‘H-D Forums’ Members Talk CVO Production

It’s looking like 2020 will be a very short model year for CVO bikes. 2021 is looking to be a short production year, too.

One of our members, GT580, recently posted a thread about CVO production. He’s the current owner of a downright beautiful Sand Dune grey 2020 FLHXSE CVO Street Glide. With Harley-Davidson suspending CVO production until next year, he finds himself in a unique position.

As he says in his post, “I guess my ’20 CVO will now be a current model beyond August ’til year’s end!” It’s a unique position for any CVO owner to find themselves in. So, why did they shut down CVO production for the rest of the year? Was it COVID-19’s fault, or was it part of interim CEO Jochen Zeitz‘s new plan to streamline operations?

As it turns out, neither is true. Member YPD485 responds to the thread with some interesting information. He says, “Back in February, my dealer said that CVO production was stopped. I don’t think it ever restarted before COVID-19 struck.” It’s also worth noting that back in February, Matt Levatich was still the CEO — he wouldn’t step down until late Friday on the last day of the month.

This means that 2020 CVO models will likely be more exclusive than previous model years. If you’re in the market for a new CVO bike, strike while the iron’s hot — there aren’t many of these bikes to go around, and you’ll be waiting a while for a new one.

Get ‘Em While They’re Hot

Another member, RiderX, states that instead of August or September, the 2021 Harley-Davidsons will be released in February of next year. This means that the 2021 model year will be truncated as well.

It all fits into Harley-Davidson’s plan to limit models and reduce production. Less demand means fewer bikes, but it’s also good for branding. Harley’s rivals have done a good job at courting an exclusive image for their motorcycles, which, to some, makes them seem more valuable and desirable.

Harley-Davidson is a high-end product. Making the CVO bikes more limited can help to raise their profile with riders. We just feel bad for the folks that won’t be able to get them. This reminds us a bit of the waiting lists for new Harley-Davidsons back in the 1990s. However, those were boom years for the company.

Time will tell — things are downright weird right now, and they’re likely to get even weirder. As long as Harley-Davidson weathers the storm, we don’t care much about what they do.

Photos: Harley-Davidson

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Cameron Vanderhorst

Cam VanDerHorst has been a contributor to Internet Brands' Auto Group sites for over three years, with his byline appearing on Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Corvette Forum, JK Forum, and Harley-Davidson Forums, among others. In that time, he's also contributed to Autoweek, The Drive, and Scale Auto Magazine.

He bought his first car at age 14 -- a 1978 Ford Mustang II -- and since then he’s amassed an impressive and diverse collection of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, including a 1996 Ford Mustang SVT Mystic Cobra (#683) and a classic air-cooled Porsche 911.

In addition to writing about cars and wrenching on them in his spare time, he enjoys playing music (drums and ukulele), building model cars, and tending to his chickens.

You can follow Cam, his cars, his bikes, and his chickens at @camvanderhorst on Instagram.

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