Triumph Rat Motorcycle Forums banner

New Harley Motor

12K views 152 replies 38 participants last post by  duc96cr 
#1 ·
#2 ·
I've heard from a few friends that have Harleys and they are not happy. They are convinced the "sound" will be ruined and want nothing to do with the new motor.
But then I am of the belief that Harley aficionados are a little different than most folks. They want the fastest, best handling, most comfortable cruiser on the market...... but don't dare change anything about what a "Harley should be".
 
#105 ·
I've heard from a few friends that have Harleys and they are not happy. They are convinced the "sound" will be ruined and want nothing to do with the new motor.
But then I am of the belief that Harley aficionados are a little different than most folks. They want the fastest, best handling, most comfortable cruiser on the market...... but don't dare change anything about what a "Harley should be".
they must be patient people seeing as how they have been wanting those things for over a hundred years and it looks as though it could take another hundred.
 
#5 ·
I've always though the specific output of a H-D engine was left wanting. 1750-ich cc's and under 100hp is what, .58, or 58hp/liter? My Thruxton, stock, had a specific output of .75 or so and it wasn't a powerhouse when it rolled off the assembly line.

I'm glad they're progressing though.
 
#6 ·
They've been kind of inching their way towards this recently.
Some of the H-D mechanics tell me that the Steaming Eagles are experiencing problems keeping the coolant where it belongs.
Maybe they've got it licked with the new ones?

Harley's in a tough spot where they can only change things so much and keep the old guard happy and yet they need to bring in a younger generation of customers to replace the old geezers.
 
#7 · (Edited)
They've been kind of inching their way towards this recently.
Some of the H-D mechanics tell me that the Steaming Eagles are experiencing problems keeping the coolant where it belongs.
Maybe they've got it licked with the new ones?
Actually they have already arrived with the liquid cooled VROD motor. The old HD riders will not be around forever.

Harley's in a tough spot where they can only change things so much and keep the old guard happy and yet they need to bring in a younger generation of customers to replace the old geezers.
They would not have been in a tough spot, if they had kept the Buell line, AND done a better job of selling it.
 
#8 ·
I was working at a H-D dealership when the V-Rod was introduced and the faithful were horrified! The mechanics, the parts guys, the sales guys, the customers, they just did NOT want anything to do with it. The owner was behind the model and the Buell line but nobody else (except me).

The engine was originally a Buell project but then Harlee took the motor away and added who knows how many pounds to it to make it look acceptable. When they said he could now use it the motor simply weighed too much to go into a sport bike.

Maybe a new generation of people at the corporate level and a new generation of riders will embrace change at Harley but I'd bet against it. To be perfectly honest, it's all about pleasing the stockholders. It's not lack of ideas, talent or innovation, it's what will this do to the bottom line. That's what drives the Motor Company.
 
#19 · (Edited)
I rode a Buell for a long time. One of the best bikes I ever owned and would still have one if they had not been axed by Harley. A little bit of me died when Buell did. I really bought into the whole "only American sport bike company" thing. Probably more than I should have.

I hold a grudge like nobody's business and would gladly cut my nose off to spite my own face (or so the saying goes). So, when Buell was shut down, Harley died to me. I have no interest in cruisers and while I had respected what they did, they really showed me how narrow minded they were and vowed to never spend another dollar on one of their products for as long as I live. I don't care if that motor produces 200hp, gets 100mpg, and farts gold dust; I won't ever sit on a bike that has one.
 
#9 ·
I sold my 2010 V Rod Muscle last year. Had to, did not want to. Bought aThruxton 1200 in May this year :)
I rode that HD for 5 years with no problems - other than the occasional pirate loookalike telling me "That's not a real Harley mate"
My usual response was "take a good look at the tail light, thats the usual airhead view".
Incidentally - I remember reading Cycle World articles in the 70s about how Porsche were collaborating with HD to develop what became that DOHC "Revo" engine. Pity the man who wears silly hats got hold hold of it an turned it into an unwieldy beast (But bloody quick :)
I like the idea of the 8 valve engine - now if only HD can build something that weighs less than 250kg!
 
