Riding the V-Rod brings out speed demon in all of us

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Rancamaya, Bogor

Heading out on the highway with Harley-Davidson's new V-Rod motorbike will make you feel a distinctive difference between this bike and the other variants from the legendary manufacturer.

Once you hop on the seat, you instantly feel the bike become an extension of your body. All you will want to do is rev it up until it reaches its maximum speed.

When I got an opportunity to ride the new V-Rod bike during a media launch earlier this month, I instantly noticed that it was born to appease the innate need for velocity.

All I wanted to do was take the new bike up to its maximum speed during the test drive at Rancamaya Golf and Country Club.

It was quite a different experience from riding other bikes, for example, the Fat Boy bike, which allows you to enjoy the sensation of riding a Harley-Davidson instead of tempting you to take it to its maximum speed.

"It is so powerful that I reached 140 kilometers per hour (kph) without any difficulties. I didn't even realize I was doing that speed," another journalist said after getting off of the V- Rod.

The V-Rod was designed and built to harness the wind, while keeping intact the Harley-Davidson feeling and sensation.

This new bike is the result of a five-year secret project that was aimed at injecting new vigor into the long, established tradition of Harley-Davidson bikes, which started in 1903.

Hard-liners and traditionalists may shudder at the idea of using watercooled engines on a Harley-Davidson in contrary to the tradition of using an air-cooled one.

"This V-Rod bike is really aimed at the new generation of riders, without losing sight of the components that set the Harley-Davidson bikes apart.

"We can say it's a motorbike for the future," said John Leo McEnaney, Harley-Davidson's service operation representative for Southeast Asia.

McEnaney said he had been quite skeptical before he tried the new bike out.

"But once I rode the V-Rod, I knew it was a Harley-Davidson. So I also believe others will accept it as a new member of the family," he said.

The V-Rod is a fine blend of speed and style, which is commonly associated with a Harley-Davidson bike.

At first sight, you will fall for the fine design and blend of a modern sports racing bike with a full array of Harley-Davidson traditions.

The V-Rod is the first Harley-Davidson bike to be powered by a 1,130cc watercooled engine, called the Revolution.

The 60 degree V-twin geometry, dual overhead cams, and the four-valve heads of the Revolution engine is the offspring of the VR-1000 engine used by the Harley-Davidson Superbike team.

Built in cooperation with Porsche engineers in Stuttgart, Germany, the Revolution motor spins on a one-piece forged crankshaft with side-by-side rods pounding out a massive 115 horse power at 8,250 rotations per minute (rpm) and has a torque of 74 ft. lbs. at 7,000 rpm.

It can top 402 meters in 11.42 seconds at 186.2 kph.

In terms of acceleration, it can go from zero to 30 miles per hour in 1.2 seconds and in 3.1 seconds it can go from zero to 60 mph with a measured top speed of 134 mph or 214.4 kph.

The V-Rod is equipped with a self-diagnostics readout in its panel in addition to an electronic speedometer, odometer, resettable trip meter, fuel gauge and a tachometer.

The bike is available in Indonesia through its sole authorized dealer, PT Mabua Harley-Davidson.

With a price tag of Rp 367 million (US$39,891) for the Anodized Aluminum style and Rp 377 million for the Sterling Silver and Vivid Black style, those who want a taste of the bike may have to wait a little bit longer.

The first shipment of five bikes have already sold out, while another nine are scheduled to arrive on Nov. 15, with only two bikes not sold yet.

"I'm quite sure that the Indonesian market will be able to absorb more Harley-Davidson bikes, including this new V-Rod.

"We already have a captive market of our old customers, and of course we are aiming at new riders," said PT Mabua Harley- Davidson general manager Willy A. Tjondodiputero.

The V-Rod model was introduced last year in the United States but it took about one year to arrive here due to technical preparations.

"We had to send our technicians to take part at special maintenance training sessions to provide better service to our customers here. There are a lot of new features used in the V-Rod bikes and we want to ensure total customer satisfaction," said Willy.