One of the most educated people I'm fortunate enough to know suggested to me (and others) that we should all go for a ride and use a whole tank of gas. Great thinking says I, it's just what's needed to clear the head and relieve the stress. But what to ride?
Must've been fate because as I was grabbing my jacket, the boss (Steve) wheels through his new VRSCR Street Rod. Perfect, I think. Lets see if Mr HD has got this thing right.
1st up, this is still a very long motorcycle. By Steepening the rake, Harley have very effectively shortened the wheelbase by a whopping 0.7 inches. Well done boys, Eric Buell's shaking in his boots. The styling touchs I wont go into otherwise we'd be here all day, suffice to say, you can spend literally hours looking at the finer details of this gorgeous machine and not get bored. The wheels, brakes, forks, pegs, everything is perfect.
The double barrelled exhausts are tucked alot higher the it's older brother and in my mind, fricken ugly. The suspension is obviously alot longer, giving the rear a "jacked up" type look which I also don't care for. The frame and seat have been raised to alter the riding position and accomodate the bigger fule tank. Makes the bike look flat on the top. Yuck.
Once running, it sounds exactly like the V-rod, quiet. I'm beginning to wonder what the fuck the fuss is about with this thing, I'm nowhere near as inspired as I was when I first met the original VRSCA. Reach for the bars, OK this feels cool. Leant forward over the "tank" with your feet on the pegs, it feels purposefull, aggresive even.
Taking off is an experiance in itself. There is no traditional Harley grunt, this thing likes a few revs on board to move off. As Jeremy Clarkson said, "No one knows what exactly a torque is...." but this bike has very few of them down low. Not to worry, revs are cheap. As you accelerate away you're quickly reminded that is is no ordinary HD. As the rvs build, so does the acceleration. In the normal riding position, you can't actually see the clocks so I've no idea what revs it starts to pull strongly from but I'd guess about half way thorugh the range.
And SHIT does it pull. It's not Jap sportsbike teritory, but it's still vey strong and extremely rewarding.
The suspension is top quality stuff and gives great feedback and control over bumps. It also feels great from a braking point of view, excellent feel with great power. Brembo are to thank here and it's about time HD sorted their shit out in the braking department.
Once getting into the twisty bits, the cornering clearance seems fine and the power is able to be fed in quite hard due to the wicked stability of the bike. 19inch front hoops went out in the 80s but there's alot to be said for them on rough roads. The modern Dunlop tyres give really good grip and add to the feed back offered.
Because the bike is so long, it does take some effort to countersteer from side to side but in my mind this makes it all the more rewarding to ride. It's a really good handling machine that will surprise even the most seasoned sportsbike rider. It did me.
Overall impression? Unfortunately, the extremely stable Wellington weather put an end to my planned trip, however I must say that in the short time I was on the bike, I loved it.
It needs some loud pipes and I'm sure a 1250cc big bore kit wouldn't go astray either. As it stands, its a bloody good bike and I'm sure that the people who are genuinley interested, will be more than satisfied with it's performance and handling. If I had the money, I'd be on one. $35200 seems good value comparitively.
Now, Jimbo. Deano. You fellahs want a re-match down Castle Point?
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Originally Posted by bungbung
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