Harly Davidson VTR?
Harly Davidson VTR?
I get a bike magazine in the mail called Motorcycle Classics. It's a really nice read full of articles about all kinds of pre-1980 era bikes as well as reviews of some modern Triumphs and Guzzies. This month there is an article on the Harley Davidson VR1000. It was destined to be a production racer and because of this they had to product 50 bikes for sale that were street legal. You could have had one in 1994 for only $49,490 and you had to have bought it in Poland. No, it was not for sale in America. (I guess if it doesn't have push rods, weigh a million pounds and have a roller bearing bottom end it's not a real American Harley.)
Here is the fascinating part, It was a water cooled, double overhead cam, 60 degree, fuel injected, V-twin. The rider review sounded surprisingly like my own assessment of my Storm. "It pulls cleanly from 35 mph in top gear and yet a mere halfway to it's 10,400rpm readline was already traveling 80+ miles and hour. It is possible to plonk along between 3000 and 5000rpm in heavy traffic - but just show it an open road, twist that wrist and hold on tight. "
I like to think I have a bike that will do all that, put a huge smile on my face for a whole lot less money.
Here is the fascinating part, It was a water cooled, double overhead cam, 60 degree, fuel injected, V-twin. The rider review sounded surprisingly like my own assessment of my Storm. "It pulls cleanly from 35 mph in top gear and yet a mere halfway to it's 10,400rpm readline was already traveling 80+ miles and hour. It is possible to plonk along between 3000 and 5000rpm in heavy traffic - but just show it an open road, twist that wrist and hold on tight. "
I like to think I have a bike that will do all that, put a huge smile on my face for a whole lot less money.
Motorcycling is a tool with which you can accomplish something meaningful in your life. It is an art." Theresa Wallach
Re: Harly Davidson VTR?
googled it
At the famed Daytona 200 in 1994, Harley-Davidson threw down the gauntlet to the AMA Superbike world.
The company showed up with its first all-new road-racing design since the 1970s and up-and-coming Miguel Duhamel at the controls.
The VR1000 was a radical departure for Harley, a company known for slower-revving, push-rod motors in its streetbikes and its stalwart XR750 dirt-trackers.
The motor was still a V-twin, but just about everything else, from the massive beam frame to the overhead cams, water cooling and fuel injection, was new to the orange and black. Hopes were high that Harley, in the unfamiliar role of underdog, could compete head-to-head against high-revving four-cylinder Japanese superbikes and established European racing twins.
Initial impressions were promising. In its first race at Daytona, Duhamel started the VR 68th on the grid and steadily moved up to 20th. When the counter-balancer came apart on lap 22, the machine had lasted more than 78 miles—16 miles more than it’d need in the usual 62-mile Nationals. Even more impressive, Duhamel had run laps in the 1-minute, 54-second range, not far off the pace of the leaders.
The bike continued to show flashes of competitiveness in its first season, with Duhamel finishing third at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. But in the years that followed, the VR’s early promise was never fulfilled.
Though its initial horsepower and handling targets put it in the ballpark compared to the Japanese bikes, the development of rival machines outpaced the efforts of Harley’s factory team and independent tuners working on privateer VRs, like this one, ridden by Tripp Nobles.
Though the VR project was canceled in 2001, it did yield results. Harley applied what it learned in the crucible of competition to a new street motorcycle launched in 2002: the landmark V-Rod.
At the famed Daytona 200 in 1994, Harley-Davidson threw down the gauntlet to the AMA Superbike world.
The company showed up with its first all-new road-racing design since the 1970s and up-and-coming Miguel Duhamel at the controls.
The VR1000 was a radical departure for Harley, a company known for slower-revving, push-rod motors in its streetbikes and its stalwart XR750 dirt-trackers.
The motor was still a V-twin, but just about everything else, from the massive beam frame to the overhead cams, water cooling and fuel injection, was new to the orange and black. Hopes were high that Harley, in the unfamiliar role of underdog, could compete head-to-head against high-revving four-cylinder Japanese superbikes and established European racing twins.
Initial impressions were promising. In its first race at Daytona, Duhamel started the VR 68th on the grid and steadily moved up to 20th. When the counter-balancer came apart on lap 22, the machine had lasted more than 78 miles—16 miles more than it’d need in the usual 62-mile Nationals. Even more impressive, Duhamel had run laps in the 1-minute, 54-second range, not far off the pace of the leaders.
The bike continued to show flashes of competitiveness in its first season, with Duhamel finishing third at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. But in the years that followed, the VR’s early promise was never fulfilled.
Though its initial horsepower and handling targets put it in the ballpark compared to the Japanese bikes, the development of rival machines outpaced the efforts of Harley’s factory team and independent tuners working on privateer VRs, like this one, ridden by Tripp Nobles.
Though the VR project was canceled in 2001, it did yield results. Harley applied what it learned in the crucible of competition to a new street motorcycle launched in 2002: the landmark V-Rod.
AMcQ
Re: Harly Davidson VTR?
Huh, never knew a thing about em.
Re: Harly Davidson VTR?
