In recent times, all your favorite bikemakers have stepped up their game in the touring motorcycle segment. Sport-tourers and crossovers are the theme for metric companies like BMW, Suzuki, and Honda, while names like Indian,Buell, and Harley-Davidson keep focusing on V-twin bikes. So when you think of aggressive-looking V-twin tourers, you’ll eventually end up with you’ll inevitably end up checking out bikes from American giants.
Both have a sizable lineup of such machines, so picking the “most aggressive-looking” was rather difficult. But our pick is undeniably aggressive, be it in terms of design, performance, or riding dynamics. Let’s jump in.
To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from authoritative sources, such as Harley-Davidson.
The Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide RR Is The Most Aggressive-Looking V-Twin Touring Bike In 2025
Out of our shortlisted bikes, it’s the new-for-2025 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide RR that takes the cake. Why, you ask? Well, because it is the only one of its kind today. The design is nothing like anything we’ve seen, complete with an army of forged carbon fiber parts, a bespoke livery, and our favorite, the hefty use of billet aluminum near the engine. It’s a sight to behold, and the track aggression becomes evident right from the get-go.
In a close second, we have the CVO Road Glide ST. It’s arguably the more accessible, aggressive-looking Road Glide between the two, thanks to its much lower MSRP. You still get the shark-inspired fairing and edgy saddlebags, but the ST does its own thing elsewhere. So the engine bay has blacked-out parts with red accents, the wheels are more road-biased, and carbon fiber usage is much lower than the RR. What gives the ST a small advantage over the RR is the color options. You can have it in Mercury Silver, Rally Red, and Hot Lap liveries.
If all this is too sporty for you, you should know our third consideration was the Indian Challenger Elite. ‘Elite’ here represents the crème de la crème of Indian’s bikes, just like CVO does for Harley-Davidson. So you get an exuberant white, red, and black livery here, which is quite eye-catching. Bespoke wheels further amp up the visual experience. Why didn’t we pick this over the Road Glide, you ask? Because the Challenger’s design hasn’t received a refresh in quite some time. So much so that if you paint a 2020 Challenger in this livery, you’ll take a few minutes to differentiate between the two.
Aggressive-Looking V-twin Touring Bikes In 2025
- Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide RR
- Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST
- Indian Challenger Elite
- Buell SuperTouring
A Special Livery And Hefty Use Of Carbon Fiber Add To The CVO Road Glide RR’s Aggression
All Of It Is Topped With Cutting-Edge Electronics
By now, we all know the RR looks like a million bucks. But things get even better when you dive into the deets. For instance, the decals mimic Harley-Davidson’s race bikes. You get a Solid Racing Orange color bursting into graphics that form the “Bar & Shield” logo. This is topped with a white “Screamin’ Eagle” graphic and a base black coat. Then, a closer look shines light on all the carbon fiber bits. While we’ll list them below, a special shout goes to the full carbon saddlebags and the carbon fairing.
Carbon Fiber Elements On The CVO Road Glide RR
- Carbon fiber fenders
- Carbon fiber side covers
- Carbon fiber tank console
- Carbon fiber fork nacelle
- Carbon fiber radiator shroud
- Carbon fiber and Kevlar layup for the front fairing, saddlebags, and lids
- Dark carbon fiber weave pattern in select areas
When you’re done drooling and swing a leg, the premium experience is retained in the cockpit. Harley’s flagship 12.3-inch display sits as the centerpiece and you get everything you can think of here. Electronic aids like traction control, torque control, cornering ABS, and cornering-linked brakes are standard, along with creature comforts like phone connectivity, USB charging, and cruise control. Much of these are shared with the CVO Road Glide ST, so Harley went an extra mile to throw in a party trick: the ride modes.
You get four custom modes (all customizable), along with two special Track and Track Plus modes. These two are exclusively for the RR and have been fine-tuned by the H-D Factory team racers (like Kyle Wyman). They disengage linked braking to give you fine control over your inputs and let you chase tenths around a racetrack with ease.
Harley-Davidson’s Flagship Screamin’ Eagle Engine Powers The CVO Road Glide RR
Power: 153 HP
While looking the part, the Road Glide RR promises to impress you everywhere else, too. The crown jewel has to be the Screamin’ Eagle 131 engine. It is Harley’s largest mill right now, displacing 2,153cc via two cylinders. Stage IV ported cylinders, high-performance SE8-550 Camshaft, 68 mm throttle bodies (10 bigger than the normal CVO Road Glide), a race-inspired intake, and a new billet clutch basket are all standard.
These promise an output of 153 horsepower and 150 pound-feet. That is the highest output on a road-legal production Harley yet. To round things off, the American giant has thrown in a full-system race-derived titanium Akrapovic exhaust and a Screamin’ Eagle Racing King 6 transmission.
Key Engine Highlights
- Stage IV CNC ported cylinder heads feature 42 mm intake and 34 mm exhaust valves
- High-performance SE8-550 camshaft
- Billet clutch basket
- High-capacity valve lifters
- High-performance valve springs
- High-capacity inner camshaft bearing
- High-volume oil pump
- Akrapovic titanium exhaust
2025 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide RR Engine Specs
|
Engine |
2,147cc, V-twin (Screamin’ Eagle 131) |
|
Power |
153 HP @ 5,750 RPM |
|
Torque |
150 LB-FT @ 4,750 RPM |
|
Transmission |
Screamin’ Eagle King six-speed |
Top-Drawer Underpinnings Help You Chase Tenths On The CVO Road Glide RR
Ohlins Suspension, Brembo Brakes, And A Billet Swingarm Are All Standard
If all this somehow doesn’t impress you, the underpinnings surely will. Track aggression is the theme here, no matter where you look. Accordingly, the suspension comprises fully adjustable 43 mm Ohlins FGR 253 Hypersport forks (developed in partnership between Ohlins and Harley-Davidson Factory Racing team) and a set of fully adjustable Screamin’ Eagle Ohlins Remote Reservoir shock absorbers.
This is topped with our favorite bit: a race-derived swingarm carved from a 220-pound billet of 6061 aluminum. Last but not least is a set of Brembo GP4-RX CNC calipers and T-Drive disc brakes at the front for utmost braking performance. These, along with the rear caliper, sit on forged racing wheels. The only bummer here is the 750-pound wet weight. It’s still quite high for something that’s supposed to chase tenths.
2025 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide RR Underpinnings
|
Chassis |
Double-cradle |
|
Front suspension |
Ohlins FGR 253 forks |
|
Rear suspension |
Screamin’ Eagle Ohlins shock absorbers |
|
Wheels |
19/18-inch cast aluminum |
|
Front brake |
2x 320 mm T-Drive discs |
|
Rear brake |
300 mm disc |
|
Weight |
750 pounds |
|
Wheelbase |
64.4 inches |