Touring riders, let’s party!
If you’re the traveling kind of biker, the kind who wants to take it all with you—luggage galore and a passenger, too—and wants built-in stereo and communications systems, and to top it off, you want brute force to haul it all with power to spare, then you are going to lust for this 2007 CVO Screamin’ Eagle Ultra.
Harley’s CVO division, whose mission of offering big-inch bikes with more glitz and glamour than Harley’s mainline models, upped the cubic-inch ante with its 110 engine. The engine uses the new TC96 crankcases bored to accept Screamin’ Eagle 4-inch–bore cylinders, which have a 1?4-inch-larger bore than the 96. (The standard 2007 TC96, by the way, will accept Harley’s 37?8-inch–bore cylinders—like those used to convert a TC88 to 95 inches—without boring the cases; this creates a 103-inch engine.)
Harley claims the engine makes 115 pounds-feet of torque at 3,000 rpm at the crankshaft. Our test bike (as tested on the Borla Dynojet dynamometer) managed to get 96.1 of these pounds-feet to the rear wheel at 3,100 rpm, along with 83.1 horsepower at 5,000 rpm (see chart on page 30). What is most impressive to us touring riders is that the average torque between 1,999 and 5,600 rpm is a muscular 89.7 pounds-feet! Thank you, CVO.
The engine has progressively linear power delivery as engine speed increases, without any of the sudden surges that some engines have when they come on the cam. The cams are Screamin’ Eagle 255 grind, and the heads are also from SE with slightly higher 9.3:1 (compared to 9.2 on the TC96) compression ratio. This is a full half-point more than the 103 engine’s 8.8:1 ratio.
This engine bolts to the Cruise Drive six-speed transmission, essentially an ’06 Dyna transmission with different internal ratios that better match the 96’s torque characteristics to optimize shift points. The ratios are evenly spaced so that when shifting gears the engine stays well within its power range. For example, when shifting at 2,500 or 3,000 rpm, engine speed drops only about 500 rpm.
The transmission has a direct-drive top gear, while all lower gears are indirect (where power goes through the countershaft). Second through fourth gears have helical-cut teeth for better load capacity and quiet running. This gearbox is not a true overdrive, although routing the power directly through the main shaft, and lowering the bike’s overall gear ratio from 3.15 to 2.97:1, achieves the same quiet-running, low-revving results. The additional sixth gear reduces top-gear engine speed by 11 percent compared to the former five-speed unit, which amounts to about 370 rpm at 75 mph; at 65 mph the engine loafs at 2,500 rpm.
Of course, if more torque is needed for quicker acceleration, the rider can always select any one of five lower gears. With the SE Ultra’s Cruise Drive, there is always a correct gear for any situation. Let me give you some examples. When I was waiting in a driveway to merge with passing 35-mph traffic, I pulled out as a car passed, and in low gear accelerated to 4,000 rpm. Within about 50 feet, I was traveling over 35 mph and had to slow down because I was tailgating the car that had just passed.
Another time I found myself trapped behind a lumbering locksmith’s truck on an on-ramp at 30 mph. The bike was in second gear as we entered the highway, so I goosed it to 5,500 rpm, shifted into third, went to 5,000, shifted into fourth to find myself traveling more than 80 mph. Two more gear-lever snicks and the engine was loafing at 3,000 rpm at 80 mph. It all seemed to happen instantaneously. The engine’s power and the gearbox worked perfectly together.
As you would imagine, getting a bike launched with a 110-inch engine is a no-brainer, especially with the CVO’s hydraulically actuated clutch. The engagement point is quite close to the grip, which, at first, can take a rider by surprise. But once accustomed to it, you will find that the engagement range is broad and easily modulated. This close-to-the-grip engagement point is a bonus for riders with small hands. Lever pressure is not the lightest, but completely manageable in stop-and-go traffic without tiring the rider’s hand.
The throttle return spring is extremely light, lighter than just about anything I’ve ridden, which requires some getting used to the instant throttle response. The new EFI system manages fuel perfectly with never the slightest glitch. Hot and cold starting was always consistent and instant. The engine has an electronically actuated compression release, and when starting, there’s a sudden explosive burst when the engine fires, after which it settles into a 1,000-rpm idle. Apply a very light, slight pressure on the throttle and revs cleanly increase. I tried to ride the CVO Ultra in every kind of riding situation, from open highways to congested city streets, and the new fuel-injection system performed beautifully with flawless throttle response.
Although the whole bike shakes at idle, as engine revs increase any vibration disappears. Some juddering can be felt if the engine is lugged in higher gears, but otherwise there are no vibration issues. A moderate amount of heat can be felt on the right side during slow, stop-and-go traffic situations, but as soon as the bike is moving it isn’t very apparent.
