Harley-Davidson 1130 STREET-ROD VRSCR 2007 — Specifications

For decades, the H-D badge on the tank meant one specific thing: prominent chrome, feet forward, and a leisurely ride nowhere in particular. Milwaukee was living off its laurels, and enthusiasts of tight turns were looking elsewhere, towards Frankfurt or Tokyo. Then came the Revolution engine, this 1130 cc, 60-degree, water-cooled twin developed with the help of Porsche, and something changed in the brand's DNA. The VRSCR Street-Rod pushes this logic to the limit, without complexification.

What strikes you first is the riding position. The footpegs are placed directly beneath the rider, the 43 mm upside-down telescopic fork points the front with a certain authority, and the two 292 mm Brembo discs bitten by four-piston calipers clearly announce the color. You're no longer in the register of Sunday cruising. The 120 horsepower at 8,500 rpm and the 108.9 Nm of torque at 7,000 rpm are figures that have nothing to do with a machine intended to parade along the seafront. The five-speed belt transmission handles all of this with the serenity of a well-bred animal, but one that knows how to bite.

On the road, the 295 kg all full are felt from the first maneuvers at low speed, and the turning radius won't help matters in town. But as soon as the speed increases, the mass disappears. The twin has a particular temperament: in the low revs, it grumbles and pushes with the regularity of a diesel, without the sharp reactivity of a Japanese sports engine. Past the middle of the tachometer, the character changes frankly, and the VRSCR reaches peaks around 230 km/h with a stability that is truly surprising. At these speeds, the machine does not seek to eject you, it holds its line with aplomb.

In corners, the Street-Rod dismantles prejudices one by one. It has neither the liveliness of a Z1000 nor the agility of a Monster, but it takes angle with a conviction that no one expected from Milwaukee, up to 40 degrees according to the manufacturer. You must anticipate trajectories, do not jerk it, trust it. The steel tubular double cradle frame and the 120/70-19 front and 180/55-18 rear tires handle a sustained pace correctly. Pushed too hard, it deviates from the apex and reminds you that it is not a track bike. It is a roadster, not a test track.

The target audience is there, somewhere between the biker accustomed to highways who wants sensations and character, and the novice who would be tempted by the American myth without wanting to renounce a real dynamism. At 16,900 euros, the Street-Rod is positioned above a Ducati Monster of the time without having its lightness, but it offers an identity that few machines can claim: that of a Harley capable of making its former owners blush. For Milwaukee, it was already a revolution in itself.