7 Old School Cool vs. New School Harley Features
Harley-Davidson development is typically more evolution than revolution, building on the previous motorcycles without starting over from scratch. Looking back we can pinpoint major changes and when they happened, like a paleontologist examining the fossil record, as new tech replaced old school features.
1. Foot vs. Hand Shifter
If you go back, back, back, to 1951, the Harley-Davidson big twin still featured a hand operated shift lever and a foot operated clutch. These features started way back with the first Harleys to have any sort of transmission at all. After WWII, with the influence of the British bike builders, and the increase in the number of gears in the gearbox, the writing was on the wall. Without any sort of announcement, the 1952 Harley Panhead touring bikes all had switched to the now normal hand operated clutch and a heel-toe shifter. A hand shifted 3 speed transmission may not seem adequate, but back in the 1950s and earlier, there was much less stop and go traffic, and everything accelerated slower, so 3 speeds and a mountain of low end torque got you rolling, and kept you motoring down the few interstates that had just been built. Now, the 6 speed foot shifted tranny allows you to take off quicker than most cars, keep the motor in the power band, and cruise down the freeway at 80 mph with the motor barely breathing hard.
2. Telescopic Forks vs. Springer
Up to 1949, Harley big twin motorcycles used a leading link springer front-end with top mounted coil springs and no dampening to absorb road irregularities. The new for 1949 Hydra Glide featured modern telescoping front forks with springs and oil inside of fixed tubes mounted to the triple clamps. Harley improved the conventional fork setup over the years and still use a much stouter version on their bikes today. However, many feel the old school springer look cannot be beat, and Harley made a new production run from the late 80's into the early 2000's of Heritage Springer and Springer Softail models. This new revised springer fork incorporated a shock absorber at the top for better dampening, and mounting at the axle for a disc brake. While still popular in the custom world, like the bike pictured, Harley no longer offers any factory springer models.
3. Electric Start vs. Kick Start
For years, if you wanted to start your Harley, it required the application of a strong leg to the kick start lever that folded out of the transmission. Part of the classic Harley mystique was the kicker, and there was something romantic and dramatic to kicking it to life and roaring off into the sunset. These were bikes for men, and strong women, not just your average Joe. As the Baby Boomers reached their teenage years, they were used to cars, and Japanese bikes like the Honda Cub, that stated at the push of a button. Harley began offering an electric starter on the new 1965 Electra Glide, in fact it was such a big deal they named the bike after it. It took a few years to catch on, but all Harley models would get push-button electric starters eventually. The last bike to roll out of the factory with the old school kicker was the 1986 Wide Glide, but it had an electric start too. These days, for weight savings and that dramatic exit, custom builders sometimes opt for adding an aftermarket kick start to their 21st century Harleys.
4. Disc Brakes vs. Drum Brakes
Braking systems have significantly improved over the course of Harley-Davidson's history, and it is a good thing to because traffic has become worse, and the bikes have become heavier and faster. Harley did have something it its favor in the drum brake years though; plenty of weight on the rear wheel. Famously the Honda CB750 in 1969 introduced the first readily available motorcycle disc brake, but companies like Hurst Airheart, and other offered aftermarket kits for Harleys. The factory drum brake setups proved adequate for more than 40 years before a disc brake system was introduced on the 1972 FLH. All Harleys would eventually come equipped with front and rear disc brakes, and even the option of ABS. Nearly every Harley offers the option of antilock brakes, and the big touring bikes typically have a linked ABS system standard. While drum brakes definitely have that old school look and simplicity, you can't argue with how much better the discs work.
5. Belt Drive vs. Chain Drive
The first Harley-Davidson motorcycles used a leather belt drive, which also acted as the clutch, but within a few years (1914), they switched to chains for reliability purposes. Harley-Davidson motorcycles used chains exclusively to drive the rear wheel until the 1980s. The 1980 Harley-Davidson FXB featured a nylon-reinforced Gates belt, which is much lighter, quieter, and practically maintenance free. Despite fears about reliability and breakage, the drive belts proved to be up to the task, and gradually replaced the chain on all modern Harleys. The silent, clean, long lasting belt has been part of the Harley brand ever since. Although belts actually came first, they are now viewed as the modern tech, whereas chains are considered the old school traditional way to do things.
6. Fuel Injection vs. Carburetor
Arguably the biggest development for Harleys, and all modern engines, has been the electronic fuelinjection system. Beginning in 1996, Harley began offering EFI as an option on their touring line of motorcycles. The initial Magnetti Marelli EFI system used until 2001 was problematic, with reports of poor idling, stalling, and lackluster throttle response, and made many owners wary of fuel injection. But the subsequent Delphi system, after a little factory fine tuning, was so good that H-D made fuel-injection standard equipment on all models beginning in 2007. Many knowledgeable owners who enjoy wrenching and tuning their bikes appreciate the ease and simplicity of an old school carburetor, but younger owners who have never even heard of this ancient thing called a carb are much happier with a digital EFI tuner.
7. Liquid-Cooled vs. Air-Cooled
Harley-Davidson has relied only air to cool most of their engines for over 100 years. Harley's finned air-cooled twins have been a trademark of the Milwaukee brand, but in 2014, they introduced touring models with water passages in the cylinder head and hidden radiators in the fairing lowers. Even the big twin cam touring bikes that didn't have the water cooling had extra oil passages to cool the exhaust valves. The new 114 cubic-inch Milwaukee-Eight engine continues to use these features, with water-cooling and oil cooling on various models. Many believe it is only a matter of time before the entire model lineup uses engines with water coursing through their veins in order to meet ever tightening emissions standards. It is quite possible that in a few years any air-cooled V-twin may be designated an old school classic. And who knows, if the electric Harley Livewire is a glimpse into the distant future, all internal combustion engines may become obsolete soon.
If you have an old school or late model Harley you need to tune or repair, the how to section of HDForum.com is there for you
