Author Topic: Harley finally enters the 19th century!  (Read 17487 times)

YoDoc

  • Guest
Harley finally enters the 19th century!
« on: June 21, 2011, 06:12:27 PM »
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2011/06/20/harley-davidson-water-cooled-heads-patent/

If they have this stuff, why don't they just make it already? Jeez!

Offline throb

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 214
  • Country: us
Re: Harley finally enters the 19th century!
« Reply #1 on: June 21, 2011, 06:28:17 PM »
No sense rushing into anything.  Start off slow, then taper off... :stirpot:
'05 Concours, SISF's 2 min jet mod and exhaust cam sprocket, snarf's block off plates, risers, SS lines, fork brace, T-Cro's stick coils & shift linkage, ZZR1200 rear shock, MS rear wheel.

Offline T Cro ®

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1743
  • Country: us
Re: Harley finally enters the 19th century!
« Reply #2 on: June 21, 2011, 06:30:44 PM »
Because they will loose their targeted lemmings who will only own & ride the traditional dated HD bike.
Tony P. Crochet
(SOLD) 01 Concours Winner of COG Most Modified in 2010

Offline booger

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 489
Re: Harley finally enters the 19th century!
« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2011, 07:10:36 PM »
I think they should be extremely cautious with these new fangled, water cooled engines. :o

Offline Laserjock

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 33
  • Country: 00
Re: Harley finally enters the 19th century!
« Reply #4 on: June 21, 2011, 08:35:17 PM »
So does this mean they will blow hot air on the rider's legs? And the lowers won't be removable. Fail.

=Laserjock=

Offline jbailey

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 15
Re: Harley finally enters the 19th century!
« Reply #5 on: June 21, 2011, 08:54:19 PM »
I think they should be extremely cautious with these new fangled, water cooled engines. :o

I had a Harley guy that I work with say to me "I would never buy a water cooled bike, what if you blow a hose when you are miles from home?".  I asked him if he worried about his car or truck "blowing a hose" lately, and would he rather have an air cooled car.  He just looked at me like a deer in the headlights.  I don't think he ever actually thought about that!  I do believe I may have made some progress toward making another HD rider actually think logically.

Offline MiniCog

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 11
  • Country: 00
Re: Harley finally enters the 19th century!
« Reply #6 on: June 21, 2011, 09:14:38 PM »
There's not much contact in the heads there...  I hope they're just trying to boil tea with this thing.
Past: XR650R, 250 Ninjette.
Present: None...
Next: C-14, '08-09 Speed Triple, and/or Sprint GT.

Offline jim snyder

  • Arena
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 565
  • Country: us
  • I'm married but my girlfriends name is Connie
Re: Harley finally enters the 19th century!
« Reply #7 on: June 21, 2011, 09:33:39 PM »
Because they will loose their targeted lemmings who will only own & ride the traditional dated HD bike.

Hence the reason the V-Rod never really took off. Its the only Harley that I would even consider riding, and the only one with a water cooled engine. But for some reason I have heard diehards say "it ain't a real Harley".
Of course its not a real Harley, the V-Rod actually has some 20th century technology in it.
"Somedays you're the windshield, and somedays you're the bug"
"An armed citizen is a patriot, and unarmed citizen is a victim"

http://community.webshots.com/user/kawadude

Offline JetJock

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 410
  • Country: us
  • 2010 Concours in wicked fast BLUE
Re: Harley finally enters the 19th century!
« Reply #8 on: June 22, 2011, 05:13:01 AM »
I think this is going to be like HD mufflers: it meets legal and EPA rules as sold and then the owners take them off to do their thing and make their tractors sound like they actually have power.

It appears to be a system that's easily removed, hence it doesn't actually have to offer much in the way of cooling. Just enough to help the tractor motor meet new clean-air restrictions.

Offline timsatx

  • Arena
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 856
  • Country: 00
Re: Harley finally enters the 19th century!
« Reply #9 on: June 22, 2011, 06:07:59 AM »
Eventually they will probably have to make all their engines water cooled, but this one says it is currently only for their touring models.

