What sports acres of chrome, gallons of custom-finished paint and enough trick details to make SEMA look like an Amish convention? Step to the front of the class if you guessed the 2009 Harley-Davidson Custom Vehicles Operations lineup: four limited edition 2009 CVOs models that are available in 12 dizzying color schemes, each variant offering an edgy twist on iconic Harley-Davidson bikes.

The $25,299 Dyna Fat Bob is the entry-level CVO. Pricey for a cruiser, but a relative bargain in the world of heavily modified customs; the cost of entry puts you among 2,450 riders who thrive on its slammed suspension, Heavy Breather intake, internally wired handlebar and mile-long list of special parts. Think of the CVO Fat Bob as a laid back cruiser for those who refuse to go unnoticed.

If you’ve always had a hankering for an old school Springer, you can ride one of 2,500 CVO versions that feature an exclusively designed frame, a custom seat with genuine buffalo inserts and embroidered flames, spun aluminum gauges and chrome swingarm. This $26,999 bike is built for die-hard nostalgiacs; one look at the coiled front suspension, and you’ll want to time travel back to the 1940s.

Dyna Fat Bob
$25,299

Next up is the imposing $30,999 CVO Road Glide, which will stick to the ribs of 3,000 buyers thanks to a frame-mounted fairing, saddlebag extensions and a streamlined tail. This bad boy rolls on 18-inch chrome forged aluminum wheels and is available in Harley’s classic electric orange and vivid black color scheme. The Road Glide is a loping bagger, the type of bike that swoops in unannounced like a Bugsy Siegel-style gangster.

CVO Road Glide
$30,999

The granddaddy of them all is the $35,499 CVO Ultra Classic Electra Glide. Decked out with a 160-Watt, Harman Kardon stereo, dual-heated seats with shark leather inserts and a lightly smoked low windshield, the Glide is the ride you want to take on long cruises where comfort is crucial. It also happens to be the priciest Harley, so you’ll want to ride with care when you’ve loaded up the saddlebags and have cruise control locked in at an even 65, as you ride away from civilization.

Each CVO model is endowed with a granite and chrome-finished, 110-cubic-inch Screamin’ Eagle engine. This thumping, bumping powerplant displaces 1,800cc—more than some cars—and shakes and rumbles unapologetically at idle. Twist the throttle and its irregular heart beat morphs into a quickening drumbeat; the sound is like America sprayed out of a bottle, and the result gets especially pronounced when you ride alongside concrete barriers or oblivious eighteen-wheelers, creating that unmistakable potato-potato cacophony of noise. Mated to each engine is a six-speed Cruise Drive transmission.

CVO Ultra Classic Electra Glide
$35,499

Pulling a CVO off the line offers instantaneous torque that feels noticeably beefier than its off-the-shelf counterpart; the engine pulls strongly and revs like it’s actually unafraid of rpm. Lowered suspensions also offer a sharper ride, though if you’re looking for the cushiest of experiences and don’t want to opt for the CVO Ultra, you might want to reconsider these tricked-out bikes. Though, they’re never punishing enough to inspire mutiny, they are a bit more of a handful than typical, stock Harleys. Improvements to the touring line include a new frame, which offers better handling; a new 2-1-2 exhaust; and a new suspended seat design that keeps hot air from the engine away from the riders. The Springer gets upgraded four-piston brakes, and a host of other enhancements kiss the lineup across the board.

CVO models are significantly sparser than run-of-the-mill Harleys, and if past years are any indication, they’ll sell out well before the regular 2009 models are gone. They may be awfully expensive ways to celebrate the Motor Company—which happens to turn 105 years old this year—but if you want to separate yourself from the crowd, and a plain ‘ole Harley just won’t do, check out the CVOs before they sell out. They may not be for the faint of heart (or the chrome-phobic), but their unique looks, ballsy performance and unparalleled reputation makes them hard not to fall in love with.