Harley bring back ......
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 5,282
Likes: 2
From: Northwestern Nevada
It would be nice to have a better parts source for the older bikes, but I'd take a 1948 Panhead or a 1970 Shovelhead with limited parts, and all the mystery engineering it's experienced over the last 40+ to 60+ years over a 2014 "FortyEight" or "SeventyTwo" (Sportsters).
If it was me, I'd pick up and older bike and teach the kid to wrench on that. There's a lot more to being a wrench than removing and installing new parts on a modern machine.
Last edited by Glockmeister; Feb 16, 2014 at 03:36 PM.
Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 100
Likes: 2
From: Utah
I may be alone here, but I'd like the see the option of a smaller engine. The most fun I ever had on a bike was on an 80-inch Superglide. Being short-legged, the bigger the engine, the harder it is for me to reach the ground.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,350
Likes: 647
From: Vegas, baby!
This sort of answers the OPs questions. The metrics have been successful with triples, fours both V and inline, and just about everything they have tried. So after trying everything else they are building v-twin cruisers also.
If someone prefers Harley because of some imaginary 'soul', go for it! But the market will decide what is worth building.
If someone prefers Harley because of some imaginary 'soul', go for it! But the market will decide what is worth building.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 27,229
Likes: 31,588
From: Florida
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,142
Likes: 124
Performance and style are two very different things. Those other brands can copy an aesthetic to eat away at the HD market, it has little to do with the performance of either brands technology and engineering. It's certainly not a coincidence. Oh, and it's Kawasaki Vaquero, which is a loose Spanish translation of 'cowboy'. I wouldn't mind a reproduction iron head though.
loosely translated,a mannish woman!
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,392
Likes: 21
From: Delaware
It would cost way too much to re-tool to do that (and has been mentioned the EPA would stick them in a very dark hole in order to get them to comply with all the Kommie bull$hit clean air quality control standards). Best bet IMO is to go out and find an EVO set up. Parts are plentiful, lots of EVOs still running, and they are easy to wrench on.
"Failed experiments"????? Not sure what you mean but Panheads were not born because of the failure of the Knucklehead design, nor the Shovel, EVO or Twin-Cam design changes a result of the "failure" of its predecessor. The design changes were considered to be "improvements" and for the most part MoCo delivered on the promised improvements. MoCo issued "Service Bulletins" (and I think they still do) when they discovered things that needed to be "fixed" or corrected with the designs at the times. Aftermarket publications came out with "Shop Dope" publications which was a softcover compilation of these. Think they are still available for sale today. I have some original Service Bulletins that go from 1960 to 1976.
"Failed experiments"????? Not sure what you mean but Panheads were not born because of the failure of the Knucklehead design, nor the Shovel, EVO or Twin-Cam design changes a result of the "failure" of its predecessor. The design changes were considered to be "improvements" and for the most part MoCo delivered on the promised improvements. MoCo issued "Service Bulletins" (and I think they still do) when they discovered things that needed to be "fixed" or corrected with the designs at the times. Aftermarket publications came out with "Shop Dope" publications which was a softcover compilation of these. Think they are still available for sale today. I have some original Service Bulletins that go from 1960 to 1976.
