Harley-Davidson introduced the Night Rod for the 2006 model year. The cruiser borrowed elements from previously introduced models in the VRSC family, notably the V-Rod and the Street Rod. According to Motorcycle USA, "In the flesh, the Night Rod is possibly the most attractive VRSC yet." The Night Rod's sinister styling with blacked-out engine, wheels, forks and swing arm sets it apart from the other VRSC models.
Engine Specs
The Harley-Davidson Night Rod has Harley-Davidson's trademarked Revolution engine. The Revolution is a 1250-cubic-centimeter, liquid-cooled, double overhead cam (DOHC), fuel-injected, 60 degree V-twin cylinder engine with four valves per cylinder. It has a bore (cylinder diameter) of 104.9 mm, a stroke (piston traveling distance) of 71.9 mm and a compression ratio of 11.5 to 1. The Night Rod generates 125 horsepower at 8,250 revolutions per minute (rpm) with a maximum torque of 85 foot-lbs. at 7,000 rpm.
Transmission Specs
The Night Rod has a five-speed (one down, four up) transmission. A belt final drive system transfers power from the engine to the rear wheel. As with most motorcycles, the Night Rod has a wet, multiplate clutch.
Body
Harley-Davidson built the Night Rod around a steel frame. A 49 mm telescopic front fork and two adjustable rear shock absorbers provide suspension. Dual 300 mm hydraulic discs with four-piston calipers in the front and a single 300 mm hydraulic disc with a four-piston caliper in the rear handle braking. Instrumentation on the Night Rod includes speedometer, odometer, clock, dual tripmeters, fuel gauge and tachometer. The instrument cluster has warning lights for low fuel, oil pressure, coolant temperature, high beam, neutral and turn indicators.
Dimensions
The Night Rod measures 94.4 inches long with a 67.2-inch wheelbase. It measures 34.6 inches wide and 45.5 inches tall with a ground clearance of 4.2 inches and seat height of 26.3 inches. The Night Rod has a dry weight of 643 lbs. and fuel capacity of 5 gallons. Harley-Davidson claims the Night Rod will get 34 miles per gallon (mpg) under city riding conditions and 42 mpg on the highway. The 2011 Night Rod comes with a number of color options, including brilliant silver pearl with black racing stripe and ghost flames, chrome yellow with black racing stripe and ghost flames, Sedona orange with black racing stripe and ghost flames and black denim with Sedona orange racing stripe. The 2011 Night Rod has a suggested retail price of $14,699 for the basic model and $14,999 with a two-tone color option.
Tags: racing stripe, black racing, black racing stripe, ghost flames, racing stripe ghost
