The dragster does not feature anywhere in the 2018 HD lineup
The 2018 Harley-Davidson lineup overhaul carries terrible news for V-Rod lovers. The low slung dragster seems to have been dropped from the new Softail range that has also assimilated the Dyna range. This means the current V-Rod might as well be the last of its kind.
The V-Rod was the antithesis of riding a Harley-Davidson, ditching their large, slow-revving torquey motors for a large high-revving stonker. Launched in 2001, the 1130cc 'Revolution' V-Twin was basically the VR-1000 racing engine developed by Porsche, and made 100Nm at 7000rpm. Liquid-cooling and double overhead cams, among other updates, made it the most modern Harley motor at the time. The hydroformed frame came with a kicked out rake and the fuel tank sat below the seat. What looked like the fuel tank was actually cover for an airbox. Over the years, the V-Rod got sportier updates like a larger 1247cc mill, slipper clutch, new rear end and wider rear tyre, Brembo brakes and ABS. The V-Rod also spawned ten variants, notable among them the Night Rod and the V-Rod Muscle. It was not the quintessential Harley but found a loyal set of followers. Sixteen years on, Harley-Davidson has come a long way.
Belonging to the Dyna family, the V-Rod's discontinuation comes due to it not complying with Euro-IV norms and sales that have waned over the years owing to better Harley offerings available at a more affordable price. We hope that Harley is brewing something up as the V-Rod replacement.
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