What is Variable Valve Timing (VVT) for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle?

By Andre Mazerolle

Summary: Variable Valve Timing lets a Harley engine automatically adjust how it breathes so it runs smoother, pulls harder when needed, and wastes less fuel—no matter how you ride.

Variable Valve Timing (VVT) in a Harley-Davidson motorcycle is basically a smart way for the engine to adjust how it breathes, depending on how you’re riding—without you doing anything.

Here’s a simple way to think about it 👇

The simple analogy

Imagine your engine is a person breathing:

At low speeds (cruising, city riding), it takes slow, calm breaths
At high speeds (hard acceleration, highway passing), it needs deep, fast breaths

VVT lets the engine change its breathing style automatically so it’s always comfortable and efficient.

What valves normally do

Inside the engine:

Intake valves let air and fuel in
Exhaust valves let burned gases out

On older engines, these valves open and close the same way all the time, no matter how fast you’re riding.

What VVT changes

With VVT, Harley’s engine can:

Open valves earlier or later
Keep them open longer or shorter

It adjusts this on the fly, based on:

Engine speed (RPM)
Throttle input
Load (how hard the engine is working)

What this means for you as a rider

In real-world terms, VVT gives you:

Better low-RPM torque → smoother takeoffs and cruising
Stronger top-end power → better passing and highway pulls
Improved fuel economy → the engine doesn’t waste effort
Lower emissions and heat → important for modern Harley engines

Why Harley-Davidson uses it

Harley-Davidson wants engines that:

Still feel torquey and “Harley-like”
Meet modern emissions rules
Run cooler and more efficiently

VVT helps them do all three without changing how the bike feels to ride.

Bottom line

Variable Valve Timing lets a Harley engine automatically adjust how it breathes so it runs smoother, pulls harder when needed, and wastes less fuel—no matter how you ride.

2026 Harley-Davidson motorcycles that are confirmed to have Variable Valve Timing (VVT)

1. Street Glide Limited & Road Glide Limited

Powered by the Milwaukee-Eight VVT 117 engine, which includes variable valve timing to broaden the powerband and improve efficiency.

2. Street Glide 3 Limited & Road Glide 3

Also equipped with the Milwaukee-Eight VVT 117 engine featuring variable valve timing.

3. CVO Models with VVT 121

In 2025 the CVO Street Glide and CVO Road Glide featured VVT. In 2026, Harley-Davidson did not release a CVO Road Glide so only the following CVOs have VVT:

CVO Street Glide
CVO Street Glide Limited
CV0 Street Glide 3 Limited

Harley-Davidson’s Revolution Max engine uses Variable Valve Timing (VVT)

🏍️ Revolution Max 1250 & VVT

The Revolution Max 1250 engine found in models like the Pan America, Sportster S, Nightster S, and similar uses computer-controlled Variable Valve Timing on both the intake and exhaust camshafts.
This VVT system can advance or retard valve timing up to about 40° of crankshaft rotation, which helps broaden the engine’s usable powerband — giving stronger low-end torque and good high-rpm power while improving efficiency and rideability. (Motorcycle.com)

Why VVT is included on Revolution Max

Because the Revolution Max is a DOHC (Dual Overhead Cam) engine with four valves per cylinder, it’s well-suited to VVT. Harley designed it this way to:

Improve torque across a wide rev range
Boost responsiveness and power delivery
Enhance fuel efficiency and emissions performance
All of that is managed dynamically by the engine control computer. (Motorcycle.com)

Note on Other Revolution Max Variants

Some smaller Revolution Max variants (like the 975T) may only have VVT on the intake side, not both intake and exhaust.

This article is written with the assistance of AI using ChatGPT.com. The information, opinions or views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Durham Harley-Davidson.