2006 Harley Street Rod
HARLEY-DAVIDSON STREET ROD (2005 - 2012) Review
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At a glance
| Owners' reliability rating: | 4.4 out of 5 (4.4/5) |
|---|---|
| Annual servicing cost: | £400 |
| Power: | 120 bhp |
| Seat height: | Low (26.0 in / 660 mm) |
| Weight: | High (646 lbs / 293 kg) |
Overall rating
Next up: Ride & brakes
3 out of 5 (3/5)
'Designed for Europe' Harley-Davidson Street Rod is a sports version of the Harley-Davidson V-Rod. So while the engine remains the same as its cruiser cousin, the Harley-Davidson Street Rod's chassis has been modified to turn it into a handler. It works, too, delivering a much more invigorating ride – still no Suzuki GSX-R1000, not by a long chalk.
Ride quality & brakes
Next up: Engine
4 out of 5 (4/5)
TheHarley-Davidson Street Rod has sharper steering, four-piston brakes made for Harley by Brembo, new upswept exhausts for extra ground clearance, and a revised riding position makes this a Harley like no other – one that attacks corners with glee. Albeit one in a 1930 Bentley blower sorta way…
Engine
Next up: Reliability
3 out of 5 (3/5)
The Harley-Davidson Street Rod is unchanged from the revolutionary, Porsche-designed, liquid-cooled V-Rod unit. That means its modern (shocking itself for a Harley), free-revving and 120bhp potent. Sounds awesome, too. On the downside, the Harley-Davidson Street Rod is far too heavy to rival genuine sports V-twins like Ducatis and Aprilias, nor is it the real Harley old school McCoy.
Reliability & build quality
Next up: Value
4 out of 5 (4/5)
Harley-Davidson Street Rod have a reputation for being so solid it's as if they're made out of cast iron and with super-thick paint and metal finishes – and it's well deserved. Harley-Davidson Street Rods last forever, don't go wrong, don't become obsolete or depreciate, don't go out of fashion and, with the Street Rod, there's even less that can go wrong in the first place…
Value vs rivals
Next up: Equipment
3 out of 5 (3/5)
Like other Harleys the Harley-Davidson Street Rod's whopping great initial purchase price shock is counteracted by incomparable residuals, healthy reliability and priceless (well, it is to some) 'lifestyle' buying a Harley brings. Whether all that's worth it, is up to you. Find a Harley-Davidson Street Rod for sale.
Equipment
2 out of 5 (2/5)
As the Harley-Davidson Street Rod is a supposed sportster, you'd be forgiven for not expecting much in the way of frills, and you'd be right. The Harley-Davidson Street Rod has a cut down seat, nothing by way of rider luxuries and a performance focus. And not a lot else.
Specs | |
| Engine size | 1130cc |
|---|---|
| Engine type | 8v V-twin, 5 gears |
| Frame type | Tubular steel double cradle |
| Fuel capacity | 14 litres |
| Seat height | 660mm |
| Bike weight | 293kg |
| Front suspension | None |
| Rear suspension | Preload |
| Front brake | 2 x 300mm discs |
| Rear brake | Single 300mm disc |
| Front tyre size | 120/70 x 19 |
| Rear tyre size | 180/55 x 18 |
Mpg, costs & insurance | |
| Average fuel consumption | 37 mpg |
|---|---|
| Annual road tax | £96 |
| Annual service cost | £400 |
| New price | - |
| Used price | - |
| Insurance group | 17 of 17 How much to insure? |
| Warranty term | Two year unlimited mileage |
Top speed & performance | |
| Max power | 120 bhp |
|---|---|
| Max torque | 95.6 ft-lb |
| Top speed | 144 mph |
| 1/4 mile acceleration | 12.5 secs |
| Tank range | 137 miles |
Model history & versions
Model history
2005: Harley-Davidson Street Rod launched.
2006: Now with new Harley security system, larger 18.9 fuel tank and different colours.
MCN Long term test reports
Harley-Davidson Street Rod: To V-twin or not to V-twin?
We've spent the day riding Harley's 2017 Street Rod around the roads of southern Spain and the new bike, which is based on the Street 750 has surprised us a little. The Street Rod is much more like a naked roadster than any other Harley currently out there, so it performs well in the twisties. It's …
Read the latest report
Owners' reviews for the HARLEY-DAVIDSON STREET ROD (2005 - 2012)
5 owners have reviewed their HARLEY-DAVIDSON STREET ROD (2005 - 2012) and rated it in a number of areas. Read what they have to say and what they like and dislike about the bike below.