Offline Cholla

  • Arena
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 363
Re: Harley finally enters the 19th century!
« Reply #10 on: June 22, 2011, 06:14:18 AM »
The V Rod isn't really a Harley because it's a Porsche!
They finally started using real brakes just a couple years ago.
Beware the Black Widows...Feared throughout the land!

Offline GeeBeav

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 192
  • Country: us
In the days of my youth, I was told what it means to be a man.

Offline Boonedawg

  • Arena
  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 98
  • Country: us
    • Jet Associates East
Re: Harley finally enters the 19th century!
« Reply #12 on: June 22, 2011, 08:49:51 AM »
I have an 03 Vrod, it's a GREAT bike, however I call it the "purgatory bike", not in heaven- not in hell.  The Harley group doesn't except you cause your on a "liquid cooled bike designed by Porsche" the Jap group doesn't except you cause your on a "Harley"...  Therefore not in heaven or hell...kinda stuck in the middle.  Like I've said here earlier, don't care.  It is a GREAT bike though, and I just love pissing off all those narrow minded dolts.

Offline Rhino

  • Arena
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3963
  • Country: us
Re: Harley finally enters the 19th century!
« Reply #13 on: June 22, 2011, 09:23:11 AM »
Harley is in the business of selling tradition and image. The air cooled, push rod, single pin crank V twin engine is their signature. They should never stop building that.

Offline ConnerNA

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 76
  • Country: us
  • Why do they clap for the daily double?
    • BBQ Basics
Re: Harley finally enters the 19th century!
« Reply #14 on: June 22, 2011, 09:24:23 AM »
Yeah the diehards are ALL freaking out because liquid cool is going to be mandatory to meet regulations...then to top it off Poliaris bought Indian!!! You know liquid cool is also coming to the sacred Indian as well.

Like I always say...I would buy a Harley or even an Indian...IF they had a decent engineer.

I have seen a few diehard’s heads explode when you say that….LOL it’s also funny how they act like "ohh it was the older Harleys that had issues, you know last years models…my brand-new Harley is just fine"…keep on telling yourself that lol

Offline GeeBeav

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 192
  • Country: us
Re: Harley finally enters the 19th century!
« Reply #15 on: June 22, 2011, 09:30:20 AM »
Like I always say...I would buy a Harley or even an Indian...IF they had a decent engineer.

They probably do have some decent engineers . . . but they aren't allowed to do anything that disturbs the "look" or "sound".
In the days of my youth, I was told what it means to be a man.

Offline GeeBeav

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 192
  • Country: us
Re: Harley finally enters the 19th century!
« Reply #16 on: June 22, 2011, 09:31:45 AM »
Harley is in the business of selling tradition and image. The air cooled, push rod, single pin crank V twin engine is their signature. They should never stop building that.

BMW and Ducati have signature engines, too. That hasn't stopped them from progressing.
In the days of my youth, I was told what it means to be a man.

Offline Cholla

  • Arena
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 363
Re: Harley finally enters the 19th century!
« Reply #17 on: June 22, 2011, 09:42:18 AM »
I remember when the Evo engine came out the Faithful said it wasn't a real Harley. Now you can't even get them to look at a Shovel-they are considered to be junk. heck, most HD dealers won't even work on a Shovel engined HD.
Beware the Black Widows...Feared throughout the land!

Offline MiniCog

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 11
  • Country: 00
Re: Harley finally enters the 19th century!
« Reply #18 on: June 22, 2011, 10:36:00 AM »
BMW and Ducati have signature engines, too. That hasn't stopped them from progressing.

But those companies are known for being the forefront of R&D.  Yes, they have signature engines, but they have also been improving the engines since day one, so that's a normal thing to them.  Harley is known for their image and not changing much at all, so not changing is normal for them.  If they stop being the "normal" Harley-Davidson, people will freak out (Or at least the Harley dudes). 
Past: XR650R, 250 Ninjette.
Present: None...
Next: C-14, '08-09 Speed Triple, and/or Sprint GT.

Offline Boonedawg

  • Arena
  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 98
  • Country: us
    • Jet Associates East
Re: Harley finally enters the 19th century!
« Reply #19 on: June 22, 2011, 10:44:53 AM »
I'd buy an air-cooled Harley (just kidding, but using that line for this thread)**** but I bathe to often...hahhahahaha