for Harley, and some wet pavement during our one-day ride
provided some opportunity to prove that it works.
The Harley system maintains separate operation of front and rear
brakes. Steel braided lines run unobtrusively from both master cylinders
to a controller unit located under the right side panel, then back to
the brake rotors. If the wheel sensors detect lockup, the control unit
pulses the brakes up to seven times per second to prevent the wheels
from locking up.
As with the throttle, Harley paid a lot of attention to the styling, as
well as the performance. You have to look carefully, and know where to
look, to see any visual evidence of the ABS system. Not only are the
additional brake lines well hidden, but Harley also put great effort
into making the wheel sensors unnoticeable.
"It's totally invisible and that was an important part of the
system," said Harley Director of Product Communications Paul James.
The sensors operate using magnetically encoded rings in the wheel
bearings. Harley showed us the parts to demonstrate how they work. The
two metal rings look like thin spacers. I let them clamp together by
magnetic force and turned one with my hand. The two rings "click" in
steps as the magnetically encoded spots interact. That's what sends
signals to the ABS control unit without the need for a big, external
sensor that would detract from Harley's traditional styling. Looking at
the wheel alone, there's no way to tell if the motorcycle has ABS or
not.
We had one day to try the new CVOs while visiting some of Harley's
production facilities in the Milwaukee area. In Wisconsin, most of the
best backroads are the county roads designated with letters, not
numbers, that meander through the countryside. Riding highways and local
roads on our way to some of those letter roads, the additional power of
the Twin Cam 110 is immediately apparent. Harley's charts show the
torque curve staying above 100 foot-pounds until you're closing in on
the rev limiter, and by then any normal rider will have notched up into
the next gear and ridden that wave of low-end torque again.
Once we reach the letter-road curves, I get a reminder that this is a
touring bike. The soft suspension that soaked up the uneven joints on
the highway is now a bit vague in the turns. But that's a fair tradeoff
for a motorcycle equipped with bags and a windshield and a sixth gear
just made for the highway.
Switching between the Road King and the Dyna and Springer CVO models
really drives home the difference made by the Road King's new features.
Suddenly, throttle cables feel about as modern a form of gaining
velocity as spurring a horse. The electronic throttle control on the
Road King provides for a light but completely progressive throttle. The
ABS brakes, which incorporate Brembo four-piston calipers front and rear,
provide ample stopping power with a two-finger pull, unlike Harley
brakes of the past that called for a full fist of effort.
Another change for the Road King and Ultra Classic CVOs is a
"stabilizer system," essentially the same kind of cush drive that's been
used in the V-Rod, that damps the driveline pulses that aren't already
eliminated by the compensator in the primary. The 45-degree V-twin's
vibrations still make themselves obvious at idle, but once underway, the
Road King provides a smoother ride than all but a handful of touring
motorcycles.
The CVO Road King offers a host of other features, including a
leather saddle that incorporates an ostrich-hide pattern that's repeated
in the leather covering of the hard-plastic saddlebags, a backrest for
the passenger and a removable one for the rider, chrome wheels with
wider tires, and other touches that separate the CVO from regular
Harleys. But while ABS brakes and electronic throttle control and more
power are all appreciated on the road, it's the paint job that will be
the first thing to draw a crowd to a CVO model in the parking lot at
your local bike night.
 The paint jobs on CVO models go way beyond some different colors, and
the Road King is a good example. Take a close look at the Twilight Blue
and Candy Cobalt with Ghost Flame graphics (left). The powder-coated
frame and
Twilight Blue on the tank look almost black until the sunlight makes the
color pop. The Cobalt Blue on the tank and fenders is a partially translucent color that lets
you see the flames that are actually a pattern ground into the metal of
the tank or fender underneath. Hand-drawn pinstriping separates the
colors. It's a level of
detail that even many custom motorcycle builders couldn't replicate. And
since the flame pattern is actually in the metal surface of the tank, no
two Road Kings are exactly identical.
Harley strictly controls replacement parts, so if you don't buy a CVO,
you can't get these unique painted pieces and add them to your regular
Road King.
From its signature massive chrome-covered headlight nacelle to its
tombstone-shaped taillight, the CVO Road King provides all the style and
attention to detail you'd expect for a limited-run model from a company
known for its styling.
"There's a lot of blood, sweat and tears -- and love -- that goes
into creating these motorcycles," said Bill Davidson, director of
motorcycle product development. "[The] Styling [Department] loves CVO
because they get to go beyond what we normally do."
Of course there's a hefty price for the product of that blood, sweat,
tears and love. You could buy a garageful
of less exclusive motorcycles for price of an FLHRSE4 Road King.
The entire run
of CVO Road Kings for 2008 will account for less than 1 percent of
Harley's production. If you can muster the cash and have the desire for a factory custom
that also sports some of the latest high-tech features, then maybe you're Harley CVO's kind of one-percenter.
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2008 Harley-Davidson Road King CVO
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Engine
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Air-cooled V-twin, 2 valves per cylinder
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Displacement
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110 cubic inches (1,800cc)
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Bore x stroke
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4.0 inches x 4.38 inches
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Carburetion
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Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection
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Compression ratio
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9.3:1
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Transmission
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Six-speed
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Final drive
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Belt
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Tires
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130/70-18 front; 170/60-17 rear
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Front brake
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Dual 11.81-inch rotors,
four-piston Brembo calipers
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Rear brake
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Single 11.81-inch rotor
four-piston Brembo caliper
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Seat height (unladen)
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27.5 inches
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Wheelbase
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63 inches
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Fuel capacity
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6 gallons
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Wet weight
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786 pounds
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MSRP
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$29,290
$29,390 in California
Add $495 for 105th
anniversary paint
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105th Anniversary Crystal Copper and Black Onyx |
Black Diamond and Silver Dust with Ghost Flames |
© 2006, American Motorcyclist Association
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