Review: With the Harley-Davidson Street Glide CVO from Kiel to Faak

Review: With the Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide from Kiel to Faak and back again!

GREATEST TEST RIDES

At the beginning of September I rode the Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide about 1300km from Kiel to Faak for the European Bike Week in Austria.

It was just a matter of seeing how long you could last on the bike in one go. The result really surprised me. I usually ride old Harleys and I've now found out what Harley-Davidson means by a tourer .

So you can say this much about it: after I arrived at Lake Faak and found a room, I was drawn to the slopes in the evening for the European Bike Week.

Pack well, everything important must be with you!

The European Bike Week ran from September 8th to September 13th, 2015. I wanted to be there on Tuesday, the 8th. During the day I prepared the bike well for the tour, polished it nicely and with a full tank, I started packing. This has to be carefully considered, I always have a lot of technical equipment with me, more than just clothes.

Space on a motorcycle is generally limited and it's actually a good thing that you can't carry everything you don't need with you. The Street Glide's cases are very practical, and what's particularly important is that they are also lockable, especially when you leave the bike at a stop to rest or want to calmly drink a cup of coffee, you feel a little more calm.

Mega sound or space

However, the CVO cases don't fit quite as much into them as the Street Glide Special, the CVO has a mega sound system on board, the amplifier and the speakers also need their space, so opinions may differ on that it's superfluous and others think it's good to have a good sound.

That always depends, I often would have needed the space, but the quality of the BoomBox II system is also a pleasure, there are situations that are just right, listening to good music loudly on a nice route, with the right songs really like that.

In addition, the navigation and traffic information are very easy to understand and everything can be adjusted individually, whether you prefer to have it on your headphones or listen to it via the bike's sound system.

Everything is very easy to use, either via the touchscreen or via the switches on the handlebars. Some training is required, but once you understand the menu, it works well.

equipment

The weather forecast only predicted cold and no rain, but I have to go back again. When I remember the rain from 2014, I get a chill. Therefore, it is better to pack a rain suit and waterproof boots.

In addition to the Harley-Davidson Jet II helmet , I took a full-face helmet for the ride, then the tried and tested onion technology, T-shirt , leather shirt, windproof Harley-Davidson jacket and a Harley-Davidson leather jacket over it, plus a long Emma and the Rokker Revolution Pants , so you are well and safely packaged.

Thick gloves and what was very important, the muffs, which are handlebar cuffs, especially when it gets cold and wet, they are worth their weight in gold, they have already proven themselves on my Norway tours. What I also particularly appreciated are the protectors in the Rokker Jeans , they not only protect you from the cold in the event of a fall, but also while driving. The pants are waterproof anyway, so you can't go wrong.

I had temperature differences of 5 to 28 degrees on the journey, so you're happy to be able to take off a jacket when the sun comes through, that's clearly the advantage of the onion look.

The tour to Faak and the Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide

As you can see from my tour on the Google Map, I always covered 300 kilometers in stages. On the outward journey I was a little weaker at 5 in the morning after about 8 hours of driving, but I was able to hold on particularly well on the return journey, but one thing is Of course, you can't do that in such a relaxed manner with every bike.

Some bikers were on the way back north on old Evo's, one was driving a lot towards Berlin, I rode with him for quite a bit, and Norwegians were also on their E-Glides heading home had to go further than I did, respect!

The 1.8L engine has 156Nm torque

With a CVO Street Glide and the 1.8 liter engine, that's a nice thing, there's always enough torque when going up and down the mountains. The ideal cruising speed is around 140 km/h, the Street Glide sits comfortably on the road and is well protected by the fairing and can eat up a lot of kilometers.

On the Street Glide, the windshield is not quite as high, so the rider still gets some wind, which can also be increased using the new ventilation duct, a good solution, especially at high temperatures.

I would do it again and again with a bike like that, even in the rain the Harley held the road very well, the tires had already covered a few thousand kilometers, but with over 400 kilos there was enough pressure from above!

The consumption is really ok, everything is well coordinated and can be influenced by your own driving style. If you drive very calmly, you will get under 5 liters per hundred, but when driving normally, the stated 5.8 liters are really manageable, as we are used to something different from some cars.

