2011-2016 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide Ultra FLTRUSE — Screamin' Eagle 110 Fixed-Fairing CVO Touring

The Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide Ultra was the most elaborate factory-built Road Glide touring model of its period: a Custom Vehicle Operations machine carrying the frame-mounted shark-nose fairing, full Ultra touring equipment, premium paint and trim, and the largest factory Big Twin offered in regular Harley-Davidson showroom motorcycles of the era. Its model code, FLTRUSE, matters to collectors because it separates the full-dress CVO Ultra from the lower, hotter-looking CVO Road Glide Custom models that shared the Road Glide name but not the same touring brief.

The apparent 2011-2016 span needs one important correction: the CVO Road Glide Ultra was not a continuous annual model through every intervening year. It appeared for 2011, returned for 2015 after the Road Glide redesign, and continued for 2016. That interruption is part of the model’s story, because the later bikes belong to the Project Rushmore-era Road Glide family, with markedly different fairing, electronics, braking integration and, on FLTRUSE, Twin-Cooled 110 cylinder-head architecture.

Best Known For: the FLTRUSE is best known as the factory CVO expression of the full-dress Road Glide Ultra: a limited-production, fixed-fairing touring Harley with Screamin' Eagle Twin Cam 110 power, Ultra luggage and high-end CVO finishes.

Quick Facts

For a buyer, restorer or catalog researcher, the essential point is that FLTRUSE combines three identities: Road Glide chassis and fairing, Ultra touring equipment, and CVO-level engine and trim. The table below keeps to the facts that define the model rather than the softer marketing language that often surrounds CVO motorcycles.

The most collectible examples are not merely clean Road Glides with accessories. They are complete FLTRUSE machines retaining their factory CVO paint, Tour-Pak, fairing lowers, audio/navigation equipment, CVO-specific wheels and trim, and documentation that ties the motorcycle to its original build configuration.

Why It Matters

The CVO Road Glide Ultra matters because it sits at the intersection of three forces that shaped Harley-Davidson touring motorcycles in the early 2010s: the rise of the factory custom bagger, the growing technical sophistication of the Touring platform, and the popularity of the frame-mounted Road Glide fairing among riders who covered real mileage. Unlike a stripped CVO Road Glide Custom, the Ultra was not chasing the low-slung hot-rod bagger look. It was built as a loaded interstate motorcycle, but with the premium engine, paint and trim normally associated with showpiece CVO machines.

Its two phases are particularly useful for historians. The 2011 FLTRUSE represents the pre-Project Rushmore Road Glide Ultra at CVO specification, while the 2015 and 2016 versions show Harley’s redesigned Road Glide front end, upgraded infotainment and linked braking systems, and the Twin-Cooled 110 engine package. In collector terms, that makes the model less a single uninterrupted series and more a before-and-after study in Harley’s modern touring development.

Historical Context and Development Background

Custom Vehicle Operations had become Harley-Davidson’s controlled outlet for factory-built, low-volume premium motorcycles: special paint, higher trim content, Screamin' Eagle engines, and equipment that was expensive or unavailable on standard production models. By 2011, CVO was no longer an experimental boutique program. It had become a recognizable collector category of its own, with buyers expecting documentation, color exclusivity, better audio, more chrome or contrast finishes, and the largest factory-displacement Twin Cam engine.

The Road Glide’s fixed fairing gave Harley a machine with a distinct touring personality beside the batwing-faired Electra Glide family. Because the fairing mounts to the frame rather than the fork, steering effort and wind-load behavior differ from the fork-mounted batwing models, particularly at highway speed and in crosswinds. Long-distance Harley riders often choose Road Glides for that reason, and the FLTRUSE wrapped that functional advantage in the most lavish CVO touring package.

The model also belongs to the competitive touring landscape of its time. Honda’s Gold Wing represented the established luxury-touring benchmark; BMW’s K-series touring motorcycles appealed to riders prioritizing high-speed chassis precision and multi-cylinder performance; Victory’s Cross Country Tour became a direct American V-twin bagger competitor; and Indian’s modern revival would soon re-enter the heavyweight touring fight. Harley’s answer was not to abandon its V-twin identity, but to refine the Touring chassis, improve electronics and braking, and offer high-content machines such as the CVO Road Glide Ultra to buyers who wanted factory exclusivity rather than aftermarket assembly.

