I read in one of the threads below where someone said that starting in 2010 all Harleys will be water cooled. Is that true, and if so why!?

 

Harley probably feels that in order to remain competitive (a perception not always maintained by everyone) they have to make some changes. I figured when the VRod came out, that it would only be a matter of time.

In fact, about the time the VRod did come out, I read somewhere that they had made some significant changes that never made it to the production models. Things like water cooled, vibrationless motors, no "clunk" when you shifted gears, no "potato-potato" idling, and other "refinements". They also stated that there was kind of an uproar about it because they just didn't seem like"Harleys" that theyhad to redesign those Harley qualities back into the bike to make the general public happy.

We'll see if they actually do it this time.

 

EPa emission rules change and get tighter in 2010. Its an almost sure thing that an air cooled motor will not be able to meet the new standards. Look how much heat the 96ci are making already. Plus clearances in an air cooled motor have to be larger to allow for more thermal expansion/contraction which contributes to more emissions.

 

So S&S, Victory, Big Dogand others can make EPA compliant air cooled engines for 2010 but not the manufacturer who sells 300,000 bikes per year, whos heritage is based on air cooled engines, and who has the most loyal following because of the traditional air cooled v-twin...cannot.

Sure.

 

They sell more heavyweight motorcycles than anyone, Yamaha makes an air cooled v-twin instead of a water cooled tocopy Harle's lookyet Harley would need to change to remain competitive?

 

Good point, I'm always listening to the metric lover's bitch about HD's and the way the do all the things that you mentioned. I love the clunk, I love the vibration, I love the uneven idle. That to me, is all part of the HD mystique. I can't see them following through with it to make some cheap ***, spend no money, metric ****** happy. Sometimes progress is not a good thing. HD is just finding who their buyer is now. I think they're doing a great job.

 

You know it sorta of odd we get in to threads like this and it get easy to seethe different reasons some people buy a Harley. Someof usbuy our rides because of the bike it self,knowing its not state of the art but a try ed and true design thats been around pretty much unchanged sincethe 30's. The thing of it is we like it that way and it does a good job of doing what it was designed to do, and as long as it can keep doing it and the market is their there is no valid reason to change it. Then you have the people on the other side of the line that it seems buy their bike because it has the Harley Davidson name and it wouldn't matter what was under them as long as it had a HD logo on the tank. Ive seen post's on to this forum from people that come in saying how for years they've wanted a Harley and now they finely got one and how great it is and then turn around and start in on if they would only make it water cooled and then maybe shaft drive think how great that would be, and you know it would be really cool if it had maybe a 8 speed trany. Well guess what people they import bikes just like what you're looking for every day, maybe you would be happier with one of those.Of course if people would buy the bike they really want instead of buying a name tag I guess there wouldn't be very many threads like this. Me Ill stick what we got I'm more then happy with it , after all I bought the bike and not the Logo.

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Water cooled in 2010? Why? Why repeat internet rumors? Why not do a little research first?

http://www.epa.gov/OMS/regs/roadbike/420f03046.pdf

The link above has most of the answers, including this:
[align=left]How closely do the new rules follow the California[/align][align=left]rules?[/align][align=left]The new rules mainly parallel the California model with some exceptions:[/align][align=left]• California has more stringent evaporative emissions regulations.[/align][align=left]• California does not regulate scooters and mopeds with small[/align][align=left](under 50cc) engines.[/align][align=left]• California standards will be effective two years before EPA's[/align][align=left]standards.[/align][align=left][/align][align=left]Harley is currently producing a 2008 California compliant motorcyle. This will be the same the rest of the nation must follow in 2010.[/align][align=left][/align][align=left]And guess what? It ain't water cooled ![/align]

 

it does have cats though.

 

My brother knows a guy, whose cousin's girlfriend once dated someone who overheard a Harley engineer in a bar .....