By Sabrina Giacomini, RideApart
Gone, but never forgotten.
Harley-Davidson
and its V-twins have had a long and fruitful history together—a history
that started as early as 1914 when the company introduced its first
big-bore twin, the F-head. To this day, the V-twin remains a staple for
the brand, whether it's the mid-range Revolution X or the big
Milwaukee-Eight. Back in 2002, Harley tried a little something different
with its V-twin and turned to Porsche to help make it happen.
Picture this: American muscle-man Harley-Davidson working hand in hand with the epitome of German refinement, Porsche. As… weird
as the pairing may seem, that's exactly how things went down at the
turn of the millennium, some 20 years ago. This wasn’t the first time
Orange and Silver collaborated, but the result of this early 2000s
cross-Atlantic partnership was going to be one of the most historically
impactful: hence was born the V-Twin Racing Street Custom or V-Rod.
The
model opened up an entirely new door for the manufacturer, better known
for its Americana style. Rather than banking on an image and a legacy,
the V-Rod brought contemporary and fresh new ideas to the Harley table.
The
bike was built on a perimeter tube frame and used a number of aluminum
components, including a swingarm and body panels. The exaggerated
38-degree rake angle, the quirky solid disc wheels, and stylized dual
exhaust tips were a stark departure from the classic Harley lines. The
bike even had a fake gas tank sitting on top of the chassis, used
instead to tuck the airbox away—the actual reservoir was located under
the seat.
“To fill up, you flip the seat on a hinge and then watch the reactions of people around you,” described Barry Winfield of Car and Driver.
Everything in this design was about the look and the attitude rather
than the tradition. The V-Rod didn’t need to shy away from being loud,
powerful, and proud.
To power its muscle bike,
Harley developed a water-cooled, DOHC 1,131cc 60-degree “V2” engine in
collaboration with ze Germans. This design actually introduced the
concept of water cooling and dual overhead cams to the H-D lineup. The
beast—for its time—was rated at 115 horsepower and 74 lb-ft of torque.
The
company’s exercise in style could have gone two ways: either become the
new inspiration behind all the other Harley models or turn into a
short-lived commercial flop. The V-Rod did neither—it actually created a
niche of its own, parallel to the rest of the H-D lineup, and lived 15
happy years in the Orange and Black family. In fact, media and customers
alike were both dumbfounded and fascinated with Harley’s innovation. So
much so that the first batch of V-Rods to roll out of production sold
out as quickly as it takes to say "V-Twin Racing Street Custom". While
it didn’t cater to as large an audience as the rest of the Milwaukee
products, it still worked well enough to stick around for a decade and a
half, thanks among other things to the exposure it gained on the racing
scene.
In 2007, a drag-racing
monster dubbed the Custom Vehicle Operations V-Rod Destroyer, based on
the production V-Rod was introduced to the strip. It managed to set a
speed record with a 6.991 time on the quarter-mile.
Through
the following years, the VRSCD evolved and versions such as the Night
Rod and the Muscle were introduced.The engine also gained volume in the
process. By the time 2017 rolled in, the V-twin boasted an increased
displacement of 1,247cc.
Going. Going. Gone.
Then,
in 2018, the madness stopped. Harley-Davidson announced its official
2018 lineup garnished with 17 models—none of which was the V-Rod. Like
an old shoe that had served its purpose, the V-Rod was dropped
from the lineup without even as much as a thank you. Rumor has it the
Euro 4 emissions standards were to blame. Or the dwindling sales. Or
both. An era came to an unsuspecting end at Harley's.
Harley
now banks on its CVO lineup to provide bikes with more bite. The V-Rod
might be gone, but it is not forgotten. While the model might have
dropped off the face of the Earth with much less ceremony than when it
first appeared, we will always remember that time Porsche built an
engine for Harley-Davidson.
