Night Rod a dark hit for Harley

So black it could get lost in the dark, the Harley-Davidson V-Rod is back for its fifth model year in an eighth incarnation.

The Night Rod Special is its name, and it's darker than ever — with a blacked-out powertrain, exhaust shield and wheels.

A spinoff of the 2006 Night Rod, the new version is picking up on a big trend in southern Europe and Scandinavia that's just beginning to emerge here.

In Europe, bikers aren't interested in playing dress up with their bikes so much as stripping them down to their skivvies, with less chrome and more black surfaces.

Now, you may be wondering: Why is the famously flag-waving Harley-Davidson taking its cues from across the pond? It's because the 69-cubic-inch V-Rod, with its liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, 60-degree V-twin Revolution engine, has been at least as big a hit over there as it's been in the U.S.

And not with the usual, card-carrying members of the Harley Owners Group. The market for the V-Rod isn't the unwashed rider of yore. And it isn't that dentist who's taken up riding to show he's still got some edge. The V-Rod rider is young, multiethnic and surprisingly gender neutral.

Even with the fat 240 rear tire, the Night Rod Special can hold a line like nobody's business. It's surprisingly nimble for a bike so long and low. The V-Rod's Revolution engine was a joint development with Porsche. That's obvious from the power band. It doesn't have a sweet spot. It's all yummy fun, from the moment you roll on the throttle till you kick it into the next gear.