2022 R18 Transcontinental Vs Harley Davidson CVO Limited

[Billt1NH]

2022 BMW R18 Transcontinental: After 40 years of owning and riding Harley Davidson here is my experience, first 800 miles on Transcontinental
Legend X= better XX= Much Better XXX =The best >= Tie
	2022 R18 Transcontinental	2018 Harley CVO Limited
Ease of Lifting off kickstand		X
Fairing esthetic appearance		X
Windshield effectiveness	X
Stock Windshield at eye level not annoying		XX
Easy to read analog gauges	XXX
Easy to read / use digital screen	XXX
Information screen	XXX
Sound system bike not moving		XXX
Sound system bike at 70 MPH	XX
Handlebar ergonomics	XXX
Handlebar comfort	>	>
Riding position		X
Engine heat, Lack of	X
Transcontinental appearance to Stock Harley	XXX
Transcontinental appearance to CVO Harley	>	>
Phone interface	>	>
Navigation	XX
Acceleration performance		XX
Engine note		XX
Vibration, Lack of		X
Cornering	X
Ease of straight-line riding	XX
Braking	>	>
Comfort of suspension	XXX
Rough road suspension / handling	XXX
Passenger seating comfort	>	>
Saddlebag / Top Case storage volume		XX
Delivering Rider excitement	XX
Usable RPM in any gear		XX
Technologically advanced	X
Effort of clutch pull	X
Ease of navigating backward without using power reverse	XX
Ease of turning on/ off heated seat/ handlebar		X
Value at list price MSRP	X
Resale value	Don’t know	High

 

[R18Art]

Excellent and easy to digest comparison!

 

[Lloydw1]

Impressive! I now have just under 2000 miles on my TC. My new favorite feature is that I have yet to see another one on Northeast Ohio's highways and roads yet. Lost count of how many Harley's I've seen. One category that HD will win hands down is that they actually have accessories that are available for purchase in their showrooms!!!

 

[kingspoke]

Like you, I've rode Harley's for 40 years and still love the Harley Davidson, coming off a '12 CVO Ultra, but the suspension was too much to contend with (only 3" of rear travel) even with full Ohlins suspension. I ended up buying a new left over '18 (bought in '19) Grand America which I'm very happy with. I went my BMW dealer yesterday just to sit & look at the TC. I also was surprised how hard it was taking it off the side stand, unless you cock the wheel to the right. It was a lot easier on my 917lb CVO, but that is not a major issue for me. What was disappointing was the seemingly very small inner truck and bag storage. The TC seems to have less space than my GA. I love the tour pack design & stylish integration of the passenger back rest on the TC. With the Harley you can put too full face helmets in the tour pack easily.

Still the TC is a very nice bike, which I will test ride soon. I really like the appearance and feel when seated, but the storage would be a probable deal breaker. Also the rear turn signals integrated with the bags imo is not aesthetically pleasing. Would also have been better to follow Indian's lead on having a power adjustable wind screen.

Thanks for a great comparison of the TC vs CVO Ultra. Price wise 33K vs 44K for the CVO (more amenities) does make the TC a competitive alternative. The Dynamic Cruise Control is a nice option for the marathon trips.

 

[Billt1NH]

Like you, I've rode Harley's for 40 years and still love the Harley Davidson, coming off a '12 CVO Ultra, but the suspension was too much to contend with (only 3" of rear travel) even with full Ohlins suspension. I ended up buying a new left over '18 (bought in '19) Grand America which I'm very happy with. I went my BMW dealer yesterday just to sit & look at the TC. I also was surprised how hard it was taking it off the side stand, unless you cock the wheel to the right. It was a lot easier on my 917lb CVO, but that is not a major issue for me. What was disappointing was the seemingly very small inner truck and bag storage. The TC seems to have less space than my GA. I love the tour pack design & stylish integration of the passenger back rest on the TC. With the Harley you can put too full face helmets in the tour pack easily.

Still the TC is a very nice bike, which I will test ride soon. I really like the appearance and feel when seated, but the storage would be a probable deal breaker. Also the rear turn signals integrated with the bags imo is not aesthetically pleasing. Would also have been better to follow Indian's lead on having a power adjustable wind screen.

Thanks for a great comparison of the TC vs CVO Ultra. Price wise 33K vs 44K for the CVO (more amenities) does make the TC a competitive alternative. The Dynamic Cruise Control is a nice option for the marathon trips.

