DesertSpeed, I watched a special on The Learning Channel, I think, that followed the development of the V-Rod. It was quite a study of new product development and program management. It seems the engine was developed for HD by Porsche and appeared to be specifically for the V-Rod.
I'm with evoKENevo regarding water cooling. Anyone in the motorcycle manufacturing biz today would have to be looking at whatever means is available to control the combustion process. Hence electronic ignition, EFI and, ultimately, water cooling. Can adjustable cam timing be far off??
I watched the development of the V-Rod on some TV channel - it was very interesting - but the water cooled bikes are coming from Harley - either you are moving forward - or you are going to end up so many other bike makers - gone or be like the Indian they are now on version 3.1......still not an Indian......just a new version...
__________________ FREEDOM is NEVER FREE - GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.
2007 Ultra Classic
Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
Was a good show, too. Amazing how those bikes held up when they went in the "hot box" then out onto the track then back into the hot box. I know my motor would've burst into flames.
__________________ ===================== Rob 2007 FXDB San Diego, CA
John 1:14
It is the duty of nations, as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the LORD. ----Abraham Lincoln
Whopper,
The VR-1000 was Harley's in-house race engine of the mid-90s. It saw very few races in the US but ran a lot in Europe. I believe the highest it ever placed was third. By the time Harley got the engine dialed in, everyone else had moved on to even faster bikes. Wasn't the 'Busa, among other bikes, intro'd in '98? Anyway, like the Evo, the Revo is just a Porsche engineered engine. Porsche Engineering actually makes more money than the Porsche car division. Last I heard both still paled in comparison to the VW division.
As much as we like our Porsche-Davidsons, the truth is they are built in K.C.
There's a long story behind why we have a V-rod. I saw "Birth of the V-rod also. Interesting show, but it really turned me off about the V-rods. Then I saw an anniversay 03 A at a dealership, and it's price tag. I REALLY had no desire to get a V-rod. To shorten it up, we ended up test riding a Night Rod on the recomendation of a factory rep when we wanted to ride a Soft Tail. Harley only had Buells and V-rods at this particular show. Two weeks later we bought our current bike, an 06 Night Rod.
__________________ Cody
"I often question my sanity. It never answers."
06 VRSCD
Lil,
The way they presented the V-rod in "Birth", to me it looked like just another sport bike. I even made the comment to my son "Ooooh, looky there. Buell wasn't enough. Harley has to put THEIR name on a sport bike." I kept up with the VR-1000 when it was racing. Too bad HD got all the bugs worked out 1 year to late.
We wanted a cruiser, not some fire-breathing speed-demon. However, as much as my wife wanted the HD emblem, I knew we didn't need or want some monster cubic inch engine. The new Triumph supercruiser has a bigger engine than my wife's Cavalier does! We actually started looking for a bike about July of 2002. We didn't see our first V-rod until a year later. After seeing Birth of the V-rod, the $20,000 price tag didn't surprise or impress me. We went to a lot of bike shows and dealers, not just HD. I liked the BMWs, but not their prices. Triumph has always had iffy electrical systems. We looked at a lot of Japanese bikes, but really didn't want one. Victory, even though they were local, had some pretty steep prices for what you get. We really wanted something in the 1000-1200cc range.
We had finally resigned ourselves to the choice of a Dyna or a Soft Tail. Neither of which did we really want. When the bike show in Phoenix came around in September, we figured we would compare the two bikes, again. This time the HD folks thought it was a super bike show and only brought Buells and V-rods. I took one look at the offerings and was ready to go home. My wife insisted that after getting up that early and driving about an hour in Phoenix traffic, we were "going to ride something". Luckily, we were half an hour early and the factory rep really got to know us. We explained our 3 1/2 year search. It turned out that he and I have a bike in common. We both have '81 Yamaha SR500s that we bought new. It not a fast bike, but sport bikes have a hard time cornering with it. He finally said "There is only one bike made for you two. Harley calls it the Night Rod." Well, he was right. My wife knew it before I did. I use the Night Rod as the yard stick to measure all other bikes now. They all come up a bit short.
__________________ Cody
"I often question my sanity. It never answers."
06 VRSCD
Cody,
That is a perfect story. All rodes led you to the V. It is so good to know how happy you and your wife are with the Night Rod.
You know, that is an Enthusiast story.
Lil
Cody,
That is a perfect story. All rodes led you to the V. It is so good to know how happy you and your wife are with the Night Rod.
You know, that is an Enthusiast story.
Lil
Ya know Lil, it really is ironic that we won "Best Sport Bike" at the Toys-for-Tots show last December.
(Buzz, as always, feel free to use anything I post.)
__________________ Cody
"I often question my sanity. It never answers."
06 VRSCD
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