Less revs more clutch slip and it’s a clean getaway but slow, so slow, and you can feel it. This is fun, but it’s a case of double boll…. More revs equates to erratic wheelspin and smokin’ tyre. Here goes…Ī genuine, dyno measured, 109bhp at the rear wheel is let loose under the guidelines of plan A: with 3000rpm showing on the tacho, let go of the clutch lever. Remember where the right footpeg is placed balance the bike with your right foot’s tippy toes, close visor and don’t forget not to breathe too hard – but don’t stop breathing. The clutch is light, slow to respond but doesn’t fade as you psyche yourself up. Getting perfect drive with little wheel spin and crisp take off is a bitch, with a capital B. Except there’s a short in the connection. Forget about clean running, just give me instant connection between throttle and tyre, which is what should happen. Muscle? Not quite.įuel injection and modern ignition systems are good. A heavily silenced exhaust dilutes any expectancy of pulling arms from sockets and neck snapping. It’s a long way to drag a supporting leg forwards and upwards with eyes focussed ahead, either on the two crows flitting about in the direction of aim, or the in-your-face tacho.īlip the throttle the expected response of rorty power is dismal.
But for racing from the lights and lighting the rear tyre that seating position feels all wrong.
Take it as read the water-cooled Harley lump is a happy chap and eager to put a smile on your face with a quick-revving engine and easy to shift gearbox. So what's it like to try and harness all of that power and torque in a straight line, top speed run? I took the bike to Bruntingthorpe airfield to find out. In all a muscle cruiser of the relaxed kind. The engine is super smooth with a precise throttle delivery everywhere. But when it’s anchored by 307kg of metals and plastics it is hard not to ask yourself where has all the go gone? Never mind.
#HARLEY CHOPPER SPECS FULL#
This limited edition bike also carried the ‘10’ year logo on its engine cases as per all 2012 models of V-Rod (Night- Rod Special and Muscle).Ī water-cooled V-twin with 120bhp and a house full of torque is not to be sniffed at.
Harley-Davidson’s V-Rod range was 10-years-old in 2012 and to celebrate this milestone Harley reintroduced the Brilliant Silver Pearl colour first seen on the original V-Rod in 2002. Harley-Davidson V-Rod 10th Anniversary edition Investigate the bike’s spec and you’ll end up with zero because Harley doesn’t quote a bhp figure. The Porsche-designed 1246cc engine had a little work to ramp up the bottom end for this 2009 version but, even so, its claimed 85ftlb is down on competition from the Yamaha VMAX and Triumph Rocket III. The mixture of chrome, wide bars and tyres bolted to a long wheelbase chassis command huge road presence even though bold styling means they are often mistaken for asthmatic two-wheeled handbags. Except it isn’t that muscular – 12.25sec standing quarters anyone?įor the uninitiated, muscle bikes are large capacity machines dressed in street cruiser clothing and producing serious amounts of torque and power. The Muscle is essentially a reworked V-Rod with design touches (muscular, flowing lines) to front it up as a serious boulevard traffic light blaster. The Harley-Davidson V-Rod American cruiser has been about since 2001, and the new Muscle is… is just another styling exercise to bolster what is arguably a tired range.
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