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[GregKhougaz]

          Good article which should provoke some opinions:

Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide vs Indian Challenger Elite - The American Tourer Rivalry

[Hondo2doc]

I think the article was very good. I got the feeling that the writer was a bit biased against Harley.. I could be wrong. Also IMHO for better or worse Indian has NOT challenged Harley for 100 plus years. There were many, many years where there was no Indian to be found. I lost count of how many times Indian has gone belly up and then brought back to life only to die again.

Also I think the new 2023 CVO Street Glide and Road-Glide both have liquid cooled heads. The article said the Harley was oil cooled only.

Now that being said I do think competition is great for the consumer. I just wish writers would leave the own personal bias at the door when comparing brands. And I think Indian makes a damn fine scooter. I am openly partial to Harley. Been on Harleys since 1977, yes the dreaded AMF days.

But thanks to the OP for a great discussion.

Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

[TN]

Hondo2doc, I concur with your opinion. While I’ve only been owning Harleys since 1994 I do have a few more years of riding experience, late 60’s for my first bike I owned. There was a few years I didn’t own a bike and it bothered me on a daily basis. At one time I’ve had five in the barn but I only have one as of today. I was writing a reply as you posted yours so sorry for any similarities.

I’m glad the author (Punya Sharma) claims his riding skills are good because the HD does have some liquid cooling (to the heads). "With its upgrades, the CVO Road Glide has come ever closer to beating the Challenger” the opening quote states the winner is the Indian. I have more to say about the article but won’t at this point, or will I. There are a few other specs I question but more research needs to be done on my part to question them.

I was excited by the Indian for some time but I can’t make myself buy one, for my own reasons doing my due diligence, they are great riding machines at least for a short ride that I have experienced. I have several friends that own Indians and they rave about them. The new HD CVO’s does intrigue me and I’d be willing to eat some crow with my whine if I bought one but it ain’t gonna be sight/ride unseen. While the price is high it’s not a deal breaker.

My hat is off to HD for doing some great things especially in their road race program, if they’d only apply that attitude to the bikes they manufacture and the loyal customers they have. Take some stock bikes off the floor to race on the track HD wouldn’t stand a chance (IMHO).  HD is trying to protect their market share in the touring category, as they should be, and winning races sells bikes.

Unless the same hedge fund group ends up owning both HD and Polaris the consumers will benefit. 
 


 

[TN]

The author of challenger vs new CVO’s specs in his article state that the front upside down forks has 3” of travel, says the same travel for rear shocks too. If I’m not mistaken there is 4.6” travel in the new inverted forks on the CVO, I read that somewhere on the internet so it must be true, the rear shocks is stated 3” travel in the technical literature document but doesn’t state the front travel. 

Suspension is an important part of these bikes and the info is out there somewhere. Looks like they mounted the rear shocks upside down in the new literature doc from Harley. I’m surprised they don’t call that inverted rear suspension.    I’m not sure why I expect technical specs to be correct and readily available in these times.

I’ve gone over the new Indians pretty thoroughly in person and while they are a fine machine I'm just not biting on them as of now. I’m subject to change my mind at anytime.

New 2023 CVO technical literature, I tried to post the technical doc for the new CVO’s but it is too large, 61.9 MB according to info. I lost my short concise post.  Here is a screenshot of suspension info from document.

[FLSTFI Dave]

Interesting article.  I feel the author is a bit biased towards Indian, or against Harley.  That said he does have several good points.  He missed several Key things, he did not go into the ride modes.  That should have been compared, Harley has more and you can set up two custom ride modes. He also breezed over the infotainment systems. 

Harley and articles do not clearly say it's water cooled.  That said every thing I have read says liquid cooled.  They went to great lengths to explain the heads were totally redesigned for liquid cooling, well my M8 CVO heads are oil cooled.  HD literature clearly says oil cooled.  The also go on to explain the cooler is bigger, and has a fan that blows down, not onto the rider.  I may be wrong but I believe the heads are water cooled.

Why in the world does he call them upside down forks?  The correct term is inverted forks. 

He is clearly correct 7K more for the Harley.  That's huge.  Harley CVO prices have gone into the stratosphere. 

I do not think its worth the money Harley is asking.  That said I am seriously considering getting one, I'm first or second on the list.