When you think of Harley-Davison the large stars and stripes Customs materialize in the collective imagination. Fans of the Milwaukee brand have clearly understood this vocation since the birth of the brand, yet there was a period in which HD also wanted to try its hand in the world of competitions, with a sports bike that could give new life to its image. It was the Harley-Davidson VR1000, a controversial project that was carried out for the Superbike championship with the aim of competing with the greats of the category, from the Ducati 916 to the Honda HRC45. One of the very few produced is now for sale, but let’s take a step back.
The development of the VR1000 it started a long time ago and only really materialized in 1994 after HD had joined forces with other American manufacturers (Roush, Penske, Wilwood) to create a sports bike that could be truly competitive. And on paper, the Harley-Davidson VR1000 really seemed to be, with a frame construction philosophy that followed that of the Japanese and an engine developed in collaboration with Porsche Engineering. It was there that pushed the VR1000 a V-twin with cylinders arranged at 60º, liquid-cooled and had a displacement of 996 cc complete with an exclusive competition Weber injection system. This engine was capable of delivering a maximum power of 116 HP with the bike boasting an overall weight of the bike of 175 kg, truly incredible numbers when compared to its direct rivals: just think that the Ducati 916 had less power and practically weighed. 20 kg more.
And it is precisely in this context that the design limits were highlighted: the idea of HD was to establish itself in the AMA championship and then attempt the leap into the world category to the sound of successes but the bike created was an excellent road bike as much as it was difficult to ride. on the track. The racing version therefore turned out to be a real flop, to the point that Harley-Davidson no longer wanted to try its hand at a two-wheeled sports car after that failure. For those wishing to experience this project first-hand, there is a rare and expensive opportunity: the Italian owner of one of only 50 homologated models has put his Harley VR1000 up for sale, with only 200 km traveled. The price? 136,500 euros.
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