We keep hearing how the V-Rod engine could be used in all sorts of custom builds and along comes Fred Krugger, winning the 2010 World Championship of Custom Bike Building with the V-Rod powered Veon. The unique feature about this bike is the adjustable frame, transforming from cruiser to upright/touring to racer by altering geometry at several points:
| Cruiser | Racer | |
| Seat Height | 23.8 inches | 30.5 inches |
| Rake | 30 degrees | 23 degrees |
| Trail | 4.7 inches | 3.1 inches |
| Wheel Base | 63.4 inches | 60.4 inches |
| Ground Clearance | 6.7 inches | 9.3 inches |
The CAD work and engineering for the frame was by Mark van der Kwaak of DBBP, who we’ve seen quite a few times on The Kneeslider. It was designed for Norwegian robotics engineer Peer Toftner who had already been working on the idea and patented it before approaching van der Kwaak in 2006. Together they worked on the various features while the actual build was carried out by Fred Krugger.
Two sets of foot controls are provided to suit the changing riding positions and styles.
The last time we saw an adjustable motorcycle was the R-Bike, which looks nowhere near as good and only exists in a computer, the Veon is a real bike. I love the engineering and Fred Krugger did an excellent job of bringing it to life. Congratulations to everyone involved. Great work!
Link: AMD World Championship
Link: Fred Krugger
Link: Mark van der Kwaak
CCW says
Well Deserved. This is more then just a bike, it is a ridable concept, that looks beautiful. This is the type of custom work I love to see.
All that American Chopper…… horribly design, gimicky garbage, just welding crap on a bike for no reason is for da byrds. This bike is well designed, solidly engineered and expertly crafted it into reality. A true Champion!!!!
Tinman says
If HD would pay this builder 1 million cash to copy this design(instead of wasting 100 mil on MV)they would have a bike to replace the retchid V-Rod Muscle!! Finally a bike worthy of winning a custom build championship!!
Sportster Mike says
Great looking bike and functional too and nice to something other than the ubigious generic V twin
Love the schizoprenic nature of it (no I can’t spell that word either!)
I think l’ll give him my Sportster to work on
Hopefully he is getting better than 17mpg that a friend is getting on his VRod (i know its a Porsche designed engine but he was expecting better than Porsche miles per gallon)
Greybeard says
Great concept yes, but functional only until the tire meets the radiator.
Solve that and it’s a great idea!
Sportster Mike says
Re; Tinman’s comment, perhaps Harley should let the some of the custom bike and cafe racer designers loose in the factory – to see what they can come up with
Roland Sands et al?… anyone?
A proper custom bike using the factory floor and production parts with a twist
say 500 of each bike? and not the CVO models – which this year are just a rehash??
Sportster Mike says
@ Greybeard
we’ll move the radiator – I’ll put it in my rucksack!!
krugger says
@Greybeard
don’t worry, I’m not totaly stupid…. when the front forks is totaly compress, the wheel don,t touch the radiator….. this radiator is curvy….
Full throttle
Fred
Jim says
HD should hire this guy. The wheelbase of the racer is too long, but that’s the compromise in selecting the V-Rod drive line for propulsion. Also for a ‘racer’ the rear wheel is awfully wide, it’s difficult imagining being able to achieve sport bike lean angles. But overall they look great.
Ric says
Dont like the wheels love the rest pity thats its Harley powered
Ric
Jim says
I consider the V-Rod engine a Porsche item. Only the Germans could carry it off; H-D never could have designed such motor on its own. This bike is just plain awesome — a functional dual-purpose machine that operates on opposite ends of the riding spectrum. It bears only a passing relationship to H-D. Don’t get me wrong; H-D builds good bikes for its market and they do their job, which is provide a platform to generate income for H-D’s shareholders. They are motorcycles a distant second, and a marketing tool for dealers to sell more T-shirts, domers and leather bras.
