Harley Davidson VRSCDX Night Rod Special

The Night Rod Special features a tapered tail section, lighter-weight wheels, and improved ergonomics with reduced reach to both the rider footpegs and handlebar. Inverted front forks and retuned rear suspension enhance ride and handling. This is a blacked-out, dark and sinister power cruiser that's at home in a back alley.

Blacked-Out Look

Pitch black and sinister as hell, the Night Rod® Special model is aggressively styled from the front end to the back. Engine, wheels, forks, triple clamps, swingarm—they're all blacked out and thick with uncompromising, drag strip attitude.

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.

Fat Rear Tire

Behold an ultra-fat, 240mm rear tire for a powerful, no-nonsense look and added grip. Harnessing explosive, off-the-line power, the rear tire on the Night Rod® Special motorcycle enhances the pure dragster look with the sticky, high-performance tread you need for staying glued to the pavement.

Low-Rise Handlebar

Grab the slammed blacked-out drag-style handlebar for an aggressive riding position—slightly forward and reminiscent of tearing up the racetrack, but easily within reach for plenty of riding comfort along with that attitude.

Radiator Design

Every inch of a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle is created to sync up with the bike's overall look and performance. The Night Rod® Special is no exception. As our very first liquid-cooled rides, we turned to styling to make sure the radiator on the V-Rod®models became part of the design instead of an interruption to the flow of the eye.

Premium Paint

Up to two times thicker than the competition, custom quality paint comes standard on all Harley-Davidson® motorcycles. Clearcoat layering up to five mils deep. Bigger metal flakes. Unique effects. Skimping simply is not in our vocabulary.

Streamlined Front End

With its color-matched speedscreen pared down to bare performance minimum, its sleek headlamp and slotted-bracket sport fender, the Night Rod® Special comes on strong with an aggressive race-inspired, power-first front profile.

Fastback Tail Section

The Night Rod® Special model's tail delivers even more drag-strip performance and attitude. The chopped down and aggressively tapered fender shows off that fat rear tire, while the slimmed down center plate mount and flush-mounted the low-maintenance LED tail-lamp creates a streamlined impression that lasts.

Cast Aluminum Performance Wheel

When the rubber meets the road, it’s your wheels that make the difference. Inspired by performance sports car design, these split 5-spoke wheels flash heavy-weight attitude, but do it at a full 3 pounds lighter than earlier generation V-Rod® motorcycle wheels, which means you roll with tighter handling and smoother suspension response.

Revolution® Engine Heritage

From the Strip to the Street. Harley-Davidson has a passion for performance that is rooted in decades of racing and winning championships. So when The Motor Company set out to produce a high-powered, liquid-cooled engine, it began with the VR1000 superbike engine. Its performance is inspired by American-style, big, powerful torque coupled with high-end horsepower. The Revolution® engine is the heart of a machine that attracts a breed of riders who are fascinated by the heritage and mystique of Harley-Davidson and the power of a high-end street performance motorcycle.

Revolution® Engine Innovation

Through a partnership with legendary automaker, Porsche, and their world-renowned team of engineers, Harley-Davidson created a revolutionary engine. The final result was something uniquely Harley-Davidson, the industry's most perfect blend of torque and horsepower in the high revving V-Twin Revolution® engine. Fuel injection. Dual overhead cams. Liquid cooled. 125 horses. Massive, brute power behind pure Harley-Davidson innovation and style.

Pure Harley-Davidson Styling

Feast your eyes on the Revolution® engine and there's no mistaking its roots. This is authentic Harley-Davidson® style through and through with an attention to detail you won't find from any other motorcycle company. Deep black cylinders and rocker covers complete the dark look, while the machined cooling fin tips on the cylinder heads give it a stripped down, raw metal finish. It's a jewel machined out of metal. Pure. Dripping with power. From the classic edge of the cooling fins to the clean lines of cases and covers—the Revolution® engine makes an ironclad statement to holding on to what's right and staying true to what satisfies the rider.

Custom Power and Performance

Tuned to produce 125 horsepower the 1250cc Revolution® engine is Harley-Davidson's highest horsepower engine to this day. With dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, it provides 84 ft. lbs. of torque at 7000 rpm, while feeling refined and velvety smooth all the way up to the redline.

High Marks for Durability

The Harley-Davidson Revolution® engine is an extremely durable motorcycle engine. It survived the most brutal and aggressive durability test in the industry: the Dusseldorf Test. Simulating a grueling trip along Germany's notorious Autobahn, the engine endured a wide range of performance tests. From idle states to city speeds, to wide-open throttle and mountain climbing torque, the Revolution® engine surpassed the goal of 500 hours of non-stop punishing performance.

