2010-2012 Harley-Davidson FLSTSE CVO Softail Convertible — Screamin Eagle 110B Softail Factory Convertible

The 2010-2012 Harley-Davidson FLSTSE CVO Softail Convertible was Harley’s factory answer to a question many owners had already solved in their garages: how do you make a low, custom-looking Softail accept real touring equipment without turning it into an Electra Glide? Built by Custom Vehicle Operations, the FLSTSE combined the counterbalanced Screamin Eagle Twin Cam 110B engine with detachable luggage, a removable front fairing or windshield assembly depending on model year equipment, passenger accommodations, premium paint, and CVO-level chrome. It sat in the Softail family, but it was priced, trimmed, and specified as a top-shelf factory custom rather than a standard-production cruiser.

Best Known For: the FLSTSE CVO Softail Convertible is best known as Harley-Davidson’s limited-production CVO Softail that paired the 110 cubic-inch counterbalanced Twin Cam with quick-detach touring equipment, giving one motorcycle two factory-sanctioned personalities: stripped custom and light tourer.

Quick Facts

The FLSTSE is sometimes described in the market simply as the CVO Convertible, CVO Softail Convertible, or Screamin Eagle Convertible. Those shorthand names are useful, but the model-code progression matters because the factory used FLSTSE, FLSTSE2, and FLSTSE3 across the three-year run.

The important point is not merely that the FLSTSE was a dressed Softail. It was a CVO model engineered and sold around removability: bags, screen or fairing equipment, passenger hardware, and touring conveniences could be fitted or removed without turning the motorcycle into an aftermarket compromise.

Why the FLSTSE CVO Softail Convertible Matters

Harley-Davidson had offered factory convertibles before, most notably the FXDS-CONV Dyna Convertible of the 1990s. The FLSTSE was different because it arrived during the mature Twin Cam era, when the company’s CVO program had become a halo operation for paint, engines, electronics, chrome, and accessory integration. The motorcycle was not intended to be the fastest Harley or the longest-legged touring machine. Its purpose was to bring CVO exclusivity to a Softail that could convincingly move between boulevard custom and weekend tourer.

That distinction gives the model its present interest. A CVO Road Glide or Electra Glide announces itself as a touring motorcycle from ten paces away. The FLSTSE kept the Softail’s low rear line, hidden shock architecture, custom stance, and visual emphasis on the engine. The removable touring kit made it unusually adaptable, but also created one of the major collector issues: many surviving examples have lost parts of their original convertible equipment.

Historical Context and Development Background

By 2010 Harley-Davidson was selling into a market that had changed dramatically from the easy-credit cruiser boom of the previous decade. Buyers at the upper end still wanted exclusivity, but they were less interested in purely ornamental customs that could not travel. The CVO Softail Convertible addressed that shift without abandoning the visual language that had made the Softail line so commercially powerful: a long, low profile, an uncluttered rear triangle, a big air-cooled V-twin, and polished hardware.

The engineering brief was clear. The bike needed the presence and torque of the Screamin Eagle 110, but the Softail chassis required the counterbalanced B-version of the Twin Cam engine because the powertrain is rigidly mounted. The touring equipment had to look intentional rather than bolted on after the fact. Harley’s accessory catalogue had long made this kind of owner conversion possible; the FLSTSE made the idea a factory CVO product.

Its competitor set was not a racing class or a military requirement. It was the premium American cruiser market, including Harley’s own CVO touring machines, standard Softails with accessory packages, and large-displacement custom cruisers from other manufacturers. The FLSTSE’s argument was that a rider could buy one factory-built CVO motorcycle rather than choosing between a showy custom and a practical weekend machine.

Engine and Drivetrain

The heart of the FLSTSE is the Screamin Eagle Twin Cam 110B, the counterbalanced Softail version of Harley’s 110 cubic-inch Twin Cam. It is an air-cooled, 45-degree, pushrod V-twin with two valves per cylinder, hydraulic lifters, electronic fuel injection, and dry-sump lubrication. In CVO use it delivered the low-speed torque and visual authority expected of the flagship engine while retaining the rigid-mount layout required by the Softail frame.

Harley-Davidson did not traditionally publish official horsepower figures for these models, so horsepower should not be treated as a factory specification. Torque figures were published in factory literature, but they varied by market, method, and model year. For restoration and identification purposes, the displacement, engine family, counterbalanced B configuration, and CVO-specific finish details are more important than quoting a single power number out of context.

