2007-2010 Harley-Davidson VRSCAW V-Rod Wide-Tire V-Rod: The VRSC Power Cruiser With the Factory 240 Rear

The Harley-Davidson VRSCAW V-Rod was the factory wide-tire evolution of the original V-Rod idea: a liquid-cooled, overhead-cam, high-revving Harley built around the Revolution engine rather than the air-cooled pushrod architecture that defined Milwaukee for generations. Introduced for the 2007 model year and running through 2010, the VRSCAW carried the visual language of the early VRSCA V-Rod into the period when 240-section rear tires, long wheelbases, low seats, and drag-strip attitude had become central to the performance-cruiser market.

Within the Harley-Davidson VRSC family, the VRSCAW matters because it sits between two better-known poles: the original narrow-rear-tire VRSCA and the darker, more aggressively styled VRSCDX Night Rod Special. It retained much of the polished, bright-finished V-Rod personality while adopting the wider rear chassis package that defined later VRSC models.

Best Known For: the VRSCAW is best known as the factory Wide-Tire V-Rod, combining the Porsche-co-developed Revolution V-twin with a 240 mm rear tire and the long, low VRSC power-cruiser stance.

Quick Facts

The following table gives the core reference points most useful to a buyer, restorer, or VRSC-family researcher. The important distinction is the 2007-only 1130 cc configuration versus the 2008-2010 1250 cc version.

The VRSCAW is not simply a cosmetic V-Rod with a fatter tire. The wide rear tire required a package that changed the stance, visual balance, and low-speed behavior of the motorcycle, while the 2008 displacement increase altered the way later examples deliver their performance.

Why the VRSCAW Matters

The VRSCAW deserves its own treatment because it represents the moment Harley-Davidson folded the custom wide-tire look directly into the mainstream V-Rod line. By 2007, the first-generation V-Rod had already proved that Harley could sell a liquid-cooled, overhead-cam machine without pretending it was a traditional Big Twin. The question was where that platform should go next.

The answer, at least for the VRSCAW, was toward the custom-cruiser showroom rather than toward the sportier Street Rod direction. It gave riders the bright-finished, polished-metal V-Rod image but with the broad 240-section rear tire that buyers associated with expensive customs, drag racing, and the period’s boulevard-performance aesthetic.

For collectors, the VRSCAW is interesting because it is neither the first V-Rod nor the longest-lived VRSC variant. Its significance lies in being a transitional factory model: 2007 retained the 1130 cc Revolution engine, while 2008 brought the larger 1250 cc version that became the later VRSC norm.

Historical Context and Development Background

Harley-Davidson entered the 2000s in a strong commercial position, but the cruiser market around it was changing. Metric manufacturers were building muscular cruisers with high displacement, modern braking, large rear tires, and increasingly aggressive styling. Yamaha’s VMAX had long demonstrated that a cruiser-shaped motorcycle could be sold on engine drama, while bikes such as the Suzuki Boulevard M109R and Victory Hammer showed how important the wide-rear-tire stance had become in the showroom.

The V-Rod itself had arrived as a 2002 model with the Revolution engine, a liquid-cooled 60-degree V-twin developed with assistance from Porsche Engineering. The engine’s conceptual ancestry is often linked to Harley’s VR-1000 racing program, though the production Revolution motor was very much a roadgoing powerplant designed for emissions compliance, durability, and street use. Its DOHC, four-valve architecture, high operating speed, liquid cooling, and fuel injection separated it sharply from the air-cooled Twin Cam models sitting elsewhere in Harley dealerships.

By the time the VRSCAW appeared, Harley had already experimented within the VRSC family. The VRSCR Street Rod had pushed the platform toward handling and cornering clearance, while the Night Rod variants moved it toward darker finishes and a more menacing posture. The VRSCAW took another path: it made the wide-rear-tire custom look a factory proposition while preserving much of the original V-Rod’s polished, aluminum-intensive visual identity.