#10 ·
As I understand it, Harley's been driven by a board made of suits and not motorcycle guys. Malcolm Forbes is dead now and he revived HD Just when the Blockhead motor was getting it's feet. Makes me wonder about the timing of the three day series Harley and the Davidsons. All that being said I'm glad they're getting away from the Twinkie engine and got back a bit to a more reliable design..... hopefully.
 
#15 ·
Malcolm Forbes is dead now and he revived HD Just when the Blockhead motor was getting it's feet.
Do you have any specifics? Did he have any of his own $$$ invested?

Used to ride with him after work on summer evenings when he rode BMW's. Got too slow when he switched to H-D's and Liz Taylor. :)

Rule was..., you NEVER passed Malcolm. Good bit more fun when he was too busy and Chris and Tim lead the rides. At the time Malcolm was part owner of a large BMW/Honda store. Can't recall exactly when that partnership dissolved. There were always special green livery BMW's on the Highlander well into the 80's. The garage at Timberfields also had one of every interesting or exotic bike of the day which visitors were welcome to ride. No clue what happened to those when the big house was sold. Would have filled a small museum.
 
#17 ·
As I recall Mr. Forbes led a Harley parade down Wall Street the day the stock went public. Well, maybe it wasn't him, but I recall it WAS him. Anyway he gave Harley a big boost when they needed it.

Krap! Now we are off topic. I like the new HD engine better that the Twinkie engine though.
 
#21 ·
I understand about the icon status thing and all, but things change nonetheless. It's business. The HD faithful here at work are pretty cool and have some awesome looking bikes. Well cared for and beautiful. One guy though owns every shirt HD ever made and the chain wallet and etc. Has a nice Road King. Has no sense of humor when it comes to people saying anything is better than HD. Sooooo....when I rolled up on my VTX 1800 he asked what it was. I said the HD doomsday machine. He just stared at me. Then I said I was gonna get little HD symbols with red Xs through them to put on my gas tank for every one that I smoked. He wasn't laughing but I thought it was funny. Come on people, you gotta have a sense of humor around me.
 
#22 · (Edited)
RJ64,

A few years ago, our shop got a new boss just like your co-worker. He came in one day on his gigantic $50,000 (according to him) bagger something that (again, according to him) had every power adding part from the catalog on it. He walked me out to the lot to show me. It was so big and SO orange that the first words out of my mouth when I saw it were, "holy schite! It's the Great Pumpkin!" He was not amused.
 
#23 ·
I'm with you, Sayitaintso.
I spent a few hours with one of the high muckity mucks who'd retired and written a book about Harley's racing programs, I believe it was, and what he said was "Erik Buell is a very smart man; probably too smart for his own good".
That leads me to believe the whole shut down was very much about settling scores at the top levels and why the entire BMC production was pretty much like pulling teeth the entire time they were in existence.

FWIW, here's who's calling the shots nowadays so draw your own conclusions about where they're headed:
http://www.harley-davidson.com/content/h-d/en_US/company/leadership.html

Levi, Taco Bell, MTV, Boeing...
 
#24 ·
I've had 6 Harley's, if you count Buell, and I have a place in my heart for them. They are good motorcycles. They do what they are designed to do very well. If you are traveling by motorcycle in the U.S there is no better bike to be riding. Why ? No matter where you are, someone will work on it. Always . I love my Triumph, but when I'm riding it people ask me when they quit making them ! When I'm riding my Ducati, they say " a what ? Never heard of it !" I have had friends truly in the middle of nowhere talk to a bartender and have the local wrench pick up the bike On A Sunday and get it repaired and be on our way. Not even in your dreams will that ever happen on any other brand bike, and that definitely includes your GoldWing. A deer hit me on the way to work. I did not go down. I rode the rest of the way to work before stopping to see if my leg was broken. Try having a deer hit you on your bike and tell me how that works out for you. I don't mind your brand loyalty but , jeez, give me a break !
 
#26 ·
Plenty of riders on "other than Harley" have hit deer and keep on riding. Put down the crack pipe!

