Harley-Davidson VRSCA V-Rod reviews

This bike is every bit as tuff as it looks. Have yet to see a photo that does this bike justice. It is the meanest, nastiest bike out there and gets tons of looks and compliments. The transmission is silky smooth and the power band on this thing is crazy... This motorcycle is super fast from start to finish. I have been riding forever and have rode everything from dirt to sport and this is by far the most wonderful motorcycle I have ever had the pleasure of riding. It's a pure joy... However, if you ain't tuff, don't even think about it. This motorcycle is not for every one. It has a bad boy image and if you ain't bad, then you got no business on the back of one of these beasts. This motorcycle kicks and if you ain't kickin then your gettin kicked. that's just the nature of the beast. I hope you all have a chance to see one soon and if your BAD enough and TUFF enough, just ride one out the doors and go start kickin!!! Show less

I have ridden my Honda Magna for years and I love it. But I have watched the V-Rods since the day they came out. I wanted to trade, but I wanted to see some reviews first. I don't like learning the hard way. This is the V-Rod to have. It has the easy to use clutch and brakes with real gripper brakes. They way out-perform my Honda. The trans is smooth and quiet, I thought my Magna was good, but this Night Rod is the smoothest I have seen. Makes the other Harleys seem like a tractor to shift. No clunk, no jerk, just smooth shifting. The seat is very comfortable but I would like front control. But these are fine. It has the front pegs to do the highway cruise. It is a good ride, not as soft as a big Harley highway model, but very nice. I can ride it longer than the Magna without getting a back problem. But I would not want to take it on a 1000 mile trip. 200 or 300 would be fine, or 1,00 with frequent stops every 100 miles or so. You have to stop every 120 miles for gas anyway. This is the biggest problem with this bike. Power is great and is twice my Magna, but very easy to use and very friendly. My Magna is built for 10,000 RPM, but the Magna transmission sucks big time. You can use every other gear and do fine and the engine is reving too high at 70 MPG. The Night Rod has very nice transmission spacing and allows you to use all the gears and to cruise at low RPM on the highway at 75 MPH. The lowness of the Night Rod keeps the wind from pushing you like the earlier V-Rods and wheels have gaps in them to allow the air to pass thorugh. So this helps on side winds. I love my Magna and it is great, but it will not be ridden at all anymore. The Night Rod is about as perfect a bike as I can find. I am glad I waited until Harley got it right and fixed the height off the ground problems, the squeeky brakes, the hard clutch handle, and the weaker brakes. It all seems very good now. It may be a bit too much power for the entry level guy or gal, but after a few 1000 miles on something else, you will move up to this one and be very happy. First timers, go by a Magna or something cheap and get the feel of a strong low cruiser, and save your money until you can plunk down the $$ and walk out with a Night Rod. Some dealers will go low if you get a hungry sales person in Nov - Feb and bring in payment. It worked for me. Show less

This Harley has a whole lot of power, but for an average size rider, a set of short-reach pegs and handlebars would be a nice option. Upgrade to the Brembo brakes for the 06 - adds a whole lot of stopping power, but this rider isn't balanced as well as the other Harley's I've ridden, and tends to pull to the right side. 3 gallon tank can take some of the fun out of long trips. Otherwise can't complain about the stock bike itself. Upgraded to the screamin' eagle pipes and love the sound, wastes a lot of fuel even after a new download, lots of time spent cleaning chrome. Show less

Just sitting on an '06 Vrod at the Chicago show told me this was the bike for me. Highly manueverable, light, and lickity split fast, this bike is a blast. I have not ridden in 15 years, and technically, this is my first bike. I have no problem handling this bike although, while riding on the expressway, you do need to hang on to the front end - you get a bit of drift/draft with the full disc wheels (stock). Only negative is that my back gets a little sore with the stock seat after a few hours, and sure do wish that gas tank held 5. Show less

