When will ALL Harley-Davidsons be water cooled?
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About the author
Author Name
Michael Curry
Author Bio
Michael has been riding street motorcycles since 1975. He's owned and ridden everything from Hondas to Harleys with a preference for spirited sport-touring riding.
Michael is a Roadcarvin.com co-founder and serves as chief editor, scribe, staff photographer, and other things.
If real Harley Davidsons are
If real Harley Davidsons are air cooled only, I don't imagine they will make motorcycles much longer. I've been ridin for 36 years. I love the air cooled engines and the potato potato sound my panhead makes but the EPA will soon kill this!
Liquid cooled HD's
I have a strong feeling HD's are going water cooled soon to comply with EPA standards.
I love the air cooled
I love the air cooled engines and the potato potato sound of my panhead but I fear that the EPR will sonn have us all on water colled bikes.
I have an Air/Oil cooled
I have an Air/Oil cooled Buell and Airhead BMW. The sound and feel of the air cooled bikes is great. I had a 2004 TC Big Twin and the heat the bikes are running to keep the exhaust clean is about as high as can be comfortably ridden. My old EVO was no where near as hot. Also, noise level requirements will be hard to hit. Hopefully, Oil Coolers tucked out of sight with a quiet fan (the Buell is loud) will buy a few more years for HD air cooled motors.
I'd take a HD touring platform with a HD water-cooled Revolution engine. That would be a sweet ride.
Water cooled HD
I thought by now Harley would take the V-rod engine and put it in a touring frame to start getting people used to water cooling in Harleys.
water cooled
Water cooled would make harley a 200k motorcycle,but leave some models for the old scoolers.
My 2 Cents
Since i was 18 or so ive had a Bike, Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha. I learned
the hazzards of the road, But Now a days its Very different.
With Cell phones, Old Men That cant see past the front Bumper.
my way of thinking is to Pretend that the Other Cars Cant See you on your bike, pretend your invisable. They cant see you but thay can hit you. Thats my code to the road. Anyhow. Now im 48. i couldnt afford a Harley until 2005. Im not a die hard biker, i dont do all those biker runs, i just ride for pleasure. I love my HD, i just wish i would have bought one sooner because i just love it.
One thing amazes me, all those guys out there that have Jap cruiser HD look alikes, there missing the Point, theres a certain feel on a harley,
something you cant explain until you own one. its like being King of the road. I hope sombody out there knows what im saying.
I can tell you this, i own a 03 heritage softail classic,great Bike,
However, my buddy has a 97 heritage classic, i rode his, his is smoother, more ballanced. i think Harley has got cheeper over the years.
as for the Guy that said Hd is all american, remember That when you go to buy some chrome, look carefully on the packaging, it will say Made in China......... all american,NOT, But i still Love all harleys. oh yea.
HD water cooled
The euro 3 emissions are just a taste of what HD has to meet. It can't keep the engine getting any hotter than it is now. Time for air cooled V twin is coming to an end. (Soon)
Bobby B Calgary Ab
new bikes 2010
what about a v-rod road glide, and a 110 screaming eagle street glide, what about a all black dresser, or sled depends on your age
water cooled engines
wy the hell would you want a water cooled harley anyway
Uhhh... one simple reason - cooler engine=longer lasting engine
Air cooled DOES sound awesome, and I've owned a few, especially love the 2-stroke air-cooled engine, but water-cooled engines run, well, COOLER... and a cooler-running engine is a longer lasting engine - plain and simple!
water cooled
Didn't Willy design the V-Rod? or get credit for it. If it 's good for Willy, and he has been acredited with the life time acheivement award for design then it should be good for every one. yes?
2010
I just rode 1650 miles on a 06 Heritage and loved it! my bum tells a different story butt hay who's listening.
The buzz IS... HD is re-vamping all cruiser bikes, there will be no Road Glide for 2010, all will be water cooled. Why the big secret? I think the air cooled bikes will sell out so fast it could pull HD out of the current slump and give them the capital needed to build this new generation HD right the first time.
Here's to a good future for an American icon no matter the direction...
Buy American!
Water cooled harleys
I agree with greyghost an all black decker would be cool.
As to the v-rod road glide Brad Pitt had one built for himself, basically a v-rod with the frame mounted Road Glide fairing. It is called a Road Rod and it one hot looking bike.
I suspect that if H-D were to make all their bikes liquid-cooled that the Motor Company would do it in stages. Does anyone remember what happened to Indian when they went to a four cylinder engine in the early 50's? Liquid-cooled engines have the potential to make more power per displacement than air cooled engines.
But before anythig else they do, they need to make it easier for dealerships to get parts to do major warranty work or get to a ZERO PERCENT defect rate. A brand new motorcycle down for three weeks or more because the dealer can't get parts is inexcusable and reflects very poorly on Harley Davidson.
Air-cooled
Been in the saddle daily since 1968; I discovered that there's a bit more air than there's water within easy reach to cool down my Harleys.
Water-cooling's a great way for cars and horses to keep from overheating but a proper motorcycle has an engine that is exposed to the wind, with either one cylinder or two cylinders in vee-formation, that are surrounded with fins that transfer heat to the somewhat limitless atmosphere. These particular engines are meant to be uncomplicated, light, comparitively simple, aiding their riding owners to maintain them easily and cost-effectively.
My personal feelings on this subject.
If one wants complicated,water-cooled, fairinged, car-emulating motorcycles they need look no further than the boundless offerings from the Orient.
Just please leave a wonderful design alone. If it's not broken--don't try fixing it!
If only it was up to us...
...but it's not.
The EPA and the CARB won't leave this one up to the Harley lovers. You know that. Between emissions, noise, and other standards, the days of the air-cooled Harley-Davidson motorcycles is drawing to a close. Unless we have a very sudden, and very dramatic, shift in the way we 'govern' ourselves.
2010 HD Models
I just finished reviewing the California EPA Air Resources Board Certification website. Look for at least 8 new models from the Motor Company. An addition to the XR1200 family; it also looks like they're bring back the Dyna Wide Glide in some fashion (at least the designator is the same); a new Fat Boy (?) with the designator FLSTFB; what appears to be 2 new FLTR's (they are NOT water cooled); something new with a 103 cubic inch motor and last what appears to be a Screamin' Eagle Street Glide.
2010 HD Rumors...
You've probably been there already, but here's where all the 2010 Harley-Davidson information can be found.
Water-cooling is a Waste of Precious Water
Just needed to ask why (so-called) Harley-Davidson riders wanted water-cooled motorcycles in the first place?
For over 100 years, fins have been excellent heat-dissapators, lighter in weight than jacketed cylinder blocks, definitely much easier on the eye than hideous, soulless slab-shaped blocks; no water-leaks or foamy oil/water mixture in the engine resulting from bad gaskets, no extra expense or prospective ground pollution from anti-freeze...here in Africa, water is a very scarce and valuable liquid--why put it into your engine when all those poor folk could be drinking it?
Satisfaction from established good practice and value should dismiss any wandering disire to obtain uneeded extravagance.
If one's not satisfied with something great--just move on...leave well alone.
Watercooled Knucklehead... circa 1930!
Here's a watercooled Knucklehead H-D motor for ya Sweet!
Water Cooled H-D
There are still other manufacturers producing air cooled motors that meet EPA and Euro compliance standards - Ducati, BMW, etc. etc. I don't see water cooling the V-twin imminent.
Water Cooled Harleys
Yes, Big Brother is taking another piece of our freedom, this time in the form of "The Harley Sound".
On the bright side, let's hope the factory gives us a bullet with some good power potential.