Most of the time, it is toy makers that try to capture the appeal of real-world motorized contraptions by releasing scale, exciting models. And as far as motorcycles go, the most recent example of that is the LEGO Technic 1:5-scale BMW M 1000 RR.
It’s not often though that we get to see a real-life motorcycle looking more like its downsized, toy counterpart. Somehow, that’s exactly what happened when we stumbled across this here Harley-Davidson V-Rod. Originally born in 2003 in the Milwaukee stables as part of the American company’s muscle bike family, this V-Rod had the fortune of being purchased by someone over in Europe, who at one point decided to give it a visual overhaul, and ended up sending the two-wheeler over to Estonian Fredy Jaates. Under our spotlight for some time now, Jaates has gotten us used to extreme interpretations of V-Rods, a number of them supercharged and looking passively aggressive to the point they’re scary. That’s not what we have here, though. Maybe it’s the rare combination between the blue paint used on the main body parts (fuel tank and fenders), the white of the frame, the blackness of the engine block, and the chrome on the exhaust and wheels, but there’s something about this build that brings to mind the image of a scale model: hence a more friendly-to-the-eye apparition. The clean cut machine, which we nicknamed Hot Wheels because it kind of looks like something we would have liked sitting in a dream collection from the toymaker, the bike is the result of close to 40 bits and pieces coming together perfectly. Among the most visible we get the sharp wheels, sized 18 inches front and rear and completed by small fenders, an impressive-looking CFR exhaust system, and the many chromed housings and covers spread throughout the build.
We are not told if any modifications have been made to the V-Rod’s powerplant, and we also don’t know how much the thing cost to put together. We’re pretty sure though price was not an issue for the one who ordered this big boy toy.
Keyword: 2003 Harley-Davidson V-Rod “Hot Wheels” Is a Real Toy for the Real World