Engine and Drivetrain Specifications

The following table focuses on consistently documented mechanical features rather than magazine-test figures or aftermarket claims.

The 110B is central to the model’s identity. A standard Big Twin Softail of the period can be made quicker with parts, but the factory CVO combination of 110-inch displacement, correct engine finish, matching electronics, and CVO documentation is what makes the FLSTSE a distinct collector motorcycle rather than simply a modified Softail.

Chassis, Suspension, and Braking

The FLSTSE used the Softail chassis architecture Harley had refined for decades: a steel frame that visually recalls a rigid rear triangle while hiding its rear suspension beneath the motorcycle. That layout is fundamental to the machine’s look. It gives the bike the low custom stance buyers wanted, though it also means the motorcycle does not have the long-travel rear suspension or luggage-carrying composure of a touring-frame Harley.

The front suspension was a conventional telescopic fork, while braking used front and rear discs with ABS included as part of the CVO package. The convertible equipment added real utility, but the underlying chassis remained a Softail. That matters for any rider expecting Electra Glide isolation or Road King luggage manners; the FLSTSE was a custom cruiser adapted for touring, not a touring chassis wearing custom paint.

Chassis and Equipment Reference

For buyers and restorers, the chassis details matter less as abstract specifications than as a way to understand what should be present on a complete motorcycle.

The chassis explains both the bike’s charm and its limits. It looks much cleaner than a touring Harley with a detachable kit, but the price of that profile is less rear suspension travel and less structural luggage capacity than Harley’s FL touring platform.

Riding Experience and Mechanical Character

The FLSTSE starts and idles like a large-displacement Twin Cam Softail rather than a rubber-mounted touring bike. The counterbalancers remove much of the harshness that a rigid-mounted big V-twin would otherwise transmit, but they do not erase the deliberate cadence of the 45-degree engine. At idle the motorcycle has the familiar uneven pulse and mechanical presence, with the 110B giving a deeper, heavier feel than the smaller Twin Cam engines sold in standard Softails.

Throttle response is governed by electronic fuel injection rather than carburetor ritual, so there is no choke lever ceremony and no period kick-start theatre. The experience is instead modern Harley: key fob, ignition sequence, starter engagement, and a big twin settling into its managed idle. The clutch is heavier in character than a lightweight motorcycle’s but appropriate for the torque output, and the six-speed Cruise Drive gearbox gives the bike a relaxed top-gear cadence once clear of town.

At low speeds the FLSTSE feels like what it is: a long, heavy Softail with premium equipment and a big rear footprint. It is stable rather than flickable, dignified rather than athletic. The brakes are adequate for the machine’s mission and helped by ABS, but the rider is always aware of mass, wheelbase, and the limits of cruiser geometry. On open roads the engine is the bike’s great asset, pulling without drama from low rpm and making the convertible concept plausible for real weekend distances.

With the detachable equipment removed, the machine takes on a cleaner custom appearance, but the underlying weight remains. With the bags and front weather protection installed, it becomes more useful without becoming a touring dresser. That duality is exactly the point of the FLSTSE, and also the reason buyers should decide whether they want a complete collector-grade example or merely a stylish 110-inch Softail to ride.

Identification and Originality

Correct identification begins with the model code: FLSTSE for 2010, FLSTSE2 for 2011, and FLSTSE3 for 2012. These are not separate mechanical families but year-progressive CVO variants of the same Softail Convertible concept. Documentation from Harley-Davidson, original sales paperwork, CVO owner materials, and the motorcycle’s factory equipment are more reliable than seller shorthand such as CVO Softail or Screamin Eagle Softail.

Collectors should be careful with motorcycles that have been stripped, repainted, or accessorized heavily. The original CVO paint schemes, engine finishes, detachable saddlebags, passenger pillion, backrest hardware, front fairing or windshield assembly, audio/navigation equipment, CVO badges, and correct wheels are all part of the motorcycle’s value. Because the removable pieces are easy to separate from the bike, incomplete examples are common enough to deserve special scrutiny.

As with any modern Harley, engine and frame identity should be checked against official documentation rather than decoded from hearsay. A CVO Softail Convertible with matching paperwork, original keys and security fobs, owner’s manual material, CVO documentation, and factory accessory components will be viewed differently from a bike that merely carries the right tank badges. Reproduction, service-replacement, and later accessory parts can be excellent for riding, but they should not be confused with original CVO equipment when evaluating collector quality.

