They say the opposite attractive, and aside from their historic reliance on air-cooled engines, Porsche and Harley-Davidson couldn’t be more daring than orange. Back in the 1990s, Porsche was the leading name in German performance engineering, while Harley’s offerings had stagnated since the mid-1980s. The outcome of the partnership was unlikely. This release is the Harley-Davidson V-Rod, a bike that not only breaks the Harley air-cooled mold but also marks a new era of OEM performance cruisers.
The Evolution engine has long been considered the engine that saved Harley-Davidson, but the Sportster, Dyna and large twin models still cannot challenge the performance and variety of foreign products. Harley needed a more aggressive option, with a completely new image, and they rekindled their old relationship with Porsche to do just that.
Porsche and Harley first teamed up in the 1980s for Project Nova, which could produce a number of water-cooled V4 and V6 engines, a game changer should it materialize. In the second collaboration, several HD engineers went to Porsche Engineering’s facility in Germany to design a brand new off-road v-twin engine.
Even so, the Revolution engine, as it will be known, is not a clean design. The project started with the water-cooled, 60-degree v-twin engine from the Harley VR1000 superbike, which already has four cams and fuel injection, and is capable of speeds above 10,000 rpm.
Apparently the race-only engine needed to be removed for street use and displacement was increased to 1,131 cc as it would no longer be used for the AMA Superbike (where displacement cubic centimeters is limited to 1,000 cc for twins). Its controversial liquid-cooling system opened the door for higher horsepower and higher rpm, and when it debuted in 2001, the Revolution engine was rated at 115 hp at 8,250 rpm, with a red line at 9,000 rpm.
Porsche’s project started and ended with the Revolution engine, but Harley had some tricks up their sleeve in developing the rest of the VRSC (V-twin Racing Street Custom, or V-Rod). The water-formed chassis was a first for Harley, and the bifurcated backbone surrounded the engine and fuel tank like the sports bikes of the day. The fuel tank is located under the saddle to lower the center of gravity, and the fake fuel tank normally covers the airbox.
To complete the ‘custom on the track’ look, HD designers fitted it with solid disc wheels, a 240-wide rear tire and a shallow 34-degree tilt. The radiator and other coolers are streamlined and hidden wherever possible, and the downstream exhaust has been tweaked to produce the signature Harley v-twin sound.
During its 15 years of production, the V-Rod was offered in a variety of configurations and tested the market for some of Harley’s more radical ideas. For example, the VRSCR Street Rod model is equipped with upside-down forks, a steeper 30-degree tilt, Brembo brakes, and center-mounted controls, clearly expanding the HD’s definition of a global cruiser bike.
By the end of the V-Rod in 2017, the Revolution engine had increased to 1,247 cc and produced a maximum capacity of 125 hp at the crankshaft. In addition to proving itself on the street, Harley developed the race-only VRXSE Terminator, capable of going a quarter mile in under 10 seconds.
Sporty and high revs, the V-Rod offers a unique riding experience. It runs smoothly from idle to red line and won’t cause you to grind your teeth like some of its steady friends. While Harley’s v-twin engines are known for their low-level growl, the V-Rod has strong traction above 6,000 rpm and will burn the rear tires at will. It will outperform the original Evo Sportys and the big twins in a straight line, as well as in corners, due to its low center of gravity.
Though often dismissed by Harley’s air-cooled devotees, the V-Rod has succeeded in putting new faces in orange and black. Love it or hate it, the Harley-Davidson V-Rod not only paved the way for Modern liquid-cooled HDbut also opened up the market of OEM performance cruisers that are still popular to this day.
Image courtesy of Harley-Davidson And porsche
