HARLEY-DAVIDSON Night Rod (2008-2009) Specs, Performance & Photos

The Harley-Davidson VRSCD Night Rod was a hot rod-inspired machine built around the 1,130cc Revolution engine. It debuted in 2006 and was manufactured only for three years, until 2008.

The Night Rod and Street Rod were the only models that featured mid-mounted controls. As its name says, the Night Rod featured a darkened appearance, with a black frame, a black engine with chrome accents, and a color-matched fairing.

In 2008, the American maker introduced the Harley-Davidson Night Rod, a cruiser motorcycle loaded with modern technology, such as a triple-disc Brembo braking system, a high-performance carbon fiber belt drive, an Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI) system, and a renowned V-twin Revolution engine.

The 2008 Harley-Davidson Night Rod came with a displacement increase from 1,130cc to 1,247cc. The Revolution engine was developed by Porsche Engineering with the aid of several H-D engineers from the VR1000 V-twin Racing bike engine.

As for the power figures, the 1,247cc Revolution engine delivered an output power of 125 hp with a peak at 8,250 rpm and 115 Nm (85 lb-ft) torque at 7,000 rpm. All the power was handled by a five-speed transmission and sent to the rear wheel through a high-performance carbon fiber final belt drive.

The bike packed a 36 degrees rake angle, an adjustable handlebar, five-spoke aluminum wheels, a straight-shot dual exhaust system, and it came with an MSRP of $15,280 in 2007. In 2023, the bike was for sale for a price ranging from $6,500 to $8,500, depending on its condition.