12 reasons to love your air-cooled engine..
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 520
Likes: 1
From: Newark OH
Actually, from Franklins to BWM Izettas, Corvairs, VWs, Porsches and most motorcycles you got to love air cooled engines . . . . but . . . . all things being equal, and when it comes to the application of engineering an engine within the laws of physics as they exist on this planet, all things are actually pretty equal (quantum mechanics not with standing): liquid cooling allows for more power, better fuel economy, lower emissions, greater durability and less engine noise (so the exhaust can be louder). There's a reason why those 600cc liquid cooled crotch rockets can out power a Harley . . . sad but true 
I'll still take my Air Cooled Harley . . . but trying to make technological arguments in support of the superiority of air cooling are 100% B.S. It just ain't so. Ya gotta go sell crazy somewhere else, to paraphrase Jack Nicholson
I'll still take my Air Cooled Harley . . . but trying to make technological arguments in support of the superiority of air cooling are 100% B.S. It just ain't so. Ya gotta go sell crazy somewhere else, to paraphrase Jack Nicholson
I'll enjoy my balanced smooth running engine that purrs. Specially when sittin in traffic in texas summer heat as the air cooled bikes snap n crackle.
Big Cahuna you are prolly right about next months issue.
The revo engine is the waves of the future. Sadly so few get onboard with improvements to technology with motorcycles. Guess you'd prefer manual transmissions in your cars, drum brakes, planes with props, vhs players and the old atari game systems to name a few.
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,077
Likes: 1,601
Boy, what a load of BS that was, of those 12pts there was only a couple that aren't utter nonsense
Reasons to love the air cooled motor (Harley specifically):
-simplicity. Simple to maintain, simple to fix, simple to run
-clean looks. As much as I like water cooled motors the air cooled ones always have a cleaner, nicer look to them.
-great gas mileage- My Harley engines have always returned exemplary gas mileage
Reasons not to love them
-poor power density. 100hp from 100+ in3 is pretty pitiful in todays standards. The rest of the world blew by that old 1hp/in3 standard a LONG time ago. There are engines out there in mass production that make 3+hp/in3. That simply isn't possible on an air cooled motor with any reliability remaining intact.
-Poor heat management-water cooling provides MUCH better management of heat, especially in low speed to stopped conditions (traffic).
-Pinging- another result of the heat issue. A 9:1 1200 Sportster engine shouldn't have pinging issues, even on 87 octane, but they do (check the Sportster forum sometime, especially in the summer).
-gas mileage/hp- modern water cooled bikes are not at a tremendous mpg disadvantage especially when you consider the power output discrepancy. Build a Harley of equal power output and see what happens to your mileage (not to mention reliability).
Reasons to love the air cooled motor (Harley specifically):
-simplicity. Simple to maintain, simple to fix, simple to run
-clean looks. As much as I like water cooled motors the air cooled ones always have a cleaner, nicer look to them.
-great gas mileage- My Harley engines have always returned exemplary gas mileage
Reasons not to love them
-poor power density. 100hp from 100+ in3 is pretty pitiful in todays standards. The rest of the world blew by that old 1hp/in3 standard a LONG time ago. There are engines out there in mass production that make 3+hp/in3. That simply isn't possible on an air cooled motor with any reliability remaining intact.
-Poor heat management-water cooling provides MUCH better management of heat, especially in low speed to stopped conditions (traffic).
-Pinging- another result of the heat issue. A 9:1 1200 Sportster engine shouldn't have pinging issues, even on 87 octane, but they do (check the Sportster forum sometime, especially in the summer).
-gas mileage/hp- modern water cooled bikes are not at a tremendous mpg disadvantage especially when you consider the power output discrepancy. Build a Harley of equal power output and see what happens to your mileage (not to mention reliability).
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,268
Likes: 8
From: Detroit, the asshole of America
That's the result of poor spark calibration, not any fault of being air cooled. Water cooled bikes have to pull timing when they get hot, too.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,990
Likes: 23
From: NC
Yep, less to worry about. I'll deal with the added heat...
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Southpaw Super Glide: A Left-Hand-Drive 1979 Harley FXE Built to Fit the Rider
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
|
Club Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,404
Likes: 12
From: Haymarket, VA
I turn the big 70 in April & most likely my Deuce will be my last bike, but plan to ride as long as I can. What's sad in a way to me is in the future new Harleys will most likely be all water-cooled. I understand about epa standards, progress, etc., but for over a 100 years air-cooled engines were & are the very essence of a Harley. I guess eventually at a point in the future riders will never get to experience the soul of a TRUE Harley. I'm getting depressed, think I'll have a couple MGD's..
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 17,625
Likes: 1,665
From: Blairsville GA
Boy, what a load of BS that was, of those 12pts there was only a couple that aren't utter nonsense
Reasons to love the air cooled motor (Harley specifically):
-simplicity. Simple to maintain, simple to fix, simple to run
-clean looks. As much as I like water cooled motors the air cooled ones always have a cleaner, nicer look to them.
-great gas mileage- My Harley engines have always returned exemplary gas mileage
Reasons not to love them
-poor power density. 100hp from 100+ in3 is pretty pitiful in todays standards. The rest of the world blew by that old 1hp/in3 standard a LONG time ago. There are engines out there in mass production that make 3+hp/in3. That simply isn't possible on an air cooled motor with any reliability remaining intact.
-Poor heat management-water cooling provides MUCH better management of heat, especially in low speed to stopped conditions (traffic).
-Pinging- another result of the heat issue. A 9:1 1200 Sportster engine shouldn't have pinging issues, even on 87 octane, but they do (check the Sportster forum sometime, especially in the summer).
-gas mileage/hp- modern water cooled bikes are not at a tremendous mpg disadvantage especially when you consider the power output discrepancy. Build a Harley of equal power output and see what happens to your mileage (not to mention reliability).
Reasons to love the air cooled motor (Harley specifically):
-simplicity. Simple to maintain, simple to fix, simple to run
-clean looks. As much as I like water cooled motors the air cooled ones always have a cleaner, nicer look to them.
-great gas mileage- My Harley engines have always returned exemplary gas mileage
Reasons not to love them
-poor power density. 100hp from 100+ in3 is pretty pitiful in todays standards. The rest of the world blew by that old 1hp/in3 standard a LONG time ago. There are engines out there in mass production that make 3+hp/in3. That simply isn't possible on an air cooled motor with any reliability remaining intact.
-Poor heat management-water cooling provides MUCH better management of heat, especially in low speed to stopped conditions (traffic).
-Pinging- another result of the heat issue. A 9:1 1200 Sportster engine shouldn't have pinging issues, even on 87 octane, but they do (check the Sportster forum sometime, especially in the summer).
-gas mileage/hp- modern water cooled bikes are not at a tremendous mpg disadvantage especially when you consider the power output discrepancy. Build a Harley of equal power output and see what happens to your mileage (not to mention reliability).