| Author | Message | ||
     Vr1203  |
I talked to Mert, he says "soon" he'll make ten copies to start and they will be $26,500, cheap compared to TV choppers! | ||
| X1tx  |
Pity about the 883R because an XL based Street Tracker could have been a great 'every day' bike. Light weight. No extra chinguses mounted, just two wheels and an engine. But being essentially just a tarted up 883, I'm far less than impressed. There was an effort by Triumph to look at a Street Tracker, but I think so far only one prototype has been built for them to evaluate. Biggest drawback I saw on that one was a miniscule 2 gallon fuel tank. A definite no-go for a legitimate street bike. You'd have to stop for gas more than you would with a Honda VTR 1000. | ||
| Outrider  |
Wow...had no idea Mert's bike would be that expensive, but it makes sense considering the frame he developed plus all the other goodies. The Triumph Street Tracker was made by Mule Motorcycles in So Cal and I am using Mule's pic of the finished bike as my avatar in hopes of providing HDI's lurkers with some incentive to rethink the 883R. Additionally, the bike is featured in the March issue of Cycle World and is in their International Motorcycle Shows this year. For a Street Tracker, I concur that the tank should maintain the same configuration but hold a few more gallons of dead dinosaur juice. Other than that, it is drop dead gorgeous. Triumph or Harley, whoever does the best job with a production street tracker will get my bucks. Until then, I will just drool over the pics. LOL | ||
| José_quiñones  |
 First magazine ride report comes not from Cycle world but from the March 05 Motorcyclist. Click HERE to see the article on their website. | ||
| Outrider |
Nice Review! As one of the real old timer's at Motorcyclist, Friedman gets all the "special" bikes to test and write up. Compliments to his long term test of the V-Rod, assigning him the Street Rod was only a natural. Can't wait to see the dyno runs and the other performance data on the bike. Hopefully, they will do some shoot outs as well. I still think that with some foam and fiberglass I can make a Gentleman's Street Tracker out of it. Can't wait to get my own pics and measurements of the real thing. | ||
| Dale |
Got to sit on one today. I was very very impressed. Looks like more lean angle than I thought. Should do very well. | ||
| Jerseyguy  |
I saw one last night and liked it more than anything else in the shop. It still has a heavy lumpy look to me. The exhaust is way to massive for my taste. At least the ergos are reasonable for a sporting ride. I guess it's one of the few Harleys I'd consider owning. | ||
| Glitch  |
Something about hanging off a cruiser gets me thinking. I'm with you Jersey, it's my favorite Harley. | ||
| Cataract2 |
Got a feeling the Street Rod will put up quite a fight with sport bike riders and us Buellers. Get ready to use the 50 degree lean angle guys. | ||
| Glitch |
Ya think? | ||
| Outrider |
Considering the "Hard Numbers" published in Motorcyclist for the V-Rod, XB9 and XB12, it doesn't look like the Street Rod will give the Buell's much to worry about. The XB12's should walk away from the Street Rod and the XB9's should be able to keep up with a skilled rider even though the numbers indicate it is a tad slower. Incidentally, all three bikes were tested in stock form. I don't know of many Buell's that haven't been tweaked, but think it is relatively safe to assume that as typical with most Harley's the tendency will be more towards cosmetic improvements rather than performance mods. Oh well, time will tell. This is a new concept for HD and anything could happen. | ||
| Cataract2 |
Actually, I think more VROD riders tend to do engine upgrades over crome ones. | ||
| Charlieboy6649  |
My dealer owner got to ride one when the factory brought them out. He said it felt like a Buell on steroids! Now I know the guy and he's honest. If he likes it, we'd like it! (Message edited by charlieboy6649 on February 05, 2005) | ||
| Djkaplan  |
Hmmm, the Street Rod is actually 20lbs heavier than the V-rod. I saw one today and was suprised at some of the rhetoric I heard from the salesman, "You'll be able to hang with the sportbikes on this one!" Most of the crowd assembled around the bike seemed to believe him. | ||
| Cataract2 |
And once he finished saying that I would have went up to him and said, "your on." Show him just how long he'll hang with me in the corners. | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
Yea, I'm not saying it'll hang with us, but the grin factor is there. | ||
| Anonymous |
Guys, an XB12 will smoke a VRSCR, the numbers are pure and simple. If the dealer thinks it's like a Buell on steroids, he hasn't ridden an XB12. The thought of a 618 lb 67" wheelbase bike with very little lean angle, and 32 degree fork angle trying to keep up with sportbikes is a joke. These dealers who are telling customers will get some H-D customers to buy into it. They sure aren't gonna get any sportbike riders, unless they are ready to retire from sportbikes and become cruiser riders. | ||
| Turnagain  |
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| José_quiñones |
