2009 Harley-Davidson CVO Softail Springer
First Reviewed August 16, 2009 Found in CVO, Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Reviews
The 2009 Harley-Davidson CVO Softail Springer one of those bikes which gets such a resounding welcome from buyers that it gets produced for more than one year. As in ’08 the Custom Vehicle Operations team hand built limited quantities of the Softail Springer custom-styled motorcycle and infused it with classic styling from nose to tail. The bike is based on a totally unique frame design with wide, fully polished and chrome-plated swing arm, fully polished chrome cast aluminum oil tank and a host of premium components and accessories which allow it to stand out in the arena of custom-from-the-factory motorcycles.
Without a doubt the two most noticeable features on the ’09 CVO Softail Springer are the custom springer front fork and the conical air intake but the bike is also fitted with a custom seat, wheels, and bobtail rear fender.
The front end is comprised of an iconic springer suspension fork which it shares only with the Cross Bone in 2009. It rides on an 18 x 3.5-inch Road Winder wheel and 130 mm tire with a new four-piston brake caliper with chrome forged mount, color-matched rigid forks and chromed spring components. The springer front is topped with a single classic headlight and matched to the specially designed frame which is unique to the CVO Softail Springer. Built slightly wider than the one found on the 2008 edition of this motorcycle, the new frame easily accommodates the 240mm rear wheel which is connected by a swingarm and specially tuned suspension, also unique to this particular Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
The saddle on this beauty is sculpted with a nice, deep recess for the rider; the minimal pillion’s shape and fit to the main seat makes a good support for the rider’s lower back. A nice touch on the seat is flame-stitching accents on the Buffalo leather insert. The custom seat with Buffalo inserts highlighted by contrast embroidered flames and CVO logo stretches to a custom full-length chrome fuel tank console and is topped with a five-inch speedometer with spun aluminum face. A new 1.25-inch handlebar shaped with a bias toward easy ergonomics touts internally routed wiring to help keep the clean custom look that each of these CVOs strive for.
The Screamin' Eagle 110 Cubic Inch Engine
Power was not forgotten either and the Softail Springer was given the 110" air-cooled Screamin' Eagle engine common to all members of the CVO family for 2009. Living up to its name, this fuel injected work horse puts out a full 110 ft-lbs of torque at 3,000 rpm. One difference, however, between the ’09 CVO Softail Springer and its stable mates is the fact that the engine is rigid mounted to the frame. In order to address the vibration issue which would surely follow, Harley-Davidson engineers decided to go with internally counter balanced shafts to keep the ride smooth as silk. Power is transferred to the rear wheel via a 6-speed transmission.
Some of the ’09 CVO Softail Springer’s character is borrowed from the Softail Rocker with which it has a lot in common. The Rocker was already equipped to run on the 240mm rear tire and the CVO Springer rolls on the same. It has the same chrome cast aluminum horseshoe oil tank and has a tighter rake than the Rocker thus giving it a better feel up front. The tweaked rear suspension isn't as unforgiving as the more rigid Rocker is known to be but potholes still impact the Springer fork hard and it doesn't quite match the solid feel of the CVO Fat Bob's standard fork, but that’s par for the course when it comes to a springer.
'09 CVO Softail Springer Specifications
Last but not least is the custom CVO paint job which comes in four layouts including Black Diamond with Emerald Ice Flames, Sunrise Yellow Pearl with Volcanic Fury Flames, and the ultra-popular Candy Cobalt with Blue Steel Flames.
Reviews of the 2009 Harley-Davidson CVO Softail Springer can be found below. Please write your own review if you’ve had a chance to ride this bike yourself and can share some first-hand knowledge about its overall value and performance. Other Harley lovers from around the world really do appreciate it as they are looking for real-world info about high-end bikes like these before investing a lot of hard-earned coin to get one. Also, if you email a photo of your bike to pictures@hdreviewspot.net we’ll be sure to add it to the ’09 CVO Softail Springer Photo Gallery. And just so you know, if you put the year/make/model in the subject line it’ll make it a lot easier for us to match it to the proper review set.