Harley-Davidson VRSCR Street Rod 2007 — Ficha técnica

Imagine a Harley purist's face, loyal to the big twins blowing hot air on their calves, when presented with this VRSCR Street Rod. It's 2007, and Milwaukee launches a machine that looks like a custom but whose soul has been tempered in the acid of a sporty roadster. Proof? Just look at this 43 mm inverted fork, the four-piston Brembo calipers, and the footpegs brought almost under the pelvis. The message is clear: we're no longer just blowing hot air, we also want to devour tarmac in curves.

At the heart of this upheaval, the 1247 cm3 Revolution engine, the result of a collaboration with Porsche, brings unprecedented technical credibility. Water-cooled, with four valves per cylinder, it delivers 120 horsepower at 8500 rpm and a torque of 108.5 Nm. Figures that make traditional pushrod V-Twins pale, even if the displayed weight, more than 297 kilos fully fueled, recalls the massive heritage. On the road, this twin behaves like a heavy but powerful athlete: below 4000 rpm, it ambles nonchalantly, but when the tachometer goes wild, it wakes up and propels the machine beyond 200 km/h with remarkable stability.

The real surprise comes from the chassis and cornering behavior. Forget ridiculous ground clearance and turns negotiated at idle. The Street Rod announces 40-degree lean angles, and it keeps its word. It engages with a disconcerting frankness for a Harley, even if it requires a bit of elbow grease on the handlebars. It will never rival the liveliness of a Japanese sportbike, but it allows you to maintain a sustained pace, supported by serious suspensions and a Brembo braking system of revolutionary efficiency for the brand. In the city, however, its very large turning radius and its weight are heavily felt.

Who is this hybrid motorcycle for? Certainly not for the novice, nor for the touring rider seeking absolute comfort. The position, more upright than on a custom but less committed than on a roadster, and the almost non-existent protection make it a machine for an experienced rider who wants to combine cruiser style with sporty sensations. It is a unique proposition, at 16,900 euros at the time, for those who refuse to choose between American flair and the efficiency of a continental machine. The Street Rod did not last long in the Harley catalog, but it proved one essential thing: Milwaukee could, when it wanted to, shake its own codes and surprise even its most hardened detractors.