2017 Night Rod^® Special

The Night Rod^® Special is powered by the big, burly 1250cc water-cooled Revolution^® V-Twin engine. This power plant was developed for the drag strip. It puts out a generous 125 hp and 83.4 lb-ft of torque – which is more than some small cars – to deliver the kind of performance that you expect from a drag-ready Harley-Davidson bike. It’s paired with an Assist & Slip clutch to provide smoother, high-power handling in turns and whenever you downshift.

The Night Rod^® Special comes standard with a beauty of an engine: the 1250 cc water-cooled Revolution^® V-twin.

• Pure Harley-Davidson Styling: Deep black cylinders and rocker covers set the big Revolution^® V-twin apart, while the machined cooling fin tips on the cylinder heads give it a stripped down, raw metal finish. It’s a beautiful Harley-Davidson^® powertrain that you’ll always be happy to rev up.
• Revolution^® Engine: The Revolution^® started with the VR1000 superbike engine, so you know the Night Rod^® Special has monstrous, track ready power at your disposal.
• Revolution^® Engine Innovation: Harley-Davidson^® teamed up with legendary sports car maker Porsche to hammer out the Revolution^® engine for the racetrack. Now you get the same innovative dual overhead cam, fuel injected, liquid cooled power on the street.
• Custom Power and Performance: Tuned to produce 125 horsepower, the 1250cc Revolution^® engine is Harley-Davidson’s highest horsepower engine. You’ll never feel underpowered, and with 84 lb-ft of torque, it’s got the low-end twist to power past anyone on the freeway with ease.

In order to provide unmatched performance, the Night Rod^® Special offers stripped down, drag-inspired design and track-ready handling. With drag-styled handlebars with a low, forward position, you’ve got a perfect aggressive position for riding fast. With Michelin^® Scorcher^TM tires you’ve got incredible grip and superior handling, even if the road isn’t as smooth as a track. The performance-oriented inverted forks reduce unsprung mass to provide better handling. The massive brake rotors are stopped by Brembo^® brakes with an anti-lock brake system, so you know you can slow down with confidence even if conditions aren’t perfect.

The Night Rod^® is the way that Harley-Davidson^® does a sport bike, so it’s stripped down and aimed at providing precision handling and speed. 

• Michelin^® Scorcher™ Tires: The Michelin^® Scorcher™ deliver exceptional grip on all road surfaces thanks to the latest in Michelin^® synthetic polymers. Plus, deep cut treads provide superior rain shedding.
• Assist & Slip Clutch: The Night Rod^® Special motorcycle features an Assist and Slip Clutch for reduced friction and superior high-performance handling. It’s the perfect clutch to handle all that power.
• Inverted Forks: The inverted forks with low rake angle provide precise, confident handling at all speeds and reduce unsprung mass. That’s a good thing.
• Brembo^® Brakes with ABS: More muscle and more performance requires more stopping power. With these Brembo^® brakes and antilock brake system, you know you can slow down in a hurry when necessary.

The Night Rod^® Special is covered in custom black finishes – from the drag bars and tail-pipes to the exposed trellis frame, swingarm, triple clamp fork, engine, wheels, and basically everything else. Other features are part of the bike’s performance pedigree – the fat 240mm rear tire delivers torque to the ground, and it looks great. The chopped rear fender provides style while cutting weight. The cast aluminum performance wheels are not only fantastic looking with their five spoke design – they’re also a full three pounds lighter than the last generation of the V-Rod^® wheels.

The Night Rod^® Special is black and sinister straight from the factory. No need to custom anodize or powder coat anything yourself.

• Blacked-Out Look: You don’t have to paint it black because it comes that way. The engine, wheels, forks, triple clamps, swingarm, are all completely blacked-out for that custom look.
• Low-Rise Handlebar: The blacked-out, slammed, drag style handlebar looks great, and it puts you in the perfect place to control this bike on the racetrack or on the street.
• Fastback Tail Section: The rear fender is chopped as short as possible, and the slimmed down center plate mount and flush-mounted low-maintenance LED tail lamp make for a sleek, minimal profile that screams speed.
• Fat Rear Tire: That huge 240mm tire in back is the perfect way to convey the massive torque delivered by the Revolution^® engine so you don’t miss out on any acceleration due to wheel spin.
• Double-Barrel Exhaust: The Night Rod^® Special motorcycle proves that a performance exhaust can still be a beautiful set of pipes. The double-barrel exhaust features brushed finish dual mufflers, black end caps, and exhaust shields. Performance and bold style erupt with every crack of the throttle.
• Streamlined Front End: The pared down profile continues in front, where you’ll find a minimal speed screen and a short chopped fender. It’s an all business look that’s impossible to imitate.
• Cast Aluminum Performance Wheel: Wheels are often neglected as pure style, but these cast aluminum alloy hoops don’t just deliver flashy looks. They’re lighter than the outgoing wheels on the Night Rod^® by three pounds, shedding a substantial amount of rotating weight.

The Night Rod^® Special is designed not only around performance, but also comfort in town and on the highway.

• Enhanced Ergonomic Controls: The aggressive stance of the Night Rod^® provides perfect ergonomics for riding fast. The handlebars and rider foot pegs are placed so you can get low and ride aggressively, but the controls are within easy reach so it never feels cramped or stretched out.
• Two-up Bucket Saddle: At 25.6 inches off the ground, the Night Rod^® puts you low, and the two-up bucket seat provides both comfort and style thanks to custom stitching and premium leather.
• H-D^® Smart Security System (Optional): Add on this optional system to help protect your bike while it’s parked up. Plus, with the wireless keyfob, the security system activates automatically when you leave the vehicle then deactivates when you return.