Even if you aren't a devotee, you have to be impressed by the remarkable accomplishments of Harley-Davidson over the last two decades. In the early 1980s, it was a company recently liberated from an uninterested parent and on the very brink of collapse. There was still some charisma in the name and the brand had a devoted but increasingly disenchanted customer base. However, Harley's products were dated to the point of obsolescence, and the big Japanese companies had begun to take an interest in Harley's primary market segment-V-twin cruisers.
The introduction of the Evolution-series engine in the mid-1980s signaled that the company wasn't willing to roll over and die. Even if that engine didn't give the company technical or performance parity with its competitors, the new motor-and the continuing stream of improvements and upgrades that followed-was proof Harley was serious about competing. The company also displayed a knack for attracting attention, creating an enviable image and bonding with its customers. You might argue Harley's successful appeal for a tariff on imported bikes over 700cc did little to actually protect the company, but it's hard to dispute that it did paint Harley sympathetically as the little local guy trying to defend itself from the big foreign bullies. The company also changed almost all other aspects of its business plan, from the practices of dealers to the ways it built bikes and thousands of details involved in everything it did and made. Motorcycle buyers responded, and Harley's future suddenly began to look very bright.
Those of us assigned to critique its products have been more interested in the steady progress of its motorcycles' quality and performance. We watched as virtually every component was upgraded-starting with transmissions shortly after the Evo engine arrived and culminating with the introduction of the Twin Cam engine in the late '90s and the new Sportster chassis last year. The Twin Cam engine, especially in counterbalanced form, equaled or exceeded the technology and performance of its Asian competitors.
By that time, though, Harley almost didn't need new technology. It had been so successful at creating an image and position for itself and its motorcycles that many people simply thought there was no other brand worth owning. With bikes such as the Fat Boy, it created machines that defined what many people thought motorcycles should be and set sales records-not only for Harley but the industry. Its products were also very profitable, and the Harley-Davidson that had been just one loan away from financial oblivion became a bad memory.
With huge sales, an enthusiastic following, products no one had to make excuses for and new sales records every year, by the turn of the century Harley was ready to take some chances. Enter the V-Rod. Except for the handlebar switches and a bit of the same attitude, the new bike had virtually nothing in common with the Harleys that came before. Its 1130cc engine, designed in conjunction with Porsche, was liquid-cooled and used rpm and efficiency instead of displacement to make power, and with more than 110 ponies in the herd, it made significantly more horsepower than any other Harley as well.
But would Harley customers buy it? Maybe, maybe not. Harley was more interested in finding new customers. With increasing production capability, H-D knew it would soon be able to meet demand for its existing motorcycles from traditional customers. The V-Rod was intended to bring in more than the usual suspects, and it did. It became the company's best-selling bike in other countries. In America, V-Rod buyers often came from other brands, attracted by its modern engine, excellent performance and not-the-usual-cruiser style.