Summary

• Harley-Davidson turned to Porsche in 2002 to unravel its bother discovering new consumers by creating a brand new V2 engine for its V-Rod mannequin.
• The collaboration resulted within the delivery of the long-lasting V-Rod, a major divergence from Harley-Davidson’s conventional cruisers.
• Although the V-Rod was discontinued by Harley-Davidson in 2018, it has gained worth and turn out to be a sought-after efficiency basic amongst fanatics.

Harley-Davidson together with its V-twins have a prolonged and affluent heritage in tandem, courting again to 1914 when the agency unveiled the F-head, the company’s initial big-bore twin. Whether it is the big Milwaukee-Eight or the mid-range Revolution X, the V-twin remains to be a mainstay for the corporate right now.

But as a lot as one loves bikes, it might be troublesome to discover a true gearhead who doesn’t additionally respect Porsche in relation to vehicles. Porsche started as an engineering firm that supplied its experience to others for a payment; although they’re most acknowledged for his or her sports activities automobiles.

Porsche partnered with different automakers in the course of the Eighties and Nineties. For occasion, the 190E 2.3-16 sports activities sedan is the results of a collaboration with Mercedes. Additionally, the model collaborated with Audi to provide the first high-performance Audi wagon, the RS2 Avant. However, Porsche has collaborated on initiatives exterior of automotive producers.

Imagine this: American heavyweight Harley-Davidson and Porsche, the top of German sophistication, working in tandem. As unusual because the match might sound, that is simply how issues occurred round 20 years in the past, at the beginning of the millennium. In an effort to do one thing a bit totally different with its V-twin again in 2002, Harley regarded to Porsche for help. The two companies had beforehand labored collectively, however their transatlantic collaboration within the early 2000s was going to have one of many largest historic results, giving rise to the V-Twin Racing Street Custom, or V-Rod.

In order to provide the latest and correct data attainable, the information used to compile this text was gathered from numerous sources like PorcheEngineering, RideApart and AutoEvolution.

Why The Harley-Porsche Partnership Came To Be

Harley Had A Lack Of Reliable, Affordable Motorcycles

Harley-Davidson was having trouble finding prospective buyers within the early 2000s. One of the principle issues was that Harley did not even have any moderately priced, reliable bikes. The American maker went to Porsche, a model that was beginning to turn out to be synonymous with high-quality efficiency engineering, in an try to unravel these points.

In 2002, growth accomplice Porsche Engineering created a brand new V2 engine for the American motorbike firm’s “V-Rod” mannequin, dubbed the “Revolution Engine.” For the maker, who’s extra famend for its Americana design, the mannequin opened up an entire new world. The V-Rod launched trendy, modern ideas to Harley moderately than relying solely on a model and a heritage.

All About The New Revolution Max Engine

The V-Rod Carried Two Critical Firsts For Harley-Davidson

Porsche engineers constructed a 1,131 cc water-cooled motor impressed by a race engine that impressed Harley-Davidson’s choosy clients with its highly effective sound and spectacular efficiency, one thing it took Harley years to replicate with its modern lineup. The VRSC-series Harley’s four-valve engine, DOHC valvetrain, with electronically regulated gas injection produces as much as 120 horsepower.

The Harley-Davidson V-Rod was a major divergence from the opposite fashions within the firm’s portfolio. Most notably, the ‘Revolution’ engine had twin overhead cams and was water-cooled — two important firsts for a Harley-Davidson. It’s sort of unusual to think about that Harley-Davidson’s first water-cooled engine was developed by Porsche, which was on the time acknowledged because the chief in high-performance air-cooled engines.

Porsche’s 911, and Boxster sports activities automobiles had only recently begun to make use of water-cooled engines themselves. But most critically, the brand new engine reached a max rev vary of 9,000 RPM. Porsche additionally put the engine by its famed Düsseldorf Test, which concerned operating the V-twin constantly for 500 hours, to show the engine’s sturdiness. There was by no means a reported engine failure.

Engine Specifications

Birth Of The Iconic V-Rod

Nothing Like A Harley Of That Time

The engine was fitted on an all-new mannequin, the V-Rod. In phrases of look, the V-Rod was different from other Harley-Davidson cruisers. Firstly, it was constructed utilizing an aluminum swingarm and physique panels, and it was constructed on a fringe tube body that was akin to Ducati’s trellis body. The eccentric stable disc wheels, fashionable twin exhaust ideas, and oversize 38-degree rake angle set this bike other than most different Harley designs of the time.

The airbox was tucked away on the bike utilizing a false petrol tank that was positioned on prime of the chassis; the actual reservoir was beneath the seat. Rather than adhering to custom, this design was all about angle and look. The V-Rod did not need to be afraid to point out off its power, weight, and dimension.

2002 V-Rod Underpinnings

The firm’s experiment had two attainable outcomes: it may need established the brand new customary for all different Harley fashions, or it could have been a fleeting business failure. In reality, what occurred was neither of the 2. Instead, the V-Rod carved out a unique niche for itself.

Even whereas it did not enchantment to as many individuals as the opposite Milwaukee merchandise, it was nonetheless profitable sufficient to final for fifteen years, partly due to the popularity it acquired from the racing neighborhood. Based on the manufacturing V-Rod, Custom Vehicle Operations unveiled the drag-racing monster, often called the V-Rod Destroyer, to the strip in 2007. It accomplished the quarter-mile in 6.991 seconds, setting a brand new pace document.

It Was Discontinued By Harley-Davidson In 2018

A 16-Year Run Helped Set The Way For Future H-D Models

From 2002 till 2018, the Harley-Davidson V-Rod was supplied together with various beauty packages, such because the blacked-out Night Rod Special, along with the fundamental bike and Destroyer, and others from third party companies. But come 2018, Harley-Davidson revealed its official lineup which included 17 fashions, none amongst which was the V-Rod. Without a lot as a phrase of appreciation, the V-Rod was dropped from the roster, very like a worn-out boot that had fulfilled its job. At Harley’s, an period unexpectedly ended.

The V-Rod wasn’t precisely a catastrophe throughout its 16-year tenure, and it seems that some Harley riders are starting to worth it extra. The actuality is that each time Harley-Davidson introduces a brand new mannequin, a small group of conservatives at all times resist the change. However, over time, some individuals will at all times worth the mannequin and decide it as their favourite. With time, the V-Rod has gained worth and turn out to be a sought-after performance classic among Harley enthusiasts who need their bikes to have some kind of German flare.

Harley at present depends on its CVO portfolio to provide bikes which have a higher chunk. Though it could be gone, the V-Rod lives on. We will always remember the second Porsche created an engine particularly for a Harley-Davidson motorbike, although the mannequin might have vanished off the face of the planet with far much less fanfare than when it initially debuted.