Model Code and Variant Breakdown

The FLSTSE line is compact, which helps identification. There were no factory racing, police, or military versions of the CVO Softail Convertible; its variants are the three CVO model-code years.

Color and trim changed by year, as is normal for CVO production. For that reason, paint originality should be judged against the specific model year rather than against a generic FLSTSE description.

Performance and Dimensional Specifications

Factory literature consistently identifies the FLSTSE engine as the 110 cubic-inch Screamin Eagle Twin Cam 110B and the transmission as the six-speed Cruise Drive. Harley-Davidson did not provide official horsepower figures in the way many sportbike manufacturers did, and magazine-test horsepower varies with dyno type, exhaust, tune, mileage, and correction method. Serious buyers should treat horsepower claims as secondary unless they are supported by a dated dyno sheet and the bike’s current mechanical specification.

Likewise, 0-60 mph and quarter-mile figures are not central to the FLSTSE’s historical identity and are not consistently useful for evaluating originality. The bike’s meaningful performance is roll-on torque, relaxed highway gearing, and the ability to carry detachable touring equipment without abandoning the Softail look. For dimensional reference, 2012 factory specifications commonly list a running-order weight of 761 lb, which places the FLSTSE firmly in heavy cruiser territory even before luggage is loaded.

Compared With Related Harley-Davidson Models

FLSTSE CVO Softail Convertible vs Standard Softail Models

Compared with standard Softails of the same period, the FLSTSE’s defining advantage is the factory CVO package: 110B engine, exclusive paint, premium trim, ABS, upgraded equipment, and the integrated convertible kit. A standard Softail with accessories may perform the same basic tasks, but it does not carry the same factory CVO identity or collector standing.

FLSTSE vs CVO Touring Models

A CVO Road Glide, Street Glide, or Electra Glide is a better long-distance motorcycle in the traditional sense. Those machines use Harley’s touring frame, larger luggage systems, better wind management, and more touring-oriented ergonomics. The FLSTSE is more visually compact and custom-oriented, which is exactly why it appeals to a different buyer.

FLSTSE vs FXDS-CONV Dyna Convertible

The earlier FXDS-CONV Dyna Convertible is the historical relative most enthusiasts mention when discussing Harley factory convertibles. The Dyna is lighter in concept and from an earlier Big Twin era, while the FLSTSE is a premium CVO Softail with the 110B engine and far more elaborate factory trim. Both are convertibles in Harley language, but they speak to different periods of the company’s product planning.

FLSTSE vs 2012 FLD Switchback

The FLD Switchback, introduced for 2012, offered removable bags and windshield in a Dyna-based package at a very different market position. It was a practical factory convertible, not a CVO halo model. Shoppers sometimes compare the two because of the detachable touring idea, but the FLSTSE is the higher-spec, limited-production, Softail-based collector piece.

Restoration and Ownership Notes

Mechanically, the FLSTSE benefits from strong Harley-Davidson specialist support and the broad parts ecosystem surrounding the Twin Cam platform. That does not mean it is cheap to restore correctly. CVO paint, year-specific trim, detachable hardware, audio/navigation pieces, seats, bags, chrome components, and badges can be far more difficult and expensive to replace than ordinary service parts.

The Twin Cam 110B should be inspected with the seriousness due any large-displacement air-cooled Harley. Heat management, oil condition, cam chest service history, lifter health, compensator wear, primary drive condition, clutch operation, charging system condition, and fuel-injection tuning all matter. Many examples have aftermarket exhausts, air cleaners, tuners, cams, or engine work; these changes may improve the ride, but they can reduce originality and complicate diagnosis.

The Softail chassis needs attention at the hidden-shock area, swingarm pivots, wheel bearings, brake system, and ABS components. Convertible hardware should latch securely and show no evidence of improvised brackets or missing mounting pieces. A complete bike with all take-off parts is a very different proposition from a stripped example whose original touring kit disappeared several owners ago.

Buyer and Restoration Inspection Points

The best inspection treats the FLSTSE as both a motorcycle and a CVO artifact. The engine may be straightforward to service, but missing model-specific parts can change the economics of ownership quickly.

A buyer who wants a rider can tolerate tasteful modifications if the work is documented and reversible. A collector should be much stricter: completeness, paint originality, CVO documentation, and correct detachable equipment are the hard things to recover.

