I always remember the first time I clapped eyes on the Harley-Davidson VRSCA V-Rod… It’s the summer of 2001 and I’m sat next to the late, great motorcycle journalist Kevin Ash. We’d been whisked off to California for the sort of glitzy, glam launch we used to enjoy back then.
We were expecting more of the same from Harley. You know the drill: old-style design, air-cooled, push-rods, etc. Bill Davidson was explaining to us all that: “Today is an historic chapter in the history of Harley-Davidson. We are very proud of this day. To pull the covers off this motorcycle is a great moment for us…” As he and designer Louie Netz pull the covers off the machine, jaws drop all around and Kevin next to me simply said: “F**k!”
Seeing the VRSCA V-Rod for the first time was that big a deal. This was arguably the most important bike for Harley-Davidson in half a century, coming to launch after six years of development and (fair to say) off the back