Yes taking the Transcontinental off the kickstand takes effort. I made the mistake ( only once) of perching the bike downhill, I had to get help to push it up straight. Lesson learned. As far as storage capacity ,a lot is loss by the bags being overbuilt double lined. Harley is a single layer of plastic/ fiberglass and although flimsier doesn't give up any storage capacity to the inner lining. Now having crested 2,000 miles on the Transcontinental I give it two thumbs up and not sure I will ever buy another Harley.

 

[kingspoke]

"Now having crested 2,000 miles on the Transcontinental I give it two thumbs up and not sure I will ever buy another Harley." That says a lot, after having all that ride time on the Harleys! An honest & strong endorsement!

Another thing I noticed about the TC is the bar placement seems right (at least for me), whereas on the Harley, it was very uncomfortable reach (and low), until I spend big bucks to wire in some 14" Chubbys. When I bought my GA, I had them install a Heli Bar riser before flying down to pick it up, and it was perfect. No bar swap necessary!

On, to the test ride!

 

[Caveman]

Great comparison. The only thing I found surprising was the CVO winning the available power category as "much better". I'm not up to date on my H-D models but I assume the CVO is bored and has at least a Stage I kit? If that's true then your analysis makes sense. It's not really an apples to apples comparison (stock motor vs built motor) but the end result makes sense.

 

[Billt1NH]

Great comparison. The only thing I found surprising was the CVO winning the available power category as "much better". I'm not up to date on my H-D models but I assume the CVO is bored and has at least a Stage I kit? If that's true then your analysis makes sense. It's not really an apples to apples comparison (stock motor vs built motor) but the end result makes sense.

Yes the CVO had stage I. The attached Dyno sheet is for my 2018 CVO Limited spec at the rear wheel. The transcendental only produces 91HP at the engine I assume low 80's at the wheel.

 

[kingspoke]

Here is what my '12 CVO Ultra 110TC was putting out with an SE585 & Dragula 2-1 exhaust (106HP/118TQ). I'm interested what the TC will put out with mild performance mods.

 

[mikeuhl]

2022 BMW R18 Transcontinental: After 40 years of owning and riding Harley Davidson here is my experience, first 800 miles on Transcontinental
Legend X= better XX= Much Better XXX =The best >= Tie
	2022 R18 Transcontinental	2018 Harley CVO Limited
Ease of Lifting off kickstand		X
Fairing esthetic appearance		X
Windshield effectiveness	X
Stock Windshield at eye level not annoying		XX
Easy to read analog gauges	XXX
Easy to read / use digital screen	XXX
Information screen	XXX
Sound system bike not moving		XXX
Sound system bike at 70 MPH	XX
Handlebar ergonomics	XXX
Handlebar comfort	>	>
Riding position		X
Engine heat, Lack of	X
Transcontinental appearance to Stock Harley	XXX
Transcontinental appearance to CVO Harley	>	>
Phone interface	>	>
Navigation	XX
Acceleration performance		XX
Engine note		XX
Vibration, Lack of		X
Cornering	X
Ease of straight-line riding	XX
Braking	>	>
Comfort of suspension	XXX
Rough road suspension / handling	XXX
Passenger seating comfort	>	>
Saddlebag / Top Case storage volume		XX
Delivering Rider excitement	XX
Usable RPM in any gear		XX
Technologically advanced	X
Effort of clutch pull	X
Ease of navigating backward without using power reverse	XX
Ease of turning on/ off heated seat/ handlebar		X
Value at list price MSRP	X
Resale value	Don’t know	High

I'm curious about the quality of the sound when the bike isn't moving. Why did you rate the Harley so much more highly? (I'm a long-time Harley guy who is probably going to switch to the R18 TC.) Great review! Thank you.

 

[Billt1NH]

Being my Harley was a CVO it had the upgraded radio and in the parking lot sounded great. Because of the CVO fairing and low windshield design creating wind noise anything over 40 miles per hour was mostly unlistenable. With the stock* windshield on the Transcontinental at 70 MPH listening to the radio is pleasant and listenable. I did install the shorter R18 bagger windshield for a short time as I like looking over the windshield but increased wind noise brought down the radio enjoyment and it was getting colder up here in New England so I put the stock one back on. My guess is an aftermarket supplier will release a lower windshield with a flare at the top to dissipate wind noise. The long and short of it I believe Harley has a better designed and built radio but installing it in a wind box negates what it has to offer .