What is a V-Rod

So I am going to try a little something different in the way I post this story. I am going to write it in parts a little at a time and then post it here over time until it feels complete. so if you have a question or want more info on something you read, post it in the comments. Now my guess is no one really gives a crap about a write up about a V-Rod, but we shall see.

What is a V Rod

Part 1 ( What it's not )

Do you remember Harleys V4 project back in the day. No of course you don't, the Nova project was killed early on. There was also a water cooled V4 prototype similar to the Harley Davidson VR1000 sportbike engine. Some thought the VR1000 was the predecessor to the V-Rod engine, but it was actually just two cylinders of a Cosworth Engine that Roush set up specifically to be the VR1000 race bike engine so Harley could get back into Superbike racing quickly. This engine would have been the engine used in the Buell sport bike that was also killed. It even looked very similar to the Gemini project that Roush worked on for an auto company. The MoCo ultimately killed the VR1000 to make room for the creation of the Porsche developed Revolution engine used in the V-Rod. The reasoning was they didn't feel the need, or want to fund development of two separate engines at the same time. It's too bad the VR1000 development stopped where it did. Just before it was killed they started experimenting with a split crank pin that would have made it a much more usable engine on the track, and perfect for the Buell that was never built. The V-Rod engine was just to heavy to use in the Buell or any Superbike, and so that was the end for both.

Part 2 ( What it is )

It is a Porsche. I've got to say, Porsche engineering is amongst the best in the world, and it shows in the Revolution engine. This engine is bullet proof! No doubt the Porsche supplier sourced parts list that is the root of both the engine and transmission has a bit to do with it. I was shocked at finding out, and I remember saying to a buddy, "come on, no one is stupid enough to still use a single crank pin on a modern motorcycle engine". Well I was Wrong! The V-Rod still has one pin, but added a counter balance shaft to stop it from shaking apart at the 9000+ RPM that it runs up to with little effort. That is quite a break from the traditional low RPM HD paint shaker engines. There were rumors that Porsche wanted to use a civilized split crank shaft (when I say split, I mean two crank pins) but HD said no. The reasoning was supposedly because it would make the engine a bit wider (cylinders more offset) and therefor less Harley looking. Also the engine sound would not be similar to the traditional Harley potato - potato sound that HD traditionalists expect from the MoCo, but even a 270deg split would have been a good compromise. It is true that it would have sounded like a sewing machine, but I would have preferred the trade-off. Don't get me wrong, this water cooled, 4 valve head, twin dual overhead cam, fuel injected, high compression engine is a thing of beauty, and it does look Harley like with the fake cylinder air cooling fins up top on the cam box to make it look like it has air cooled cylinders. If that's what it took to mix enough old school aesthetics with a modern engine hidden inside, so be it, but sorry ladys, the vibrating pillion is a thing of the past 😉

Part 3 ( HydroFormed frame )

Hydroforming is a modern hydraulic way to shape a motorcycle frame and a big departure from the old-school tubing bender, jig, and Weld Process for HD. Instead of being limited to certain shapes and then hanging a motor and suspension off of it, Hydroforming allows you to wrap the frame around the components in virtually limitless shapes. The frame of the V-Rod flows around the Engine, suspension, and the hidden fuel tank. It does not have a traditional center frame member that the fuel tank stratals over top of. The frame flows around the fake fuel tank that is the intake air box now, and just blends in nicely to the lines of the bike.

Part 4 ( characteristics ) VRSCDX

I'm not going to bother with the specifications here, anybody could just look those up. I think I should just stick to how the bike feels.

There's no getting around this. A V-Rod is a very heavy bike. The early DX's had solid aluminum slotted wheels. That in itself is a drawback in unsprung weight and side wind push on the highway. Plus a ground clearance of less than 4.2" before Rider sag, it is low, Very low! Needless to say it is modeled after a drag racing bike not a street bike, on top of the low profile it also has a 34deg fork rake, and a 240 rear tire. I know, I know, some of you are thinking it would be a real challenge to turn this bike at all, and you're partly correct. Stock from the factory it is a real frame dragger (literally) that "looks like a fish, swims like a fish, and steers like a cow" (quote: Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy) so to improve this, most owners lower their bikes?!?!? yup! I thought it was a pointless endeavor to do so, but I forgot, it was built as a bar hopper. Something to look at, but not so much to actually ride. That was not good enough for some of us that actually ride this beast. The first thing I did to my bike when new, was replace the suspension front and rear, and raise it up 1.5" to 5.7". That is the max on a '07 DX due to the fuel tank to swing arm clearance. What a difference it made on the back roads, twisties, and goat trails that I ride. The frame still can drag on a sweeper turn with a high crown, due to a design flaw in the lower frame cantilevered under the fuel tank, which can be quite unnerving, but you get used to it. It is necessary to horse it around a bit, but I just love the way it just falls over into a counter steer, and the rake just stands it right back up with a bit of throttle. What can I say, it is a blast to ride, and now that I have replaced the rear shocks with the custom 13.5" 444's I can almost knee drag it in the twisties. Not bad at all for a bike that started out with almost no suspension travel and no lean angle to speak of. I had to change the designation from VRSCDX to VRSCDX-R, for the "R" model killed off by HD in 2006 early 2007. And now I have found the sweet spot. After raising the bike front and rear with the progressive suspension system, I finally found the perfect tires in the Pirelli Night Dragon. The shape of these tires and the added traction are night and day above anything I have tried in the past. The bike handles flawlessly in tight high-speed turns now.

Part 5 ( tuning )

Not much needed here. I did install the PCV (or Power Commander V from Dynojet) and you would see me riding around with a MacBook Pro tweaking the fuel injection map like a geek. It is like installing a Jet-Kit on the old carburetor bikes. loud pipes? Nah! The exhaust is tuned to the bike by design, so any change just looses power and changes the torque curve, so I never bothered to make it loud. My 1130cc (2007 down) would eat up a 1250cc (2008 & up) that would over-scavenged with open pipes.

Part 6 ( ? ) you tell me what to write here........

Or was I right and nobody really gives a crap about a V-Rod intro?

I'm thinking part 6 should be all about mechanical issues, design issues and problems with the bike and how bad factory HD customer service sucks!

But then again, other than the V-Rod, if you're buying a Harley, you're buying a lifestyle not a motorcycle, so it's all about the chrome not the bike. That's why mine is rat bike style matt black.