 When
the Harley-Davidson VRSCA V-Rod was first shown to
the public a couple of years ago it shocked everyone, not
just because of the totally different styling, but because
at long last there was a completely new engine powering Harleys
latest creation. Having seen and pondered over the bike then
I wanted to get my hands on one and really see what all the
fuss was about! Prior to the launch of the
V-Rod Harley had just about exhausted development possibilities
from its air-cooled motors, but Harley-Davidson knew it had
to do something about it and made the decision to enter the
realm of liquid-cooling. This was a case of 'get it wet' or
sit back and make the decision that a 'off the shelf' quick
Harley was never ever going to happen.
Many people suggested at
the time that the factory could be taking a big risk with
the development of the V-Rod, and that the move away from
the traditional air-cooled layout could well alienate its
huge customer following, but a Harley is a Harley and personally
I think there would be very little chance of that. There are
many professional people all over the world that buy the product,
and those types will not resent the refinement the V-Rod represents
over the normal HD range. On any street corner anywhere in
the world just ask the question to the nearest passer-by,
'Name a make of motorcycle' and you will get Harley-Davidson
as the answer. The average housewife, school kid or pensioner
in the street doing the shopping or just browsing will know
that Harley-Davidson is a motorcycle, after all they have
seen it in the movies so many times with the likes of Terminator
and so on. Throw in this mainstream appeal and the remarkable
ability of HD to market the brand and I think you'll agree,
the factory and the V-Rod is a pretty safe bet.
Harley-Davidson have no
plans to drop any of the air-cooled variants at the moment,
so the V-Rod simply represents a modern addition to the range
and not a replacement. But, the hardcore and traditionalist
Harley owners had better get used to it because I think that
this engine will give H-D the sort of platform it has missed
in the past. The V-Rod motor is a seriously powerful and functional
engine and will no doubt appear in other models very soon,
that I can guarantee! Why does the word Buell keep springing
to mind here...
Yet again I collected the
Harley on a damp and windy day, why is it like this every
time I get a cruiser, God doesn't smile on me when I ride
Harleys! After a brief spell of waiting for the rain to stop
I set off on my first ride back home, some 35 miles away.
Immediate impressions? Well it's absolutely nothing like any
other Harley I have ever ridden, in fact it took me aback
at first with its sheer power and acceleration, but more of
that a little later...
 The
V-Rod development can trace its roots back to the
VR-1000 Superbike race program that was created by Harley-Davidson's
Powertrain Engineering team and Porsche Engineering in Stuttgart.
The all new engine is a complete departure from the Evolution
engine, so the new V-Rod powerplant has been given the very
apt name of Revolution, I wonder what's next.
The engine powering the
V-Rod is an unusual 1130cc unit with the all important liquid-cooling.
It is a 60 degree V-Twin with dual overhead cams and four-valve
heads. All this is rubber mounted in the frame and puts out
a claimed 115ps at 8250rpm, and a very healthy 10.2kg-m of
torque at 7000rpm, Unheard of figures for a stock H-D until
now! The high spec doesn't stop there either, there's sequential
port fuel-injection, a smooth five-speed transmission utilising
both spur and helical gears, and four-piston front brakes
with braided lines that actually stop the bike, groundbreaking
developments for any H-D!
The frame in itself is a
work of art and represents yet another major departure for
the Milwaukee crew. A silver-dipped, hydroformed (with water!),
perimeter creation that looks strong enough to deal with anything
the V-Rod (or more) can throw at it. With twists and bends
all over the place, it entwines the bike to create a stunning
visual package which complements it beautifully. For me this
is one of the highlights of the V-Rod, its a frame that you
can look at all day and still find something new and different
to say about it. This frame is an integral design element
of the V-Rod and reserves the right to claim function as its
first priority.
The V-Rod is not a small bike
by anyone's standards, it may be low and easy to get on but
boy is it long! We are looking here at a wheelbase of 1713mm,
a 34 degree rake, a 38 degree fork angle and 99mm of trail.
What this means is a super stable ride on the straight roads
and motorways, but come the corners and we start to have a
few small differences over many other bikes! The geometry
of the V-Rod tends to make it fall over a bit in corners due
to that long raked out front end, not a problem after a few
tries but something which may well catch some riders out initially.
So what's it like to ride?
