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Harley-Davidson V-Rod on the Nurburgring

It's been 10 years since Harley-Davidson decided to stick a pinkie toe into new product development with the V-Rod. The crew from Bridge to Gantry decided to celebrate the liquid-cooled V-Twin's birthday by taking it out for a little fun around the Nürburgring.

If it seems odd to pair the V-Rod with one of the world's most challenging road courses, it is. Technically, Porsche lent a hand in developing the 60 degree, 130-horsepower engine at the heart of the modern cruiser, but punishing the carousel probably wasn't high on HD's list of development goals. We imagine it ranked in the same neighborhood as taking the gold in the Paris-Dakar.

Even so, the bike has plenty of power on hand just waiting to throw machine and rider down the course's longer straights, but as Bridge to Gantry points out, it just isn't at home kissing apexes. That's not to say the 2012 V-Rod isn't an improvement over its predecessors. With new Michelin tires, Bridge to Gantry says the bike can now take better advantage of its suspension for some relatively reasonable handling.

So, now that we know that a V-Rod isn't the most desirable weapon with which to tackle the 'Ring, what is? You could certainly do worse than starting with a modern liter-bike, like the lightly modified 2005 Yamaha R1 used by Andy Carlilse recently to set a new two-wheel lap record of seven minutes and 10 seconds.

Scroll down below to watch both machines blaze their own distinct trails down the snaking Nürburgring.

Continue reading Harley-Davidson V-Rod hits the 'Ring while Yamaha R1 sets new lap record

Harley-Davidson V-Rod hits the 'Ring while Yamaha R1 sets new lap record originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Jun 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>harley-davidsonharley-davidson v-rodnurburgringnurburgring lap recordnurburgring motorcyclenurburgring recordr1v-rodvideoyamahayamaha r1Mon, 11 Jun 2012 20:00:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20255857/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/06/11/harley-davidson-v-rod-hits-the-ring-while-yamaha-r1-sets-new-re/20255857/article-detail.xml 20255857 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/06/v-rod-on-nurburgring-628_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/06/v-rod-on-nurburgring-628.jpg <![CDATA[Harley-Davidson rolls out new and updated models for 2012]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/20/harley-davidson-rolls-out-new-and-updated-models-for-2012/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/20/harley-davidson-rolls-out-new-and-updated-models-for-2012/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/20/harley-davidson-rolls-out-new-and-updated-models-for-2012/#commentsFiled under:

2012 Harley-Davidson Switchback

We now know exactly what to expect from the Harley-Davidson lineup next year. The bike maker plans to roll out two new models: a 10th Anniversary Edition V-Rod and a new Dyna Switchback. The V-Rod will wear special silver paint designed to pay homage to the aluminum bodywork of the original liquid-cooled Harley, and buyers will get to enjoy unique 10th Anniversary V-Rod bags as well.

Meanwhile, the Dyna Switchback boasts a detachable windshield and a set of removable hard bags to create a versatile ride that can toe the line between an in-town cruiser and a long-haul machine. The Switchback, like all but two of H-D's entire line of Dyna, Softail and Touring models, packs the company's Twin Cam 103 engine with a full 100 pound-feet of torque.

The rest of the Harley-Davidson stable has received a few updates as well, including the company's Night Rod Special. That bike gets a new set of light-weight wheels, a tapered tail section and an inverted front fork along with improved ergonomics.

Finally, the Harley-Davidson Custom Vehicle Operations team has rolled out a CVO Road Glide Custom with all the tricks. Buyers can rock out to a high-output Harman/Kardon stereo, and each CVO Road Glide Custom is built with a frame-mounted fairing dipped in wild paint. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Harley-Davidson rolls out new and updated models for 2012

Harley-Davidson rolls out new and updated models for 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2012 harley-davidson dyna switchbackdynadyna switchbackharley-davidsonharley-davidson v-rodv-rodv-rod 10th anniversary editionWed, 20 Jul 2011 18:31:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19996147/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2011/07/20/harley-davidson-rolls-out-new-and-updated-models-for-2012/19996147/article-detail.xml 19996147 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/07/01-dyna-switchback-630_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/07/01-dyna-switchback-630.jpg -1 2