The VR1000 did not take anything from the Harley parts bin – everything was built specifically for the racer. HD outsourced plenty of the components but kept it all within the good ol’ USA. Roush developed the engine, Pesnke took care of the suspension, and Wilwood handled the brakes. But what was truly unique about this bike was how they handled homologation. AMA rules do not specify where a bike has to be road legal, just that a minimum of 50 copies have to be produced. As American emissions laws were impossibly strict for a true race bike, HD sold all 50 bikes in…Poland. They threw on a headlight, turn signals, and mirrors, and called it a day. For $49,490, Polish riders got a 135 horsepower, 400 pound racebike that had a lovely split-personality paint job. One stripe of white split halves of black and orange.
AMcQ
- alanfjones1411
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Re: Harly Davidson VTR?
Me neither.Gorgeous soundtrack.NZSpokes wrote:Huh, never knew a thing about em.
SO WHEN DOES THIS OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER KICK IN
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Re: Harly Davidson VTR?
they were actualy quite a good if basic effort at the time.after daytona and a couple of seasons in the ama series they quiatley retired.mainly due to lack of interest from harleys customer base. a bit of a missed opertunity
Re: Harly Davidson VTR?
Thanks for sharing this with us Jim and the same to you Al for the follow up information, very interesting
Chris.
Chris.
- TravisZack
- Posts: 457
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Re: Harly Davidson VTR?
I raced one in Project Gotham on Xbox... funny that they'd include it in a game when it's not so well known.
I just remember the paint scheme being funny, not seen much about them otherwise.
I just remember the paint scheme being funny, not seen much about them otherwise.
Re: Harly Davidson VTR?
christ im old i remember seeing those on tv being raced lol. Duhumal went ok on them and rode the wheels of it for what it was.
the older i get,the faster i was
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Re: Harly Davidson VTR?
The problem with Harley is the people who buy them, when they try anything new no one wants them and they get slagged off by Harley owners.
Harley have tried to break into sports bikes for a long time, they even bought Buell.
I like Harley's would love to try a V rod one day.
Harley have tried to break into sports bikes for a long time, they even bought Buell.
I like Harley's would love to try a V rod one day.
Re: Harly Davidson VTR?
Watched the EBR (Buell )1190 RS during practice week at the TT 2014! Sounded awesome............but went shiteStormingHonda wrote:The problem with Harley is the people who buy them, when they try anything new no one wants them and they get slagged off by Harley owners.
Harley have tried to break into sports bikes for a long time, they even bought Buell.
I like Harley's would love to try a V rod one day.
SH#T HAPPENS!!!!!!!!
Re: Harly Davidson VTR?
After reading about the VR1000 Harley, I was doing a bit of research and come across the Nova project. At the start of the 1970s Harley was owned by AMF (the bowling ball company.) The CEO was keen to see Harley succeed, being a motorcycle guy himself, and so encouraged innovative thinking and development. At the time Harley was in the same boat at Norton and Triumph with an aging power plant and fierce competition from to orient. Harley planned a two pronged strategy. They were to design a new engine that was dubbed the Nova. It was a V four, water cooled and modern with a high reeving short stroke engine. They also planned to develop a new V-twin for their traditional market. Both project stretched the limited resources and, at the same time, the strategy of AMF, their parent company changed. Harley was to become a cash cow to feed AMFs ambitions in expansion in the industrial arena. (This is what lead Harley management to buy the company and take it private but that's another issue.) There was just not enough funds for two projects and Harley choose to build the Evo Sportster and Big Harley engine line. It was a pretty good choice. One has to think that a similar stratagy could have saved Triumph or Norton with respect to the Trident or the Cosworth twin. The Nova project was far enough along to have developed manufacturing castings and a number of road going test mules and engines. The project was shuttered and never saw the light of day. See the link below for more. I have just scratched the surface.StormingHonda wrote:The problem with Harley is the people who buy them, when they try anything new no one wants them and they get slagged off by Harley owners.
Harley have tried to break into sports bikes for a long time, they even bought Buell.
I like Harley's would love to try a V rod one day.
http://big-diesel.blogspot.com/2007/09/ ... never.html
Motorcycling is a tool with which you can accomplish something meaningful in your life. It is an art." Theresa Wallach
Re: Harly Davidson VTR?
I could have sworn they did a "sports" type bike in the 70s/80s but I cant find one on the tinternet , I thought it was called S1000 or something?? they were only available in black (in my head) .??
3 out of 4 people make up 75% of the worlds population.
- bigtwinthing
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Re: Harly Davidson VTR?
StormingHonda wrote:The problem with Harley is the people who buy them, when they try anything new no one wants them and they get slagged off by Harley owners.
Harley have tried to break into sports bikes for a long time, they even bought Buell.
I like Harley's would love to try a V rod one day.
i had a V rod for 3 weeks, bloody odd riding position, 80mph and the wind rattled up your trousers. It went ok looked good but didn't handle too well. I bought it as it was cheap and sold it 3 weeks later for 2k more. all i did was wash stand polish some shiny bits. They hold there money though. its still in Southampton
missing the noise, not the vibes. However never say never!