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CVO™ Tri-Glide® vs. Tri-Glide Ultra® - Twins, Siblings or Rivals?

Why Compare CVO™ Tri-Glide® and Tri-Glide Ultra®

If you're occasionally thrown off by the way Harley® mixes motorcycle names, you're not alone. "Ultra," "Classic," "Super," "Special," "Limited" and "Deluxe" apply across lines, so newbies often confuse one bike with the other. You also may get mixed results when you search for terms online. 

Until recently there was no problem when it came to Tri-Glide. That meant a three-wheeler. Tri-Glide Ultra® was the absolute best you could get when it came to stability, luxury and performance. Now there's a new contender.

Let's just be honest. If you can afford a Tri-Glide Ultra®, you're in a different financial situation than the kids looking for their first motorcycle. You can afford the best. 

When it comes to comparing CVO™ Tri-Glide® and Tri-Glide Ultra® it's not because you aren't sure if you can make the payment on a more expensive bike. You're researching because you want to understand what value each model offers and find the one that suits your needs and riding style. So here we go, let's talk about the major differences when you look at CVO™ Tri-Glide® vs. Tri-Glide Ultra®.

Why Harley® Made a CVO™ Trike

Custom Vehicle Operations™ (CVO™) models are the most exclusive and high end bikes Harley® makes. And they all only had two wheels. 

According to Harley-Davidson®, they made CVO™ Tri-Glide® because people asked for it. The CVO™ line is extremely popular with people who want the ultimate luxury whether they're traveling the United States or participating in one of our Dallas ride events

What Both Bikes Have in Common

Both CVO™ Tri-Glide® and Tri-Glide Ultra® provide the ultimate in stability. They both have impressive amounts of storage space with 6.8 cubic feet of luggage capacity by volume when you combine the integrated trunk and injection-molded Tour-Pak luggage carrier. 

All H-D Trikes have ABS and traction control, which means if you start to slide during a turn, your trike automatically balances weight in both rear tires to re-establish traction. 

Both bikes have premium high performance Harley-Davidson® touring suspension for a smooth, responsive ride. A security system, cruise control and premium radio comes standard on both bikes.

Length is the same at 105.1 inches. They both have a 65.7 inch wheelbase. Each carries 6 gallons of fuel, but Tri-Glide Ultra® gets slightly better fuel economy with 42 estimated highway mpg compared to CVO™ Tri-Glide®s 40 mpg. Much of that is due to a 35 pound weight difference between the two.

They have the same caliper type brakes. On the front there's a 32mm 4 piston fixed and on the rear you have a floating 36 mm integrated park brake. 

For Infotainment, both get a Boom! Box GTS full color TFT, hands-free mobile phone via bluetooth and voice recognition for multiple languages. A rider/passenger intercom comes standard, as does a USB/MTP/IPod/iPhone port.

CVO™ Tri-Glide® vs. Tri-Glide Ultra® Pricing

According to Harley, Tri-Glide Ultra® starts at $34,999 in Vivid Black. CVO™ Tri-Glide® only comes in custom color and starts at $48,999. 

Prices listed are the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices for base models. Options such as color are available at additional cost. Prices exclude tax, title, licensing, registration fees, destination charges, added accessories, and additional dealer charges, if any, and are subject to change. Harley-Davidson reimburses dealers for performing manufacturer-specified pre-delivery inspection and setup tasks. Dealer prices may vary.

Differences Between CVO™ Tri-Glide® and Tri-Glide Ultra® 

If you've gotten to this point you may be asking if they have so much in common, why would you pay an extra $14,000 or more? 

There are actually some pretty significant differences. Keep reading and we'll compare them side by side.

  • Color choices - You can buy Tri-Glide Ultra® in vivid black, color, two-tone or custom color. 2020 CVO™ Tri-Glide® comes in Blizzard White Pearl with Lightning Silver and Stormcloud or Black Stardust with Magnetic Gray and Wicked Red.
  • Engine - Tri-Glide Ultra® comes with a Milwaukee-Eight 114 and 121 ft-lb of torque, where the CVO™ has a Twin-Cooled Milwaukee-Eight 117 delivering 125 ft-lb. That's the most displacement and power available from the factory.
  • Seat height - Tri-Glide Ultra® sits at 27.1 inches with an average weight rider. The CVO Trike is closer to the ground at 25.9 inches. For taller or shorter riders, that difference of more than an inch can make a big difference.
  • Wheels - Front and back, Tri-Glide Ultra has black 7-spoke cast-aluminum wheels. CVO Tri-Glide® has Gloss Black and Contrast Clear Tomahawk wheels front and back. Only the CVO™ trike has the optional wheel style of Charcoal Grey with Contrast Satin Tomahawk.
  • Lights: - Tri-Glide Ultra® comes with high beam, running lights, front fender running lights, directional lights, battery, neutral, low oil pressure, engine diagnostics, cruise control, security system, low fuel warning, reverse, park brake, fog/aux lamp indicator. CVO™ Tri-Glide® comes with all that plus coolant temp, fault indication, turn signal, ABS, TPMS and traction control.
  • Gauges - Tri-Glide Ultra® includes speedometer, tachometer, fuel, and voltage gauges; display features odometer, trip A, trip B, range to empty, and gear indicator. CVO™ Tri-Glide has those gauges plus a tire pressure gauge.
  • Infotainment - Tri-Glide Ultra® gives ou 25 watts per channel, a 5.25-inch speaker size with the possibility for a 6.5-inch upgrade. CVO™ Tri-Glide has Stage 1 speakers, a BOOM Audio Wireless Headset and 75 watts per channel.


Other Features Unique to CVO™ Tri-Glide®

The "Ultimate three-wheeler" comes with heated rider and passenger seats (optional on Tri-Glide Ultra), a CB radio, backlit handlebar controls and more. 

The Tour-Pak has its own light, an additional rack and custom compartments to make organizing a little easier. 

Kahuna Collection accessories lend luxury front to fender. H-D Connect Service, a system that lets you stay connected to your bike through your cell, comes standard.

How To Choose Between CVO™ Tri-Glide® and Tri-Glide Ultra®

It depends on who you are. For some, Tri-Glide Ultra has everything you need and want. Others feel like it's worth paying more for all the extras you get with CVO Tri-Glide. 

You need to test drive them. Reading is a great starting point, but you really need to see, touch, sit on and ride both. The good news is, we have them in store and test rides are free. Book yours online or just stop by and ask an associate.