Street Rod

[Lou Girardin]

I'd decided that it was time to stop looking at the toys in the toy box and go play with them.
The choice was CBR600RR or Street Rod.
Really no choice, the $2000 excess enforced caution and a lower level of temptation, so Street Rod it was. How wrong that was!
Initially it felt a little strange, it wanted to flop into corners, another 2 psi in the front cured that.
Sunday required a good run, so the plan was head up 16 over the Brynderwyns to Waipu then back through the gorge to Mangawhai.
Met up with Pixie at Kanohi and we were off, he was running interference with the Revenue men as I had no counter-measures hooked up.
It soon became clear that this is no ordinary Harley. It's a bit slow to initiate a turn, but once over it's as stable as a very stable thing. Felt very much like my old GPz 750, and 90's Italian bikes. It gives the feeling that the front is planted and you forget about what the rest of the bike is doing. Suspension is firm, bordering on hard at times. But, apart from a slight trace of head shake on one very lumpy left hander, it carves through bends like it's glued down.
The Dunlop 207's are an impressive tyre too, even on wet greasy roads they inspired confidence and a small slide on wet melted tar was corrected before I went into twitch mode.
It's got ground clearance unlike any other Harley, I never came close to grounding pegs or other frame parts. The brakes just STOP, Brembo's haul up 280 kg's like hitting a wall.
The engine is a gem, smooth, torquey and, allowing for the 300 k's on the odo, it revs free and clean. The glitch free injection helps here.
The really surprising thing was the comfort. The seat's hard but didn't give me numbus-bumbus in 300 k's. The pegs are right below the seat and the low bars lean you forward, just right. There is a little wind blast, but it's not excessive and even a squirt up over walking speed, didn't turn me into a spinnaker.
Anyone who dismisses this bike as just another posing pouch on wheels is very wrong. Don't take on a capable rider on one of these unless you're very sure of your ability. It could turn out a bit embarrassing.
Make sure you have a go at AMPS on the 18th.

[Hitcher]

Thanks Lou. I had wondered how one of these would handle with its raked-out front end. I must ride one of these myself...

[Sensei]

Don't take on a capable rider on one of these unless you're very sure of your ability. It could turn out a bit embarrassing..[/QUOTE]

Is that another Harley your talking about . I love smashing head lights on those Spraypainting Motors on wheels as I wheel spin pass them round a corner . The only Hog that I liked was a Guys here with a 2.3 M/P motor in a FXR frame with GSXR upside down forks & GSXR swingarm in it .

[Big Dave]

With Confidence: The Street Rod

http://www.davidcohen.co.nz/streetrod

You could tell that Robert L. Dennert (Platform Director for VRSC Motorcycles) and his team had real confidence in the ability of the new Harley-Davidson Street Rod, as evidenced by their choice of venues for its press release.

The team had assembled representatives of the regions’ motorcycle publications at Albury NSW, for a guided test-tour through the Australian Alps and high country.

They had planned a two-day run over Alpine roads and terrain remarkably similar to the best NZ conditions. (Only much shorter.)

The tight, twisty, magnificent riding in the high country over Mt Beauty and down to Bright would remind a Kiwi of the South Island’s finest, at least until the altitude where stands of Pine trees give way to the strong, pleasant smell of the Alpine Eucalypts and the various signs warning of crossing ‘Roos and Wombats become common.

They had chosen a route to bring out the best in bike and rider. An Aussie route that would yield results with relevance on this side of the Tasman. An international ‘mag-a-rattzi’ event, with difficult, winding mountain roads. For a new Harley! Real confidence indeed.

I was taken with the look of the bike from the moment we walked into the hanger at Albury Airport and saw 10 of them in a pristine row. From its nifty parallel-to-the-ground triple clamps to the look of the power plant and bobbed looking guard, I liked its muscular line.

We sat adjacent the multicoloured display for a quick presentation on the evolution of Street Rod from V-Rod. Mid-mount foot controls, 40 degree lean angle (V-rod 32deg), inverted forks with reduced rake, Brembo brakes, 5 more horsepower and 6ft lbs extra torque, larger fuel capacity, ‘two shot’ exhaust with improved ground clearance, new sports wheels, 100mm saddle height increase, flatter bars, increased mudguard clearance and several cosmetic variations were listed as changes from the older, cruiser version.

‘Mine’ was the orange one. When The Ed rang and told me I was off to the release in his stead, he also gave me the number to phone through my height and weight, so the bike’s suspension and ergos could be set for my arrival. The type of professionalism the Motor Co showed throughout the event – their careful planning gave me every opportunity to enjoy the bike – and I sure did.

Across the plains and into the foothills for the first photo stop gave an opportunity to get a feel for the mount. The flat bars and location of the foot pegs produce an upright, balanced riding position with neutral pressure on arms and a seat that produced no ache from 2 full days in the saddle. (Mainly on very twisty roads – no real long, straight bum killers)

The long wheel base, 1,697mm, and a dry weight of 280kgs mean that flicking the Street Rod around a pot hole or squished possum on the racing line is not simply a matter of wiggling a hip to change trajectories, it needs firm input, but the inherent stability as the bike tracks through corners, coupled with its very good ground clearance make it a delight to punt through the sweepers. Yes ‘Virginia’, good ground clearance. I touched hero pegs on tarmac only twice in 400 hard-out-Km. Possibly attributable to the way the Brembos so effectively wash off speed, or perhaps the solid frame that showed no sign of flex, maybe the modern upside down front forks, but more likely the fact that all these components combine to produce a well sorted, sweet handling, large motorcycle.

