I test drove a new 2014 V-Rod Muscle today...

[ribbert]

How can you look at that rear end and not fall in love!

Easy, it looks so much better from the RHS, it shows the twins overhead..........something or others.... where was I?



Noel

[ribbert]

Thanks Fred, but that just acknowledges the association with Porsche without explaining why or to what extent.

Noel

[ribbert]

Or there's the Leggo-Rod, complete with rubber band drive if you want to stand out from the crowd.



Noel

[Dan Filetti]

 So I had a foot pedal start to vibrate loose in AB so I saw a Harley Dealer and pulled in, asking if they'd tighten it up -all they needed was a simple [metric] allen key.  The mechanic actually told me he had NO metric tools and could not help me! 

To that point, be aware, if you're serious about buying one, that you *may* have service issues -or perhaps my experience was isolated?  This was 6 or 7 years ago...

Dan   

How crazy is that, that a Canadian mechanic would not have a set of metric allen wrenches!

A Canadian [Harley Only] mechanic... As I recall, he told me he wouldn't even work on "them damn Buells"  quite the purist it seems.

Cheers,

Dan

[Bminder]

Thanks Fred, but that just acknowledges the association with Porsche without explaining why or to what extent.

Noel

Looky here, some college kid did a paper on why Harley and Porsche would collaborate!
http://run.unl.pt/bitstream/10362/11613/1/Alves_2013.pdf

Billy

[motohorseman]

If you are ever in Kansas City, near the airport, the Harley plant offers free tours, and they're great.
Home of the VRod
Pay a little and get a VIP tour
http://www.harley-davidson.com/content/h-d/en_US/home/events/factory-tours/kanascitymo.html
I rode today, the FJ sure is a great motorcycle.

[Bminder]

I test drove an 09 Vrod today... sigh.

[Firehawk068]

See if you can get Ducati Newport to give you a ride on a Diavel, take it over the Ortega and back.

I took part in a Ducati "Desmo Ride" back in May...............One of the bikes I got to try out was a 2014 Diavel Carbon...........
Super Fun bike! It was even fun in the twistys..Decent handling.......If you are looking at Power Cruisers, this should be given consideration.......165 horsepower, and gobs of instant torque!
That was a fun day!

[Dan Filetti]

Thanks Fred, but that just acknowledges the association with Porsche without explaining why or to what extent.

Noel

Looky here, some college kid did a paper on why Harley and Porsche would collaborate!
http://run.unl.pt/bitstream/10362/11613/1/Alves_2013.pdf

Billy

We are witnessing the decline of a nation here.  Stand and observe:

"As a result, the major conclusion was that the drivers of that alliance indeed agreed with the general theories on the matter. Factors as venturing on new segments of the market or having access to unique resources worked in favor of this partnership, as Harley's new engine and motorcycle proved to be a global success."

How-the-fuck-about 'To develop an engine and motorcycle that appealed to non-neanderthals, Haley realized that they needed technical expertise they did not have in house'?

College pukes, SMDH...  my only solace is this kid will eventually get a job, and they'll smack him down for unclear, wordy, nonsense.  -That is, unless of course he goes into academia, in which case, they'll probably give him a damn medal...

Dan

[Dan Filetti]

The R&D boys at Harley thought "water jacket" was something used in torturing prisoners, "fuel injection", well, that's banging crank, and "overhead ca[n]m", that was beer on the top shelf of the fridge...

Dan

[aussiefj]

How can you look at that rear end and not fall in love!

Easy, it looks so much better from the RHS, it shows the twins overhead..........something or others.... where was I?



.
Noel

Now that's what I call a nice rear end.
John

[motohorseman]

I'd rather be poked in the eye with a sharp stick than have to work on or pay the cost to have a Ducati maintained.

I've been snubbed by enough Ducati owners to swear I'd never own one.

Ducati owners seem to be the other extreme of Harley Owners.

Me, I'm a boring middle of the road errrrr.......

[ribbert]

Thanks Fred, but that just acknowledges the association with Porsche without explaining why or to what extent.

Noel

Looky here, some college kid did a paper on why Harley and Porsche would collaborate!
http://run.unl.pt/bitstream/10362/11613/1/Alves_2013.pdf

Billy

We are witnessing the decline of a nation here.  Stand and observe:

"As a result, the major conclusion was that the drivers of that alliance indeed agreed with the general theories on the matter. Factors as venturing on new segments of the market or having access to unique resources worked in favor of this partnership, as Harley's new engine and motorcycle proved to be a global success."

How-the-fuck-about 'To develop an engine and motorcycle that appealed to non-neanderthals, Haley realized that they needed technical expertise they did not have in house'?

College pukes, SMDH...  my only solace is this kid will eventually get a job, and they'll smack him down for unclear, wordy, nonsense.  -That is, unless of course he goes into academia, in which case, they'll probably give him a damn medal...

Dan

That's all good and well Dan, and it's obvious what was in it for Harley, but I still don't get why Porsche would want to be associated with them.

They hardly need an image boost and even if they did HD is not the place to find it, quite the opposite I would have thought.

Can you believe we've been talking about Harley's now for 3 or 4 days. Unless someone comes up with an interesting topic in the next 24 hours I'm going to post a trip report tomorrow night, you have been warned.

Noel

[Dan Filetti]

Noel-

I have yet to see Porsche out there touting that they have a great relationship with Harley.  I think, plain and simple, it was Harley (actually Eric Buel -see below) that approached Porsche (with loads of cash made from selling meaningless baubles to Harley owners), to build a modern day, liquid cooled, fuel injected, overhead cam, motor.  I believe, someone correct me if I'm wrong, the rest of the design and development of the V-Rod, to include the chassis etc. was done in by Harley.  That is, it was a simple outsourced, pay to play, 'build-me-a-modern-motor-please-oh-great-ones-who-have-been-doing-it-for-years'? That was my take on it when it first happened.  

Oh, and as I understand it, it was Eric Buel that originally approached Porsche and got the ball/ design/ development rolling.  From what I have read, it was not until well after that relationship was established and motor design was well underway that Harley, realizing that one of their 'insignificant upstarts' was about to blow their doors off with engine performance, that Harley stepped in and claimed ownership... Shortly thereafter, the V-Rod concept was birthed....

Dan

[Dan Filetti]

I am going to look at a 1985 V-Max this weekend that a Co-worker owns and does not ride.

I may have an addition to the garage Saturday afternoon.

Fred

Fred, here's a 2001 for $5,700 near Philadelphia...  FYI

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/mcy/4705735604.html

Dan