10 Reasons To Buy A Used V-Rod Muscle Harley-Davidson

Ah yes, the Harley-Davidson V-Rod Muscle. The high-powered swan song to one of H-D’s iconic cruisers before it left us for the big highway in the sky. Mind you, this motorcycle isn’t extinct. It’s just been discontinued from production. However, it also means that there has never been a greater opportunity to get your hands on one than right now! In general, the V-Rod had such a cult following (and still does) that finding a new model during its production years from 1999 to 2017 would be rather difficult to come by. By the time you’d arrive at a dealership, they would all be sold or in the process of being sold. To secure one, you would have to put a deposit down ahead of time, make friends with the sales staff, or just hope that luck would be on your side. So, when the V-Rod Muscle arrived in 2017, every V-Rod lover had their eyes on this menacing motorcycle. But if you missed out on that window of opportunity to get a new one, the good news is that you have many more chances of riding off into the sunset on this brutish cruiser in the pre-owned market. So let’s take a closer look as to why the V-Rod Muscle is such a commodity among other Harley-Davidsons.

The following list was based on the V-Rod’s history as part of the Harley-Davidson lineup, as well as customer testimonials, and overall riding experience sourced from Motorcyclenews.com, Cycleworld.com, RiderMagazine.com, J-D Power, as well as several H-D forums.

10 V-Rod Appeals To Sport Bike Riders

0-60mph: 3.9 seconds

Just like the rest of the V-Rod family, the V-Rod Muscle had some of its design inspired by high-powered Japanese sport bikes like Kawasaki and Suzuki. It was also this aesthetic touch that made the V-Rod more appealing to sport bike riders transitioning over to the Harley-Davidson world. Let it be its low-profile seat, the forward controls, and sleek design, the V-Rod Muscle looked as if a Harley-Davidson, a Kawasaki Ninja, and a hot rod all had a baby. Best of all, it served as a good midway point for a sports bike rider to start on a cruiser that provided them with features that they were already familiar with. That was until Harley-Davidson’s current line of high-performance cruisers like the Street Bob, Fat Bob, Low Rider S, and Low Rider ST began to appeal more to the sports bike market. But before then, the V-Rod Muscle was their Harley of choice.

9 Liquid-Cooled Engine Designed by Porsche

For those of us who are more aware of what made the V-Rod so unique and special, the first thing that comes to mind is Harley-Davidson’s collaboration with Porsche on the motorcycle’s engine. By 2017, most of Harley’s cruisers were being powered by Twin Cam engines. But not the V-Rod Muscle. This bike had the rare blessing of having a drivetrain with all-American styling and purpose, along with the genius of German engineering that resulted in a liquid-cooled 76 cubic-inch 60-degree V-Twin with 123 horsepower and 87 lb-ft of torque. While many 2017 Harleys were able to keep up with their Twin Cam 103 engines, other cruisers would not have been able to match the V-Rod’s performance on its debut. Granted that many die-hard Harley-Davidson fans were also not very excited about the idea of a liquid-cooled engine either. However, newer models that also feature liquid-cooled engines like the Pan America, and the Sportster S have been highly received by the public.

Engine Specs

8 Helped Popularize The Blacked-Out Look

These days, it’s fairly common to see newer Harley-Davidsons (and Indians) ditching chrome in favor of dark and blacked-out parts. While the V-Rod itself had followed this newer stylistic chance up until the V-Rod Muscle in 2017, many failed to notice that this bike had adopted the blacked-out look early before it went fully mainstream. While there are earlier versions of the V-Rod that were very chrome-heavy, the newest generation of riders will mentally associate chrome with the older generation of riders. Uninterested in pursuing the same tastes as their predecessors, many Millennials and Gen Z riders prefer the dark, sinister look, which is a stark contrast to the V-Rods that came before. So for the V-Rod Muscle (and the Night Rod) to run out the clock with as much visual appeal as possible is a win.

7 It’s a Solid Cruiser

To the public, Harley-Davidson motorcycles are the epitome of cruisers. With other Softail models like the Fat Boy, Street Bob, and Breakout all carrying the flag for the laid-back cruiser lifestyle, the V-Rod was another certified contender for those long weekend rides. The V-Rod Muscle takes full advantage of its ergonomic design, from its low seat and forward controls to the fat tire in the rear and skinny tire in the front. The rider experiences optimal comfort every time they roll down the highway and back roads in the “clamshell” riding position. The V-Rod Muscle may not necessarily look like the rest of its cruiser brethren, but it rides just as well as the rest of them. It can lean into curves and turns with satisfying delivery, and it can dominate the straightaway through all five gears. A solid cruiser is the kind of bike that makes you excited for every summer afternoon, and the V-Rod Muscle is that kind of bike.