As for other brands and servicing while on the road, I own BMW, Ducati, and Yamaha. None of them have left me stranded. Stop drinking the Harley Kool Aid!
 
#25 ·
My friend hit a black bear with his BMW RT and didn't go down. Do you actually have a point? You could say the same thing about BMW in Germany breaking down, or Triumph in the UK or Ducati in Italy. Seems many like to join a camp and then bash the other guy's ride. I've had plenty of HD riders ask why I don't ride a real bike like a HD. As you say, give me a break. We just buy bikes, we don't design them or build them. Owner loyalty is misplaced.
 
#39 ·
Since I have approximately zero interest in cruisers, I've debated whether to comment on this thread at all. As you can see, rightly or wrongly, I've decided to comment:



Nah. RD350, H2 (the original two-stroke triple), and CB750 are all better than the newest Harley.

I think he was responding more about my irrational dislike of the motor company from Milwaukee and saying that they make good solid (like a tank) bikes.
(To me riding one feels like driving the armored personnel carrier I drove while in the Army, and you can tell from my other posts that is a totally unbiased opinion.)

It's funny to me how there is such a big divide in how people perceive HD and what they think about it and its bikes. Everything from my irrational dislike, to crazy stupid love with the tattoos to prove it. It is certainly a polarizing company.
For me it's rational dislike. Charge twice the price of a ZX-10R for twice the weight, half the power, and half the cornering ability? No thanks.

As for the sound, I know of a manufacturer in northern Italy that seems to have no trouble turning out V-twins with four valves per cylinder that sound fantastic. And they get out of their own way.
 
#30 ·
I joke about, and at, the HD guys that turn their nose up at anything else. The first bike I ever wanted was a new 1986 883 Sportster. I still want an HD, but the $ are outta my reach right now. sandithompson I really like that Switchback, too. Big engine on a Dyna frame. Gotta be quick on that thing. But my 110cid Honda was less than 1/3 the price and more power and the wife wanted it and....well that's how it goes for now.
 
#33 ·
Speaking of Buell: I really suspect that the wizards at Harley knew of plans for the XG750 engine at the same time they were pulling the plug on the Buell operation. That engine would have been a natural for bikes such as the Buell Blast and it would have made a much, much nicer package than the cast iron boat anchor the stuck Buell with for that bike. If Harley really did know about the XG engine as they were shutting down Buell, then the answer has to be that they simply could not stand the thought of a good sport riding machine in the Harley stable. Why they would think that is just beyond me.

I test drove an XG750 and thought the total package was "so-so" but the engine was one of the nicest I've ever encountered in 45 years of riding.
 
#35 ·
I have been reading all the hoop-la about Har-Lee's new engine. I think thier development time and money could have been better spent on a new crank. That being said all Har-Lee riders seem to care about is "the sound" (an awful racket if I ever heard one). I don't think "the sound" will change that much. It is created, not by the ports but by it's terribly uneven firing configuration. I don't know why "the sound" is so important to these Neanderthals, but it is. ...J.D.
 
#40 · (Edited)
"As for the sound, I know of a manufacturer in northern Italy that seems to have no trouble turning out V-twins with four valves per cylinder that sound fantastic. And they get out of their own way." Quote.

Good bikes but ugly as a bag of hammers IMO.


Someone I know said "Well ,Harley have stepped out of the 1940s now and into the 1970s "

"Nah. RD350, H2 (the original two-stroke triple), and CB750 are all better than the newest Harley."
I agree, so imagine how out in front they were against a 1974 Sportster!:crying:But Harley had the "image" even then
 
#42 ·
The last great harley engine was built in 99. The Evo was the best! Twin cam is complete rubbish so its nice to see they are going back to a single cam setup. The V-rod revolution engine has been discontinued but they are carring on the tech with the utterly pathetic 750 street. Im a Mechanic for HD but hopefully not much longer.... i dont want to deal with the problems of the next generation of engines!


Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 
#43 ·
I have a friend who is a mechanical wizard and had his own bike company in the UK he says the same.Tthe Twin cam gets to a stage that throwing it away is the best option, unlike earlier HDs that can be rebuilt almost ad infinitum
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top