7 Features the Harley Faithful Can Do Without
Factory Baggers Today Offer All the Comforts of Home
There is no question that the bikes of today beat the bikes of just 20 years ago in a lot of ways, but some people don't want ABS, or infotainment, or even fuel injection. The more features you add to a bike, the heavier and more complicated it gets. Back in the day, the hard core faithful called these sorts of bikes "Circus Wagons," and proceeded to fill several garbage cans full of the stuff they didn't need when building a chopper out of a factory bike. Here's a little list that sprung out of a forum thread about future improvements, which revealed just as many bikers think less is more.
1. Big Bike with a Little Tank
Since the Dyna chassis debuted, it has been hailed as one of the best handling Harleys, thanks to its light weight and minimal extraneous equipment. But could it get leaner and meaner? Yes. Every Dyna comes with a big fat tank that holds nearly 5 gallons. The small Sportster style tank make the bike above look totally different, and meaner. Changing to a smaller tank used to be no problem back in the days of carburetors, all you have to do is figure how to mount is and reroute the fuel line. These days you need to be sure to get a tank that can hold the EFI pump and filter, then relocated everything mounted on the center of the tank, like the ignition switch. Come on Willie G. give us a real stripped down bobber we can buy from the factory!
2. Return of the Springer
Yes, everyone agrees that the current telescopic hydraulic front suspension from Harley-Davidson works much better than anything they have offered over the years, but you just can't beat the classic look of a springer. Rumor has it that Harley can't get the ABS brakes to work with the sprung leading link front suspension, but why should that stop them from offering it? Sure, it is nice to have ABS sometimes, but guys have been riding Hogs for 100 years before ABS was even an option. Let the hard core guys looking for the ultimate retro look have their springer. You know a factory engineered setup is going to work better, with or without ABS, then a backyard modification.
3. Anti ABS Brakes
Some people like the added safety net of anti-lock brakes, and some people see them as the first intrusion of the nanny state into their riding. Some argue that it is seamless and invisible, so why not have it in case you need it. After all, what is another 10lbs of hardware on a bike that weighs over 600lbs already? But some of us like to modify our bikes with different sized wheels and tires, taller handlebars, extended front ends, or even upgraded brake discs and calipers. You could just pull off all the ABS hardware and re-plumb the bike the old way, but then you have to deal with the computer giving you error messages. Yes, Harley, offer ABS as an option on everything (maybe make it a dealer installed option?), but let the riders decide. Don't let the ABS dictate what we can or can't do to our bike.
4. Electra Glide without all the Electronics
The first Harley-Davidson Electra Glides got that name because they had a novel feature; an electric starter. These days the Electra Glide still has that classic look, but it now incorporates more electronics than the Apollo moon missions had at their disposal. Why can't Harley offer a stripped down touring model with all the bags and weather protection, but without all the gee-gaws and gizmos? It would be nice if it were lighter and cost less as a result as well. Make it a Road Glide for the people who actually want to get out there and see the road.
5. Foolproof Fueling
It may be wishful thinking, and it may just be us older guys showing our age, but why do we need complicated electronic fuel injection and throttle by wire? A carburetor is a mechanical computer that uses gravity, physics and geometry to deliver the correct amount of fuel for a given amount of air, and throttle opening. It really is elegant in its simplicity, and easy to diagnose when something goes wrong. If your throttle by wire, or some computer sensor fails, your bike is dead and there is no simple fix that will get you home. I suppose that is the price we pay for clean air, and bikes that start, hot or cold, in the mountains or at the beach, with just the push of a button.
6. Lose the Juice Clutch
Harley-Davidson used a simple, mechanical, cable operated clutch forever, until they decided our hands were too weak and we needed hydraulic assistance in the 21st century. Again, the hydraulic setup doesn't add much weight to an already heavy bike, but it is this few ounces here, few ounces there weight gain that has lead to "stripped down" Dyna Glides weighing over 700lbs, and touring bikes weighing 800lbs, or more.
7. Liquid Cooling
It was a long time coming, but with the Project Rushmore touring bikes Harley-Davidson introduced liquid cooling to a handful of bikes. They did a good job of hiding the hardware and radiators, but there is no hiding the fact that the Road Glide Ultra weighs 100lbs more than the Road Gide. The writing is on the wall, air cooling is no longer enough to keep these ever bigger motors within emissions regulations. Perhaps oil cooling could have been tried, like the old Porsche 911 air cooled motors, or perhaps it was tried in the R & D department and wasn't good enough? At least the Street 500 and 750 give us some idea of how well a water cooled motor can be integrated into the traditional Harley style, but it is going to get much harder to modify them.
For information on DIY modifications, maintenance and repairs, check out our how-to section here in HDForums.com.
