Harley-Davidson’s CVO Road Glide Ultra first appeared for the 2011 model year as a Custom Vehicle Operations version of the frame-mounted-fairing Road Glide touring platform. It combined the Road Glide’s distinctive shark-nose front end with the CVO treatment: limited production, heavy customization, premium touring equipment, and factory-installed luxury touches aimed at long-distance riders who wanted a more exclusive machine than the standard touring lineup. After that early run, the nameplate disappeared from Harley-Davidson’s CVO catalog for several model years.
The model returned as a revived 2015 offering and continued through 2016, again using the FLTRUSE designation. In this later period, Harley-Davidson positioned it as a high-end, mile-eating CVO tourer with the Road Glide’s frame-mounted fairing and the brand’s signature custom paint-and-chrome visual identity. The 2015 return marked a clear reintroduction rather than a simple carryover, making the nameplate a two-period CVO model with an early 2011 debut and a later 2015–2016 revival.