Anybody ever do any stoplight racing?

[ddragon63]

Owning an Injected and modified R1 (152 bhp @ 11,000 stock) I'd feel a little silly racing on my XS.... as its fun to ride, but it feels like someone took a spark plug or 2 out of it compared to the R1 when giving it the business!

With that said I have raced a few Harley's on it successfully. What amazes me is the Mustang, Camaro, and Corvette guys that always come after my R1.... LOL!

[T99Ford]

True enough!

That said, I think the 11 doesn't really lack in power. Power on the 11 is very respectable. The weight of the bike is the killer. My mod VTR is 200 pounds lighter wet with fuelthan a stock XS1100. Those are hard numbers to beat in performance, particularly in the world of racing. But the 11 is fun and quick enough, to be sure, and makes the most of the I4 sound when set up correctly!

[ddragon63]

True enough!

That said, I think the 11 doesn't really lack in power. Power on the 11 is very respectable. The weight of the bike is the killer. My mod VTR is 200 pounds lighter wet with fuelthan a stock XS1100. Those are hard numbers to beat in performance, particularly in the world of racing. But the 11 is fun and quick enough, to be sure, and makes the most of the I4 sound when set up correctly!

In the world it came from the 11 was the BOSS! My buddy's Gl1100 Goldwing gets left behind alot when we cruise the baggers

The more I ride the XS the less I ride my R1... the comfort is hard to beat. and it handles very well for its age and size. But I agree that 436 lbs wet and 150+ HP is numbers that are just crazy... sometimes the weight to power ratio of the R1 is almost unusable... ALMOST

[crazy steve]

...But try a v-rod in the corners...

Harley's got a new(er) version of the Vrod out now (the 'muscle'?) that's got better suspension and cornering clearance, as well as mid-controls, that's supposedly pretty damn good. Still 'kinda' a cruiser, but much better than 'normal' cruiser handling. And 11.3 quarters....

If only it wasn't water cooled....

[trbig]

I don't normally even bother LOOKING at a Harley, but up in Oklahoma City by a theater we were at, there's a Harley dealership across the street and we had about 45 minutes to kill before our movie, so I went and looked. Didn't know anything about the V-rod, but saw it on the sidewalk and was thinking, "This is the first Harley I'd ever consider even sitting on.."

About that time, a salesman came up and started giving the sales pitch. Blah blah this and blah blah that. Then he slaps my arm and says, "Dude! This thing will do 11 second 1/4 miles!"

I shrugged my shoulders and said, "You just lost me. I've got a 30 year old Yamaha that does that..." You should have seen the dejected look on his face as I walked away.


The one thing I can say about them is that they are quiet.

[Cobia]

Last night there were a couple of cars fooling around light to light, kind of getting obnoxious in front of me. Switching lanes in search of dominance and superiority. They were a Mazda RX..whatever and a nicely souped up Lexus coupe with a very nice exhaust note. Well, I got tired of their antics and at the next light I just took off, and left them in the dust. At the next light they both dropped their windows, slackjawed, and stared. The light changed again and I was gone....

[ddragon63]

I don't normally even bother LOOKING at a Harley, but up in Oklahoma City by a theater we were at, there's a Harley dealership across the street and we had about 45 minutes to kill before our movie, so I went and looked. Didn't know anything about the V-rod, but saw it on the sidewalk and was thinking, "This is the first Harley I'd ever consider even sitting on.."

About that time, a salesman came up and started giving the sales pitch. Blah blah this and blah blah that. Then he slaps my arm and says, "Dude! This thing will do 11 second 1/4 miles!"

I shrugged my shoulders and said, "You just lost me. I've got a 30 year old Yamaha that does that..." You should have seen the dejected look on his face as I walked away.


The one thing I can say about them is that they are quiet.

I'd ride a V-rod only in the Dark-Rod forum thou... looks sporty with forward controls...

With that said I'm pretty sure the first time I tried to dig real hard in a corner and it failed to impress me, as I'm gonna assume it will.... I'd have to pull over and kick myself in the balls for buying a $20k bike that corners like my diesel truck!

[T99Ford]

$15-16K for a 2012 Night Rod...