I'm not a Harley Davidson fan, nor hater. In my opinion, they are overpriced. The first time I saw a V-Rod, I knew if I ever owned a Harley, it would probably be that bike. Still, it was overpriced in my mind so I would go on admiring, but not willing to shell out the dough. The Night rod was a step in the right direction, but I guess you could say it wasn't black enough for me. Then came the Night Rod special! I bought this motorcycle because it's the baddest looking motorcycle I can almost afford, and is not known to be slow. I have owned 2 motorcycles prior to this one, a 2002 Honda Nighthawk 750, and a 2004 Haybusa that I've ridden for two years now. My first impression riding it was the riding position. This is my first cruiser, and the position, at first, is very relaxed and comfortable. That is until I'm on the highway at speeds of 65 mph or more. I found myself fighting wind with my legs, something I never even thought of. I knew I'd be fighting wind with my chest and head (especially with a helmet), but didn't expect my legs to be as sore as they were. The wind wants to pull them apart, and since I havn't used a thighmaster since never, I wasn't ready for it. After a few days, however, they don't remain sore, though it's still uncomfortable after a few minutes on the freeway. Perhaps I'll get used to it, and if not, I've learned to hang my feet on the pegs so I don't have to strain so hard to keep my feet in front of me. I also found that sharp bumps, even large abrupt bumps are handled very well by the suspension, but large dips will bottom out the rear shocks and that is not fun when all your weight is directly on your butt. While I'm on the subject(literally, as I type this I'm sitting on it) I want to say that after an hour in the saddle, it starts to hurt. The seat is fairly soft, and comfortable, but without getting off of it for an hour or more, it can feel like a rock. This may be common for a cruiser, but I'm not used to it. I'm not sure if I can give an accurate review of performance. I've never ridden a cruiser before for one, two I've been on a Hayabusa for the last two years, and three I'm still breaking it in, so I haven't really gotten hold of the throttle yet. I can say it's definitely not slow, but it's definitely not a Hayabusa. I must admit I tried cornering it like my Busa and scraped the pegs pretty good. All in all, it's a nice bike. It looks mean, it has a lot of power, and is fun to ride. What I really like most is that this bike, although not considered by most Harley enthusiasts a true Harley, is the epitome of the Harley Davidson spirit that Harley lovers claim to have. For some, I've heard, riding a Harley gives a feeling of being an outlaw, an outsider that dares to be different and doesn't care if he or she's accepted, a true American. Well when you are riding a bike that even the outlaws don't accept, the feeling's multiplied times ten. It really is the blackest sheep of them all! Show less

Here was my dilemma: I wanted something fast, sleek and appealing to the eyes that was still American made. On the other hand I didn't want to ride something that everyone else on two wheels had. Where do you go? Victory? Great looking bikes but very limited dealer network with a still unknown resale record. Harley-Davidson? V-Rod? Yea, seemed like a logical choice. Now that I've made the plunge there's been no looking back. My Night Rod grows on me more each time I saddle up. I really enjoy the looks and comments but more importantly I really enjoy the SCAT this bike has. Do the math. One horse for each five pounds. Maybe it's not as quick as a V-Max but it's plenty quick for me. At six foot two inches I'm not the shortest rider but the bike fits like a glove. The mid mounted controls take a little getting use to but the addition of the factory pegs gives plenty of latitude and a cruiser feel out on the open road. On the If I could change anything list here are my gripes: 1) the fuel tank is a bit small. 2) If you don't let the engine warm up before ridding you'll suffer bucking at low RPM. 3) The seat is only good for solo riding or for taking someone along who you really don't like. All in all, it's a great cruiser and I'm looking forward to many warm sunny days to come. Show less

First let me say that I've had four other Harley's. All of my friends said that I would hate the way a V-Rod rides after being used to touring bikes. Well, all I can say is that after replacing the stock seat with a Harley tall boy seat, it's the most comfortable Harley I've ever been on. Also, if you ride in populated areas you will just love that your bike is liquid cooled. I do miss having saddlebags and will some day bite the bullet and buy some... I also like having a quick detach windshield and love my vance and hine powershots. The sound isn't a traditional Harley sound, but it does sound good! My only complaint is that the gas tank isn't big enough. But then again, they fixed that in 07. Do yourself a favor if your interested in a V-Rod. Ride one and don't listen to your friends that are riding something different. You won't be let down. As for maintenance, ask a HD service tech. You can't hurt the thing! Show less

I love this bike. It is just such a blast to ride. Very fast, good seating and peg positions. A cross between a crusier and a sport bike. I can't get enough of it! I ride with a friend who has a Ducati 999 (I have one as well) and I have no problems keeping his pace, and I often prefer riding the street rod over the 999. The bike doesn't like it at low rpm's and is heavy to maneuver in a parking lot but at 5000 rpms up to 9K it's in its glory. Show less

I bought my VRSCSE2 two weeks ago and I'm a committed fan already. Dealer told me rear wheel horse power was 160. Not sure, but doesn't matter. This bike is so powerful and nimble I had to re-think my riding ability. You can feel the throaty engine between your knees instead of the pipes of my Superglide. The bike is very sleek, attracts a ton of attention, is a dream to ride short or long haul and very comfortable. Show less

I have been living in Tokyo Japan for a little more than a year. Two weeks ago early June, I bought new 2006 Hi Gloss VRSCD Night Rod from the local dealer in Shibuya. It took sometime for both of us to understand each other, the sales man and me. Luckily my wife was there, she speaks the local language much better than the I. Once they realized I was a serious buyer, we began ordering accessories, shirts, Jackets and other items... Whoo Hoo! A week later, I showed up with a hand full of cash and we had a motorcycle. My previous Harley was a 1993 FLSTC Heritage softail. There are noticable differences in these motorcycles... I am very impressed with the power and handling of this Motorcycle. It calls you to ride... AWESOME MACHINE!!! Show less