Meanstreak vs V-Rod

I just spent a few hours in a Harley dealership today. I want to be absolutely sure I pick the bike that's right for me. So far, I'd been to every metric brand's dealership, and the Meanie/Marauder wins hands down. There's very little I don't love about it.

I remembered seeing the V-rods when they first came out, though and thought I'd give them another look. Everybody else here seems to hate the silver. Maybe it's just me, but I thought the silever anniversary edition 2003 v-rod was one of the most beautiful bikes I've seen. I checked out a few, and the one that had the screaming eagle pipes seemed about perfect for me. It wasn't ovely loud, but my girlfriend got wet just listening to the idle. I didn't know a Harley could be that silky-smooth.

It's been a good decade or so since I've ridden a bike, and I'm no gear-head. The only thing I didn't like about the bike (which I haven't ridden yet) is the fact that it seems to be geared toward higher revs, and I'm just not going to be near the redline... ever. Also, I'm a bit concerned about the rake of the forks since most of my riding will be at suburban speeds.

I saw this thread and just wondered if anyone had anything else to say that hasn't already been said. I'd especially appreciate any input from those who have experience riding a v-rod.

I test-rode a V-Rod before I bought my '04 Mean Marauder 1600. Handling was similar, comfort was similar, very good on both bikes. Handling is very important to me, but I'm 6'4" with bad knees, so I need a large bike. These two have the best handling of any 600 pound bikes out there.

Engine characteristics are very different, though. Believe it or not, the V-Rod only makes around 75 lb-ft of torque, while the Meanie makes almost 20 ft-lb more- about 94 ft-lb. I got these figures on the web. The V-Rod figures are from the H-D website. The V-Rod makes a lot more horsepower, but it's not real obvious unless you really rev the motor. I like the Meanie's torque better, anyway- it sounds and feels like a '60s V-8. To me, anyway.

I chose the Kawasuki over the V-Rod for several reasons.

1) I really don't like Harley's belt drives. I've had four shaft drive bikes, and I prefer that. It's much cleaner looking visually, and makes more sense mechanically. I was really surprised, given Porsche's involvement, that they didn't do a shaft on the V-Rod.

2) I prefer a conventional instrument cluster- round tach, round speedo, placed next to each other. The V-Rod's funky "pod" is ugly and hard to read.

3) I don't care for the V-Rod's solid wheels.

4) Placed next to each other, the Mean Marauder has a better look than the V-Rod. I know it's subjective, but there you are... Ironically, most H-D traditionalists hate the exposed frame on the V-Rod, but that was one of my favorite things about it. Go figure. Anyway, the Mean Marauder passes what I call the Garage Test: after a ride, do I want to have a beer and sit there looking at it? Yes. Yes. Yes! 8)

5) Cost was not a factor; at my age I can afford what I want, but I really hated the Harley dealer's arrogant attitude. I know that's not the bike's fault, but I'm not buying from someone I don't like. I went back to my old buddies at Midway, in Thomasville N.C., who I've dealt with for almost 30 years. I'm happy.

You can see my Marauder on the "show pix of your ride" page.

I hope this helped.

I was wondering about the torque figures. I assumed the meanie was higher. I just didn't know by how much. Everyone seems to love the engine in the v-rod, but I'm just not going to be revving it too high. I'll take the torque any day.

I've saat on a good two dozen bikes in the past month, and the meanie and v-rod FEEL the smallest for their rather hefty weight. I had also heard that the meanie tends to handle better, yet have heard from several meanie owners that they would have bought the v-rod if it weren't for the price difference.

You're right, of course, a lot of this stuff is subjective. I myself, for instance, prefeer the instruments on the v-rod. To me it's a "cleaner" look. **** shame about the wheels, though. No excuse for that lack of judgement.

I'll probably only own one bike for the next 5-10 years, so I'm more concerned with making sure it's the right one than I am with price (within reason).

Thanks for the input. Anyone else?

Oh... and I was thinking that I might like the belt drive better. Any specifics on why you prefer one over the other?

I can see that you are being very careful in your decision about which bike to buy. It's good to do that, especially if you plan to keep it several years.

Aside from looks and handling, which I am sure you have read about. One consideration might be maintenance and associated costs. The Meanie maintenance is pretty simple. If you can turn a wrench you can do it yourself. On the other hand I read in one of the Motorcycle Magazines that V-Rods maintenance costs are quite high. Sorry I forget which magazine.

The claim was that owners were shocked at the cost of the 1st scheduled maintenance. Something on the order of $700. I'm not sure what's included, but even if you let the dealer do the 600 mile on a Meanie the highest I have heard is $250. I did it myself for about $35 or so. It's mostly changing the oil and filter and checking all the nuts and bolts are tight.

If money is no object, the V-rod might be okay. I can't say as I haven't riden one. If I had loads of cash I would probably have one parked next to my 1600 Marauder.

Which one today? Red or Black? What a dilema. :lol: :lol: :wink:

Good luck.