The Road Glide line itself went through a pause and redesign during this period. After the earlier shark-nose generation, the Road Glide returned with a revised fairing, improved airflow management and Project Rushmore features. That makes 2015-2016 FLTRUSE examples visually and mechanically distinct from the 2011 motorcycle even though all carry the same CVO Road Glide Ultra role.

Engine and Drivetrain

The heart of the FLTRUSE is the Screamin' Eagle Twin Cam 110, a rubber-mounted 45-degree Big Twin using pushrod-operated overhead valves, hydraulic lifters and electronic sequential-port fuel injection. The 110 cu in displacement came from the factory CVO program and served as a major selling point: more torque, more heat to manage, and greater value to buyers who associated CVO with the largest factory engine available.

The 2011 model used the air-cooled Twin Cam 110 architecture. For 2015 and 2016, the CVO Road Glide Ultra used the Twin-Cooled Twin Cam 110, with liquid-cooled cylinder-head passages and small radiators housed in the fairing lowers. That distinction is not cosmetic. It affects service inspection, originality, cooling-system maintenance and fairing-lower completeness.

Primary drive is by chain to a wet multi-plate clutch, followed by Harley’s 6-speed Cruise Drive gearbox and a rear belt final drive. The drivetrain layout is familiar to modern Harley Touring specialists, but the CVO 110’s heat output, cam-chain system condition, oiling health and tuning history deserve more careful attention than on a mild standard-displacement touring bike.

Engine and Drivetrain Specifications

The figures below are the core mechanical specifications that consistently define the FLTRUSE. Horsepower is not included because Harley-Davidson did not generally publish official horsepower ratings for these models in the way some manufacturers did; factory literature emphasized displacement and torque rather than a standardized horsepower claim.

The 110 engine is central to the model’s desirability, but it is also where casual buyers can be caught out. A CVO Road Glide Ultra with intake, exhaust and tuner changes may be pleasant to ride, but collectors will ask whether the original exhaust, calibration history, manuals and CVO documentation are present.

Chassis, Suspension and Braking

The FLTRUSE uses the Harley-Davidson Touring frame generation introduced for 2009, a major step for the company’s heavyweight touring models. That chassis brought a stiffer structure than the earlier touring frame and gave the large FLH/FLT platform a more settled feel under load. The Road Glide’s frame-mounted fairing is the signature functional difference: the windscreen, audio system and fairing shell do not turn with the handlebars, reducing the steering influence of fairing mass and wind pressure.

The 2011 motorcycle retains the earlier Road Glide shark-nose fairing shape, while the 2015-2016 versions use the redesigned Road Glide fairing with central venting and modern lighting. Those later models also belong to the Project Rushmore equipment era, bringing improved rider interfaces, Boom! Box infotainment, one-touch luggage features and Reflex linked ABS braking. On the FLTRUSE, the fairing lowers are especially important because the Twin-Cooled system on 2015-2016 bikes depends on the radiators hidden within them.

Chassis and Equipment Reference

This table separates the pre-redesign and post-redesign machines. It is useful when inspecting a bike advertised simply as a CVO Road Glide Ultra, because a 2011 and a 2015-2016 example should not look like the same motorcycle from the front.

Visually, the FLTRUSE has a broad, expensive stance. The Tour-Pak, lowers, deep paintwork and large fairing give it more mass and vertical presence than a Road Glide Custom. A missing Tour-Pak or swapped lowers may make the motorcycle look cleaner, but for a CVO Ultra it usually subtracts historical accuracy and collector confidence.

Riding Experience and Mechanical Character

The CVO Road Glide Ultra is not a lightweight bagger with touring accessories clipped on. It is a heavy, fully dressed Harley Touring motorcycle built around a large-displacement, long-stroke V-twin and a fixed fairing that gives the rider a cockpit rather than a naked-bike command post. At start-up the 110 has the familiar rubber-mounted Big Twin shake at idle, settling into the slow mechanical pulse that CVO buyers expected from a factory hot-rod touring engine.