Review your HARLEY-DAVIDSON STREET ROD (2005 - 2012)
Summary of owners' reviews | |
| Overall rating: | 4.4 out of 5 (4.4/5) |
|---|---|
| Ride quality & brakes: | 4.4 out of 5 (4.4/5) |
| Engine: | 5 out of 5 (5/5) |
| Reliability & build quality: | 4.4 out of 5 (4.4/5) |
| Value vs rivals: | 4.2 out of 5 (4.2/5) |
| Equipment: | 3.4 out of 5 (3.4/5) |
| Annual servicing cost: | £400 |
4 out of 5 For the sportsbike rider wanting to slow down a bit...
03 July 2018
Year: 2006
Annual servicing cost: £400
The VRSCR I feel was built for the sportsbike rider that wanted to get off his sports and slow down (a little), it has an aggressive sports riding position and a hell of a lot of road presence, stick a set of open pipes on it and it's the best sounding sport V twin you're going to hear, bar none. However, whilst being a quick Harley it could be said more true of saying a quick Harley in its time, as the Twin cam and newer 1250 VROD Harley's will give this bike a run for its money, I guess that's the price of progress. The bike is also very heavy and tall, I am quite short and have had a fair bit hacked out the seat and gel put into the remaining saddle and it is still quite tall.
Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5
This bike is quite a good all-rounder, big and heavy enough to do a long slog, but not enough to make quick blasts a chore, I use this bike for work, rest and play. I would say the worst part is the numb fingers on the throttle side, on long journeys you'll find yourself flexing your hand every now and then to get the blood back, the bike is vibey but not as bad as other Harleys. The brakes are fantastic, even stopping this big hunk of metal at high speeds. As stated before, the riding position is the same as a sportsbike, not as extreme but still in essence the same, if you can do long rides on your sportsbike then you'll breeze it on this. For short rides it's the same, the only 'err' is that the bike is quite heavy so if you're short remember this before buying as it isn't going to be like you're plastic rocket and be easy to move with your feet on tip toes.
Engine 5 out of 5
So the engine capacity is 1130cc and a sportster is 1200cc, but don't worry the little sporty will be a small speck in your mirror within seconds. The engine are supposed to be bullet proof on these Harleys and capable of racking eye watering miles if looked after, I have seen people bragging of 150,000 and still going strong. As I have said when the 1130cc bike was released it was at the time of the evo Harleys and would easily smoke them all, in comparison it was a snarling pit bull straining on its lead, however with the bigger twin cams and the release of the 1250 V rod it's a bit more doberman than pit bull now, but still it's a great engine and puts out respectable amounts of power.
Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5
Like most bikes, this isn't going to make you happy in the winter, I have run this bike through one without applying anti corrosion (I know silly) and it started showing, come spring – the clean was HELL. Having owned a few Harley-Davidsons I must say this one has been really good no break downs in the 14 months I have owned it. I would say this bike quality-wise knocks the spots off the evo's it was running with at the time. Owned a few evo Harleys and had some problems with them that I haven't had with the VRSCR (touch wood).
Value vs rivals 3 out of 5
This is where the V rods start to fall apart, they are very expensive to service at the main dealer: £309 for the small service up to £500+ for the big service the problem is the big service doesn't include the shims, which is usually around £300-£400. Shop around for servicing as you can get it cheaper but make sure they know what they are doing, the V rod is quite a complicated bike to do the big service and shims on. Tyres are bloody expensive, the cheapest I found were £300, and parts for this bike are not cheap, even compared to other Harleys.
Equipment 2 out of 5
I can't say I have anything I would say is my favourite feature, I like the overall package as someone who also loves a sportsbike but wants a Harley, but one thing I absolutely detest is the clocks, what on earth was Harley thinking? The angle they are at is just weird, you have to bend down to see them properly as you're looking down on top of them. The other 1130cc V rods were the same. Optional extras, well from Harley there isn't a great deal the luggage cloth bags will cost you £700 when you get the kit to hold them on the bike and by reading reports on them people aren't impressed with them neither, the luggage back rack only comes in black, so it's off to China if you want a chrome one for your chrome bike which 90% of V rods were before the dark editions. I would shop elsewhere for add on bits, but there isn't a lot. As for parts, well expect your wallet to cry, this bike isn't cheap.
Buying experience: These bikes were not popular, the sports bike riders don't want Harleys and most Harley owners won't even acknowledge the VRODs as being Harleys, and the VRSCR was only made for around two years so expect them to be both hard to find and expensive, I love my Harleys, I didn't know these actually existed, I come across them whilst looking up reviews for the new Street Rod 750 then thought 'I WANT'. As the Harley VROD range has been discontinued and these bikes were only made for two years, expect them to become more expensive and harder to find, they will become collectors items in the future the rarer they become, at one point they were cheap as chips to buy, but now that has changed.