There is no military or police legacy attached to the VRSCAW. Its relevance is commercial and cultural: it shows Harley responding to the custom and performance-cruiser market using a platform that was radically different from the company’s traditional air-cooled motorcycles.

Engine and Drivetrain

The VRSCAW used Harley-Davidson’s Revolution engine, a compact liquid-cooled 60-degree V-twin with dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. That architecture gave the V-Rod a different mechanical character from the company’s pushrod Big Twins: more rev range, smoother high-speed running, a harder-edged induction note, and a power delivery that rewarded rpm rather than just low-speed flywheel effect.

For 2007, the VRSCAW used the 1130 cc Revolution engine. For 2008 through 2010, the model carried the enlarged 1247 cc version, commonly referred to as the 1250. Harley-Davidson’s U.S. consumer literature generally emphasized torque rather than publishing SAE horsepower figures, so horsepower claims should be treated carefully unless tied to a specific factory or certified source.

Fueling was by Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection. Ignition was electronically controlled through the engine-management system, and lubrication was by a pressure-fed wet-sump arrangement with a replaceable oil filter. Drive passed through a wet multi-plate clutch, a 5-speed gearbox, and belt final drive.

This table separates the 2007 engine from the 2008-2010 update, since that is the single most important mechanical distinction within the VRSCAW run.

The 1250 update is the version many riders seek when shopping on performance grounds, but the 2007 model has its own appeal as the first factory VRSCAW and the final expression of the 1130 cc V-Rod formula in this bright-finished wide-tire form.

Chassis, Suspension, and Braking

The VRSC chassis was one of the most visually distinctive Harley frames of its period, with hydroformed upper frame rails sweeping around the engine rather than hiding the structure under conventional cruiser bodywork. The VRSCAW retained that exposed mechanical architecture but placed greater emphasis on the rear of the motorcycle, where the 240 mm tire became the dominant visual and dynamic feature.

The front suspension used a conventional telescopic fork, while the rear used twin shocks. Braking was by dual front discs and a single rear disc, a layout appropriate for a motorcycle with this weight, power, and high-speed capability. ABS availability depends on model year and market specification, so equipped machines should be checked by VIN, build documentation, and the presence of the correct hydraulic and electronic components.

The chassis table below focuses on specifications that directly affect identification and ownership rather than on subjective handling impressions.

The wide rear tire is central to how the motorcycle looks and behaves. It gives the VRSCAW a planted, muscular rear view, but it also changes steering feel compared with the earlier VRSCA and the more handling-focused VRSCR Street Rod.

Riding Experience and Mechanical Character

A VRSCAW starts like a modern fuel-injected motorcycle, not like an old air-cooled Harley that asks for choke, throttle judgment, and patience. Turn the ignition on, let the fuel system wake, press the starter, and the Revolution engine settles into a controlled, liquid-cooled idle with less mechanical lope than a traditional 45-degree Big Twin. The sound is sharper and more technical, especially through the intake, with cam drive, cooling fan, and exhaust note all contributing to a very different Harley texture.

The riding position is long and low, with forward controls and a reach to the bar that places the rider into the power-cruiser posture Harley intended. The clutch is hydraulically actuated and the gearbox feels more modern than a vintage Harley transmission, though it still has the deliberate engagement expected of a large-capacity cruiser. Throttle response is clean when the fuel system and exhaust calibration are correct; poorly tuned aftermarket exhausts can make the bike less refined than the factory package suggests.

The engine’s personality is the heart of the motorcycle. It does not deliver its best work as a lazy, low-rpm thumper. Instead, it pulls strongly through the midrange and becomes more urgent as the tachometer rises, which is exactly why the V-Rod unsettled some traditionalists and pleased riders who wanted a Harley with more rpm and less nostalgia.

