Liquid cooled heads, future HD's
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,572
Likes: 5
From: Templeton California
I don't get this hatred of liquid cooling.I can appreciate the simplicity of air cooling but it seems to work better smaller motors.I would love to see optional liquid cooling that could be bolted on before or after purchase.I think that would make everybody happy, the purists who insist on air cooling could have it and those of us that prefer the practicality of a radiator could have that.If Kawasaki can build a liquid cooled motor that looks like a Harley motor with the radiator hid between the front down tubes why can't Harley?
Thread Starter
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Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,554
Likes: 52
From: Ottawa Canada
I am a purist also, but if they can get more HP and are able to keep the cooling components hidden that would be ok, it is just a matter of time before they have no choice in liquid cooling.Oil cooling is another option as i have seen these on the older Suzuki intruder 1400, very small oil cooler on the front downtubes and it worked and not bulky.
When they do go to liquid cooling i can see the prices of the air cooled HD going up
my .02
When they do go to liquid cooling i can see the prices of the air cooled HD going up
my .02
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,251
Likes: 30
From: Ashburn, VA
I am not against water-cooling at all. They can just slowly work it into all the lineups similar to engine releases.
I can already see the grief from all the purists and Harley homers, obviously. Harley may even take a hit on sales, at first, but over time, everyone will be buying them up like they do now. Change is tough! Honestly, would you really buy a metric over a Harley, because of water-cooling?
Used, air-cooled bike sales will go up though, which benefits all of us who currently have one. My plan is keep the Bob and buy a newer bike as a 2nd or possibly 3rd bike, by the time they implement the water-cooling. At least I will no longer cringe in a traffic jam or turn to another gauge screen on my Power Vision so I don't have to see that crazy Engine Temp reading anymore.
I can already see the grief from all the purists and Harley homers, obviously. Harley may even take a hit on sales, at first, but over time, everyone will be buying them up like they do now. Change is tough! Honestly, would you really buy a metric over a Harley, because of water-cooling?
Used, air-cooled bike sales will go up though, which benefits all of us who currently have one. My plan is keep the Bob and buy a newer bike as a 2nd or possibly 3rd bike, by the time they implement the water-cooling. At least I will no longer cringe in a traffic jam or turn to another gauge screen on my Power Vision so I don't have to see that crazy Engine Temp reading anymore.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 52,957
Likes: 44,480
From: SW OH.
Thus the reason for a fan behind the radiator.
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,251
Likes: 30
From: Ashburn, VA
Yeah, just like cars, trucks, metrics, etc., everything that is water-cooled...... they all overheat?. Like someone mentioned, the fan will cure that.
Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 508
Likes: 2
From: Idaho Panhandle
Ah, another great, "oh *****, liquid cooled Harley's are comin' they'll suck, they'll have no soul" ... etc etc type thread. Sure as the sun will rise tomorrow they are coming, but maybe not until after 2016 when new EPA standards are set. Look at the factory Cali bikes and how hot they run, and their canisters( man, that's just getting un-ridable in stock trim) and you can see they are at the end of the line with what can be done with an Airhead to meet more stringent criteria. There is an upside: our Twinkies will suddenly have soul and real Harley panache 
. And liquid cooling is nice for some things, like stop and go, and making the same power all day long no matter how hot that day is. If you really want some future shock, sooner or later, there will be an all Electric powered Harley ( *****, my SB will seem like an old Knuckle Head at that point 
)
. And liquid cooling is nice for some things, like stop and go, and making the same power all day long no matter how hot that day is. If you really want some future shock, sooner or later, there will be an all Electric powered Harley ( *****, my SB will seem like an old Knuckle Head at that point )
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,867
Likes: 268
From: People's Republic of Boulder Colorado
The radiators are mounted in fairing lowers, so it would only be applicable to touring models anyway and the patent drawings look like something Rube Goldberg would have come up with. I'll never own one - ever. WAY too many good older model H-D's out there.