Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Performance Machine's
Custom VRod Concept


So what do you think? Would you like to see a sportbike based on the VRSC platform. How about a Buell with the VRod motor? What about the Street Rod styled more like this bike? The guys over a Performance Machine came up with their own concept of what that might look like. I caught this a few weeks back on the TV program American Thunder and it really caught my eye and I thought it would be a great topic to discuss here. I'm sure there will be some of you that will love it and some of you that will hate it. This bike has been on tour with Performance Machine for several weeks so some of you may have already seen this bike in person at a show. I'm going to see if I can get any more specifics about the bike from Performance Machine and I'll post the details here but for now have a look at the pictures.



Here are a few of the custom pieces that I noticed in the photos.

Ohlins Shocks in the Rear
Ohlins Forks up front?
Integrated VROD Instruments into the gas tank
Vance & Hines Muffler and custom pipes
Sportbike rear fender eliminator like kit
Sportbike like solo seat setup



I don't know how practical this thing would be to ride with the low bars and the forward mounted foot controls, but it's just a concept bike. It seems like they would have been a lot better off if they had started with a Street Rod instead of the VRod. From what I remember though on American Thunder I think they said they had the stock VRod and they decided to turn it into a project.

Check out Performance Machine's Gallery to see all the photos of this concept VRSC. Or head over to their home page to see all of their work and products.

http://www.performancemachine.com/

Here is a little bit about Perfomance Machine the company and it's founders.

Performance Machine – the obsession with perfection continues…

Beginning in 1970, newlyweds, Nancy and Perry Sands created Performance Machine. Starting with relatively crude tools and the singular passion to build motorcycles, they became the local magnet for custom hungry Southern California bikers. Everything from sissy bars to wild one-off front ends came out of their Paramount, CA shop.

Experimenting with some of the available aftermarket disc brakes, the Sands quickly realized that nothing out there would live up to their standards. The obvious solution would be to create it, on their own. Within a few short years Performance Machine disc brake systems were the defacto standard for any well-sorted custom. The presence of their product on high-end bikes persists to this day. With an unwavering enthusiasm for all things two wheeled and damn fast, they concentrated their efforts on drag racing, dirt track and even road racing. The need for speed gene has also been passed down to their son Roland, who continues to amaze onlookers and fellow racers with his riding skills.

Wheels were next on the needs-improvement list and PM was again the innovator in both custom and race applications. Everything from cast magnesium wheels for Kenny Roberts to beautifully machined billet units for the local customs came out of PM. A keen sense for machinery and an ability to push the envelope of manufacturing has kept PM on the cutting edge.

These days, Performance Machine operates out of a 150,000 square foot, high tech compound. Always the innovator, PM has also established the first ever in-house testing facility in the US wheel and brake aftermarket.

I love the looks..... put the pegs need to be WAY back.

ooohh yaaah... neat.

i generally dont like "cruiser" styling so much, and prefer these sorts of funky street machines, and even old classic dirt tracker replicas and cafe racers. This one is a bit of a crossover with the really nice low and long styling and then a raked front end. The bike looks GREAT in that photo with the gravel quarry in the background!

for me the real trick is how rideable it really is...

pretty cool

More Pix of this bike

HERE!

&

Then there's this one!