Collector and Market Relevance

The FLSTSE occupies a particular niche in the Harley-Davidson collector world. It is not an antique, not a racing homologation model, and not a first-year Knucklehead or sand-cast rarity. Its importance is as a limited CVO Softail from the high-content Twin Cam period, with a three-year production identity and a factory concept that has not been endlessly repeated in the same form.

Collectors typically value low-mileage, unmodified examples with all original convertible components, correct CVO paint, complete documents, and evidence of careful storage. Heavily customized bikes can still be desirable riders, but they move away from the reason the model is collectible. The removable touring equipment is especially important because it is part of the model’s name, not an accessory footnote.

Exact production totals by year and color are not consistently documented in public sources, so claims of extreme rarity should be checked carefully. The safer statement is that all FLSTSE variants were limited-production CVO motorcycles, and the pool of complete, original, well-kept examples is naturally smaller than the total number built.

Cultural Relevance

The FLSTSE has no racing or military history, and assigning it one would misunderstand the motorcycle. Its cultural relevance lies in Harley-Davidson’s factory-custom program and the long American habit of personalizing a Big Twin for multiple roles. Owners had been adding windshields, bags, seats, bars, exhausts, and chrome to Softails for decades; the FLSTSE packaged that behavior as a high-end factory product.

It also reflects the period when CVO models became increasingly sophisticated combinations of paintwork, engines, electronics, and fitted equipment. The motorcycle belongs to the same cultural conversation as premium baggers and factory customs, but it avoids becoming a full dresser. That makes it appealing to riders who want the CVO look and engine without committing to the visual bulk of a touring motorcycle.

FAQs

What years was the Harley-Davidson FLSTSE CVO Softail Convertible made?

The CVO Softail Convertible was produced for the 2010, 2011, and 2012 model years. The year codes are FLSTSE for 2010, FLSTSE2 for 2011, and FLSTSE3 for 2012.

What engine is in the 2010-2012 FLSTSE CVO Softail Convertible?

It uses the Screamin Eagle Twin Cam 110B, an air-cooled, pushrod, 45-degree V-twin with counterbalancers for rigid-mount Softail use. Displacement is 110 cubic inches, or 1803 cc.

Did Harley-Davidson publish horsepower for the FLSTSE CVO Softail Convertible?

Harley-Davidson did not publish official horsepower figures for this model in the same way many manufacturers publish sportbike output. Dyno numbers vary with exhaust, tuning, test method, and mechanical condition, so horsepower claims should be treated as non-factory unless documented.

What is the difference between FLSTSE, FLSTSE2, and FLSTSE3?

They are the three year-progressive versions of the CVO Softail Convertible: 2010 FLSTSE, 2011 FLSTSE2, and 2012 FLSTSE3. The core concept and 110B Softail platform remained, while paint, trim, and equipment details changed by model year.

Is the FLSTSE a touring motorcycle or a Softail cruiser?

It is a Softail cruiser with factory detachable touring equipment. It can handle light touring use, but it does not use Harley’s FL touring chassis and should not be judged as a substitute for a Road Glide, Street Glide, Road King, or Electra Glide.

What should collectors look for on a CVO Softail Convertible?

Collectors should look for complete convertible equipment, original CVO paint and trim, correct model-code documentation, service records, security fobs, owner materials, and minimal irreversible modifications. Missing bags, mounts, front weather protection, or CVO-specific components can materially affect desirability.

Are parts available for the FLSTSE CVO Softail Convertible?

Routine Twin Cam service parts are well supported, and Harley specialists understand the platform. The difficult parts are model-specific CVO paintwork, trim, detachable equipment, audio/navigation-related pieces, and certain year-specific cosmetic items.

Collector Takeaway

The 2010-2012 FLSTSE CVO Softail Convertible matters because it is one of Harley-Davidson’s clearest factory expressions of the convertible Big Twin idea in the CVO era. It did not try to be a race bike, and it was not a touring chassis in disguise. It was a premium Softail built around the 110B engine and a removable-equipment concept that many Harley owners wanted, executed with factory paint, hardware, electronics, and CVO finish.

For the collector, the motorcycle’s value is in completeness and intent. A stripped FLSTSE is just a handsome 110-inch Softail; a complete, documented FLSTSE with its original convertible kit is the motorcycle Harley actually sold. That distinction is why this model deserves careful study before purchase, and why the best examples will always be the ones that still prove the Convertible name was earned.