Looking for some opinions on what to do, purchase a new cvo roadglide or have a new roadglide built the way I want. $32,000 is what most dealers want for the new cvo roadglide. Is it cost effective to have my own built from a new roadglide?

 

If you can swing it I would say get the SE, if you build one with paint, 110 Cu In and all that chrome I think you would be over the list on the SE. Plus full warranty!

 

Resale down the road will be more for the SE. Performance wise a build would probably put out more hp/tq. Paint is tough, a well done custom job is pricey but sets it apart from the crowd.

All added up the SE isn't a bad deal but it's all at once $$$.

 

SE has better resale.

Beary

 

, personally think that the CVO program is one of the best marketing gimmicks the motor company has ever hatched...... they are not customs in any sense of the word..... they are production bikes..... you never have to ride very far to find another one just like yours..... have a riding bud with a CVO ultra he has $37K+ into.... we pull into the parking lot at a local watering hole this Summer, and he can see 2 others EXACTLY like his bike from where we parked...... he was so pissed, he fired her up and headed home.....it was pretty funny.....(this was in Bently's parking lot with maybe 150 bikes in it total)... didn't see any like my softail.....never do.

Also, the 110 CVO motor is an anemic disaster,(less than 80HP)..... I have a 106 TC in my '03 softail that I'll gladly run for slips against any "custom" CVO 110...... AND I can keep rear head gaskets in her too. (Why would you buy a $30k+ bike that you KNOW has a problem with the cylinder/liner junction that is going to guarantee a leaking rear head gasket???? There is no way to fix them... they didn't extend the "spiney" connection close enough to the top of the cylinder to prevent the excessive expansion.).

I think you can start with a "plain" bike, take half the money difference from it's CVO brother, and end up with a much better and certainly more unique bike on your own..... I'll do the same with my new RK if I decide to keep it.

Make them your own, you don't have to drink the cool aid...... JMHO

 

I went throught the same process last year when I bought my Road King. I decided against the SERK and built my own. After a Stage I, Stage III and chrome I had spent almost as much as I would have spent on the SERK. When I decided to change to the 09 frame and a fairing I chose a Road Glide. I liked the looks of the SERG but didn't want to spend that kind of money so I ordered a standard and was going to do the upgrades my way. I went back through the receipts for the work on the RK and I had spent more on it than the SE. I liked the looks of "my" bike but since I was going to change bikes I thought I may as well go ahead and try and get a deal on the SERG. You'll see a thread I wrote last week where I got a hell of a deal - you never really know what your dealer will take until you ask (the MSRP is $31,000).

I got an estimate from my dealer on the value of my RK, I wasn't going to trade it; as everyone will tell you the price was more or less the same as the value of the stock bike less depreciation. I sold it to a buddy who knew what I'd done to and spent on the bike for more than the dealer thought I could get.

Long story short, if I had to do it over again I'd still buy the SERG. I rode 900 miles this weekend and have to say it is an amazing machine. I don't care what people say about the engine, it is amazing. It has incredible torque and power and is stronger than the 96 with the Stage III upgrades. I've got a set of Rhinehart slipons coming and a PCV, after adding them the machine is going to be phenominal.

In the end it's your decision, either way you go you are going to love your RG.

 

from my perspective, i would rather build my "own" bike, rather than having to see the same bike going down the road, particularly for that kind of money. my experience is that you will also have a stronger running bike than the hd screamin eagles. resale may be less, but I don't trade out bikes often enough to have this be a factor.

 

Why do you need 110 in? I could kill myself just fine with 96. Actually I love my RG just the way it is. I would like a custom paint job. But not neccessarily from HD. I like solid colors without a bunch of extra stuff, just a lot of flake. As far as the rest, a good seat that fits your *** and a little bling and what more do you need besides a nice smelling woman on the back?

 

+1 on the bling and - the woman (imho).

 

Do it your way. Don't get the CVO. The CVO is WAY under powered for that size motor. They look really nice, but I've seen customized Road Glides that look better. You can customize one yourself with a nice painjob, whatever chrome/poweder coating you want, and a nice motor build for about the same cost as the CVO. Take a look at some dyno results of the CVO bikes and some regular bikes that were built. You'll see a HUGE difference.