 The
first thing that strikes you when you get on the bike is just
how small the V-Rod actually feels, that's a contradiction
after what I just said I know, but physically small is your
first thought.. You don't actually get on this bike, you sit
in it! The super low seat-height of 659mm is the main reason
for this and I suspect that this bike can be ridden by just
about anyone, that's great news for shorties and a huge factor
for the traditional Harley-Davidson appeal. The V-Rod is probably
the lowest std factory bike I have ever sat in!
Turn the key (when you have
finally found out where it goes!), press the starter and the
motor bursts into life settling down to a steady thump of
the big v-twin. It sounds unlike any H-D before, it's mechanically
silent with the exception of a whine and a little whirr here
and there! Put it into first, twist the throttle and set off
changing up through the gears, everything happens neatly and
without fuss. The V-Rod just pulls and pulls and pulls to
the 9000rpm redline and no matter what anyone's says you will
find yourself looking for the longest route to your wherever
you're going, immediately! The gearbox on the V-Rod is by
far the best of any H-D....ever. This is the first time I
have ever been able to do clutchless changes up the box on
any Harley without feeling that the contents have departed
down the road! First class marks here, it's smooth, has a
pretty short lever travel from its 5 speed box all adding
up to even more enjoyment from riding this bike.
Riding on the straight roads
is perfect, but push it a bit on the twisting A and B roads
and you will find that it behaves itself well here too. The
ground clearance is surprisingly good and the more aggression
you throw into riding it the more reward you get from it,
strange but true! Once you get used to the 'drop-in' on corners
you can push it through bends and roundabouts with ease, there
are no hidden surprises that will catch you out. It's not
a Gixxer 1000 or an R1, but the handling of the V-Rod is superb
for the cruiser category. Stability is its strong point, and
on long sweeping corners you can go through them with bags
of confidence. You will touch down in places on tight bends
and roundabouts, the main places being the footpegs (your
boot heels first!) and the underside of the lower exhaust
can at the rear. I first thought this was due to having a
pillion on at the time but later found out that it does it
anyway when you get a little more brave! This is a fun machine
and gives you a big grin whenever you ride it, the more I
rode it, the more I loved it.
 The
V-Rod is a thing of beauty...Yet it looks threatening
when stand and stare at it. All over the bike you will find
neat styling touches like the aluminium body panels either
coloured or natural. There's an integrated instrumentation
system that Harley-Davidson calls its clamshell, a sculpted
aluminium nacelle mounted in the top triple clamps which features
a speedo, tacho, fuel gauge and all the warning lights. Built-in
here is a start-up diagnostic check and multiple trip and
fuel level settings. There is no fuel cap on the tank, it
is actually just a cover, the fuel tank is under the seat
keeping the centre of gravity down even more. Twist the key
backwards to the 'Fuel' position and the seat opens to reveal
a scooter-like filler, unusual yes, practical yes, don't know
about cool though!
Harley-Davidson says in their marketing material
"So Powerful, the Earth Revolves Around It"
Well I don't know about that, but all you need to do is park
it up in any high street and maybe it's true! Almost everyone
in the immediate vicinity is drawn toward the bike,. I don't
know if it's the H-D badge on the tank, the masses of chrome
or the threatening bad-boy looks, but people of all ages suddenly
appear out of nowhere and crowd around the bike! There are
small children and their mums, pensioners and their wives,
the local traffic warden who for once smiles and say's 'nice
bike', and of course the Britney 'Spearettes' who notice the
leathers and the 'cool' bike. Want to impress them, then get
one of these, but don't take your helmet or shades off, it's
only then do they realise how old you are!!
So in conclusion I enjoyed
the V-Rod immensely. It's not perfect, nothing ever is. Initially
it's a little difficult to get to grips with on roundabouts
and in tight low-speed corners, but when you do it pays you
back with huge thrills and total enjoyment. The looks and
the street-cred of the V-Rod is unique, nothing comes close
to this bike when it comes to getting noticed, and for some
that will make minds up.
No matter what you ride,
or what you may think of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, you
have to respect a manufacturer that can create such icons
of biking history. The V-Rod is a bike that will become yet
another milestone in Harley's history. This bike is the first
of a new breed of motorcycle from the world's oldest manufacturer,
and it's a motorcycle that taps into a hidden part of your
emotions. That fact alone will sell the V-Rod, it's mean,
it's rebellious and ultra cool in one statement, and it goes
like the wind..
AP |
