The Harley V4 that never was

Discussion in 'Anything Goes' started by tbones86, Apr 7, 2007.

  1. tbones86

    tbones86 New Member

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  2. Chicken Little

    Chicken Little New Member

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    I might have bought one of those.
    Maybe.
    I dunno.


    Nope.
     
  3. KC-10 FE

    KC-10 FE New Member

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    Who cares? A wise person once told me it doesn't matter if it says Dietz & Watson on the side or ShopRite brand, it's still bologna. No matter what engine is in it, since it has those two words on the side, it would have been an under-powered, over-weight, low quality POS that you have to pay $5000-$10000 extra for the "priviledge" of owning.

    KC-10 FE out...
    :plane:
     
  4. ChrisPaegelow

    ChrisPaegelow New Member

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    That's pretty cool! Too bad it got canned
     
  5. imnohero

    imnohero New Member

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    The Nova itself isn't interesting, and will never be produced, except in the historical understanding of the companies development. In context with the high tariffs on >800cc foreign motorcycles in the 80s...which pretty much saved HD's ass. Though it had unexpected benefits, like Honda and others developing the high output I4 and V4 engines that began the modern sport bike.

    If things had gone a different way, Harley Davidson might be THE name in sport bikes.
     
  6. RVFR

    RVFR Member

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    OMG how spooking is that? Yea just goes to show just how off the mark the HD CEOs are and still. but yet tip a hat to them, as they have 60% of the market buffaloed if you ask me.
     
  7. imnohero

    imnohero New Member

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    The "market" has everyone (honda included) building almost exclusively V-twins for their cruiser and dual sport lineups. And personal opinion not withstanding, it is a proven engine design that fits more than just a market niche. I owned a v-twin cruiser before I bought my VFR and was thoroughly pleased with that powerplant.
     
  8. Bubba Zanetti

    Bubba Zanetti Member

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    Nobody does good ol' hate, anger & resentment as well as you do against Harley's :biggrin:



    BZ
     
  9. NeverlosT

    NeverlosT New Member

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    I think harleys ride fine, as long as it wasnt my nickel that paid for it and i dont want to do better than 85 mph. I didnt like feeling like the thing was struggling to push through the wind at that speed. With the VFR, the wind is gettin the hell outta my way at that speed, so are cars, dogs, cats, lowflying canaries, and the odd water buffalo.
    (just kidding!!!! i ride cautious like my dear old mom wants me to ;) )
     
  10. KC-10 FE

    KC-10 FE New Member

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    I wouldn't say I resent them. I care far too little about them to call it resentment. Hate? That's definitely a strong thing to say but that's really not true either. My biggest problem with HD is they are a sham & I hate to see anyong get F'd over for no reason other than trying to buy into a lifestyle. EVERYTHING HD makes pretty much sucks compared to just about every bike in the same class. I can't think of a single bike that HD makes that's superior to a similar bike from a competing company. The thing I simply can't understand is why people flock to them. I would surmise HD is more of a cult than anything else. Like all cults, they feed off the stupidity of their brain-washed faithful members. One look at their service bulletin for the new 96CI engine should convince event the most sceptical around. The current 96CI is prone to overheating. Instead of designing a engine that actually cools itself correctly, which I admit is tough to do with an big inch air cooled motor, HD decided the best thing to do would be to turn off the ignition to the rear cylinder when that cylinder overheats. That in turn causes unburned fuel to dump right into the exhaust. That causes backfires & makes it smell like you're flying formation with a gasoline tanker. The new 6 speed trans has a 6th gear that is all but unusable for anything under 75mph. One of my co-workers is a HD nut & he purchased a 07 in March. He's already gone back to the dealer & accepted a $2000 loss to get his old 02 back. I don't know which model it's called, it's the full dress touring bike.

    KC-10 FE out...
    :plane:
     
  11. Bubba Zanetti

    Bubba Zanetti Member

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    I was more joking than anything...I just enjoy your postion on Harley. I feel very much the way you do, and it amazes me how much people will pay for image. Its actually stunning when you think about it.

    Outside of image, my real issue with Harley is how they still push for the tariffs on foreign motorcycles coming to this country. That it turn makes me pay more for a motorcycle I enjoy.

    BZ
     
  12. KC-10 FE

    KC-10 FE New Member

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    I never thought you were insulting me, it's all good.:biggrin:

    KC-10 FE out...
    :plane:
     
  13. grinder

    grinder New Member

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    Interesting discussion on HD's. Never really been interested myself. I've looked at them a few times out of curiosity and always come away shaking my head. You sure seem to pay a lot for the fact it is an HD. When it is my dollars I can get a much more capable bike for a lot less dollars so I ride a VFR. I still can't figure what so many find appealing in an HD but each to his own.
     
  14. tbones86

    tbones86 New Member

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    You guys are missing the point, yes I agree w/ most of the HD opinions. But this was more of a what would the market be like now if Harley would have produced this bike. I mean multiple engine configurations capable of up to 135 hp that would have been something for the time & even still today.
     
  15. Bubba Zanetti

    Bubba Zanetti Member

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    Sorry tbones!

    I'll give my opinion.

    If Harley had introduced the Nova I bet it would have sold like shit. Why? Harley is pigeon holed into making one kind of bike, in general, its a big V-Twin with saddle bags.

    Anything Harley has made that's innovative does not sell well. The cafe racer XL750 or whatever that thing was called in the 70's did not sell well, and as of recent the V-Rod was a sales disappointment too. Both of those bikes are a departure from the Harley "norm" and with the Harley crowd it gets rejected...no matter how innovative and good it may be!

    And we won't buy it because the thing will cost an arm and a leg. Besides, the Japanese will improve it more and sell it for half the cost or less! So if the Nova came out, it would have sold poorly and the Japanese companies would have ripped off what was good and improved on it.

    Harley is its own worst enemy. They have a ton of the market share right now, but I have shaken the magic eight ball and it showed me someday Harley will be in trouble again, when all the baby boomers are dying off, and some Chinese company will buy them out. So much for the all American Company.

    I have some sales advice for Eric Buell. Hey Eric, I love the frames and suspentions you have on your Buell motorcycles. But how about you dump that outdated Harley engine and start using Japanese or British engines!?

    How awesome would that be? An American Bimota! Use the Triumph 675 engine, or the Kawasaki z1000 engine in his bike frames...Oh that is lucious! That's a unique bike that our mechanics can a least work on too!

    Just my thoughts!

    Look Eric Buell is with his design team now LOL:grouphug

    BZ
     
  16. wii

    wii New Member

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    Not really impressive for the times if you think about it. Honda was working on the 23,000 rpm NR500 in the late 70's early 80's. Unlike the Nova it made it well beyond the prototype stages and eventually we had a street verision (NR750).

    The cult is dying quickly. I would bet by 2015 they won't be in business anymore.

    And Buell .... wow nowhere near the same ballpark. My neighbor has a XB12S and I took it and flogged it down my normal 8 mile twisty road. Poor handling/braking/acceleration are all I could find. He was quick to point out how it was made in America and I was equally quick pointing out how he drives a Kia.
     
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