The chassis is ok, overall the bike could be a bit stiffer, in unfavorable slipstream situations or cross joints at around 170 km/h on the motorway, it rocks a bit, the bike can easily reach 200 km/h, in my opinion I noticed that it drives noticeably more stable at higher speeds if you close the left ventilation flap and open the right one.

The BoomBox II navigation has proven itself on the tour!

You don't want to be without it in the car anymore, the navigation takes us wherever we want, the BoomBox II entertainment system has a good navigation system built in, a large display that can be operated via touchscreen, and the destination can be entered via voice input via the headset or simply type it in.

If you want, you can prepare the tour on your PC using the Ride Planner from Harley-Davidson (Link) and import it into the navigation using a USB stick. That's all possible, but it certainly won't suit everyone. I liked it, but I don't have any problems with the technical world.

The operation generally requires some practice, it's not a TomTom or something similar, the Americans have their own ways to achieve their goal, but with a little practice it can be done. What I found particularly good is that when the tank goes into reserve, the navigation immediately shows the nearest gas station in the area with a brand, and you can easily activate route guidance to the gas station.

This is particularly helpful in unfamiliar surroundings. On the highway you only have to drive straight ahead, but if you run out of gas before the next gas station, you'll be happy to be able to quickly find the shortest route to the next gas station.

I was traveling at Lake Faak in the border triangle, whether Italy or Slovenia , the map always worked and took me back to Lake Faak, this entire communication system is simply fun on the Harley-Davidson Premium Tourer.

The Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide in Scorching Yellow

Technical data (according to the manufacturer):
Engine: Twin-Cooled Twin Cam 110 Cui
Displacement: 1800ccm
Power: 98 HP at 5010 rpm
Torque: 156 Nm at 3750 rpm
Tires: Dunlop front 130/60 B19, rear 180/55 B18
empty weight: 395kg (ready to drive) payload: 222kg
tank capacity: 22.7 L, of which 3.8L is reserve
seat height: driver 690mm
price: approx. 38,035 euros (as of 09/2015)

Manufacturer information

Excerpts from postings on Facebook.

Departure September 7, 2015

1. 9:25 p.m. – My tour to Lake Faak 2015 begins in Kiel! – So friends, I'm heading to Faak, it's really cold tonight, but what the heck, now we're heading from Kiel towards Berlin, to the next gas station, the tank should be enough for 300km, I'll drive the Street Glide CVO for that long until I fall off the saddle, hopefully that won't be until tomorrow morning at Lake Faaker See! Today we added another 1,000 new fans to Facebook, which of course makes us very happy!

2. 11:49 p.m. – In the direction of Berlin/Potsdam – So, now go to the first gas station! After 286 km, I reached the turnoff to Berlin/Potsdam on the A24. We're about to refuel for the first time!

3. 11:58 p.m. - First fuel stop just before Berlin - After 297km the tank is in reserve just before Berlin, now fill up and get your first coffee!

4. 3:00 a.m. - Second refueling stop Weißenfels - After another 274 km of hard driving, the tank is in reserve behind Leipzig, and at 3:00 a.m. we finally had coffee again.

5. 4:45 a.m. – Autohof Berg on the A9 – coffee break at night at 4:45 a.m. at 5 degrees. Now it's getting pretty cold and the tiredness is starting to come through for the first time.

6. 7:00 a.m. - Stop in Pegnitz - Between Leipzig and Munich it's time for coffee and gas, I'm a bit tired now, something lying on my back on the bike is in order. 767km so far and now it's 7:00 a.m. and we continue, that was the longest break on the route.

7. 10:00 a.m. – fuel stop and McDonald’s – Irschenberg. Between Munich and Salzburg, here I bought the toll posters, gas, food and coffee! Finally the sun came out!

8. 1:00 p.m. - Another break at McDonald's - refueling wasn't necessary yet, but a break was even more important, at 1:00 p.m. we continued again, time is short, I still have to go to the tourist information office at Lake Faaker See!

