Harley-Davidson Night Rod Special: A Future Classic?

Blacked-Out Looker

In 2001, Harley-Davidson let loose the VRSC, short for V-Twin Racing Street Custom — better known as the V-Rod. The radical 'muscle bike' design left many customers confused but intrigued by the new street machine. Catering to all tastes, the V-Rod appeared in multiple versions, including the striking VRSCDX Night Rod Special.

Muscle Bike Design

The Night Rod Special was a hot rod-inspired motorcycle released in 2007. Like all V-Rods, the Night Rod Special featured a liquid-cooled 60-degree DOHC V-twin engine called the 'Revolution' that was jointly developed with Porsche — a first for Harley-Davidson. The Night Rod Special continued in production until 2017, when all the V-Rod platforms were quietly withdrawn from production.

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Race Horsepower

Based on the Harley-Davidson's VR-1000 Superbike race engine, the Revolution was a 'muscle bike' powerhouse. Initially, V-Rods were equipped with a 1,130cc mill that produced over a 100 horsepower with a 9,000 rpm redline. A 1,247cc Screamin' Eagle 125 horsepower version was introduced in 2005, and the non-street legal eight-second VRXSE Destroyer drag bike got the seat-searing 165 horsepower 1300cc stroker motor.

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Orange and Black

Part of Harley-Davidson's 'Dark Custom' series, the Night Rod Special was a factory-custom version of the standard VRSCD Night Rod. With blacked-out chrome components, the Night Rod Special sported a 240mm-wide rear tire on black slotted wheels with dark orange pinstriping. In 2008, the Night Rod Special received the 125 horsepower Revolution motor, with a slipper clutch transmission, and ABS braking as an added option.

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Decade Marker

Harley-Davidson launched the 10th-anniversary version of the Night Rod Special in 2012. The anniversary issue had a straight-shot exhaust with dual, slash-cut mufflers, and split five-spoke cast aluminum wheels with diamond cut highlights. Other features included a pullback handlebar on an inverted front fork, and small touches such as a blacked-out speed screen visor, and 10th-anniversary emblems.

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Race Pedigree

The Night Rod Special carries the unmistakable genetic markers of a drag-racer. All V-Rods have a modular frame that combines hydro-formed main rails with a steel upper frame and bolt-on lower rails. A cast-aluminum swing-arm completes the frame assembly. Keeping the center of gravity low, the fuel tank is located underneath the seat. The 'gas tank' is just a 'cover' for the airbox and coolant fill port.

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Just Add Water

The Night Rod Special cuts a unique profile. The 34-degree raked-out front end guarantees straight-line stability with a healthy 5.6 inches of trail. While less of a canyon-carver and more of a street rumbler, the Night Rod Special features a 32-degree lean angle with adequate ground clearance. The unmistakable radiator dominates the front end, yet its presence has been mitigated by well-considered lines.

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Gateway Harley

When the V-Rod was introduced, it garnered both skepticism and praise. Many feared that it was the beginning of the end for the beloved air-cooled 45-degree V-Twin. The media praised the V-Rod as a thoroughly modern power-cruiser that gave the competition reason to be worried. Despite being uniquely different the V-Rod and its stablemates became best-sellers in Europe, while attracting buyers from other brands in America.

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Dress Rehearsal

The Night Rod Special and other V-Rod variants will always be the odd-one-out in the Harley-Davidson family. Yet, they serve to question Car & Driver Magazine's statement that the “Harley-Davidson phenomena is culturally, rather than technologically driven.” While the V-Rod platform was unique, it was no black sheep. The Night Rod Special was a performer reminding us that progress and change can look good.

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