advice on buying a V-Rod
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,599
Likes: 421
From: Lansing mi
Thanks to all of you for the advice.
Last Thursday I test drove a 11 King and loved it, so I bought the one I dove on the spot. I just cant seem to pull my self away from the traditional Harley's. Going to be a loooong Winter...Thanks.
Last Thursday I test drove a 11 King and loved it, so I bought the one I dove on the spot. I just cant seem to pull my self away from the traditional Harley's. Going to be a loooong Winter...Thanks.
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 214
Likes: 0
From: kentucky
Can't go wrong with the vrod whether a muscle or nightrod. Just ditch the stock exhaust. Go with a topless airbox and a good quality air filter. Then get a good tuner and find a shop with a dyno and a good tech guy. These are the basic stage 1 mods, but will really wake the vrod up. If thats not enough power then you can go just as much as your wallet will let you, but will run into serious bucks for anything over stage 1. Stage 1 mods will run between 1500 and 2000 bucks but I think it is worth it.
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 214
Likes: 0
From: kentucky
The vrod doesn't pull the torque that the air-cooled engines pull , but it loves RPMs and it usually just out wines the air-cooled engines. It does pull big horsepower numbers but the torque curve comes in about 4500 or 5000 RPMS and goes all the way to 9000 RPMs. With an exhaust change they sound similiar to the air-cooled bikes if you keep the RPMs below 5000. I cruise with my family and they all own air-cooled bikes, my bike sounds like a built air-cooled motor with a funky whining sound that kinda sounds like a gear drive.
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I had an 03 and an 09 V. Just traded them both for a Street Glide. I loved my 09, the only reason i traded them is the wife didn't ride the 03 very much, and they are not great 2 up bikes. It was plenty comfortable for me though. We went to Daytona Bike Week last year, a 1000 miles round trip and i was not complaining about anything hurting that my buddies on touring bikes weren't. I scraped up two sets of pegs very badly from mountain riding. I had reduced reach pegs turned backwards for extra leg room though. They are great bikes, it just all depends on what you will be using them for.
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 184
Likes: 3
From:
I see you got a Road King, but I'll thow my 2cents in for anyone else that's looking. Great looking bike BTW, buddy of mine just got the 11 RKC too, and I almost bought the RK instead of the VRSC
I've owned a Superglide, Sportster, Softail Custom, and now own an 09 Night Rod Special.
1. "How much motor vibration deference?" Hdaddy said it. There is no vibration on a VRSC.
2. "How smooth do they ride over bumps?" Not very. But there are plenty of great aftermarket shocks for them and that is one of the top mods.
3. "How about power deference over a stage-1 Dyna?" Haven't ridden a Dyna, but VRSC power is unbelievable, power all the way to 9 grand.
4. "How is the gas mileage?" Not good. I get 33 consistently. (but it's a high performance engine right off the dealer floor) When I bought the Softail Custom new (1340cc) it got over 50, but after I hopped it up, it only got about 35. so...
5. "Handling on sharp curves." OK so far. I'm not a big twisty guy, but the sport bike riders like them.
6. "When cruising around 75 mph do you feel a need for a 6th gear?" No. At 75 in 5th, I'm sitting at about 5 grand. I can roll it on up to 9 grand with no problem except clothes getting torn off and unanticipated police interest in me.
7. "Could mid mount foot pegs be installed just to rest my feet on?" Yes, and that was my first mod. Did it with all Harley OEM parts except for one spacer. Could have done it without the spacer and with one more Harley part, but would have had to drop the swingarm. There is a good thread on 1130cc.com with good pics showing this mod. I did it myself for about the high $300s IIRC. That is just the pegs, not controls.
Since I've bought it, several HD wrenches have told me that the VRSC is bullet proof.
One of the best things about the VRSC now is that Harley dropped the price $2000 on the 2011 models. Best bargain and value (and power) in the Harley line as far as I'm concerned.
I've owned a Superglide, Sportster, Softail Custom, and now own an 09 Night Rod Special.
1. "How much motor vibration deference?" Hdaddy said it. There is no vibration on a VRSC.
2. "How smooth do they ride over bumps?" Not very. But there are plenty of great aftermarket shocks for them and that is one of the top mods.
3. "How about power deference over a stage-1 Dyna?" Haven't ridden a Dyna, but VRSC power is unbelievable, power all the way to 9 grand.
4. "How is the gas mileage?" Not good. I get 33 consistently. (but it's a high performance engine right off the dealer floor) When I bought the Softail Custom new (1340cc) it got over 50, but after I hopped it up, it only got about 35. so...
5. "Handling on sharp curves." OK so far. I'm not a big twisty guy, but the sport bike riders like them.
6. "When cruising around 75 mph do you feel a need for a 6th gear?" No. At 75 in 5th, I'm sitting at about 5 grand. I can roll it on up to 9 grand with no problem except clothes getting torn off and unanticipated police interest in me.
7. "Could mid mount foot pegs be installed just to rest my feet on?" Yes, and that was my first mod. Did it with all Harley OEM parts except for one spacer. Could have done it without the spacer and with one more Harley part, but would have had to drop the swingarm. There is a good thread on 1130cc.com with good pics showing this mod. I did it myself for about the high $300s IIRC. That is just the pegs, not controls.
Since I've bought it, several HD wrenches have told me that the VRSC is bullet proof.
One of the best things about the VRSC now is that Harley dropped the price $2000 on the 2011 models. Best bargain and value (and power) in the Harley line as far as I'm concerned.