Harley-Davidson V-ROD VRSCB: Students of Harley-Davidson's many and various offerings will know that the company has a penchant for not just giving its various models a name, but also a dollop of alphabet soup.
Thus the Fat Boy is FLSTFI, the Dyna Wide Glide is FXDWGI and the V-ROD is either VRSCA or VRSCB - the main noticeable difference between the latter two is whether the frame is silver for the A version or black for the B.
We have yet to crack the Harley code but if you think of this machine as a "Very Radical Super Cruiser Bike", you are not far off the mark. This machine is Harley-Davidson's new look for a new century. It's radically different, and not just in looks, from anything previously made by them.
The selling point in the Harley-Davidson philosophy concentrates on the look and the sound, and there's no denying that this machine is one that does make you stop, look and listen.
Whether or not these sort of looks are to your taste - motorcycling is a broad church - its adherents very much individualists and that is invariably reflected in the choice of machine. The V-Rod definitely says that you like to be noticed.
Looks apart, a motorcycle is a means of personal transport, meant to carry you from A to B, be it a long or short journey.
What you get for your money is a 1,131cc V-twin Revolution engine which produces 115bhp and 105Nm of torque at 6,600 rpm. Make no mistake, this all-new engine is a world away from the more orthodox, seemingly timeless Harley-Davidson power plants. It does do pretty much whatever you would want an engine to do, and does it really well.
But there's more to a bike than just the engine. Here, sadly, and at the risk of being lynched by V-ROD enthusiasts, we have to say that the desire to be radically different has resulted in a textbook example of the triumph of form over function.
The ride itself is a lot harder than one would expect from an American cruiser. Given a very laid back riding position, resulting in nearly all of your weight carried on the posterior, even minor road defects can give a spine-jarring jolt.
The rider's feet are set very far forward on footpegs. Such is your leg angle that when hitting a bump you begin to fear that your feet will be bounced off the pegs with hip-shattering consequences.
Roadholding can be decidedly dodgy in even a fairly light cross wind, worse on a gusty day, and distinctly uncertain when riding in the turbulence of large trucks.
Come across the sort of tar bands so often a feature of Irish roads and you experience something akin to being on a lively horse that has been startled by a rattlesnake. All told not the sort of "laid back" ride you would expect. This is probably not helped by the wind-catching solid disk wheels. Spoked wheels are now an option.
The front brake, operated by a chunky, over-engineered, non-adjustable lever that is designed for a giant's hand-span, is decidedly wooden and by no means up to European standards.
Steering is a bit uncertain at times, much affected by windy conditions, vehicle turbulence and road surface variations.
There is a degree of vibration though, perhaps, no more than can be expected from this large, swept-volume, V-twin engine.
Gear changing is in the Harley tradition - positive but clunky. Clutch operation is smooth, but accompanied by a juddering feedback through the clutch lever. Acceleration is good - it should be, with this engine requiring an act of faith if used to its fullest extent.
The real downsides are the ride, roadholding, a lack of traditional cruiser comfort, the poor front brake and the positioning of the exhaust system.
The exhaust, clearly designed to impress, is superbly placed to burn your right leg as you dismount. The best aspect of the machine is the engine, a huge improvement for Harley-Davidson.
On returning the machine to the Harley-Davidson specialists who handle the press fleet, when asked what we thought, we had to be honest.
It seemed to us to be rather like a lady of a certain age wearing a mini-skirt; that it was not "a Harley", it was the right engine in the wrong chassis.
TechSpec
ENGINE: 1,131cc "Revolution" V-twin, Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection, 11.3:1 compression. 105Nm torque at 6,600rpm, 115bhp. 5 gears, belt drive
CHASSIS: Telescopic front forks, swinging arm rear with twin shocks. Brakes: front dual 292mm discs, rear single 292mm disc
DIMENSIONS: Seat height: 660mm. Wheelbase: 1,710mm. Fuel: 14 litres. Dry weight: 275kg
PERFORMANCE: Top Speed: 135mph. Consumption: 39mpg
PRICE: €22,500.