The 2006 Harley-Davidson VRSC V-Rod family of bikes has the unique distinction of being the only model in the American manufacturer""s legacy to not look like a traditional Harley. Designed to take over the power cruiser market, Harley-Davidson built the VRSC in tandem with Porsche, and the result is one of the most organically beautiful and modern bikes to ever leave a Harley production plant.
The 2006 Harley-Davidson VRSC family of bikes features three sub-models – the classic A V-Rod, the stealthy Night Rod, and the beefed-up Street Rod. All three models are powered by Harley-Davidson""s 1130cc, DOHC, fuel-injected, liquid-cooled, Revolution V-Twin engine. With four valves per cylinder, the A V-Rod offers 115 horsepower and 74 lb-ft of torque, while the Night Rod and Street Rod each boasts slightly higher results, at 120 horsepower and 80 lb-ft of torque.
Everything about the 2006 Harley-Davidson VRSC implies it""s something special. From its eye-catching aluminum bodywork and shiny swooped exhaust, to its dragster-inspired 38-degree raked fork (40-degrees on the Street Rod) and silver-leaf-coated hydroformed frame, the bike screams performance and style.
The Harley-Davidson VRSC is a bike that looks like it""s moving fast, even when it""s parked in your driveway. This is partly due to the bike""s forward controls, clamshell instrument pod, teardrop reflector-optic headlight, pull-back welded handlebars, slash-cut dual exhaust, and low-profile scooped seat. The two-tone silver and charcoal powder-coated cylinders and chrome covers only add to the sparkling allure and intrinsic beauty of the Harley-Davidson VRSC""s award-winning design.
But, as beautiful as the 2006 Harley-Davidson VRSC is, it really means nothing if the bike doesn""t perform. Luckily, all three sub-models perform at the top of their fields. Thanks to the new Brembo triple disc brake system (dual 300mm discs on front and one 300mm disc on back), the VRSC has incomparable stopping power, which you""ll feel confident calling on whenever the bike""s Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI) and instant-response five-speed transmission has you rip-roaring down the road.
Despite the unrequited power of this Harley-Davidson sport cruiser, the low 26-inch seat height on the A V-Rod and Night Rod gives the bikes a low center of gravity that makes them easy to navigate on practically all road surfaces. However, if you""re a rider with a larger stature, then you might feel more comfortable on the Street Rod, as it has the highest seat height of any Harley-Davidson, at 30 inches.
With a 3.7 gallon fuel tank (five gallons on the Street Rod), and an estimated fuel economy of 37 miles to the gallon in the city and 47 mpg on the highway, the 2006 Harley-Davidson VRSC offers many, many hours of tarmac-eating enjoyment between fill-ups. However, if there""s one drawback to the Harley-Davidson VRSC""s beauty, it""s that when you do have to make that occasional stop, you can expect a lot of peculiar and inquisitive glances being cast your way.