The throttle response depends heavily on stock versus tuned exhaust and calibration, but the basic character is torque-first rather than rev-hungry. The motorcycle asks to be short-shifted through the Cruise Drive gearbox, using the engine’s low- and mid-range pull to move substantial mass. It is a long-distance machine, not a canyon tool, and its best rhythm is fast, steady mileage with the engine working below the frantic zone.

The frame-mounted fairing gives the Road Glide its particular road feel. At highway speed the steering is not burdened by the full fairing shell, and that is precisely why many high-mileage Harley riders favor the FLT-style front end over the batwing FLH feel. At parking-lot speeds, however, there is no disguising the size of the machine, the height and breadth of the Tour-Pak, or the leverage required to manage a loaded Ultra.

Braking is adequate for the class when maintained correctly, and the 2015-2016 linked ABS system adds a layer of sophistication absent from earlier touring Harleys. Still, the FLTRUSE rewards smooth planning rather than late-braking aggression. The best examples feel cohesive, expensive and mechanically deliberate; tired ones feel like a thousand pounds of deferred maintenance wrapped in glittering paint.

Identification and Originality

The primary identification term for this motorcycle is FLTRUSE. In Harley model-code language, FLTR identifies the Road Glide line, while the CVO Road Glide Ultra variant is documented as FLTRUSE in the relevant factory literature and registration paperwork. Collectors should verify the VIN, engine number area, title, service records and factory documentation rather than relying on badges or accessories, because Road Glide customs are among the most frequently modified Harley Touring motorcycles.

The correct motorcycle should carry the visual grammar of a CVO Ultra: frame-mounted Road Glide fairing, hard saddlebags, Tour-Pak, fairing lowers, CVO-specific paint and trim, premium audio, 110 engine badging and a full touring seat arrangement appropriate to the model year. A bike converted into a low bagger with deleted Tour-Pak, altered rear fender, aftermarket audio pods or non-original paint may still be valuable as a custom, but it is no longer presenting as a complete collector-grade FLTRUSE.

For 2015-2016 examples, the fairing lowers are not merely weather protection. They are part of the Twin-Cooled system and contain cooling components, so damaged or missing lowers should be treated as both a mechanical and originality issue. On any year, CVO paint is expensive and difficult to replicate accurately; repainting a CVO motorcycle in non-factory colors usually harms collector value more than it helps.

Documentation is unusually important with CVO models. Original purchase paperwork, owner’s manual set, service history, key fobs, audio/navigation documentation, paint-code information and retained take-off parts all help establish that the motorcycle is a genuine, complete CVO rather than a standard Road Glide dressed up with catalog parts.

Model Code and Variant Breakdown

The CVO Road Glide name can be confusing because Harley-Davidson sold both full-dress Ultra and lower Custom versions during this broader period. The table below separates the FLTRUSE from adjacent CVO Road Glide models that shoppers often cross-reference.

No military, police or racing version of the CVO Road Glide Ultra belongs to the factory FLTRUSE story. Police Road Kings and Electra Glides occupy a different Harley-Davidson production tradition, while CVO models were civilian premium motorcycles.

Performance and Dimensional Specifications

Harley-Davidson period literature emphasized torque, displacement, equipment and touring capability rather than independent sport-bike-style performance numbers. Official factory horsepower figures were not generally published for these models, and credible road-test horsepower numbers depend on dyno type, correction standard, exhaust, calibration and mileage. For that reason, horsepower, quarter-mile and 0-60 mph figures should not be treated as fixed identification data for a CVO Road Glide Ultra.

Factory published weights for fully dressed CVO Road Glide Ultra models are commonly in the low-940-pound running-order range, varying by year and equipment. The exact figure should be checked against the model-year owner’s manual or factory specification sheet for the individual motorcycle, especially where accessories, audio additions, wheel changes or luggage alterations have been made.

What matters more in use is the relationship between weight, gearing and torque. The 110 engine gives the FLTRUSE the shove expected of a premium Harley tourer, but the motorcycle’s mass, full luggage and touring geometry define its pace. It is built for composed interstate mileage and two-up load carrying, not raw acceleration statistics.