At low speed, the 240 rear tire and long wheelbase make themselves known. The bike is stable and confident once moving, but it is not as quick to tip into a turn as the earlier narrow-tire VRSCA or the Street Rod. Braking performance is far beyond vintage Harley standards, yet the rider is always aware of the machine’s mass and length, especially on tight roads or during parking-lot maneuvering.

Identification and Originality

Correct identification starts with the model code: VRSCAW. The suffix matters. A VRSCA is the earlier original-style V-Rod, while the VRSCAW denotes the wide-tire version. The model code should appear in factory paperwork, service documentation, and registration records; buyers should not rely solely on casual online VIN decoders when evaluating a valuable or unusually original example.

Visually, the VRSCAW is identified by its factory 240/40R-18 rear tire package, wide rear fender treatment, VRSC hydroformed frame, under-seat fuel-tank layout, and V-Rod bodywork with the airbox cover occupying the place where a conventional fuel tank would sit. Unlike the darker Night Rod Special, the VRSCAW generally presents as the bright, polished, original-flavor V-Rod adapted to the wide-tire chassis.

Originality questions usually center on exhaust systems, rear fenders, wheels, handlebars, foot controls, seats, lighting, license-plate relocation kits, and engine-management changes. Many V-Rods were modified early in life, often with loud pipes and fuel tuners. For a collector-grade VRSCAW, the presence of the original exhaust, emissions equipment, wheels, body panels, airbox cover, rear fender, and documentation can matter more than a list of aftermarket parts.

Paint and finishes should be judged against year-specific factory literature. The polished aluminum and bright-metal look is part of the V-Rod identity, and poorly refinished frame rails, incorrect powder coating, mismatched body panels, or non-factory blacked-out conversions can reduce historical clarity. As with any Harley of this period, the frame number, engine number, title, and service records should be consistent and free of alteration concerns.

Model Code and Variant Breakdown

The VRSCAW is best understood alongside the nearby VRSC variants that buyers often cross-shop or confuse with it. The following table is limited to related factory road models and the factory drag-racing derivative most relevant to the V-Rod story.

The key buyer warning is simple: VRSCAW, VRSCDX, and VRSCF are not interchangeable collector labels. They share the Revolution platform, but their bodywork, stance, equipment, and market identities are distinct.

Performance and Dimensional Specifications

Factory literature and enthusiast references consistently identify the VRSCAW by its 1130 cc 2007 engine and 1247 cc 2008-2010 engine. Bore and stroke figures are well established at 100 mm x 72 mm for the 1130 and 105 mm x 72 mm for the 1250. The rear tire size, 240/40R-18, is central to the model’s identity, and the front tire is commonly listed as 120/70ZR-19.

Harley-Davidson did not consistently publish U.S. showroom horsepower figures for these models in the way many sportbike manufacturers did. Period road tests and chassis-dyno results exist, but those are not the same as factory horsepower ratings and vary with exhaust, calibration, test method, and market specification. For restoration and authentication, displacement, model code, equipment, and documentation are more useful than quoting an unsupported horsepower number.

Later 1250 VRSCAW factory specifications commonly list a running-order weight around 673 lb, a 5.0-gallon fuel capacity, and a long-wheelbase chassis consistent with the VRSC power-cruiser brief. Year-specific factory literature should be used when judging concours-level accuracy, because equipment and options can vary by model year and market.

Compared With Related Harley-Davidson VRSC Models

VRSCAW vs. VRSCA Original V-Rod

The VRSCA is the purer early design to many collectors: narrower rear tire, original V-Rod proportions, and the first expression of the Revolution-powered Harley. The VRSCAW is the later factory answer to the wide-tire custom trend. It looks heavier at the rear, steers with more awareness of its tire width, and carries the visual message buyers wanted in the late-2000s power-cruiser market.

VRSCAW vs. VRSCDX Night Rod Special

The Night Rod Special is the darker and more aggressive sibling, and it has developed a strong following for exactly that reason. The VRSCAW is less sinister and closer to the bright, polished V-Rod identity. Shoppers often confuse them because both belong to the wide-tire VRSC world, but the bodywork, finishes, and market personality are different.