But I digress. The Veon deserves to get manufactured, and if its convertible feature can be readily translated to volume production, it would have a shot at the market. Does H-D have the cojones to do it? I doubt it.
jlenze says
In regards to the comments about wishing HD to manufacture. HD could never do this or other custom bike any justice. HD would transform it into just another frumpy cookie cutter.
Keep building customs, and keep inspiring others to build.
If you want HD to manufacture, I’m assuming you want something more affordable than a one-of-a-kind. You can’t have have the best of both worlds.
Marvin says
That is very nice in sports bike mode, what is with the “filler caps” moving up through the tank?
jlenze says
Those are the intakes.
Did Krugger move the fuel tank back to the traditional location.
FREEMAN says
Gorgeous bike. The only thing I don’t like about it is the exhaust. I think it’d look great with an underslung, but that’s just my own taste and it would throw off the look you have going with the pipes. I think this build is really something. It goes to show that from cruiser to racer, the motorcycles, essentially, are not all that different. Again, great build.
CantRideEnough says
Excellent work, fine looking machine in either mode.
It would be a real shame to crude it up with such trivia as DOT required nonsense like mirrors, license plate hanger or a brake light! Maybe a clip-on side stand for taking a break at the local bistro? LOL.
Two serious questions: has the prototype actually been road driven, and can the transition be made from one mode to the other while under power? What a blast it would be to swing off the interstate and transition to carving up a back road twisty without ever getting off the pegs.
dwolvin says
Nice bike! I am not a crotch rocket or cruiser guy, I prefer something more ‘all-around’, but this seems like a pretty good way to have both… And I like the thoughtful engineering. Hey Krugger, if you happen by here again, what’s the suspension travel (esp. rear) in cruiser mode? Looks around two inches- good enough for cruising… And Congratulations on the win, you deserve it!
JR says
Awesome! Yeah… if you could make the transition on the fly this would be amazing! There are many times I wished my cafe racer was a bit more comfortable for long highway rides.
What I’d like to see is the “convertible” parts offered as a kit for transforming any bike.
I think it looks especially good as a cafe racer, and I like the exhaust too. The V-Rod engine is very pretty and I’ve heard very grunty too.
So nice. Krugger is a genious.
nortley says
Is this engineering imitating nature? I’ve seen those big black forest beetles doing the same motions as the active suspension. Fine concept, great execution.
John says
Jim, Harley designed and built the VR1000 racer and Porsche helped them make it a streeable, EPA legal motor. Krugger, beautiful bike, what does it wiegh?
Greybeard says
@krugger
Chill. I didn’t think you were stupid at all.
At work and can’t type a lot & pictures deceiving
So…as I said, problem solved so it’s a great idea!
matt g says
Wow…..that is awesome looking. Are those ram stacks sticking through the gas tank? I could imagine that as a production bike but it’s almost too awesome.
Viv Collins says
Whats not to love? (about the racer;-) definitely one of the nicest designs using the V rod motor I have seen so far.
dumbbiker says
Tinman wrote: 08.12.10 at 8:56 am
If HD would pay this builder 1 million cash to copy this design(instead of wasting 100 mil on MV)they would have a bike to replace the retchid V-Rod Muscle!! Finally a bike worthy of winning a custom build championship!!
Tinman, HD would not pay him a cent! They would just steal it.
Redman says
If I recall correctly, Mark van der Kwaak has a site called DBBP (Duckman’s Bitchin’ Biker Page) where he shows off a lot of his CAD designs. This is a great way to get to see a “completed” design without all the trial and error that typical builders go through. I imagine that this bike went through a lot of computer design before sparks started flying. The results speak for themselves. Congratulations on the prize, and such a beautiful bike. I’d love to take this for a spin.
JR “if you could make the transition on the fly this would be amazing!” Guess what, you can, just ride safe.
anewcoolfool says
@Krugger
Simply awesome from concept to metal.
Would you please reply…visited the links, but I am hopelessly an English only reader so the sites offer nothing to satisfy my curiosity.
