Harley sells sound to Honda!
#21
05-17-2009, 03:49 AM
Ultimate HDF Member
Back in the mid 90's Harley sued to trademark its sound. That started a lot of rumors to the effect that the sound is trademarked.
To the best of my knowledge, Harley withdrew the suit several years later, believing it couldn't win in the end.
I "think" the sound is about having a single crank pin, and about both cylinders firing on the same revolution, a split second apart, and then both idling through the next revolution. That makes the engine sound almost as if it's missing - running rough - at idle.
Thus, the "potato potato" sound. ??
To the best of my knowledge, Harley withdrew the suit several years later, believing it couldn't win in the end.
I "think" the sound is about having a single crank pin, and about both cylinders firing on the same revolution, a split second apart, and then both idling through the next revolution. That makes the engine sound almost as if it's missing - running rough - at idle.
Thus, the "potato potato" sound. ??
If I understand what you are trying to say correctly, that's not quite right. With the 45 degree V-twin set up and both connecting rods sharing a single crank pin, the firing interval is like this: 1st cylinder fires, then there is 315 degrees of crank rotation for 2nd cylinder firing. Then 405 degrees of crank rotation before cylinder 1 fires again. Then cylinder 2 after 315 degrees, etc. This is what gives that "potato potato" sound at idle.
I don't see any difference that would warrent a rebuttle here
OK, say at idle the engine is turning 600rpm (just for simple math) thats 600 rotations per minute, or 10 rotations per second, therefore it is only 0.1 seconds per rotation, 315 degrees after the first cylinder fires, 0.0875 seconds later the the second cylinder fires, in my book that is a split second later.
The second point is about both cylinder firing on the same rotation a full circle is 360 degree, if cylinder 2 fires 315 degrees after cylinder 1, then there has not been a complete rotation, as in a conventional combustion engine.
The third point is after cylinder 2 fires the crank must turn 405 degrees, thus turning one complete rotation with no power stroke (see about simple circle in point 2).
Not to be an a$$ or anything coth statement sound alike.
Last edited by dope_man_21; 05-17-2009 at 03:53 AM.
#22
05-17-2009, 04:09 AM
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Of course the cylinder combustions are split seconds apart. That's obvious and is true in any crank pin arrangement, but if you say the two "competing" explanations provided are the technical/mechanical equivalent of each other, to the extent that it was necessary to step in between me and Baker in defense of his explanation, I suppose I'll just stop wasting my and everyone else's time and let his description stand uncorrected. Never mind the details, they are irrelevant 
#23
05-17-2009, 04:25 AM
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Of course the cylinder combustions are split seconds apart. That's obvious and is true in any crank pin arrangement, but if you say the two "competing" explanations provided are the technical/mechanical equivalent of each other, to the extent that it was necessary to step in between me and Baker in defense of his explanation, I suppose I'll just stop wasting my and everyone else's time and let his description stand uncorrected. Never mind the details, they are irrelevant
#24
05-17-2009, 04:53 AM
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There are always more than one way to describe the way something is, or how it works, the point is that JBaker made his post, and it was simple enough, but wait it was too simple, so you wanted to go above and beyond what JBaker had to say (I guess trying to prove that you are the alfa male) and really it did not matter. But if you want to be the top dog, go ahead. We have the fashion police, the grammer police, and now we have you, the politically correct police! Whats next?
#26
05-17-2009, 11:48 AM
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Honda V-twins sound digusting no matter what. V-stars need to have the baffles punched out, to mask the whine. I can still hear it when my dad rides by, but it helps.
I wish he would just get off his wallet and go buy a RK, like he keeps talking about.
I like honda's old air cooled inline four cylinders with straight pipes. I am going to chop a old Honda one of these days.
#27
05-17-2009, 11:52 AM
There are always more than one way to describe the way something is, or how it works, the point is that JBaker made his post, and it was simple enough, but wait it was too simple, so you wanted to go above and beyond what JBaker had to say (I guess trying to prove that you are the alfa male) and really it did not matter. But if you want to be the top dog, go ahead. We have the fashion police, the grammer police, and now we have you, the politically correct police! Whats next?
#30
05-27-2015, 06:07 PM
Harley sells sound to Honda!
Around here I see a LOT more Japanese "cruisers" than Harleys, they are everywhere.
We have four guys at work with Jap cruisers, I'm the only HD and mine isn't a cruiser, it's totally *** backwards.
Funny thing is all four of them have HD stickers of some kind on their cage and I don't.
We have four guys at work with Jap cruisers, I'm the only HD and mine isn't a cruiser, it's totally *** backwards.
Funny thing is all four of them have HD stickers of some kind on their cage and I don't.
Easy on the ethnic slangs bro.
Gary