VRSCAW vs. VRSCR Street Rod

The Street Rod is the outlier for riders who care about cornering clearance and a more athletic chassis attitude. It is not a wide-tire boulevard machine in the VRSCAW mold. If the VRSCR asks what a more sporting V-Rod might be, the VRSCAW asks what a factory custom V-Rod should look like.

VRSCAW vs. VRSCF V-Rod Muscle

The V-Rod Muscle arrived with broader, more sculpted bodywork and a different visual agenda. It is more obviously a later design. The VRSCAW remains closer to the original V-Rod silhouette, which can make it more appealing to collectors who like the early VRSC design language but want the 240 rear tire and, in 2008-2010 form, the 1250 engine.

Restoration and Ownership Notes

The VRSCAW is not difficult to maintain in the same way a prewar motorcycle is difficult, but it is not a simple air-cooled Harley either. The Revolution engine uses overhead cams, liquid cooling, fuel injection, and a compact packaging philosophy that rewards correct service procedures and factory literature. Valve-clearance checks, cooling-system maintenance, proper oil specification, and clean electrical connections matter.

Parts availability is mixed. Mechanical service parts remain more obtainable than some model-specific trim pieces, exhaust components, wheels, body panels, and cosmetic items. Since many V-Rods were personalized, an owner restoring one to original condition may spend more time finding correct take-off parts than rebuilding the engine.

Known ownership concerns tend to be practical rather than mysterious: neglected coolant, old brake and clutch fluid, damaged radiator fins, weak batteries, charging-system faults, deteriorated rubber components, poor aftermarket exhaust tuning, and evidence of rear-tire or fender modifications. On ABS-equipped examples, the system should be tested carefully rather than assumed functional because the warning light goes out.

Documentation matters. A VRSCAW with original sales paperwork, owner’s manual, service records, factory exhaust, correct wheels, and uncut wiring is a different proposition from a cosmetically similar bike assembled from modified parts. The model is modern enough that mileage and service history still affect value, but old enough that originality is becoming a real collector-market separator.

Buyer and Restoration Inspection Points

A good VRSCAW inspection should focus on model identity, the wide-tire chassis, cooling system health, electronic integrity, and the survival of original parts. This is the sort of motorcycle where a cheap modified example can become expensive if the goal is factory-correct restoration.

The best purchase is usually not the loudest or most heavily accessorized VRSCAW. It is the bike with clear identity, careful maintenance, intact factory equipment, and modifications that can be reversed without chasing rare trim parts.

Collector and Market Relevance

The VRSCAW occupies a specific place in the VRSC hierarchy. Early VRSCA models draw attention as the first V-Rods, Night Rod Specials have a strong following for their dark custom look, and the V-Rod Muscle has its own later-model audience. The VRSCAW appeals to collectors who want the bright, original V-Rod character but also want the factory 240 rear tire that defines the later wide-tire period.

Exact production numbers are not consistently documented in widely available factory sources, so rarity should not be exaggerated without year-specific records. Desirability is more closely tied to specification, condition, originality, mileage, documentation, and whether the bike is the 2007 1130 or 2008-2010 1250 version. The 2007 model has transition-year interest, while the 1250 versions are often preferred by riders who prioritize performance.

Custom culture cuts both ways. The VRSCAW was born in a period when wide tires, custom exhausts, side-mount plates, and blacked-out conversions were fashionable. Those changes helped define the bike’s use in period, but collectors increasingly value uncut, unmolested examples because they show what Harley actually built rather than what the accessory catalog or aftermarket later imagined.

Cultural Relevance

The VRSCAW was not a military motorcycle, police model, or factory road racer. Its cultural importance lies in Harley-Davidson’s willingness to sell a motorcycle that borrowed from drag-racing imagery, European-assisted engine engineering, and custom-cruiser fashion while wearing a Harley badge. It broadened what a Harley showroom motorcycle could be.