Given the complexity and additional clearances of the pivot points, has the bike been road tested to any degree in an effort to sort out or eliminate flex and handling compromises?
From an engineering standpoint, it seems that pivots both front and rear would pose severe problems of structural integrity and handling. The forward links also would worry me as to strength at the long side lever angles imposed at the steering head.
Were these issues a concern, or was the styling and transitional functionality without regard to actual real world use (as a show bike) the considerations?
Just as a matter of showing off your CadCam skills, would you post a link to share the worksheets?
Regardless, I’m not throwing stones, just curious. Truly amazing imagination and work to get the V-Rod engine into such a uniques construction. Kudos.
CantRideEnough says
@Tinman
Just noticed, you’ve suddenly swung your opinion from HD doing such a wonderful job for investors, to wasting 100 mil (actually 109 mil before the write offs are disclosed in coming 10Q’s).
So are you running for political office and practicing talking sideways while walking backwards, or what?
Gotta luv a guy with consistent self awareness and commitment.
And why would HD hire Krugger when E Buell was turning out production bikes, not show off builds? Wouldn’t that violate your same precepts? I mean if you’d back an HD choice to hire a fantasy bike builder rather than stick with an actual production facility that now has 9 plus new bikes on the street (F4’s) that have been already paid for ??? WTF??
Yes, I vote YOU to to the HOG Board of Directors for 2011. Certainly you seem to change your mind as often. LMAO
Tinman says
Cant ride enough, MV was bought by the old management team during the Good Times. Mv was sold by the new team in an effort to divest HD of a Money Pit they can no longer afford to subsidize, do to the Wall Street melt down. Not to react to the current economic climate would be irresponsible.. We were all sorry to see Buell go, but again,these are trying times and hopefully Eric Buell will rise again!! MV fans should bow down and Kiss HDs behind, without HD, MV would most likely have gone the way of most other Italian Boutique brands,
Merlin says
Seems like the cruiser position would be a bit of a backbreaker with the pegs all the way out front and the bars down low. It would be awesome if you could integrate a collapsible (or something) riser into the bars, to give it less of a clubman-bobber setup.
Ry_Trapp0 says
I can really barely stand this place any more. An absolutely fantastic custom gets posted up, yet the only thing people can say is that H-D and american chopper suck. I can assure you that no one gives a damn about your opinion of a specific motorcycle company or a specific TV show, especially in a post that has NOTHING to do with either, but if you really must tell everyone about it, then start your own damn blog. Don’t ruin this one.
Having said that, absolutely FANTASTIC work Mr. Krugger! Not only is that a superb engineering creation, but a damn good looking bike at that! Between you and Roland Sands, I don’t think there is anyone else out there i would go to for a custom bike.
pabsyboots says
lovely congrats
Yeti says
Nice bike. I don’t think it would ever see cruiser mode under this one though.
Nothin’ like a naked sport bike.
Yeti says
You know, I could have sworn I’ve seen a V-rod Buell concept before so I did a search…
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2008/10/04/buellrod-revolution-engine-powered-buell-concept/
Thom says
The reason Buell never made a V-Rod powered bike is that the motor became too heavy after Harley took control of development. The initial idea was to use it in a bike similar to the 1125R, it was just no longer possible. It’s a cruiser motor now, and this is probably the best use of it I’ve seen .As many of you are probably aware at this point, I am NO fan of HD, but I am not completely ignorant, and this is a fine motorcycle. I think some kind of “convertible” motorcycle could sell well, because if you want a cruiser it’s a cruiser, and if you want a cafe racer, it’s a cafe racer, and you can change your mind if you like. Why aim at one market when you can go for two-with one machine? Sounds economically sound to me.
John says
Ry_Trapp0, I’m with you,to listen to some of these people they could build a Space Shuttle in thier back yard. Same ones predicted Harley being out of business by now.To you Harley haters, no one is forcing you to buy one so shut up, it’s getting real old. I don’t comment on bikes or company’s I don’t like, why do so many of you?
ScuRoo says
Fred – great work, deservedly the winner!
