2002 Vmax vs HD

[Jeff K]

This had to be embarrassing. a $4,000 Vmax vs a $40,000 Hd

1/8 Mile VMax vs Harley Drag Bike	powered by Aeva

[Ratdog]

Ya mean that the HD kept up as well as it did?   

[CajunRider]

Wow... 20 yr old design V-Max against the brand new V-Rod...

That's pretty impressive (for the V-Max). 

[Trynt]

Make that a Harley with a Porsche engine.

[Bobbo]

Make that a Harley with a Porsche engine.

The engine is a Harley designed variation of the VR1000 racing engine.  Porsche only helped make it “streetable”.

[f6john]

     I was at Beech Bend Dragstrip in the summer of 1985 and saw a guy in the staging lanes on a motorcycle I had never seen before. It was quite impressive to look at but it was completeiy stock and you could barely here it run at idle. Then the guy pulls up to the line and clicks off a 10.5 second quarter mile, I was impressed. I believe there is the perception that the 85 model was the fastest of the first generation V-Max's produced and I am inclined to agree.

[f6john]

Make that a Harley with a Porsche engine.

The engine is a Harley designed variation of the VR1000 racing engine.  Porsche only helped make it “streetable”.

    That's the first I've ever heard that connection!!??

[Dogg]

that must not have been a domenator v-rod. they are badass...

[sandy]

That V-Rod is Harley's drag bike. It's a race only version with wheelie bars from the factory. BTW: It's not the VR1000 engine. Porsche designed the motor/tranny from the ground up to be a new generation watercooled engine for the "Emission Future" bikes. The feds are closing in on emission requirements so HD asked Porsche to help them. Porsche went from air to water cooling very successfully.

[Bobbo]

That V-Rod is Harley's drag bike. It's a race only version with wheelie bars from the factory. BTW: It's not the VR1000 engine. Porsche designed the motor/tranny from the ground up to be a new generation watercooled engine for the "Emission Future" bikes. The feds are closing in on emission requirements so HD asked Porsche to help them. Porsche went from air to water cooling very successfully.

I don’t believe the original intent of the VR1000 engine was "Emission Future" bikes, it was superbike racing.  The engine was developed over 20 years ago by Harley, with Porsche consultants.  At the end of its racing usefulness, Porsche helped transform the VR1000 into an 1130 cc street version for the VRSCA V-Rod.  Later it was increased to 1250 cc.

[Stude]

It looked close... who won?

[Jeff K]

that must not have been a domenator v-rod. they are badass...

Quote from the owner of the Vmax.

#
hubeerjw
4 months ago 2

@cwrowe08 Sorry cwrowe08, but you are wrong in both of your comments... this VMax is an 02, and I purchased it for $4200 (this isn't the $18,000 Gen II) and on top of it all, if you knew anything about drag racing, you would see the small light under the time-board in my lane, and that would be called the "Win Light" If you would like me to post my time slip, I would be more than willing to share that with you. The Destroyer should have cleaned my clock, but this time it didn't... Cheers

[alph]

I was at a light, and two Harleys were revving their engines about to drag race each other!!  It was really funny!  The light turned green, there was a lot of noise and not a lot of speed!!  I easily, (and I really do mean easily!!) kept up!!  It was one of those “damn I wish I had a camera” moments!!

a buddy of mine had a v-max, very nice and fast bike!

[Stude]

Thanks for clearing that up Jeff... Tell him I got my feelings hurt over his answer. Not that I will
loose any sleep over it but he was a little condescending about the win light. After all it's been
about 30 years since my last visit to a dragstrip. The video was entertaining thanks for posting it.

 

@cwrowe08 Sorry cwrowe08, but you are wrong in both of your comments... this VMax is an 02, and I purchased it for $4200 (this isn't the $18,000 Gen II) and on top of it all, if you knew anything about drag racing, you would see the small light under the time-board in my lane, and that would be called the "Win Light" If you would like me to post my time slip, I would be more than willing to share that with you. The Destroyer should have cleaned my clock, but this time it didn't... Cheers
[/quote]


[/quote]

[Jeff K]

Thanks for clearing that up Jeff... Tell him I got my feelings hurt over his answer. Not that I will
loose any sleep over it but he was a little condescending about the win light. After all it's been
about 30 years since my last visit to a dragstrip. The video was entertaining thanks for posting it.

 

@cwrowe08 Sorry cwrowe08, but you are wrong in both of your comments... this VMax is an 02, and I purchased it for $4200 (this isn't the $18,000 Gen II) and on top of it all, if you knew anything about drag racing, you would see the small light under the time-board in my lane, and that would be called the "Win Light" If you would like me to post my time slip, I would be more than willing to share that with you. The Destroyer should have cleaned my clock, but this time it didn't... Cheers

[/quote]
[/quote]


That was a quote I clipped from youtube, he was hashing it out with someone else.

[Stude]

My bad I thought you knew the guy... the 60's must have been harder on me than I thought 

[Ratdog]

Make that a Harley with a Porsche engine.

The engine is a Harley designed variation of the VR1000 racing engine.  Porsche only helped make it “streetable”.

Because Harley couldn't figure out how to do the liquid cooled thing... they still needed someone else's help to make it run.

[Walküre]

Because Harley couldn't figure out how to do the liquid cooled thing... they still needed someone else's help to make it run.

And they STILL don't like to run, if they get wet....

[Bobbo]

Make that a Harley with a Porsche engine.

The engine is a Harley designed variation of the VR1000 racing engine.  Porsche only helped make it “streetable”.

Because Harley couldn't figure out how to do the liquid cooled thing... they still needed someone else's help to make it run.

As far back as 1976, H-D designed a V-4 engine that was liquid cooled, called the Nova.  Prototypes were built and tested.  Obviously, it never made it to production, most likely to budget problems.  Harley knew back then, like today, that most of their customers wanted traditional air-cooled V-twins.  I’m sure that played into the decision to discontinue it as well.

Overall, I don’t think lack of engineering prowess is keeping Harley from producing a modern engine, but rather marketing.  Harley’s touring bikes have had fully electronic (ride by wire) throttles for a few years.  You don’t see that high-tech item on many other bikes.  They are also equipped with a closed loop EFI system using A/F sensors, which is certainly not behind the times.

[bigguy]

I agree with Bobbo. I don't think advanced engineering is beyond Harley's abilities. I ran across the NOVA a couple of years ago and was amazed at how far ahead of the game they were at that time.
In fact, if you consider what they can accomplish with a couple of major constraints, (45 degree V-twin and no radiator of any kind) it's amazing the power and efficiency that they do get. I just don't understand nailing one foot to the floor the way they have with those constraints.
But whether or not I agree, they are still in business. And at least holding their own in a depressed economy. I still wonder what machines are running around in the alternate universe where they stayed with the Nova rather than the V-twins.

[Trynt]

Autoweek article re the Porsche/Harley engine:

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20080807/free/258102270