Vr Harley Superbike For the Street?
VR HARLY SUPERBIKE FOR THE STREET?
ROUNDUP
COULD IT BE THAT SOMEthing of Harley’s new VR1000 (see “America’s Superbike,” CW, March, 1993) might leak onto the street? Could it be that, as the machine becomes real and visible, even the most confirmed traditionalists at the Motor Company will be swept along in the enthusiasm of the moment, and will begin to expect a street version?
Well, of course, all candidate AMA Superbikes are required to be street-legal. The VR there \ fore he. a large-capacity alternator and a blanked-offhole where an electric starter could go. And, by golly, the VR has provision for a balancer, too, to make its 60degree engine as smooth as a 90. Is that to make the frame survive races crack-free, or might it serve just as well to provide all the comforts of home to street riders?
A decade or more ago, it was proposed that Harley make a street-legal XR750, to capitalize on the company’s copious dirt-track charisma. Oh no, objected the skeptics and realists, by the time a 750 was detuned enough for the street, it would be too slow to be interesting. Might they say the same about a productionized VR? The VR is already lOOOcc, which helps, and it’s liquid-cooled and fuelinjected, both features allowing more performance to be tucked between headlight and taillight. Milder, EPA-lulling cams and (ess-than-killer valve springs could be made. The enginecontrol computer could learn all those Ann Arbor tricks that make auto emissions mysteriously disappear.
The present engine is tightly designed to be 1000cc-a larger bore or longer stroke would cause piston-skirt interference near BDC, but where there’s a will, there might be other ways. Or perhaps tradition would prefer a larger number, say 1200cc, which is very close to a tradition-pleasing 74 cubic inches. Imagine this muscular, compact package, derated to turn a “moderate” 9000 rpm on the street. Can you say 130 horsepower?
Objections? What about the overly noisy dry clutch? That’s just the adolescence of a new design. Noting the speed with which the H-D race team alter major castings, is it too much to suppose that they could magic-wand a wet clutch into being, one with torsional dampers, like streetbikes have? Uh, well how would it carry a passenger? Answer: The one-
piece seat/tank assembly bolts on in four places. Make whatever seat arrangement you like, and bolt it on, using a wrench.
Now, mind you, this is all just a big, balloon-like fantasy we’re inflating here, warm air and no substance. Irresponsible speculators will be shot. First things first (like Daytona). But we suspect that more than one can play at the game of homologation specials. -Kevin Cameron