Compared With Related Models

CVO Road Glide Ultra FLTRUSE vs CVO Road Glide Custom FLTRXSE

The CVO Road Glide Custom is the model most often confused with the FLTRUSE because both use the Road Glide fairing and CVO 110 engine. The Custom, however, is a factory custom bagger with a lower, leaner brief. The Ultra adds full touring luggage, Tour-Pak, fairing lowers, passenger accommodations and long-distance equipment that make it heavier but far more complete for two-up touring.

CVO Road Glide Ultra vs Standard Road Glide Ultra

A standard Road Glide Ultra gives the same broad touring layout, but not the CVO paint, trim package or 110 engine. In collector terms, the difference is not simply accessory value. A genuine FLTRUSE has a factory identity that cannot be duplicated by fitting catalog parts to a standard Road Glide.

2011 FLTRUSE vs 2015-2016 FLTRUSE

The 2011 motorcycle appeals to buyers who prefer the earlier Road Glide appearance and the air-cooled 110 layout. The 2015-2016 bikes bring the redesigned Road Glide fairing, Project Rushmore electronics, Reflex linked ABS and Twin-Cooled cylinder heads. The later machines feel more modern in equipment and heat management, while the 2011 retains a simpler pre-Rushmore character.

CVO Road Glide Ultra vs CVO Limited

The CVO Limited used the Electra Glide-style batwing fairing architecture, while the Road Glide Ultra uses the frame-mounted shark-nose fairing. Buyers often make this choice based on riding feel rather than equipment alone. Riders who prefer a cockpit fixed to the chassis tend to gravitate toward the Road Glide; riders attached to the traditional fork-mounted Harley touring feel often prefer the Limited or Ultra Classic family.

Restoration and Ownership Notes

Restoring a CVO Road Glide Ultra is less about finding basic mechanical parts than about recovering expensive model-specific equipment. Twin Cam engine parts, Touring chassis service items, brakes, belts and suspension components are well supported by Harley-Davidson specialists and the aftermarket. CVO paintwork, trim pieces, audio components, wheels, badges and year-specific touring hardware are the areas that can turn a cheap project into a costly one.

The 110 engine deserves a documented service history. Buyers should look for evidence of proper oil changes, sensible tuning, no overheating abuse, and any work related to the cam chest, lifters, compensator or clutch. Modified exhausts and intake systems are common, but the quality of the calibration matters more than the brand name stamped on the mufflers.

For 2015-2016 Twin-Cooled machines, cooling-system health becomes part of the inspection. Radiators in the lowers, hoses, fans where applicable, coolant condition and crash damage around the lowers should be examined closely. A missing lower fairing on a Twin-Cooled FLTRUSE is not equivalent to removing a cosmetic panel from an air-cooled bike.

Originality is judged differently on a CVO than on a standard touring motorcycle. Tasteful changes may improve rideability, but collectors typically value intact CVO paint, matching documentation, original Tour-Pak, correct seat and backrest equipment, undamaged fairing pieces, factory audio/navigation hardware, and retained original take-off components.

Buyer and Restoration Inspection Points

A serious inspection should begin with identity and completeness, then move to mechanical condition. The FLTRUSE can hide neglect behind expensive paint and chrome, so the best approach is to treat it as both a touring motorcycle and a limited-production CVO artifact.

The most desirable purchase is usually not the lowest-mile bike if it has been heavily altered. A well-maintained, documented, lightly used FLTRUSE with original paint and retained factory equipment is normally the safer collector-grade motorcycle.

Collector and Market Relevance

The FLTRUSE sits in a strong collector niche: modern limited-production Harley-Davidson touring motorcycles with identifiable CVO specification and practical usability. It does not have the racing pedigree of a factory competition Harley or the age-based scarcity of a prewar machine, but it has a different kind of significance. It represents the era when Harley turned the factory custom bagger into a high-dollar touring category rather than leaving that market entirely to aftermarket builders.

Collectors value paint originality, completeness, low but credible mileage, service documentation, uncut wiring, correct CVO trim, and the presence of expensive touring parts that are often removed during customization. The Road Glide fairing adds another layer of desirability because FLT-style touring riders form a distinct subculture within Harley ownership. For many, the shark-nose fairing is not merely styling; it is the reason to own the motorcycle.

