Can Harley Save Itself with a New Engine Layout?
Would a liquid-cooled V-4 powered bike be enough to rescue Harley from sales Hell? Our members speak out!
Much ado has already been made about the impending death of Harley. And most of it is basic, “journalistic” nonsense. However, the fact remains that H-D isn’t in the best of shape at the moment. That much they’ve already admitted themselves. And to combat dreadful sales, they’re ushering in a huge lineup of new products aiming to appease an ever-changing audience.
But what Harley hasn’t done in a long time, of course, is introduce a radically new or innovative engine design. Sure, the Milwaukee-Eight is a big improvement on the outgoing Twin-Cam Fathead. But it’s still a V-twin. What if they decided to do something truly radical and build something, like say, a liquid-cooled V-4? It’s an interesting question, for sure. And one that HD Forums member blackxpress posted in the forums in search of some feedback.
“Would you buy a V6 or anything other than a V-twin? The recent threads bashing the 2018 M8 as ‘Harleysakis that sound like Hondas’ got me thinking. What will HD do when they reach the end of their ability to make a V-twin smoother, quieter and more powerful? They’re pretty much stuck with the V-twin platform because we Harley riders demand it, unlike metric riders who will accept pretty much any platform the Japanese companies offer as long as it’s cool. The more innovative the better.
For my part, I have no opinion on the new platform or the M8 motor. I just bought a brand new 2017 Heritage not because I hate the new bikes (I don’t), but because I loved my old 103 TC so much I wanted to buy a brand new one with a warranty before they were all gone.
So, back to my original question. If HD decided they had to move away from the V-twin (a liquid cooled V-4 for example) in order to satisfy the desire for more smoothness and power, would you buy one?”
It’s a fascinating question that unsurprisingly sparked a massive response. Surprisingly, however, quite a few folks voiced their support of such a seemingly blasphemous endeavor.
“I’m 53 and I would absolutely buy a V-4 Harley,” said kwkride. “I have said for years that it’s ridiculous that they keep making bigger and bigger V-twins. This tells me that they can’t come up with a better way to get more power out of a 45 degree V-twin. The displacement game has to end at some point.”
“Yep, as long as the bike looked good and the value was there for the price tag,” added jamala00. “I didn’t buy a Harley because it’s a Harley. I bought it because I wanted a touring bike that I liked the look of and I enjoyed riding. If the Limited was a bike made by Indian and the Harley had the look of the Indian, I wouldn’t still buy the Harley. I’d buy the bike I liked, the Indian in that case. I’m not loyal to a brand, I’m going to give my cash to the company I like the product of. Same with auto and any other thing.”
“Not only would I buy a V-whatever Harley, I’d buy an inline-whatever if Harley made one,” said Ludwig von Buzzthoven.
