How fast is night rod

It was liquid-cooled, the cylinders were placed at 60 degrees and the entire thing was belt-driven for added smoothness and less maintenance. The estimated top speed was mph and it could do the quarter-mile in about eleven seconds. While these aren't mind-blowing numbers, remember this bike was meant to be a hybrid of performance and cruising, rather than a dragster. With so much in common, the main differences between the Night-Rod Special and V-Rod Muscle were mostly aesthetic, but to the owners, that meant all the difference in the world.

The V-Rod Muscle top image looks more like a traditional cruising bike because of its no-nonsense black paint job and oodles of exposed chrome. It has a slightly more pronounced radiator cover behind the front wheel and a slightly less protruding engine cover in front of the seat the fuel tank is stored under the seat.

The other most noticeable difference is the classic style single exhaust ported on both sides of the bike. This detail is actually very important to a large segment of H-D riders who value tradition over flash. The most distinguishing feature of the Night-Rod Special lower image is the fact all the chrome is blacked out.

The front fork, engine, exhaust, handlebars, wheels, and frame all combine to create an ominous and powerful looking specimen. Various complementary colors were available over the years, but only the rear fender, engine cover, and radiator cover received any of it. Completing the aggressive look is a straight shot, double-barrel stacked exhaust system, mounted on the right side with brushed finish dual mufflers.

This is an area the V-Rod outshines its brother. Possibly in an effort to keep costs down, the Night-Rod left has traditional round front turn signal lights that hang off the handlebars. The V-Rod features a far more sophisticated design, with an integrated LED light bar that serves as both the side mirror arm, as well as the turn signals.

This was the first time H-D offered this as a stock feature. On the left, we see the much more aggressive-looking rear fender of the V-Rod. It's wider and curved to almost hug the rear wheel, while still fitting smoothly with the wide rear seat. Integrated at the end is a slim LED light bar for braking and turn signals, and because of that, the license plate holder is mounted on the side of the fender, which brings more attention to the huge rear wheel.

ABS protection comes standard. A short stroke engine, the mm bore and 72 mm stroke adds up to a total displacement of 1, cc. A five-speed tranny with a slip-and-assist clutch couples rear wheel to engine power. The first-gear ratio is set to come out of the hole, while the other four are rather close for tight powerband management when headed down the strip or street.

I am glad to see the slipper clutch here, because things can get real exciting when you try to scrub speed after a run, and this should prevent any rear-wheel hop or other such problems. Instead of a chain, the factory uses gears for the primary drive, and as usual we get a reinforced belt and pulleys for the final drive. Now for performance numbers and some stark realities. The Revolution mill churns out 83 pound-feet at 6, rpm, not bad for such a small engine, and it turns in quarter-mile times around 11 seconds at around mph.

Cruiser-esque drag bikes are still something of a rarity, and I had a real hard time finding a machine with just the right build and engine size. So with that in mind, I went with a machine that is relatively similar, and that has been burning up U.

Right off, you have to admit they both look the part, like purpose-built drag machines — the only things missing are the air shifters and wheelie bars. Both are lean and aggressive, but the ram-air intake scoops on the VMAX ratchet up the Boss-factor several notches. While the Special turns in decent times around 11 seconds with plus mph speeds, a top-notch drag pilot can milk over mph out of the VMAX with something just under 10 second runs.

Just exactly how quickly do you need to get to that next red light or speed trap? Despite the engine size offset, these two machines carry very similar stickers. Not only that, but I have come to appreciate performance at least as much as looks, maybe more, and suddenly the VRSC family in general, and Night Rod Special specifically, is much more attractive to me.

That VMAX, on the other hand All images featured on this website are copyrighted to their respective rightful owners. No infringement is intended. TJ Hinton. J got an early start from his father and other family members who owned and rode motorcycles, and by helping with various mechanical repairs throughout childhood. That planted a seed that grew into a well-rounded appreciation of all things mechanical, and eventually, into a formal education of same.

Though primarily a Harley rider, he has an appreciation for all sorts of bikes and doesn't discriminate against any particular brand or region of origin. He currently holds an Associate's degree in applied mechanical science from his time at the M. Read full bio. Image Source: harley-davidson.