10 cruisers that surpass Harley’s CVO series

Harley-Davidson is one of the first brands you think of when you want a premium touring motorcycle. It’s basically the go-to brand if you want a cruiser powered by a V-twin engine – and there are many who would argue that it should be the only engine powering a cruiser. But even in the Harley range there is a hierarchy, with the CVO models at the top. These are the Custom Vehicle Operations models and they offer the best of everything Harley-Davidson has to offer.

This obviously means that there are quite a few cruisers on the market that can surpass the CVO models not only in price, but also in performance. With this in mind, we took the 115-horsepower Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide as a starting point and compiled a list of ten cruisers that top Harley’s CVO lineup.

Indian 101 Scout

Power: 111 hp

The 101 Scout has a name with a lot of history; this was the fastest Scout in history, and the current 101 Scout has taken up its mantle. The 111bhp figure is less than the CVO Road Glide, but this is a smaller, lighter bike with fully adjustable rear suspension and a pair of huge 320mm Brembo brake discs up front. There’s no skimping on features either, with a touchscreen TFT with Bluetooth connectivity, navigation, traffic and weather alerts and a vehicle locator.

Harley Davidson Sportster S

Power: 121 hp

Harley Davidson

If you want to beat a Harley-Davidson, you’re going to have to buy a… Harley-Davidson! The Sportster S really takes its name seriously, with a steel trellis frame and a fully liquid-cooled, short-stroke V-twin engine with variable valve timing on all valves. It delivers its power through a six-speed gearbox, and a six-axis IMU helps get maximum performance out of the package. You get cornering ABS, traction control and slip control for torque while towing. Additionally, you also get improved wheel lift mitigation and a tire pressure monitoring system.

Suzuki Boulevard M109R

Power: 123 HP

Suzuki

The Boulevard M109R has the largest engine in Suzuki’s current two-wheeler stable. Despite its chrome and finned look, it is a very modern engine with liquid cooling and fuel injection. It has been the same for over 25 years, and this may sound unbelievable, but it remains the most powerful Japanese cruiser on sale today. This means that it not only delivers more power than a Harley CVO, but is almost certainly also more reliable.

Verge TS Pro

Power: 137 HP

Tomi Keinänen

Verge is a Finn who makes some of the coolest motorcycles you will ever see. If you’re a fan of the Tron movies, you know why the TS Pro’s hubless rear motor gets us excited. There’s no final drive, so there are no transmission losses, and that means you get 737 pound-feet at the rear wheel. It is also equipped with AI technology and gets OTA updates through its ‘Starmatter’ system. Some may argue that it’s a standard motorcycle, but honestly, it’s somewhere in the gray area between a standard motorcycle and a cruiser.

BMW K 1600 B

Power: 160 hp

BMW motorcycle

BMW’s K-series motorcycles have been around for a long time, but haven’t changed much. There isn’t much to improve anyway; the straight-six remains the smoothest engine on two wheels to this day, generating a mind-boggling 160 horsepower. On the K 1600 B you also get automatically adjustable suspension, heated grips and seats, and adaptive LED headlights and cornering lights. If the standard equipment isn’t enough, the accessories list is also extensive, including a two-way quickshifter, keyless ignition and central locking.

Ducati XDiavel V4

Power: 168 HP

Ducati

The XDiavel V4 is an enigma to those who think cruisers should be low-revving, torquey beasts. This is a cruiser that likes to rev and can even attack corners with enthusiasm. It has a V4 engine with a counter-rotating crankshaft like a sports bike, has a double pulse ignition sequence for great torque spread and works on valve springs.

That means incredible valve maintenance intervals – and you even save fuel where possible by switching off the rear cylinder bank. You get a set of top-notch electronics, considering this is a premium Ducati, and attention you wouldn’t believe when you’re on the road.

Ducati Diavel V4

Power: 168 HP

Ducati

The Diavel V4 is the sportier version of the XDiavel. It has more aggressive footpegs and much greater potential to surprise the unwary. It does this by adding a powerful, high-revving engine, adding a touch of high-end electronic wizardry to keep everything under control, and then, for good measure, giving it a good look that any power cruiser would envy. If you liked the Yamaha V-Max, you’ll love the Diavel V4, and for the same reasons. It just makes it better for the vast majority that there are conventional valve springs for the engine.

Buell Supercruiser

Power: 175 HP

Buell

Buell continues to surprise the world. This time it is the turn of the Super Cruiser, the version of a cruiser. Designed with the help of Roland Sands, it looks unique and in a good way. Underneath that exterior lies a V-twin taken from Buell’s naked engine, the 1190 SX, and it hasn’t been toned down for the cruiser. You get the full 175 horsepower, which means you get a hooligan of a cruiser that can lift the front wheel or smoke the rear if you’re so inclined. We also like the star-shaped wheel design and quirks like the rim-mounted front brake.

Triumph Rocket 3 Storm GT

Power: 179.5 hp

Triumph motorcycles

The Rocket 3 is a bike synonymous with superlatives. It features the world’s largest displacement engine ever fitted to a production motorcycle, which translates into a power output of 180 hp. That’s a figure most sportbikes would be proud of – only the Rocket 3 GT backs it up with 166 pound-feet of torque. Luckily, Triumph has given it a full electronics package to keep the madness in check, along with a fully adjustable Showa suspension and Brembo brakes worthy of the fastest track specials.

Ducati Diavel V4 RS

Power: 180 hp

Ducati

If you thought the Multistrada V4 RS was a crazy product, meet the world’s fastest cruiser: the Ducati Diavel V4 RS. It copies the playbook of the Multi V4 RS and uses a Desmodromic valved engine that produces 182 hp. In fact, it generates slightly more power at lower revs compared to the adventure bike, and has equally good electronics to support this power. This translates into a 0 to 60 mph time of 2.43 seconds – which is fast, to say the least.