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The V-twin is a long way from dead. The KTM 1290 puts out about 160 HP and it's a very light engine. Harley knows it's market and they will continue to bring out the products their customers want.
Yes, the V-Rod didn't sell well. But the reason it didn't sell wasn't the engine, as the engine was good. It was the rest of the bike was poorly designed.
If Harley would have put that engine in a decent bike I would have jumped on it.
I've had 3 VRods now currently just bought a 2016 Night Rod. As far as it being a decent bike...I personally think that it is one of the finest bikes HD makes. For a certain type of rider: it is terrific but I've been a solo rider all my life and with little or no maintenance up to 100k miles they are a solid
and reliable platform
Nothing can outrun them in the entire HD lineup even the vaunted and overrated 120/124's in the Dyna/Softail/Touring whatever.
I believe the motor will come back perhaps in a different frame. More torqueand a 6 speed. The HD/Porsche collaborative effort - got the engine built for high rpm and power.....It was HD marketing that once again "blew" a
great opportunity by overpricing them (in 02-03 they were almost $17K) and by their constant inept consumer marketing
Oh, one other thing: They don't break .........Lot of money to be made in repairing aircooled motors right Harley??? JMO
Last edited by 10 RED RK; Sep 3, 2017 at 02:14 PM.
Or a V-6 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 not 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?
Yeah the dumbasses should’ve kept that motor alive . The V- rod motor was Harley‘s white blood cells and could have really fixed things with millennium’s .
And for the guys that wanted a real water cooled motor !
Last edited by Iron lHorse; Jan 11, 2018 at 06:17 AM.
Allow me to stir up some crap here. I am not trying to start an argument, but you really can't have it both ways. I will give Harley an A+ for effort, but the V Twin design is limited in power AND smoothness. BTW--I also had a VRod and thought it was an awesome machine but it lacked comfort. about half of the responses want both power and smoothness but it absolutely HAS TO BE MADE BY HARLEY!
The bike that many are asking for is made by Honda. Flat 6, 114 HP and 120 ft lbs of torque and the torque is absolutely linear and is so smooth I cannot describe it. Handles perfect at about 650 lbs and is as maintenance free.Here is the CRAZY part. Harley guys won't even consider it because it is made by Honda. Honda only made it for 2 years because it did not sell because it does not fit the "Honda nitche". It has an MSRP of around $17K and they can now be bought new for about 8 or $9K. So the bike that every says they want will not sell at all because of the letters on the side. Go figure.
BTW--- The reason I love my Harley is because of the old school thump and raw feel of Harley. JMHO of course. Please pardon the junky garage.
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