I need a haircut..... I'm on my toes just as much as I am on the S3. So it's a wash. The ergonomics are very similar to an M2. That's good. The radiator shrouds and rear tail section are colored plastic. Good. The grips are thiner than typical HD ones so they are more like sportbike grips. Very good. Bringing the bike off the sidestand it definetly feels heavier than the regular VROD, but not as heavy as the XL1200R Sportster. Some parts look like they could be fitted to the regular VRODS without much work. Can't wait to test ride it at Daytona. The cool thing about the regular VROD and this one is that you can hammer the throttle and not have to worry about wheelies, or be real agressive with the brakes and not have to worry about stoppies. Everytime I have riden a 12 I have to be careful because it's entirely too happy to be on one wheel, front or rear. (Message edited by josé_quiñones on February 05, 2005) | ||
| Littlebuggles  |
Just jumped on, are those tires 207's? The tread pattern looks familiar. I was looking at the specs in the advertising from my motorcyclist mag last night. Nice looking bike, more ground clearance. It's a long bike but so is a 'busa (don't jump on me, it's just a wheel base comparison). I think a competent rider could do things with it... | ||
| Ezblast  |
Are suspension parts for such heavy bikes that expensive that they can't throw on fully adjustable front and rear pieces? GT - JBOTDS! EZ  | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
He's ridden both so if he's excited, so am I. I can't wait to ride it and see! I may hate it, I may love it, who knows? I know from the numbers, as you said anon, it's more of a sporty tourer than a true sportbike. But a great deal of people on this site have been begging for such a beast and they may cross over  Or possibly add one to their stable? (Message edited by charlieboy6649 on February 06, 2005) | ||
| Cataract2 |
Oh, no doubt the Street Rod will be a blast to ride. I do feel it will put up a fight with sport bikes and that's about it. I think with a good rider on one you might even surprise some sport bikes riders, but outright beat them. No. When the speed gets up, the road gets tighter, and the lean gets lower, the sport bike rider is going to be gone. | ||
| Court |
>>>When the speed gets up, the road gets tighter, and the lean gets lower, the sport bike rider is going to be gone. Why?...pray tell, would you even consider taking a VROD to that contest? I quite candidnly am not a candidate for a VROD, but admire the acheivements Harley-Davidson has made. I read, carefully, Jose' and Brankin's accounts; these guys know motorcycles and how to describe what they can and can't do. My take, and I'd enjoy their feedback, is that the VROD, including the current derivation, are really good, really fun, powerful motorcycles that offer enjoyment deployed in a host of roles. A "sportbike" they are not and never intended to be. I will concede, to obviate the ensuring development of a "he said, she said" that our own Racer1 (Wes Orlof) or any skilled test rider could toast most sportriders. My sense is that HD didn't dump millions into developing this bike to allow a fraternity of 4 dozen to "teach lessons" to a couple hundred kids with no disposable income. Court | ||
| José_quiñones |
Agreed. It's all relative. Equal riders on a VRSCR against a Yamaha Road Star Warrior/Victory Hammer/Honda VTX/Kawasaki Mean Streak should be a contest the VRSCR should win. Now equal riders on any of those sportcruisers against any Sportbike is a contest the Sportbike will win. The problem is that rarely do you get equal riders to be with you at all times to compare. So a good rider on one of these sport cruisers could beat a lesser rider on a sporbike at battletrax/sane street speeds. That happens, I have done it. But no, the dealers should not compare a cruiser to a sportbike. (Message edited by josé_quiñones on February 06, 2005) | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
Had to chuckle at your last post Jose because my MSF instructor beat most of the sportbike squids around town at BTX on his Dyna dragging chrome the whole way  . The kids just stood there in amazement | ||
| Court |
To assauge such encounters with folks like Grizzly (long story, but if you're on an R1 and he has a Honda Cub, you are toast) I maintain my riding skills at a substandard hibernation level. Ahhhh...but there was the day at the secret unveiling of the S1WL when I did a little thing with an S3-T that still has at least writer at Motorad in Germany talking.  There are, as Jose' well knows, some tricks to mastering the S3. The VROD is an impressive motorcycle and, of greater interest to me, an impressive statement that HD is acquiring the mindset to integrate some collaborative tricks from Buell to the advantage of the Mothership. Court | ||
| Peter  |
Ain't that the truth.... | ||
| Crazyhorse  |
Court please share. There are, as Jose' well knows, some tricks to mastering the S3. | ||
| Cataract2 |
Why?...pray tell, would you even consider taking a VROD to that contest? Not trying to, but I think it's odvious that it's going to happen. Reading on other forums it's already being said that us Buell riders better watch out. The new Vrod is going to be giving us a run for our money. Sure it will, maybe in the straight line. Anyways, I've always wanted a VROD and this new one will one day have a place in my garage... (Well, as soon as I have my own garage.) |
