Why Is There No Evo's?
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: Bedford UK
Demand over here was really building around that time, Dr H. I met a US servicemen here in the UK, around 1991, who bought a new bike from a UK dealer, because export markets were getting much quicker delivery than he could get back home!
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Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2015
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From: Northern Wisconsin
I think we're already seeing the next generation with the Waterheads. All the new Harleys are gonna sprout radiators in the next couple years. Right now they're using the people that bought Ultra Limited's as guinea pigs to test it and works the bugs out of 'em.
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Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2015
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From: Northern Wisconsin
The '86 FLHT. After I got it running after its five year sit, we sold the '89. I put it on craigslist for $7,500 one evening, the next day a fellow called me and wanted to come look at it. His wife brought him that evening and he looked it over and I started it up for him. I had put in the ad that there's no joy rides unless I got the $7,500 in cash in my hand. He didn't even barter on it. He handed me the money and said his joy ride was about to start because he was leaving with it.
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Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2015
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From: Northern Wisconsin
So I don't think it's a thing where they're past the point of being dealer material, because they would give us what I thought was a fairly good price for it.
But we didn't go for it even though we could afford it.
We like the '86 better. For one, I didn't think the lowers vents on the Waterhead allow enough air thru for hot weather riding. So while engine heat on the '86 never intrudes into into the cockpit or pillion, the '16 was a nut roaster. Them radiators didn't work as well as what I expected to keep the engine heat away from the rider.
We decided we'll take the first month's payment and put soft lowers on the '86 that can be removed or installed in a couple minutes, a Kenwood marine radio so we got tunes, make an upgrade to the seat so it's more like the '16, then enjoy the next 100,000 miles totally payment free and not have to worry about the cam chain tensioners wearing out or keeping the latest software updates in our motorcycle.
It's still fun to go look at bikes. Sometimes we see things that give us ideas on customizations we can make to ours. But if we are representative of Evo owners, what we already got is too damn nice to get us to part with it, and the money that would go into payments on a new one can be spent on riding all over hell and enjoying it.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
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From: Florida
Why Is There No Evo's?
I agree. I have my evo which I love and look at it as my touring bike. My twincam Dyna (that I worked too hard on to fix all of Harley's shortcomings) is my speed demon. I don't want to trade any of them in. I jus want more bikes
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2015
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From: Durango CO
But they are simpler. While an air cooled engine may run much hotter you don't have to worry about low coolant level, breaking hoses, leaky radiator cap, bad thermostat, water pump going out, etc etc etc. Guess I'm very much old school, while air cooled is a poor design it's also a very simple design, far less to go wrong.
Last edited by Durango Dave; Sep 6, 2015 at 02:21 PM.
Dirt don't hurt
Joined: Jan 2011
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From: Haslet Texas
I know most Harley riders are nostalgic an like the old style but beyond that, why would people want the Evolution engine over the Twin Cam? How do these engines really compare when it comes to reliability, power etc? I've rode cycles forever but I'm new to Harleys.
To me the cam chain tensioners are a deal breaker.
I have a friend with a FXSTS and he has lost his motor twice due to those damn things.
The B motor has them inside the left case as well as the cam chest.
If you keep up on what has to be done then either motor will last you a very long time.
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Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2015
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From: Northern Wisconsin
The Evo's strongpoint is it's simplicity. And simplicity is the mother of reliability. And the Evo was designed to be infinitely rebuildable with things like replaceable lifter blocks, where the twinkie has lifter bores machined in the case, timken bearings on the mains controlling crank endplay vs rollers in the twinkie, gear drive cam vs chains, and many other things. Some people spend a lot of money on Twin Cams to put the stuff im 'em an Evo already has.
Is Harley Davidson really ready to give up on '40s technology?
However, the cylinder head temperatures on air-cooled engines are much higher, making it hard to control NOx emissions. But when it comes to ultimate reliability air-cooling cannot be beat. Back in the day, an old VW Super Beetle was the only thing considered reliable enough to make desert crossings in the heat of the day at 120 degrees in the shade because liquid-cooled engines would overheat.
Harley is going to the Waterheads to control emissions in the future - it doesn't have anything to do with reliability or 1940's technology.
Last edited by Harley-Davidson; Sep 6, 2015 at 03:44 PM.
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Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: Bedford UK
I'm not sure what you're referring to?! Harley were the first brand to use disc brakes on both wheels, adopted solid state electronics long before BMW, use computers to design their frames etc, have EFI, Canbus electrics. What's missing?
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Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 209
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From: Northern Wisconsin
Reality is that those designs actually came from the Japs as cheap to manufacture throw-aways and that's why there's so many of them in junk yards today instead of on the road with the old Harleys.
But it's still a phrase oft quoted by people not familiar with Harley-Davidsons.