I test rode a '10 Night Rod that was souped up to the tune of $18K when I still had my 11. The thing would probably tear an XS11 in half. It was a truly powerful motorcycle. But when I got back to the dealer, I asked if he had rear sets for it--the forward controls caused too much heel dragging, and I just couldn't get used to that with the kind of speed the bike had.

Different bike than an 11 for sure, and can easily be built to have way more power than one. Handling will always be cruiser category, though, with that mile-long rake...

[ddragon63]

$15-16K for a 2012 Night Rod...

I test rode a '10 Night Rod that was souped up to the tune of $18K when I still had my 11. The thing would probably tear an XS11 in half. It was a truly powerful motorcycle. But when I got back to the dealer, I asked if he had rear sets for it--the forward controls caused too much heel dragging, and I just couldn't get used to that with the kind of speed the bike had.

Different bike than an 11 for sure, and can easily be built to have way more power than one. Handling will always be cruiser category, though, with that mile-long rake...

I've got an 02 R1 that would eat the V-rod alive even if I shifting @ 5k... R1 has only got a lil 1000cc motor

I do like the styling of the V-Rod. But I've never been a big Harley guy. I just think My Yamaha's would beat it up as soon as I turned the lights off in the garage.... Kinda like when the wife's, friends, husband (whom you can't stand) gets invited over, and you get the "now you 2 boy's behave!"

[T99Ford]

I have no doubt of your R1 tearing up a V-rod---I have a couple bikes that will do that myself. Your R1 will rip an 11 to shreds equally quickly, though.

Remember that you are not comparing similar bikes. The V-rod is not a sportbike, making that comparison more akin to: my Mustang GT will be your Suburban. I always thought the V-rod was closer to the 11 specs-wise than any of the other HD's. It makes a little more power, and weighs a little less, but is solidly a sport-cruiser just like the 11.

Look at some of the CVO Revolution motors sometime. They make power into the 160-170 hp range, and the HD's do some respectable drag racing. Not in the in-liner ranges, but impressive nonetheless.

And to be clear, I'm not endorsing one over another, but I just want to set straight the just because it says HD it is not the run-of-the-mill Vista-cruiser. My fast bike of choice is a Honda, my second is a Yamaha, and the HD is for when my butt and back don't feel up to the first two!

[ddragon63]

In drag racing the last about 10 years the HD has been king... All that torque. I've ridden my buddies Buell a few times. I'm not a fan of the styling but what a machine that is. Its like riding a big bore dirt bike. point and throttle... then hope you land where you were aiming. and I agree with you the newer HD motors can be very powerful units. I'd just like them to make something a little more sporty (other than the Buell) I'd love to see a GP style open class super bike with a v-twin in it. But I'm not sure how well balanced it would be. Ducati's L-twin rocks all comers. It may not be the most powerfull of its class on paper, but it will out corner most anything in its class. the way they place the motor in a Ducati Super Bike makes it very hard to work on but its balance is amazing...

Anyways I fear I have led us down another bunny trail... back to stop light racing talk

[trbig]

Anyways I fear I have led us down another bunny trail...

This close to Easter, isn't that allowed? "Here comes Peter Cottontail, hoppin' down the bunny trail.. "


Now, try to get that frikkin stupid song out of your head! lol..

[planedick]

I got beat

On my way home from the XS11 meet up north and on the freeway near Bakersfield I saw a HD sounding thing go by me about 3 lanes over while I was doing 100 MPH. I hit the throttle hard and even shifted into 4th so I could go faster than 125, and at 140 he was pulling away from me at a rate that would put him somewhere in the 160 plus area. Sounded like a Hardly, but if it was he really put some serious dollars in it... Ate up the XS really bad.

[crazy steve]

Probably wasn't Harley then... one shortcoming with all but the V-Rod is Harleys don't tolerate high RPM. 7K is about the fastest you want to turn one unless you don't mind regular replacement of the rod bearings/crankpin. Go above 7500 and the motor is on borrowed time. The stroker motors don't even like it that high.

But you might have run into one with a big-inch, big-torque motor and if you gear them high enough or run one of the double-overdrive six-speed trannys that are out there they'll pull some scary speeds...

[planedick]

Yeah

Like I thought too, if it was a Hardly it probably had about $40,000 in extra work and mods. Whatever it was it certainly was scary fast...