[ppark]

Have you seen the new Harley Street Rod?
http://motorcyclecruiser.com/newsandupdates/hdwinter05/
Looks nice and the new 5 gallon tank is great but why did they make the seat so high?

 

[Spok]

the seats so high so the owner can hold his nose up

 

[trikebubble]

At least they know how to spec. a good brake on the thing.
Now wait a minute, last time I checked Brembo was made in Italy.
Viva Ferrari! (just my F1 tastes rising to the surface)

 

[JoeNomad1]

Looks nice and the new 5 gallon tank is great but why did they make the seat so high?

This is HD's idea of making a sport bike. They moved the foot controls and raised the seat and changed the handlebar and fork angles.
Hey, sportbike riders, $11K for a ZX-12R or $17K for a V-ROD?

 

[Mr_Lycos]

Because nobody is buying the V-Rod. Making minor changes to footpeg placement and calling it "All new" is a way to sell the same engine & chassis (the expensive parts to engineer). Since they doubtlessly sunk tens of millions into R&D of the V-Rod, they aren't about to scuttle the product just because nobody wants it.

See also: the Xl1000cr and the original "superglide"

Wille G. :"well put a poorly designed sportster front-end on a big-twin frame and make a radically unsafe ride. And we'll make a godawful ugly plastic boattail rear fender."

AMF CEO: "Whatever, I'm off to do lines of coke with John DeLorean while the accountants try to sell this comapny to Honda, try no to burn the place down."

EDIT: Edited because "s-c-r-a-p" without the hyphens is offensive and must be astericked?

 

[ppark]

Because nobody is buying the V-Rod. Making minor changes to footpeg placement and calling it "All new" is a way to sell the same engine & chassis (the expensive parts to engineer). Since they doubtlessly sunk tens of millions into R&D of the V-Rod, they aren't about to scuttle the product just because nobody wants it.

I did not realized that V-rod wasn't selling well. I think the V-Rod looks cool and seems to be well engineered. If I were to but a Harley, it would be V-Rod.

 

[bjones]

The heat is on them but that seems to be a poor try. I often wonder if I should be a designer for american manufacturers. Cars too the only nice car today is the mustang they got it right.

 

[ppark]

The heat is on them but that seems to be a poor try.

I was thinking if they wanted a sport bike, it may be better to use the V-Rod engine in a modified Buell frame.

 

[T-man]

Harley V-rod; Harley finally puts water-cooling on an engine. Wow. What will they think of next? Self-canceling turn signals?

 

[SteveA]

As I recall, wasn't the V-Rod motor Porsche inspired/designed? Nothing wrong with that! It shows HD can put together a performance bike. I saw a pic of the new hot rod a few days ago & it looks great, except for that turtle shell tank structure (tank is under the seat). I guess the upshot is that Harley wanted this as their "halo" bike, just like Ford makes the GT, Dodge makes the Viper, etc. It is important to have a wicked fast bike (or car) in the stable in order to show consumers that you are capable of performance.

Now, if they could only sculpt the turtle shell into something similar to the Yamaha Warrior tank....

Ride safely

 

[2WheelFun]

Not very impressive is it? Maybe I can add a fuel tank under the seat on my 1981 Yamaha 650 and call it sporty! Anyone wanna buy it?

 

[woodchucks800]

As I recall, wasn't the V-Rod motor Porsche inspired/designed? Nothing wrong with that! It shows HD can put together a performance bike. I saw a pic of the new hot rod a few days ago & it looks great, except for that turtle shell tank structure (tank is under the seat). I guess the upshot is that Harley wanted this as their "halo" bike, just like Ford makes the GT, Dodge makes the Viper, etc. It is important to have a wicked fast bike (or car) in the stable in order to show consumers that you are capable of performance.

Now, if they could only sculpt the turtle shell into something similar to the Yamaha Warrior tank....

Ride safely

Thats just it Steve, If harley was capable of performance then why was porshe brought in ?Thats one thing I don't understand , why couldn't the HD engineers figure it out?Do they even have any engineers anymore or are they just paint an accessory disigners?Thats about all that changes on there other bikes.

 

[Spok]

Harley V-rod; Harley finally puts water-cooling on an engine. Wow. What will they think of next? Self-canceling turn signals?

now thats just funny

 

[ispeed77]

i personally think the V-Rod is the ugliest bike in the HD lineup, but that's just me. it also seems to me like they came up a little short on the power. all the money that they put into designing the motor and they ended up with something a little bigger than a 1200, i think, and from what i understand, its quick but not fast. i don't know, seems like a lot of wasted R&D money to me, especially seeing the sales numbers. to each their own. if you like the V-Rod, then maybe you'll like the new one, i'll stick to my Nomad.

 

[Spok]

i personally think the V-Rod is the ugliest bike in the HD lineup, but that's just me. it also seems to me like they came up a little short on the power. all the money that they put into designing the motor and they ended up with something a little bigger than a 1200, i think, and from what i understand, its quick but not fast. i don't know, seems like a lot of wasted R&D money to me, especially seeing the sales numbers. to each their own. if you like the V-Rod, then maybe you'll like the new one, i'll stick to my Nomad.

...and,

Its technically a Metric

 

[ispeed77]

hehehe

 

[Spok]

I had read in my motorcycle cruiser magazine or ride metric roadbike magazine about an all metric show in sturgis last year where a guy tried to enter his v-rod, they almost didn't allow it but because the rules didn't explicitly cover it, they allowed him to enter. Not sure or dont' recall what the reason is why they didn't consider the v-rod as metric...anyway

 

[Mr_Lycos]

My 1988 Harley had self-cancelling turn signals (it also had self adjusting mirrors too ha ha ha). I wish my 2003 Vn800a had them (the turn signals, not the mirrors).

 

[Bud]

I agree with all of you, with one exception. ispeed, you said it wasn't all that fast, but in a recent shootout with the venerable V-Max, it was awfully close. At least a lot closer than all the other cruisers to incluce the the new 2000 Kaw. Wish I could tell you which mag it was in, but I subscribe to 5 different ones, and as of late, have been giving them to my son Slicks as soon as I'm done reading them.

 

[ispeed77]

Bud
i too was only going on what i read, and can't remember where it was. i actually think i read it online. it was a shootout between the muscle bikes, VTX1800, V-Rod, Mean Streak, & Road Warrior. they said that the VTX had the most horsepower and was the fastest but the V-Rod had the most torque. as far as going up against the V-Max, i would have to see that one to believe it. the V-Max has been faster than any cruiser on the road since it came out. now, if you are talking about fast down a winding road, then yeah, the V-Rod probably has it beat, as the V-Max is straight line power. but that's just what i recall from the article, and the info that i've had on the V-Max for years. my $0.02