But, my highest praise has to go Peer Toftner. Genius lateral thinker!
Instead of Cruiser – Sport mode, I’d be really interested in this concept applyed to
a Sport – Adventure transformation.
And… if it was powered by a Guzzi 4-valve I’d just wee-wee my pants in anticipation!!
Al says
Now you have put an idea into my head PEER TOFTNER
SteveD says
I wonder how much reworking the bike would need to get it up to production specs, both from a legal and manufacturing standpoint.
Alan says
But…but…the cruiser mode doesn’t have enough CHROME. Or a pre-fab subculture.
Jim says
“Harley haters?” I don’t believe any of us adding our two cents’ worth here hate the Motor Company; rather, we’re highly critical of a manufacturer that had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 20th Century, and hasn’t a clue about the 21st. here’s and example:
I spoke to a lady in a parking lot — she rode a white-and-pink Star (built by Yamaha) that she had owned a year and ridden 10,000 miles. She laughed about Harley-riding friends who urge her to buy H-D, but she said that they couldn’t ride with her half the time because their bikes were in the shop. Her Star had suffered no problems.
If Harley still can’t build a motorcycle that doesn’t break while the Japanese figured it out 40 years ago, how can anyone expect us to heap praise on them?
I own a 1972 BSA B50 that requires endless maintenance just to keep it on the road. When was the last time you saw a 2010 BSA or brand-new Meriden Triumph? Those makes died a slow, painful death because their owners refused to build modern bikes while the streets teemed with Japanese bikes that started and ran with no drama and kept running with simple, infrequent maintenance; the didn’t even leak oil! H-D survived the 1980s only by pressuring the hated Federal government into enacting tariffs on large-displacement import (read Japanese) motorcycles. That gave Harley enough breathing space to add rubber mounts to its engines and enclosed drive chains — hardly a great technological leap. So until Harley can build a reliable machine that isn’t plagued by recalls and don’t-tell-anyone-we-had-to-fix-it repairs, I’ll keep criticizing.
kneeslider says
Above the comment box:
“Comments should be closely related to post content.”
Everyone, let’s leave the Harley discussion for another day. This post is about the Veon.
jlenze says
How do you make the convertion?
Scotduke says
It’s good someone has done something else with the V-Rod motor which has plenty of potential. But this bike does not float my boat I’m afraid. The quality of work is excellent but it doesn’t appeal to me, sorry.
todd says
Pretty cool. I can’t wait to see more V-Rod based conversions.
I really like the shape of the tank on this bike. The paint scheme is sweet too. I think the huge tire is a concession to show bikes, otherwise this is some great work.
-todd
Mule says
Krugger builds the best stuff out of Europe and has been recognized as the best in the world! Is this number two for you?
However, if it could have a real world geometry to go with it’s world dominating style and finish, it would appeal to all motorcycle groups accross the board.
It’s absolutely beautiful, I’m not sure how long I could stay “perched” on it though. Nobody has commented on the exhaust so I will. I love it!!!! That and the ciolor combo. Wink, wink.
Wayne says
Ah, ok now i get it, the suspension dosent move at all, the top part of the frame with the tank and seat pivot around the head stock. I presume its actuated by an air/hydraulic cylinder so yeh you could actuate it on the move at any speed.
Very cool
Wayne says
Taking a second look, the top shock position appears to move on a cam, so the ride height and seat height move at the same time.
…Very cool
VMX1000 says
Krugger, you are awesome, very few people understand the effort that lies behind a project like this (mech. engineer myself), I have huge respect for you man, lovely machine!
BarefootJerry says
Het Freddy !
where the hell will you stop ????
i jump into this great post to tell you how much i appréciate the Veon concept .
TWO different bikes in ONE !!!!
really-really GREAT .
this is the kind of idéa which let me fall on my ass .
I’m really happy YOU did it !
god ! …….. what will you build next time ?????
where will you stop ?
you crazy Man !
Francis @MilwaukeeBelle in Provence