The Harley Davidson bike is one of the most special motorcycles you can own. In total, they were manufactured between 1999 and 2017. In that era, they did things no one else had ever even thought of doing, such as using double overhead camshafts and liquid cooling. As an upsized version of your typical street motorcycle, you might consider the Harley Davidson V Rod.
Define Harley Davidson V Rods
In addition to its Revolution engine, the V Rod has an engine based on the VR 1000 Harley Davidson Superbike engine that was also developed by Porsche. The engine was fitted with a 60 degree V double-overhead cam and side by side connecting rods, which made it capable of 115 horsepower V twin liquid cooled engines.
Types of Harley V Rods
VRSCX V Rod
A total of 1,400 of these motorcycles were built by Harley Davidson in 2007. With a five gallon gas tank and 240 mm rear tires, this Harley Davidson tribute bike was meant to be a tribute to another Harley Davidson V Rod, the Screaming Eagle. In this type of bike, speed was its main objective, not long term.
Eagle CVO V Rod
2005 was the sole reason for manufacturing Eagle CVO bike. Despite a few notable exceptions, it was very similar to most Harley Davidson V Rod motorcycles. In addition, it was painted in custom colors and incorporated a lot more chrome. Motorcycle riders fell in love with it almost immediately, making it an almost instant success.
Night Rod Special
The Harley Davidson Night Rod is very similar to this bike, except for one very important difference. The Night Rod Special was fully blacked out in every way, which is precisely why it is called that. The Harley Davidson Night Rod was another V Rod produced by Harley Davidson that stood out from other V Rods of its time. As a result, they turned around and created this little gem that was something completely new. Even though Harley Davidson has not manufactured it since 2018, but it is still one of their most sought-after motorcycles.
VRCSB V Rod
There is virtually no difference between this bike and another V Rod made by the company, the VRCSA. In spite of this, there were some things about it that made it stand out. The paint scheme can be finished in black powder coat, the handlebars can be changed, and the frame can be made of black. From an aesthetic standpoint, its highly polished aluminum features stood out against its otherwise entirely black color, making it a sight to behold.
VRSCA V Rod
In essence, this was the bike that sparked the development of so many other V Rods. As one of Harley Davidson’s earlier muscle motorcycles, it was manufactured between 2002 and 2006. An engine that has 155 horsepower and brakes that are almost as fast as it goes is a bike that can go fast and stop almost as fast. In comparison to all of the other Harley Davidson V Rods that followed, it certainly set the bar high. Every time, the company managed to set a higher bar due to their willingness to take on the challenge.
VRXSE V Rod Destroyer
There is no doubt that this is among the most impressive motorcycles ever made. The bike was primarily designed for racing, and was a drag bike in its purest form. Whenever you hit the throttle, it could generate almost two G’s, which was incredible. Because of that speed, many race tracks banned the bike because it was considered too dangerous.
VRSCR Street V Rod
Upon its introduction in 2006, Harley Davidson used Brembo brakes for the first time for better control, along with inverted forks. A shocking fact about the bike is that it was only manufactured for the 2006 and 2007 model years. It is still a highly sought after and well loved motorcycle despite that fact.
VRSCF V Rod Muscle
This model was manufactured by Harley Davidson until 2017 when production ended. Harley Davidson’s side mirrors were the first to incorporate turn signals. Nevertheless, the fact that it was capable of generating enormous amounts of power made it irresistible to motorcycle riders. The engine generated 86 foot pounds of torque when spinning at 6,500 RPM. At 122 miles per hour, the bike reached the fastest speed you will ever experience, which is more than enough to get your adrenaline pumping.
VRSCD Night Rod
In its two year production run, this bike was only available between 2006 and 2008. As a result of its unique engine, the Revolution engine, the motorcycle generated a lot of buzz at that time. This bike was reverse engineered by focusing first on the engine, then fitting everything else around it, rather than building the bike and then fitting the engine into it.
VRSCAW V Rod
It also has a lot of similarities with the VRCSA, which was manufactured from 2007 to 2010. As with Harley-Davidson’s VRCSA, it used aluminum bodywork similar to that used on the VRCSA. Many people welcomed the appearance of this body style on this particular motorcycle after they saw it on a similar bike that was eventually dropped in recent years.
Why Harley Davidson withdrew V rods from bikes after 2018
This was Harley Davidson’s first overhead cam, liquid cooled engine that was co-developed with Porsche. V twin cylinders placed at a 60 degree angle instead of 45 degree angles give Harley Davidson its trademark sound. Despite its unique characteristics, Harley Davidson failed to gain commercial success with the V Rod for over 16 years, despite its popularity.
Whether the V Rod will be revived in the future is unknown, but Harley Davidson’s new 2018 model lineup does not include it, which means it will no longer be available. Among Harley Davidson’s most unique motorcycles, the V Rod is not compliant with Europe’s current standards. In addition, the bike’s sales have declined in recent years, which prompted the Harley Davidson to halt production.
Wrapping it Up
There is a fatal flaw to the V Rod & it’s variation in quality. Several of the features are brilliant, like the noise, the panel removal system that requires no tools, or the dust shield on the radiator. Some of the designs are just plain daft, such as mixing imperial and metric sockets on the same fittings and not having a water temperature gauge. There is no doubt that it is a flawed genius, but it does capture the essence of what motorcycling is all about. You would not want to be without the V Rod, like an eccentric best friend who isn’t entirely predictable.