The wider VRSC family also had a real connection to drag racing through Harley-Davidson’s V-Rod-based drag-racing efforts and the factory VRXSE Screamin Eagle V-Rod Destroyer. The VRSCAW itself was a street machine, but its long, low stance and Revolution engine put it close to that visual language. In club and enthusiast culture, the V-Rod often became the Harley for riders who wanted modern power and liquid cooling without leaving the brand.

Its place in motorcycle history is sharper now than it was when new. At the time, some traditional Harley riders dismissed the V-Rod for being too modern, while non-Harley riders sometimes questioned whether it handled like a true performance bike. The VRSCAW shows that Harley was aiming at neither camp exclusively; it was building a factory power cruiser with a visual signature strong enough to stand apart from the rest of the range.

FAQs About the 2007-2010 Harley-Davidson VRSCAW V-Rod

What years was the Harley-Davidson VRSCAW V-Rod built?

The VRSCAW V-Rod was offered for the 2007 through 2010 model years. It belongs to the Harley-Davidson VRSC family and is commonly known as the Wide-Tire V-Rod because of its factory 240 mm rear tire.

What engine does the VRSCAW V-Rod use?

The 2007 VRSCAW uses the 1130 cc Revolution liquid-cooled 60-degree V-twin. The 2008-2010 VRSCAW uses the enlarged 1247 cc Revolution engine. Both use DOHC cylinder heads with four valves per cylinder and electronic fuel injection.

Is the VRSCAW the same as a Night Rod Special?

No. The VRSCAW is the bright-finished Wide-Tire V-Rod that evolved from the original VRSCA theme. The VRSCDX Night Rod Special is a darker, lower, more aggressive VRSC variant with a different identity and finish package.

How do I identify a real VRSCAW?

Look for the VRSCAW model code in documentation and confirm the factory wide-tire equipment, including the 240/40R-18 rear tire package. Check the title, service records, frame and engine identification, and year-correct equipment rather than relying only on an advertisement description.

Did Harley-Davidson publish horsepower for the VRSCAW?

Harley-Davidson’s U.S. consumer specifications for these models generally emphasized torque and engine specification rather than publishing a single SAE horsepower figure. Chassis-dyno numbers from road tests or owners vary and should not be treated as factory authentication data.

What are common VRSCAW ownership issues?

Common inspection concerns include neglected coolant service, aged hydraulic fluids, damaged radiator fins, weak batteries, charging-system faults, poor aftermarket exhaust tuning, and missing original parts. The Revolution engine is durable when serviced correctly, but it is less tolerant of casual maintenance than a simple air-cooled cruiser.

Which VRSCAW is more collectible: 2007 or 2008-2010?

The 2007 model has transition-year interest because it combines the wide-tire VRSCAW package with the earlier 1130 cc engine. The 2008-2010 models are often favored by riders for the 1247 cc engine. For collectors, originality, documentation, correct equipment, and condition usually matter more than displacement alone.

Collector Takeaway

The VRSCAW is the V-Rod at the point where Harley-Davidson stopped treating the wide rear tire as an aftermarket fantasy and made it part of the factory VRSC language. It is not the first V-Rod, not the sportiest V-Rod, and not the darkest or most dramatic one. Its importance is more exact: it is the bright-finished, factory 240-rear V-Rod that bridges the original VRSCA and the later wide-tire VRSC era.

For the serious collector, the best VRSCAW is an honest, well-documented motorcycle with its original equipment intact and its model identity beyond argument. Modified examples may be entertaining riders, but uncut factory-correct bikes explain the period far better. The VRSCAW matters because it captures a very specific Harley-Davidson experiment: modern liquid-cooled engineering wrapped in a long, low, polished-metal power cruiser built for the wide-tire age.