9. 2:15 p.m. – You have reached your destination at Lake Faaker See! – I arrived at my destination at 2:15 p.m. after about 17 hours of driving! Well done! That was 1300km on the Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide , now find a room and the party can begin!

On September 13th, 2015 we went back from Lake Faak towards Kiel.

1. 6:50 a.m. – Here the journey started again. From here the journey starts again early in the morning at 6:50 a.m. I didn't have the opportunity to refuel during the night, I only came back from the event at midnight, the time can now also be found on the route. The Harley's odometer shows 8,063 kilometers, I've been driving quite a bit over the last few days. So far I have covered 1,907 kilometers from Kiel on the Harley-Davidson Street Glide. It's still pretty cold, but once you drive it's okay! Post on Facebook https://goo.gl/UrzI4Z

2. A quick look over the beautiful Lake Faak - Early in the morning at 7:00 a.m. you get a beautiful view of Lake Faak. Post on Facebook: https://goo.gl/IIJupj

3. 7:30 a.m. – First fuel stop – Now fill up the tank and move on straight away, otherwise you won't get anything done! Breakfast and coffee were already available at the guesthouse.

4. 8:00 a.m. Toll station – If you want to drive through the Tauern Tunnel, you have to pay. I think I got rid of 11.00 euros. Post on Facebook: https://goo.gl/954xWq

5. 8:37 a.m. – Just stopped for a moment! – The toilets are worth mentioning, they looked really good!

6. Beautiful view – Another quick look at the beautiful mountains!

7. 11:20 a.m. Second fuel stop - I've now driven 360 kilometers and it's not in reserve yet, I used 19 liters for the route, that's impressive. 5.2 liters per hundred, packed full on the highway.

8. 2:10 p.m. Refueling shortly before Leipzig - First coffee break, after 297 kilometers from the last stop, I've gotten through well so far. Post on Facebook: https://goo.gl/NUjFhI

9. 3:50 p.m. - Refueling shortly before Berlin - After 193 kilometers the tank is not yet in reserve, but the next gas station might be too far away and a coffee wouldn't hurt either. Post on Facebook: https://goo.gl/irLKaA

10. 7:15 p.m. Refueling in Wittenburg - Only rain since Berlin, sometimes quite heavy, but the bike sits well on the road and the Harley-Davidson leather jacket is just as tight as the Rokker Revolution pants. Another moment when you appreciate the protectors, they also protect against cold on the knee. I drove 253 kilometers in the rain and the tank is still over 1/4 full.

11. 8:50 p.m. – Arrived at the destination after about 14 hours! After about 1,300 kilometers and almost 14 hours of driving, I arrived back in the north on September 19, 2015. The return journey was a few hours quicker, but I was also a little more rested than on the tour south. Even though I had to ride in the rain on the last few kilometers from Berlin, it was a great tour on the Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide. Post on Facebook: https://goo.gl/N8dcJj

The return journey from Lake Faak

Conclusion: A nice tour, on a beautiful Harley-Davidson that was built for touring. I traveled on very different routes, whether on the highway or in the mountains, I always had the right bike under my belt. Long distances are no problem at all, it has top brakes, ABS and enough pressure to overtake or drive quickly from A to B.

It can also act as a mobile office, you can use the system to make phone calls, you can quickly stow your jacket, kidney belt, etc. in your suitcase, clip the helmet to the suitcase and no one will have the idea that you are traveling with the Harley.

In terms of price, it belongs to the premium segment, but there is also the Special, which is also one of the good tourers, just like the Road Glide, so it just depends on your taste and your wallet.

I had a lot of fun touring on the Harley-Davidson CVO and that's what it's all about! By October, I had ridden over 11,000 kilometers on the bike and enjoyed every kilometer.

The route Kiel to Faak for the European Bike Week, on the Google Map. Click on the markers in the map to see the information.

Joined the tour via Facebook, it was great how some fans were there in the middle of the night!

On September 13th, 2015 we went back from Lake Faak towards Kiel.

Route with description from Faak to Kiel, on the Google Map.

 When the trip went back home, I kept posting during the breaks!