With 120 very usable ‘ponies’ and excellent torque from the fuel injected 1130cc Vee twin, plus the sweetest sounding exhaust note I’ve heard from a stock system, the Street Rod brings a big smile when you wind it on. The second generation ‘Revolution’ engine is a delight. It has a huge ‘sweet spot’ and the hum as it pulls effortlessly and smoothly from low revs is a joy. At 5-7,000rpm I was thinking ‘prillia’ as the Street Rod hammered and ‘torqued’ its way out of the tighter sections near the winter’s snowline.

The gearbox is also the best I’ve used on any Harley – smooth and direct with no sign of false neutral, yet with the ability to select true neutral even when stationary - with ease.

Final drive is by H-D’s now familiar belt system and the design of the VRSC range means that belts can be changed with minimum effort and ratios can be varied by altering the front pulley. H-D claim the belt provides smooth delivery, long life and virtually no noise. When pressed on the life expectancy ‘The Director’ would only offer that he had seen one last for ‘450,000 miles’, and some had been snapped by an errant rock not to far from the dealers on their first ride. The Street Rod has a significant enclosure to discourage the latter, and this fits well within the sexy swing-arm and overall style of the bike.

For a modern, liquid cooled motorcycle, the Street Rod has some lovely angles. It’s an attractive, stylish bike, well finished with top-notch H-D paint and chrome, as you would expect from a unit commanding a recommended retail price of $NZ35,200.

An overnight stay at the ‘Blue Duck’ near the slopes of Mt Kosciusco kindled thoughts of the Kiwi ‘Cardrona’ and the road that passes by. That southern man image led me to ponder how the Street Rod will suit NZ. Next day, riding back down the mountain – through thick fog and cold which could have been Arthur’s Pass on a bad day, I decided: Fabulously well suited to NZ - good onya mate.

The Street Rod is a rewarding sports motorcycle. It’s not for winning races, but none the less delivers a great sense of satisfaction from being ridden spiritedly through demanding situations – real satisfaction without the need to go to hyper speed. And in this age of increasing penalty, demerit points and chances of detection, I like that concept more and more each day.

The Street Rod is indeed a capable motorcycle for Kiwi conditions and will redefine most peoples concept of the way a Harley-Davidson performs.

With that in mind I pressed ‘The Director’ regarding what was next in the VRSC range when we returned to base. ‘Euro 6’ and the ‘Californication’ of emissions means that inefficient air-cooled, push-rod motors will not achieve compliance in many markets. He wouldn’t say what was to come next – other than there ‘Will definitely be more models based on the platform.’

The Cruiser is a few years old; this Sports model will be popular and is well suited to New Zealand; my guess is a Tourer. With hard luggage and big fairing.
Although ‘the Director’ steadfastly wouldn’t comment – I’m pretty confident…this time.

[Coyote]

Brilliant looking machine

[riffer]

Brilliant looking machine

It certainly is.

Maybe there is hope for Harley-Davidson after all.

[scumdog]

Don't take on a capable rider on one of these unless you're very sure of your ability. It could turn out a bit embarrassing..

Is that another Harley your talking about . I love smashing head lights on those Spraypainting Motors on wheels as I wheel spin pass them round a corner . The only Hog that I liked was a Guys here with a 2.3 M/P motor in a FXR frame with GSXR upside down forks & GSXR swingarm in it .[/QUOTE]




You'll need better bait than THAT if you want a bite!!!

[John]

Just referring to the picture, dont you think it would look alot nicer with less spokes or billited wheels?
If you look at the v-rod 04 was by far the better looking, I think that that was a winner for harley - I would happily say that I owned one, if I could afford it

[Lou Girardin]

You'll need better bait than THAT if you want a bite!!! [/QUOTE]

Forgive him for he knoweth not what he knoweth not.

[Lou Girardin]

Just referring to the picture, dont you think it would look alot nicer with less spokes or billited wheels?
If you look at the v-rod 04 was by far the better looking, I think that that was a winner for harley - I would happily say that I owned one, if I could afford it

Maybe, but I've heard the horror story's about disc wheels in cross-winds.

[John]

Maybe, but I've heard the horror story's about disc wheels in cross-winds.

I could actually imagine that being a problem - good point.

Maybe just less spokes :\?

[Hitcher]

Maybe just less spokes?

Fewer spokes.

[onearmedbandit]

Hitchers quest to rid the world of poor grammer and spelling will never end.

[John]

Fewer spokes.

I'm not 'weretheeee' (hehe)..

[Sensei]

You'll need better bait than THAT if you want a bite!!! [/QUOTE]

Hummm now let me think !
There was a man in Bali that thought he'd buy a Harley . So of to a shop to see what was what , but the salesman there told him to Own one you had to be Queer . He thought for abit & said he didn't give a shit . So the deal was done with plenty of slapping each others Bum's . Off he road down the track with a smile on he's face & a slightly sore CRACK