In keeping with current popular design, H-D used a set of 43 mm forks to buoy the front. The rear shocks are limited to a simple preload adjustment, and the front and rear suspension travel is 4-inches and 2. All of the Night Rod Specials get cast-aluminum, five-spoke rims shot in blackout paint, but while the Vivid Black models come with an orange pinstripe, the others all run a machined-aluminum accent stripe.
A bit weighty at pounds and built to sprint, the Special needs a lot of braking power to keep the energy under control. H-D was not negligent in its duties, and it blessed the Special with mm discs all the way around. Dual, four-piston calipers slow the front wheel with another quad-pot binder to slow the rear. ABS protection comes standard. A short stroke engine, the mm bore and 72 mm stroke adds up to a total displacement of 1, cc.
A five-speed tranny with a slip-and-assist clutch couples rear wheel to engine power. The first-gear ratio is set to come out of the hole, while the other four are rather close for tight powerband management when headed down the strip or street. I am glad to see the slipper clutch here, because things can get real exciting when you try to scrub speed after a run, and this should prevent any rear-wheel hop or other such problems.
Instead of a chain, the factory uses gears for the primary drive, and as usual we get a reinforced belt and pulleys for the final drive. Now for performance numbers and some stark realities. The Revolution mill churns out 83 pound-feet at 6, rpm, not bad for such a small engine, and it turns in quarter-mile times around 11 seconds at around mph.
Cruiser-esque drag bikes are still something of a rarity, and I had a real hard time finding a machine with just the right build and engine size. So with that in mind, I went with a machine that is relatively similar, and that has been burning up U.
Right off, you have to admit they both look the part, like purpose-built drag machines — the only things missing are the air shifters and wheelie bars. Harley-Davidson isn't the first motorcycle company that comes to mind when you think of fast bikes.
Although they have produced some quick performance bikes over the years, most Harleys on the road are big cruisers meant for comfort over speed. The company's V-Rod is certainly an exception, reaching a factory rated top speed of mph, making it Harley-Davidson's fastest street-legal production motorcycle. However, Harley produced an even more powerful version of the V-Rod, often overlooked by fans. The Revolution V-twin engine was worked over to make big power by utilizing a longer-stroke crankshaft and bored out block, high compression forged pistons, big valves, bigger throttle bodies, high lift cams, and more.
These extensive upgrades resulted in an absolute beast of a drag bike. It produced over horsepower and managed to get through the quarter-mile in under nine seconds. The combination of presence and raw power makes the Harley Davidson V-Rod an intimidating foe for any sportbike.
Additionally, the guard prevents flying-object damage while acting as a fairing of sorts to guide ram-air into the scoops and across the rad for a forced-ventilation action, at least when underway. In short, it could be worse. Punched out to 1, cc, the Revolution engine has a 4. This mill cranks out a generous horsepower, backed up by a pucker-inducing 87 pound-feet of torque at 6, rpm, which is enough for the streets, and a good starting point for the track.
This is great as far as it goes, but the power-to-weight ratio falls a bit short compared to some other similar models, and someone looking to actually use it on a track should expect to perform some heavy modifications to the engine before hitting the track in a competitive capacity. Like I said: a good starting point , but not the be-all, end-all right out of the box. Nothing for it.
Street-drag bikes with less than 1, cubes or so are hard to find, unsurprising given the nature and demands of the sector. I was about to abandon my search for an appropriate competitor when the Diavel by Ducati presented itself, and I found myself wondering how I missed it in the first place. A relatively low, inch seat height keeps center-of-gravity at a reasonable height. The aggressive, all-up-front stance, mm wide rear tire and ram-air intake scoops all point to a ride that means serious business.
At degrees, the Diavel carries less rake than the degree front end on the Muscle, but the 5. All fairly drag-tastic if you ask me. Looking at the engines, it is easy to detect the lack of experiential overlap within the high-performance sector between the two manufacturers. To further exacerbate this offset, the Diavel weighs in at pounds wet, a considerable bit lighter than the Muscle at pounds.
What this means is if a bunch of Muscle riders are at the dragstrip and a Diavel shows up, the H-D riders are suddenly competing for second place. Yeah it sounds harsh, but this is the reality of it, at least on stock bikes. Course, the Diavel comes with all sorts of yummy-goodness in the form of a ride-by-wire throttle that enables the traction-control system and rider modes.
I leave it to you to decide where your priorities lie. Anything that turns people on to H-D in general, or motorcycling in general, is a good thing.
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