Blown Away Harley-Davidson V-Rod 

MY BIKE started life on the road as a 2003 Anniversary model V-Rod. I bought it in 2007 with 2700 km on the clock. I was at the Vietnam Vets Bike Show and spoke to Jeff from Chopperworks and I told him I wanted to make this thing not only look special but also fast, so he organised a meeting at my place and went through what we should do to get the results I wanted.

Jeff suggested painting the motor which I was a bit apprehensive about. He said, “Trust me, it will look great,” and it does. He also suggested to go with one modern paint colour, no airbrush, etc. With the Chopperworks guards and air-box cover along with the Renegade Newport wheels, the mono-coloured paint-job works a treat!

The LED tail and brake light on the rear guard also attracts a lot of attention.

Chroming the frame and the swingarm was my idea and I am now glad I did. It really blends with the turbo’s pipe work. The rest of it was all Jeff’s magic along with Nathan.

When the guys fitted the Trask turbo that’s when my ride took on another dimension, not only in looks but in power. When The Grunt Factory enhanced the Power Commander unit and dynoed the bike at 157 horsepower at the rear wheel, I knew the turbo was doing its thing.

I have done 7000 km since the mods and it has not missed a beat. I ride it and don’t just keep it in the shed. As the saying goes, “It’s ridden, not hidden!”

It’s a true rocket ship with the 240 wide rear-end, and the Performance Machine forward controls up front gives this bike a real sense of balance and it handles like a dream. With the inverted 56 mm Mean Street front-end and Legend Air Suspension it will give any Jappa a good run for its money—and yes, it goes around corners like it’s on rails.

I have been pulled over by people from all walks of life asking questions about my V-Rod. The best was an old war veteran who was an aircraft engineer. The turbo on the bike blew him away. He spent a good hour with his digger mates going over the whole bike exploring every last detail.

My bike took six months to complete and I’m more than happy with the results. I would like to say thanks to Nathan and Jeff at Chopperworks as it was their brain child; and to Justin and Simon at the Grunt Factory for squeezing a few more horses out of the Power Commander.

Photos by Rod Cole; story by Darren