Harley Davison's V-Rod was originated in Y2K. It's design was initiated in 1992, however it was in 1999 did V-Rod prototype first reveal to the public and hit the market in 2000. Because of the Revolution Twin Cam Liquid-cooled and Perimeter Frame, it was being criticized by diehard Harley Davidson fans,referring it to unorthodox and deviated creature from the Harley Davison classic design. However Harley Davidson couldn't stick to the old fashion conservative design forever, they have to expand the younger market, otherwise they will be eliminated due to the aging and shrinking mainstream market population.
The selling numbers of V-Rod was just average in the beginning because of inexpensive but excellent quality Japanese rivals. However there were no similar muscle bike product line among Japanese manufacturers. Consequently, V-Rod stimulate several Japanese bike company to revolutionize their design concept, such as the Honda VTX1800 F-type, Yamaha Warrior 1700c.c, Kawasaki Meanstreak 1600c.c and at last the Suzuki M109R 1800c.c. In 2006, V-Rod was amazed by the charismatic 240mm wide tire of the uprising M109R, so Harley Davison remodel V-Rod the next year.
Not only did it upgrade to the 240mm wide body frame but also enhance its power train from 1130c.c to 1250c.c. The wide body 2007 version V-Rod did show a substantial progress in sales numbers. Together with Night Rod model adding to the lineup and an exterior modification of V-Rod in 2009, which renamed as V-Rod Muscle (abbreviation as VRSCF), that all significantly boosted the VRSC in sales. The Revolution Twin Cam on hindsight is an imperative design, for if this bike couldn't reflect substantial profit for the company, then there is no way Harley Davidson would continue to expend its ''Street'' , '' wide body series '', ''Night Rod'' , "Muscle" lineup ..,etc.
I am originally a Suzuki M109R owner, and it was after I understand the origin of M109R that I purchased V-Rod and Night Rod Special for research purposes. At last, I couldn't help but fall for this bike. The fallowing articles are focused on how exactly did I modify my Night Rod Special.
Speaking of Harley V-Rod aftermarket kits, the most popular one is the NLC in Germany. If you buy and apply the whole NLC package on the bike, it would definitely looks awesome. However in my country Taiwan, there are only a dozen V-Rods, all of which that has modified their bike happens to be using the NLC package. I wish my bike to look extraordinary. The secret for the success of NLC is its vanguard design which makes the bike a more muscle and violent look.
Is there a way to make V-Rod less mean but add a little more classic fusing with a more modern design? That is what REVO-CYCLES are trying to accomplish. In terms of grips, we used Alern Ness VICTORY series from the USA and we used REVO headlight to create a sharper look in the front end. The highlight of V-Rod is the Front Fender, Air Box and Rear Fender; these are the parts from Germany which is customizing to fit 300 mm wide tires. However, because of this situation, we have to design the specific seats in order to fit all the settings.
The front and rear discs and 300 mm wide tire kit are all made by HOGPRO USA. Their quality is exceptional good and exquisite. Basically, at this point the fundamental structure has been completed. As shown in the pictures, the Air Box is in a classic water drop shape, with short rear fenders, it conveys a concise and forceful design language. Collocating with vintage feel customize paint; the entire charm has completely differentiate from the original V-Rod.
Additionally, another important design is our custom made 6 inch tilted both side muffler which could bring out the inner violent within this Night-Rod. Especially with the 300 mm wide tire in the middle and the 6 inch dual muffler on both side, it is a very dramatically dynamic design. The trickiest problem when modifying VRSC is to hide all those cables. We didn't hide those cables within the back of the Air Box like other stores, but we minimized the size and hid them all under the seat. Naturally, we have used the COBRA Fi2000R CVT together with high flow air filter in terms of the exhaust system. This could enhance the entire acceleration performance to be even better than the stock settings. The other detail parts were all ordered from Harley Davidson accessory to add up its classic taste. VRSC series has been one of our favorite muscle bikes; I particularly love the engine, which is no way inferior to the Ducati V-twin.
