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[2018_FLTRXSE]

When people ask me what CVO stands for, I liken it to Ford's SVT (Special Vehicle Team) vehicles... (Cobra, Lightning, etc)

Our CVO's may not be "one-off" customs, but HD did take the P&A book and throw it at the bikes.

[napalm]

Quality on the standard production line is BETTER...just my opion....

napalm

[North Georgia Hawg]

Probably better they are built on the regular line now. I haven't had any issues so far in about 11K miles... except the VSS, which I replaced myself.

[Z06_Pilot]

Quality on the standard production line is BETTER...just my opion....

napalm

I agree.  I was at the York open house last year, and there were CVO bike frames suspended on the assembly line conveyors along with stock Softails and baggers.  However, the tins are definintely hand worked-no doubt about that.  To me, the tin-matching frame paint and the tins are what make a CVO special...and in the case of the CVO Breakout that includes a very unique tank and console design.  The rest, as someone said, is putting a lot of the P/A inventory on the bike.  which is fine with me because it's cheaper for them to do it on the line than for me to piece-meal it after the fact !!

[FLSTFI Dave]

I feel the quality was a bit better when they were a separate line for the CVO, each bike built by just two people.  I have had a CVO road glide done each way, the 09 and the 12.  Less little issues with 09.

[Fisherman]

Yes very interesting my dear Watson not what i was led to believe at all     

[2018_FLTRXSE]

I feel the quality was a bit better when they were a separate line for the CVO, each bike built by just two people.  I have had a CVO road glide done each way, the 09 and the 12.  Less little issues with 09.

YEah.. and in 09 they knew how to secure a bike to the pallet!

[Twolanerider]

Even this group is a small sample size.  But, strictly for what it's worth, even within this group we saw more than a few assembly errors pre-09.  The more common errors now seem a bit different.  Mismatched parts that are specific to the CVO bike that doesn't make it on the bike on the line has been too regularly reported.  On the old manual line that wasn't (easily) possible of course.  There they just left things loose or otherwise poorly assembled sometimes.

[grc]

I think a broad statistically valid analysis would probably show that the old assembly method resulted in a lot more loose and misaligned parts since they were not on the assembly line using assembly tooling and fixtures, but also resulted in far fewer misbuilt bikes (wrong parts installed) since those regular  production parts wouldn't have been stocked in the CVO assembly area.  The recent example of some 2013 CVO Road Kings being built with the wrong fuel gauge comes to mind.

I've personally dealt with regular assembly line versus offline assembly in the automotive sector, and I will state unequivocally that the regular assembly line produced a more consistent and higher quality product than the offline operations, even when we made every effort to ensure the use of proper tooling to the extent possible.  And the cost difference when you start talking the volumes involved with the current CVO's is pretty significant.  Without the lower cost structure of current CVO production, I can guarantee you the prices would have gone up much more than they have over the past few years.  There is no free lunch, and you aren't getting a hand built motorcycle for less than $40k no matter what some misinformed salesperson tries to tell you.  Go to one of the real custom bike builders and price a real hand built bike with features like the CVO's.  You will think that $38k CVO is dirt cheap.

Jerry

[Z06_Pilot]

I think a broad statistically valid analysis would probably show that the old assembly method resulted in a lot more loose and misaligned parts since they were not on the assembly line using assembly tooling and fixtures, but also resulted in far fewer misbuilt bikes (wrong parts installed) since those regular  production parts wouldn't have been stocked in the CVO assembly area.  The recent example of some 2013 CVO Road Kings being built with the wrong fuel gauge comes to mind.

I've personally dealt with regular assembly line versus offline assembly in the automotive sector, and I will state unequivocally that the regular assembly line produced a more consistent and higher quality product than the offline operations, even when we made every effort to ensure the use of proper tooling to the extent possible.  And the cost difference when you start talking the volumes involved with the current CVO's is pretty significant.  Without the lower cost structure of current CVO production, I can guarantee you the prices would have gone up much more than they have over the past few years.  There is no free lunch, and you aren't getting a hand built motorcycle for less than $40k no matter what some misinformed salesperson tries to tell you.  Go to one of the real custom bike builders and price a real hand built bike with features like the CVO's.  You will think that $38k CVO is dirt cheap.

Jerry

Interesting post! 

[woode]

Oh, where to begin?  I've had more quality problems on my CUSE4 than on any other vehicle that I've ever owned:

- Three replaced seats
- Four replaced heated hand grips.
- Delivered without fuse cover, leading to water intrusion and electrical problems.  I became aware of it after I lost all electric at 70mph on the interstate.
- Wiring harness from fork to tank crimped, with several shorted wires.
- Bad compensator
- Warped front rotors
- Flaky idle consistency
- Crackling/static in audio system
- The various recalls - tire cupping, rear brake switch, tank mount

Granted, some of these had nothing to do with assembly line vs hand assembly, but two of the biggies probably would not have happened on the main line.  If one of the two assemblers was having a bad day, it could definitely have an adverse affect on the bike.  I am glad that my 2013 will be assembled with a more controlled process. There will still be issues, but at least the Monday morning hangover will be less of a factor.

[Soot]

Assembled on the production line.  CVO hand built assembly stopped...

napalm

Yes, and all of it done in 3.5hrs or less on either the day or evening shift according to the Tour Supervisor. Amazing! 
Hoping to drive down and do the York Plant tour this spring! $30 for the Steel-toe tour (2.5hrs long) if you're a Museum Member!

[Montanakid]

I thought I heard it was 2010, oh well I guess at this point it don't matter anymore.

[scttgr8]

I know were smarter on here that the HD help but he won't take comments as proof,

tell him to ask his SOAR or call the MOCO they will confirm you correct

[Hawg]

If they stopped production in 2009, does that mean the 2010 model year is the last built?