The Ultra’s fairing reflects quite a bit of valve train noise back at the rider. Tappet clacking and some gearbox chatter when in fifth gear makes themselves apparent. All of this quiets down once in sixth gear.
The gearbox on this test bike shifted flawlessly between gears. I had some difficulty finding neutral from first gear when at a stop, although it could almost always be selected from second. Personally, I like this. I find it just as easy to select neutral from second gear when coming to a stop as from first.
H-D engineers have done a great job in tuning the big Ultra’s suspension. Despite a fairly short 3-inch rear-wheel travel, the bike stays unruffled by bumps, dips and ledges. The very worst of highway conditions does jolt the rider, depending, of course, on how the air-assisted suspension is adjusted. The bike tracks true at all speeds, remains stable at high speeds, and even resists the subtle weave that FLH models sometimes develop in high-speed sweepers. The only issue that’s likely to unsettle a rider is the bike’s near-900-pound wet weight, which can be intimidating during tight low-speed maneuvers.
Brakes are the best ever on an FLH. Emergency stops are easily controllable without undue lever pressures. The front is so amazingly powerful you’ll be wondering if this thing really presses down on the tarmac with a half-ton of mass. The rear brake does not provide a lot a feedback, but it does deliver progressively consistent braking force over a long range of pedal travel.
When first seated on an FLH, it can seem so compact that larger riders initially doubt the bike’s long-range comfort. A day in the CVO Ultra’s saddle, however, will convince riders that the FLH seating ergonomics are as universally appealing as a motorcycle’s can be, and reaching the controls is something most riders will find very easy. The seat has a distinct bucket shape, which pins the rider in one place. This will either be perfect, or not. The seat is narrow at the front so that the rider’s legs can easily reach the ground, but it puts all of the rider’s weight directly on the buttocks and pelvic bone. I found this numbing after a while. The seat has heating, so if you change it for another you may lose that feature.
The low windscreen extends above the dashboard’s leather dash panel, mounted onto a gloss-black inner fairing. The lowers have adjustable vents for hot-weather ventilation. Instruments, which include a speedo, tach and various other gauges, have turned aluminum faces. Congratulations are in order for the CVO team, who installed excellent rear-view mirrors on the SE Ultra, which give a clear view of three traffic lanes behind without being filled with the rider’s shoulders and elbows. Traffic directly behind the bike can be easily seen in both mirrors. Why can’t all Harley’s be like this?
Convenience features include electrically actuated bag locks. That’s right, the saddlebags and Tour Pak can be electrically locked or unlocked with the touch of a switch on the bike’s dash, and each bag can also be individually locked with the bike’s key. The gas cap cover doesn’t need a key, being push-button accessible. The SE Ultra also has Harley’s new Smart Security System, which does not require any activation. Walk away with the key fob and it automatically activates about 8 feet away. If you loose the fob, you can initiate the system by entering a personal ID number with the turn signal switches. A siren alarm is also included. It’s an out-of-mind security feature that relieves the rider of any burden or worries. By the way, this system is an industry first.
An oil cooler with a chrome cover is standard on the SE Ultra, located in front of the crankcase at the bottom of the front downtubes. There’s a long list of Screamin’ Eagle equipment on this fully loaded machine. All the footboards, control pedals and handgrips are from the Screamin’ Eagle line, along with a catalog’s worth of chrome and polished accessory items, including chrome nine-spoke wheels. The Tour-Pak, leather covered with faux ostrich trim, has LED interior lighting and a cushioned liner inside, as do the saddlebags. The matching seat has a folding rider backrest, making it easier for the passenger to mount and dismount. Like the seat, the chrome-and-rubber hand grips are also heated, which proved to be more comfortable in the long haul than I imagined.
Based on the FLHTCUI Ultra Classic Electra Glide, the CVO bike has the premium 40-watt Harman/Kardon sound system, with AM/FM/weather band/CB/intercom/CD-MP3 player, and 150-channel XM digital satellite radio (a three-month activation included with purchase price). And Harley’s GPS audio navigation system is built right into the SE bike. An indoor storage cover with CVO logo and commemorative key in a presentation box is also included.
In addition to the Black Ice and Electric Orange colors of our test bike, the Screamin’ Eagle Ultra is available in Lightning Blue Pearl and Midnight Pearl or Light Candy Cherry and Black Ice colors, for an MSRP: $33,495 (California slightly higher).
I will leave it to readers to add up all of the Screamin’ Eagle extras and determine the SE Ultra’s relative value, but one fact is very simply calculable—there is no way to get Harley’s 110 engine in an Electra Glide without completely dismantling the crankcases. The SE Ultra gives a rider all the premium touring amenities and a 110-inch powerplant with a six-speed gearbox, complete with a factory warranty and full dealer support. You can’t buy that anywhere else.
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