4 out of 5 Nice Bike
25 November 2015 by Bedsocks
Year: 2006
I have recommended this bike to a friend.
Ride quality & brakes 4 out of 5
Front brake has excellent stopping power but discs are slightly warped. Rear brake pedal in wrong position, much too high.
Engine 5 out of 5
Visually one of the nicest, sounds fantastic but too loud in tunnels. This bike has aftermarket exhausts, Supertrapp slipons. I usually wear ear plugs. More than enough power for this type of bike.
Reliability & build quality 4 out of 5
This machine is built like a tank. Not sure abut oil consumption yet. Talking of oil, HD recommends their own brand, just the same as for old air cooled motors. Some dealers say Synthetic, some say semi, others say mineral. Not to mention the many references to a good quality oil approver for diesel engines. I could talk about this subject for ever but without any proper conclusion. Go and find a few V/rod riders, ask this question and stand back.
Value vs rivals 4 out of 5
Cant give ant comments here, except that a couple of HD dealers have told me that they don't bother with the valve check as it involves a lot of work, engine out of frame.. They tell me they listen for excessive valve clatter and if all sounds well they advise so. In my opinion this may be the case on a push rod engine but the opposite is true with OHC where the clearance decreases with wear. There for I have no intention of paying a fortune in labour charges to someone with such minimum mechanical knowledge. In my opinion in 50 years of riding, Main dealers were usually good with at least one fully trained mechanic when I started on a BSA C15 now the mechanics are elsewhere and have been replaced with fitters. and there is all the difference in the world between them.
Equipment 4 out of 5
Turn signal switches are strange, one on each side, but one gets used to them. Best thing is they are self cancelling and this system that HD uses is as near to perfect as you will find.
Buying experience: This was a private sale one owner full service history (all HD). I paid 5,500 pounds about 6 months ago nice condition except front discs slightly warped. Well looked after by previous owner.
5 out of 5 Modern Jota!!
18 July 2009 by harleydude63
I've owned a lot of bikes in my 29yrs riding, The Street Rod always brings a smile everytime I ride her. With a set of aftermarket end cans to replace the original abortive behemoths, she snorts and growls through everything I chuck at her with ease, sure, she is no RSV factory, but still handles and goes as fast as My needs dictate, she reminds me of my old 180 Jota, full of character with performance to match her looks. Excellent value 2nd hand after someone else took initial depreciation hit, and build quality to shame some of it's rivals. Try one and judge for yourself.
Ride quality & brakes 4 out of 5
Engine 5 out of 5
Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5
Value vs rivals 4 out of 5
Equipment 4 out of 5
4 out of 5 Wowwaweewa
15 February 2009 by jdavies123
Great engine, huge torque. Looks incredible. Brakes warp due to wheel problem. overall a great bike
Ride quality & brakes 4 out of 5
Engine 5 out of 5
Reliability & build quality 4 out of 5
Value vs rivals 5 out of 5
Equipment 3 out of 5
5 out of 5 Big, Brash American Bruiser
27 April 2006 by Gromit
I've owned far too many bikes over the last 25 years or so, but rarely one which has been as much sheer fun to ride as this one. It's long, fairly low and extremely heavy with slow & stable steering which needs a bit of body English to turn. However, this translates into excellent stability and with sweetly neutral steering makes the bike a pleasure to ride at speed. The motor matches this handling ability with a surprisingly revvy (for a Harley) nature, with bags and bags of character. It booms and growls when opened up and has a pleasingly high rev ceiling to explore when on the open road; it also goes pretty damn well too! Fortunately the Brembo brakes do their job with excellent power and great feel - including the rear which is worth mentioning as being a very useful item - rare on modern bikes. All in all I love the bike - I've done 3350 miles in the month I've owned it (total of 5750) and enjoyed every one. The seat really could be a bit better though! Strengths: That fabulous motor (come on Erik - give us a Buell chassis with this fitted!) with its noise, character and sheer go, surprisingly fit handling, superb brakes. Excellent finish on paint & alloy parts. Loads of alloy to polish on a rainy sunday afternoon. Weaknesses: Front brake discs have warped (replaced no probs under warranty), seat is not really up to 400 mile days but is easily changed by raiding the HD parts catalogue. V small quibbles: Front 2 exhaust heat shield screws keep falling out (try to keep a few spare in my pocket!). Loads of alloy to polish on a rainy sunday afternoon...
Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5
Engine 5 out of 5
Reliability & build quality 4 out of 5
Value vs rivals 5 out of 5
Equipment 4 out of 5
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Harley-Davidson VRSCR Street Rod motorcycle - Riding
Source: https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-reviews/harley-davidson/street-rod/2005/
