potato-potato idle
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,942
Likes: 7
From: guntersville, al
RE: potato-potato idle
true duals are closest to sound. what made the potato-potato was the fact that the shovelheads and earlier were dual fire. both cylinders fired at the same time every revolution. With theseparation of cylinders and the open exhaust valve in one cylinder you get a sound that a single fire every other revolution Evolution or Twin Cam can't duplicate.
Stage III
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 3
Likes: 4
From: INDIANA
Potato died
I'm 43 now , but I remember the sound of the hot bikes from my childhood (mid to late 80's mostly "club " guys that had second bikes for normal riding, hot rods for tavern to tavern nights , drag strip on weekend , or trailered to events most are dead now or I'd call to find actual specs) and damn sure miss it . Never ever gonna get a twin cam to lope like an old built to the hilt pan-shovel or shovel. Them old boys had em stroked as far as they would go, some had magnetos, dual plug heads, so much cam and compression they had to run " mountain" starters built by the local starter alternator guy if they had electric at all or extended kickers and some times a push bar on a pickup ,even with compression releases. Only place they could get high enough octane fuel to keep them from detonating was the local municipal airport, the dirt track, or drag strip ( 110 I think) lope like 2cylinder John Deere hooked to a plow and run like a scalded dog, till they didn't !!! Many a late nights this kid got dragged outta bed by momma and forced to go for a ride in the old Chevy pickup to go pick up the latest prospect or any body that wasn't already out with them or **** drunk then ride to where the hell ever they happened to blow one of them up . Miss that sound , not them headacches lol . R. I . P to all them old F*"kers and thanks to them for all them lessons !
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 100,455
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From: Centennial, CO
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Road Warrior
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 1,486
Likes: 619
From: North Dakota & Minnesota
I'm 43 now , but I remember the sound of the hot bikes from my childhood (mid to late 80's mostly "club " guys that had second bikes for normal riding, hot rods for tavern to tavern nights , drag strip on weekend , or trailered to events most are dead now or I'd call to find actual specs) and damn sure miss it . Never ever gonna get a twin cam to lope like an old built to the hilt pan-shovel or shovel. Them old boys had em stroked as far as they would go, some had magnetos, dual plug heads, so much cam and compression they had to run " mountain" starters built by the local starter alternator guy if they had electric at all or extended kickers and some times a push bar on a pickup ,even with compression releases. Only place they could get high enough octane fuel to keep them from detonating was the local municipal airport, the dirt track, or drag strip ( 110 I think) lope like 2cylinder John Deere hooked to a plow and run like a scalded dog, till they didn't !!! Many a late nights this kid got dragged outta bed by momma and forced to go for a ride in the old Chevy pickup to go pick up the latest prospect or any body that wasn't already out with them or **** drunk then ride to where the hell ever they happened to blow one of them up . Miss that sound , not them headacches lol . R. I . P to all them old F*"kers and thanks to them for all them lessons !
