Rod Chapman•22 Apr 2014

REVIEW

Long-term update: V-Rod Muscle

Name: Long-term update: V-Rod Muscle
Brand: Harley-Davidson

Six weeks into our relationship with Harley-Davidson's bad boy, we are smitten by its blend of attitude and performance as it tears up the miles

Maybe it’s because I’m a bit past the raw, eyeball-rattling edge of outright top speed. Maybe it’s because I’m looking for an escape from my everyday, run-of-the-mill existence. Or maybe it’s because I’ve just turned 40. Whatever it is, for six weeks now I’ve been staring a naked truth in the face every time I open my garage door: I’m riding a Harley, and I love it.

It’s taken me 20 years and the sampling of hundreds if not thousands of motorcycles to reach this point, this fork in the road of my biking life. I grew up on a steady diet of sportsbikes – the lighter, more powerful and faster the better – before slowly slipping into the streetfighter vein. Often similar performance, just without the chiro bills.

Now, as the middle-aged bloke in the mirror stares back at me each morning, I’ve come to a realisation I thought would never come to pass – I’ve found a Harley that, every time I go for a ride, makes my spirits soar.

The Harley faithful will nod their heads sagely, the rest will dismiss me with a sad shake of their head, but there it is – the ‘Motor Co’ has won over another rider, adding him to the millions who have preceded him in Harley’s 110-year history.

PATHS COLLIDE

When the V-Rod Muscle first arrived at Bikesales Network I eyed that f-a-t 240-section Michelin Scorcher rear hoop with suspicion. “That can’t do much for its handling,” I mused, while warily eyeing its limited ground clearance. I wasn’t expecting sportsbike-like performance, that’s for sure, but it would be nice to be able to keep up with my mates on a sunny Sunday outing.

I need not have worried. The V-Rod Muscle’s 1247cc Revolution V-twin, with liquid cooling, four-valve heads and electronic fuel injection, delivers heaps of urge and instant response. At a claimed 307kg (wet) it’s no lightweight but it’s all relative – it’s lighter than a good many of Harley’s traditional Big Twins.

Pushing that around is 115Nm of torque. Harley doesn’t quote a horsepower figure but that’s enough grunt to get the pulse racing at the legal limit and for a good measure beyond. Given its complete lack of bodywork and our camera-festooned Aussie roads, it’s plenty fast enough, thank you very much.

That massive back hoop takes some getting used to but it’s not as big an impediment to sporting fun as you might think. Sure, it takes a decent shove of the drag-style ’bars to get her heeled over and you need to keep a little pressure up through the turn to counter the inherent understeer, but you adjust soon enough and before too long you don’t even think about it.

With a battleship-long wheelbase of 1700mm and a raked out 34-degree steering head angle it was never going to turn on a 10c piece so changing lines mid corner is best avoided, but the cornering clearance is actually pretty good – far better than it looks, in fact.

The forward-set footpegs are tiny little affairs, however, and they don’t offer much grip in wet weather (not that you’ll be wanted to ride in the wet with this much chrome). They’re not sprung, either, which means if for some reason you do bump one up you’ll have to go searching with your foot to flick it down again.

But I digress – because the main point I’d like to make about this bike is the wonder of its engine. Now Harley purest may dismiss the VRSC platform as new-fandangled witchery, but in the 10 or so years since the V-Rod was first launched it’s carved out a legion of fans for good reason. It’s just a lovely unit; powerful enough, wonderfully torquey right off the bottom and then on through its hard-charging midrange, and somehow intoxicating in a way I can’t quite put my finger on. Smooth and seductive, its power delivery is compelling and richly satisfying – it just makes me smile each and every time I take the Muscle for a ride.

At 100km/h it’s pulling a low 3750rpm in top of its five-speed gearbox and there’s plenty of go on tap from this point should you need to make a quick overtake. Redline is at 9000rpm but I rarely find myself pushing beyond 6500rpm, where that peak torque figure is delivered.

SWEET PACKAGE

On the open road it’s a wonderfully cohesive package. The engine spins along in a relaxed, unhurried manner and the ride position won’t prove too taxing over longer stints. The drag ’bars mean my spine remains fairly upright and the raised lip of the pillion perch locks my backside into place – a good thing under hard acceleration.

Pillions get a bit a raw deal, however – the back seat isn’t huge, there’s nothing to hang on to (other than the rider) and it actually slopes a little to the rear, meaning fast take-offs can be fraught affairs. It’s nothing a backrest wouldn’t fix and besides, this bike’s hardly got a two-up focus.

Gripes? It’s hard to read the instruments – or maybe my eyes are feeling the effects of staring at a computer for the best part of 20 years. I’d also add that it’s very, VERY important that you don’t leave your key in the side-mounted ignition switch and ride off. In Harleys (and Buells) of not too long ago you put your key in the side ignition, fired the bike up and left they key in place. Nowadays they’ve got a remote fob for keyless starting, plus a simple lock on the ignition switch. Ride off with the key in the ignition switch and it’ll fall out on the road, complete with the immobiliser fob to which it’s invariably attached. Good luck starting the bike next time without the immobiliser… I wonder how I know all this?

As for fuel economy, the Muscle seems to have found its stride at around 5.9lt/100km. That’s a safe range of approaching 300km, which is pretty much on the money for this style of machine.

Right now the V-Rod Muscle is as stock as the day it rolled off the production line but that’s something Bikesales Network is set to address. We’re throwing it back at Melbourne’s Harley City for a little Genuine Motor Co Accessories love. Those whisper-quiet pipes simply have to go…

In our next update we’ll look at those add-ones and take a closer look at the V-Rod’s abilities around town. After all, it’s in the big city where you’ll find the greatest number of people to flash you envious glances. When the Harley bug bites, it can bite mighty hard…

SPECS: HARLEY-DAVIDSON V-ROD MUSCLE

ENGINE

Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke, OHC, eight-valve, 60-degree Revolution V-twin

Capacity: 1247cc

Bore x stroke: 105mm x 72mm

Compression ratio: 11.5:1

Engine management: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE

Claimed maximum power: N/A

Claimed maximum torque: 115Nm at 6500rpm

TRANSMISSION

Type: Five-speed

Final drive: Belt

Clutch: Wet

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR

Frame: Tubular steel cradle

Front suspension: 43mm inverted fork, non-adjustable

Rear suspension: Twin shocks, adjustable for preload

Front brakes: Twin discs with four-piston calipers

Rear brake: Single disc with four-piston caliper

Wheels: Cast alloy, five-spoke

Tyres: Michelin Scorcher 120/70-19 front, 240/40-18 rear

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES

Rake: 34 degrees

Trail: 142mm

Claimed wet weight: 307kg

Seat height: 705mm

Ground clearance: 105mm

Wheelbase: 1700mm

Fuel capacity: 18.9 litres

OTHER STUFF

Price: $26,750 (rideaway)

Colour: Vivid Black (2013 colour scheme shown)

Test bike supplied by: Harley-Davidson Australia, www.harley-davidson.com.au

Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres

Long-term update: V-Rod Muscle

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