Exact production numbers for every configuration and color are not consistently documented in commonly available public sources, so claims of rarity should be handled carefully unless supported by factory literature or reliable CVO registry information. What is clear is that CVO models were limited-production premium motorcycles, and complete examples are treated differently from standard Touring models in the enthusiast market.

Cultural Relevance

The CVO Road Glide Ultra has no military or racing history in the traditional sense, but it belongs to one of the most important American motorcycle cultures of its time: the high-end touring bagger movement. While custom shops were stretching saddlebags, fitting large wheels and building show baggers, Harley-Davidson offered a factory alternative with warranty support, controlled paint quality and the largest production Big Twin in the catalog.

In club and long-distance touring circles, the Road Glide earned loyalty for its fixed fairing and highway composure. The CVO Ultra version added status without abandoning usefulness. It could be ridden coast to coast, used for two-up touring, parked at a national rally, and still be recognized immediately as a premium factory machine rather than a standard bike with chrome accessories.

The 2015-2016 FLTRUSE also marks the Road Glide’s return after its redesign. That gives it cultural weight among Road Glide enthusiasts who regard the Rushmore-era fairing and electronics package as a meaningful break from the earlier form.

FAQs

What years was the Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide Ultra FLTRUSE made?

The FLTRUSE CVO Road Glide Ultra appeared for 2011, then returned for 2015 and 2016. It is often researched as a 2011-2016 model range, but it was not produced as the same FLTRUSE model every year within that span.

What engine does the 2011-2016 CVO Road Glide Ultra use?

All FLTRUSE examples use the Screamin' Eagle Twin Cam 110, a 110 cu in 45-degree pushrod V-twin. The 2011 version is air-cooled, while the 2015-2016 CVO Road Glide Ultra uses the Twin-Cooled Twin Cam 110 with liquid-cooled cylinder heads and radiators in the fairing lowers.

Is FLTRUSE the same as a CVO Road Glide Custom?

No. FLTRUSE identifies the CVO Road Glide Ultra, a full-dress touring model with Tour-Pak, fairing lowers and Ultra equipment. The CVO Road Glide Custom models, such as FLTRXSE and FLTRXSE2, are lower factory custom baggers and should not be treated as the same variant.

What makes the CVO Road Glide Ultra collectible?

Collectors value its genuine CVO identity, Screamin' Eagle 110 engine, limited-production paint and trim, Road Glide fixed fairing, and complete Ultra touring equipment. Original paint, documentation and retained factory parts are especially important.

What are common problems to inspect on a CVO Road Glide Ultra?

Important areas include 110 engine heat history, cam-chest and lifter noise, compensator and primary condition, clutch operation, ABS function, audio/electrical integrity and evidence of heavy customization. On 2015-2016 Twin-Cooled models, the cooling system and fairing lowers require close inspection.

Did Harley-Davidson publish horsepower for the CVO Road Glide Ultra?

Harley-Davidson did not generally publish official horsepower ratings for these models in the way some manufacturers did. Factory material emphasized the 110 cu in displacement and torque character, so dyno horsepower figures should be treated as test-specific rather than factory identification data.

Are parts available for restoring a FLTRUSE?

Mechanical and service parts for the Twin Cam Touring platform are well supported. The difficult and expensive pieces are CVO-specific paintwork, trim, audio components, wheels, badges, Tour-Pak parts and year-specific fairing hardware, especially for bikes altered during custom builds.

Collector Takeaway

The Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide Ultra FLTRUSE is important because it is not just a dressed-up Road Glide. It is the factory’s premium fixed-fairing touring statement from the late Twin Cam era: 110 cubic inches, full Ultra equipment, CVO paint, and the Road Glide chassis identity that serious highway riders often prefer.

The 2011 bike preserves the earlier shark-nose CVO touring formula, while the 2015-2016 versions show Harley’s Rushmore-era rethink with Twin-Cooled heads, revised fairing design, improved electronics and linked ABS. That split personality gives the model genuine historical texture. For collectors, the best FLTRUSE is complete, documented and unmistakably original; for riders, it remains one of the clearest examples of Harley-Davidson turning the big American touring motorcycle into a factory-built luxury bagger without surrendering the mechanical feel that made the Road Glide loyalists so stubborn in the first place.