More About Harley Davidson VRSC "V-Rod"
When the Harley-Davidson V-Rod was first shown to the public in 2001, it shocked everyone, not just because of the totally different styling, but because at long last there was a completely new engine powering Harleys latest creation.
Before the launch of the V-Rod Harley had just about exhausted development possibilities from its air-cooled engines, but Harley-Davidson knew it had to do something about it and made the decision to foray into production of liquid-cooled engines.
The V-Rod development can trace its roots back to the VR-1000 Superbike race program that was created by Harley-Davidson's Powertrain Engineering team and Porsche Engineering in Stuttgart. The all new engine is a complete departure from the Evolution engine, so the new V-Rod powerplant is known as "Revolution".
The heart of the V-Rod is its water-cooled, 60 degree Revolution V-twin powerplant, which was enlarged from 1130cc to 1250cc in 2008. The 2009 V-Rod Muscle’s engine produces 115 Nm of torque, and it’s mated to a clutch that has a slipper function. Air is fed through a mesh-covered air-intake, and as with all V-Rods, the Muscle is equipped with a 5-speed transmission.
A steel perimeter upper frame with hydroformed main rails holds the V-Rod Muscle’s guts together, and a polished, one-piece cast aluminum swingarm and preload adjustable shocks meets an 18 inch rear wheel shod with 240mm rubber. Up front are 43mm inverted forks, and four-piston front and rear brakes are responsible for stopping duty.
Harley Davidson's Plan For Indian Market
Harley Davidson would be importing its motorcycle through the CBU route (Completely Built Units) and its base model is expected to be priced at Rs. 7 Lakh onward, while higher end models would cost even more. Harley Davidson is one of world’s oldest motorcycle manufacturer with over 107 years of history behind it.
Harley-Davidson expects to start selling its best in the world cruiser motorcycles in January 2010. The company has established a subsidiary to be located in Gurgaon, near Delhi, and has begun the process of seeking dealers. “As India continues to extend its global reach, so does Harley-Davidson,” said Levatich. “We believe Harley-Davidson has outstanding opportunities for continued growth around the world.”
The company’s current approach is to import its motorcycles, accessories and riding gear, and it will continue to evaluate how best to evolve its approach to the market as Harley-Davidson’s business in India grows. Harley-Davidson is the global leader in cruising and touring motorcycles and ranks as one of the strongest brands in the world, with motorcycle sales now in more than 70 countries.
The company will focus its initial steps in India on growing the Harley-Davidson brand through a variety of consumer experiences and on establishing a local dealer network. The Harley-Davidson subsidiary in India will be led by Managing Director Anoop Prakash, who said the company has begun the process of identifying initial dealers in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Punjab State.
Harley Davidson’s Indian Team Announced
According to a report by leading auto magazine BIKE INDIA 3 months after the official entry, HD India has revealed its core members for India. After announcing its arrival in India Harley-Davidson is ready with its core team for an initiation in the Indian market. This new team consists of people like Sanjay Tripathi who has been in the Indian motorcycle industry for quite some time and is well aware of the likes and dislikes of the discerning Indian riders. He has been appointed as the director of Marketing.
Other experienced members include Rajiv Vohra – Director of sales and dealer development, who has worked with Honda Siel earlier. Yogesh Phogat, former BMW India employee, is appointed as the company’s director of operations and finally Manish Agarwal who will be handling the financial department of HD India. With a team of industry experts HD is surely here to capture the hearts of Indian riders.