V-Rod Cruiser Characteristics:

• Low seat height at 27.8 inches
• Heavy at 677lbs
• Large V-Twin engine for great straight-line speed
• Forward Foot Controls

6 It Has Great Stopping Power

The V-Rod uses Brembo triple-disc brakes

While everyone fawns over the V-Rod’s Harley-Davidson/Porsche engine and hidden gas tank under its seat, one underrated feature that this bike does not get enough credit for is its braking system. Because so many of its riders were former Kawasaki and Suzuki owners, they would be used to a lot of immediate speed and immediate stopping power. That is where the V-Rod Muscle comes to deliver the goods. Because this bike can reach 60 mph in the first gear, it would need all the stopping power necessary considering the amount of RPMs it generates. More so on the straightaways for riders that take part in drag racing, or those that just like to go fast on the highway. With the large amounts of acceleration this bike is capable of, it has the braking power necessary to match it.

5 Its Unique Design

Almost every biker, on some level, likes having some extra attention. Whether you rev your engine extra loud, or people stare at your ride at a rally, a little bit of positive attention can give a real boost to your self-esteem. Sometimes some will opt for a flashy paint job, hefty amounts of chrome, or some extra-loud pipes. But when it comes to the V-Rod Muscle, the entire bike is an attention-grabber. While it still flies the Harley-Davidson banner, some dedicated fans still consider it the black sheep of the lineup. But that made it all the more appealing to a very dedicated fanbase. Whether you love the V-Rod, hate it, or are indifferent towards it, this bike is incapable of going unnoticed. Did we mention that it has a fuel tank hidden under the seat?

4 It’s Comfortable

Every motorcycle that is placed under the “cruiser” category is there because that is what they are designed to do. They are meant for you to take it easy, relax, and enjoy yourself at a steady speed for long periods. Its long profile sets it up to have a low seat height of 27.5 inches, meaning that mounting and dismounting this bike is a breeze. Not to mention that, like many other cruisers, the V-Rod comes equipped with forward controls. By having your legs outstretched and in front of you, your leg muscles are more relaxed and less tense, setting up your rides to be more fun in the long run.

As anyone who has ridden a motorcycle knows, it’s that not all bikes are created equal. Certain models are better suited for beginner riders than others, and the V-Rod Muscle is not an entry-level motorcycle. Because of its large rear tire and limited turning radius, this cruiser comes with its own learning curve. But for riders who have acquired enough riding experience and are ready for the next challenge, the V-Rod is a suitable choice. The nature of this bike is to be laid-back and go out on relaxing cruises around town. However, it also has the urge to crank the throttle and roll down the highway in its fifth gear. There’s also its Porsche engine, which would be too overwhelming for someone unprepared for the amount of torque it would generate. But for someone who is used to larger amounts of power, or at least with enough riding experience to handle more power, the V-Rod Muscle would be a good fit.

2 More Available On The Pre-Owned Market

The downside to discontinued motorcycles is that your chances of getting one in immaculate condition with zero miles are close to zero. But the plus side is for those who missed their opportunity to get a V-Rod because the time wasn’t right, now the time is always right. The pre-owned motorcycle market is so huge and expansive that someone is always on the hunt for a specific bike. In the case of the V-Rod, its cult following remains as hungry for these cruisers as ever. Sure, there are millions of other motorcycles up for sale, but there is almost always someone looking for a V-Rod. Granted, not as many as before, but the likelihood of you getting the V-Rod of your dreams is astronomically higher. Not to mention that the next generation of riders are more laser-focused on high-performance cruisers like the Low Rider S and Fat Bob. So the used buyer’s market is much less competitive.

1 They Are More Affordable Now

2017 V-Rod Average Retail Price: $12,280

Let’s be honest, buying a motorcycle is a big commitment. Buying a V-Rod Muscle as a new motorcycle would have been a big commitment while they were still being produced. But now that they exist solely in the used market, they are not as pricey as they used to be. According to J.D. Power, the average retail price of a 2017 Harley-Davidson V-Rod Muscle in good condition is $12,280. So being able to secure a reliable cruiser in the low teens is a tough offer to pass up. New V-Rods would be priced in the high teens, so you would be riding home on the bike that you wanted, and at a lower price. That’s a double-win!