Hydroformed Frame

Harley-Davidson's Chief Styling Officer Emeritus, Willie G. Davidson, asked for a frame so beautiful it could sit in a museum. And that's exactly what the Harley-Davidson team of engineers created. Using an innovative process called hydroforming, they were able to form unconventional angles and apply fewer welds by bending and shaping metal pipes with high-pressure water. The result: a sturdy chassis with improved rigidity. To date, The Motor Company is the only major motorcycle manufacturer to use hydroforming to construct frames.

H-D® Smart Security System (Optional)

The factory installed next-generation security system features a hands-free fob that automatically arms and disarms the vehicle electronic security functions as you approach and walk away from the bike. Stick the fob on your ignition key ring and let it do all the work. It's this attention to details and security that make Harley-Davidson® motorcycles unique. Offered as a part of the "Security Package" (which includes Anti-Lock Brakes).

Artfully Hidden Technology

Harley-Davidson leverages the latest in technology without compromising style and function. That means we hide electronics. The whole wiring harness is skillfully routed behind the jewels of the bike—the tank, engine and all the other eye-popping features you want to see. It's just another way The Motor Company goes the extra mile to give its bikes that premium, top-of-the-line fit and finish.

Intuitive Controls

Hand controls on a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle are incredibly intuitive. The turn signals are self-canceling and, based on the speed and angle of the motorcycle, they know how long to stay on. Engaging the controls quickly becomes second nature so you can focus less on turning off your signal and more on basking in the freedom of the ride.

Brembo® Brakes with Optional ABS

Increased confidence and control. High-performance Brembo® dual-disk brakes offer consistent stopping power on every leg of your journey. Plus, the optional Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) helps reduce the chance of wheel lock-up if you need to brake suddenly. And since we hid the speed sensor, the bike maintains its clean, slick look. Performance without sacrificing style. That's what The Motor Company is all about. The Anti-Lock Brakes are offered as a part of the "Security Package" (which includes the H-D® Smart Security System).

"Slipper" Clutch

Taken from the racetrack to the world of custom. The Night Rod® Special motorcycle features a "slipper," (or "slip and assist") clutch that provides smoother, high-power handling in turns or whenever you downshift. By reducing clutch friction, the slipper clutch helps keep your rear wheel at a controlled clip.

Michelin® Scorcher™ Tires

The Michelin® Scorcher™ tires provide the superior performance, sensational grip, impressive durability and excellent handling expected on a race-bred bike. The exclusive deep-cut tread design improves grip and water evacuation capability. Grip performance and durability is also enhanced by the tire's rubber compounds, which use the latest generation of Michelin synthetic polymers. Under the rear rubber, aramid belts are used to stabilize your ride, which helps inspire confidence in handling.

Inverted Forks

Grab on and feel the total command delivered by this precision-engineered front end assembly. The performance-tuned front end assembly features inverted forks and a low-angle rake that keep the Night Rod® Special's unsprung mass low and its turning tight, for a nimble and responsive ride at every speed.

Tuned to Be Ridden

Harley-Davidson® motorcycles are different from any other bike out on the road. There's a balance to them. The steering, the maneuverability—it's all in concert. And each Harley-Davidson® model is tuned differently to create a unique riding experience for each individual no matter which bike they swing their leg over. Let's face it, we didn't get to where we are by being like everyone else.

Enhanced Ergonomic Controls

Confidence is critical when you're performance riding. That's why we designed the Night Rod® Special model's control placement for comfortable access that doesn't compromise its aggressive stance. The handlebars and rider foot pegs are placed so you ride low and mean, but with the controls close and comfortably in reach.

Two-up Bucket Saddle

Settle in and experience the confident connection you get from the deep rider bucket. We designed it to hold you close, low (25.6 inches) and in control, even when you throttle up fast. Just like all Harley-Davidson® seats, it's built with the premium material, custom stitching and the attention to detail that mark the work of motorcycle makers who’ve been putting their own seats in the saddle for over a hundred years.

Seat Engineering and Design

The seat is home for Harley-Davidson® motorcycle riders. They want a seat that has unique style without sacrificing comfort. Because of that, Harley-Davidson invests a lot of time in researching, designing and testing seats so that every bike has just the right saddle. 

The Night Rod® Special features a tapered tail section, lighter-weight wheels, and improved ergonomics with reduced reach to both the rider footpegs and handlebar. Inverted front forks and retuned rear suspension enhance ride and handling. This is a blacked-out, dark and sinister power cruiser that’s at home in a back alley.

• Rubber-mounted, liquid-cooled 1250cc Revolution® V-Twin engine with dual overhead camshafts, four-valve cylinder heads and
Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI); 125 hp @ 8,250 rpm; 85 ft. lbs. torque @ 7,000 rpm
• Race-bred clutch with “slipper” action helps ease drive train effort during downshifting
• 5-speed transmission
• High-performance carbon-fiber drive belt.
• Brembo® triple-disc performance brakes
• Michelin® Scorcher® radial tires
• Round reflector-optic headlight
• Electric power accessory connector under seat
• Security Package Option bundles Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Harley-Davidson® Smart Security System with proximity-based, hands-free security fob