Wow. If delivers as good as that reads, they've made a hell of a bike.
At least for me, there was a short advertisement for Indian Motorcycles before the Harley video showed up. I thought that was interesting.
OK some of that was a long time coming and some of it is pretty modern and new. Color me impressed.
Wonder when they will change the Sportster engine? That engine design has been going 30 years.
And the tech is still decades old and reliability of a century ago.
In reply to markwemple:
Take your hate elsewhere, please. 
That's cool. Didn't see this one coming.
In reply to foxtrapper:
Well, if they make the chassis to go with it. Some stiffness and radial mounted disk brakes would really be more exciting. Aside from the low power output per cubic inch there isn't really anything wrong with the motor they already have. It's reliable and long lived.
There is a lot wrong with the rest of the bikes.
OTOH, the HD brand coffee is really very good. Much better than the swill they serve at the triumph dealer.
Not hate, just a wonder as to why guys who like track cars would ever like something that can't accelerate, can't brake and can't handle when there are so many bikes that can, for less and are worlds better for reliability.
The reliability thing was solved a long time ago, as far as I know modern Harleys are pretty bulletproof. The handling/acceleration is a different matter, but they are (mostly) cruiser and touring bikes not designed to compete against sportbikes, so that's comparing apples and oranges.
Nah. An old school street Honda from the 70s is better as,is a fully dressed modern BMW. A modern HD has a similar power t weight ratio of my 58 bugeye. Hell, one time a jackass on a modded HD pulled out in front of us on a vacation in upstate NY. He couldn't out accelerate a 2002 suburban fully loaded with people and crap. Absolutely pitiful. Personally, I can't find a comfortable riding position on one but that's me. As to reliability, everyone that I've personally known to own one, that wasn't HD blind, hated every aspect, including reliability. And these were guys Jonesing for one. New ones at that
Sorry, Mark. You either get it or you don't, and looks like you don't. That's fine, more for the rest of us.
Hey, my Lexus doesn't corner like an Elise. I know exactly how both corner, actually. You get on your sport bike and let's race: Queen Mary to GRM HQ and back. If we're dreaming, I'll take one of those new 110 or 120" bikes. Even the 103's today are serious highway cruisers. I noticed this year they had no trouble at all keeping a 90 MPH cruise going across I90. Very impressive, as I used to walk the 88 and 93" bikes. I think the MoCo got their EFI tuning down, finally.
Interesting new motor. Note that it is back to a single cam. I seem to recall some 4 valve heads for shovelhead motors way back in the day, or maybe for Evo's. Probably a very limited production piece.
I've always found that you get it or don't a BS argument. Like we'll agree to disagree. That's the whatever position, instead of coming up with a valid point. But, yeah, waste your $$ on a HD, I'll ride a safe, reliable, good looking motorcycle instead of an excuse. FWIW, my '76 kz400 was able to do 125 2 up, as was my BMW R65, and the R65 could do it comfortably, of course it was a RT, with bags and all.
To be fair, this crew likes Yugos, Samurai, and the occasional derelict school bus from Wisconsin, so there's no reason for us to exclude Harleys.
In reply to markwemple:
It's been evident by your previous posts whenever anything HD if brought up that you hate the brand. It's very clear. So why in the hell do you continue to click on threads that obviously you have no interest in? You certainly are not going to convince a single person that believes opposite of you with your pitiful attempts and personal attacks. So why bother? Troll much?
I'm no fan of HD...actually now that I think about it it's usually the riders that annoy me...but I think it's cool that they've found a way to keep the old school appeal of the big twin (for those it appeals to) and hopefully significantly improved the functionality of it.
I have no need of a bike to cruise across the country, but if I did, I think I'd likely take a long look at a big HD cruiser.
I love my Evo Fatboy. There is something about having an agricultural old school V-Twin that can be fixed with simple hand tools.
Harley wins when you start talking parts availability and people that know how to work on them. No one can touch their aftermarket either.
They are not sport bikes. They are not meant to be.
Huckleberry wrote: Well, if they make the chassis to go with it. Some stiffness and radial mounted disk brakes would really be more exciting. Aside from the low power output per cubic inch there isn't really anything wrong with the motor they already have. It's reliable and long lived.
If it was just the engine Huck, I wouldn't had said anything. But it seems like they are addressing a whole lot of issues at the same time. Victory and Indian are the two biggest competitors for Harley, and they both have had bikes that are well beyond Harley's level of technology as offered. Now, Harley appears to have greatly closed that gap.
Finally, fork tubes that are more than a plunger, a hole and some oil. Actual variable rates. That's decades in the waiting.
The good rear shocks that have only been available as an upgrade option are now standard.
And then all those engine and drive train improvements. 4 valves per cylinder, improved combustion chamber shape, counterbalancing, stronger stator, single camshaft, etc.
I don't particularly agree with you about chassis stiffness or brakes. Neither are really significant on a big heavy touring bike and stock seems very adequate to the task. That said, using my 04 as an example, I know where some serious problems do live, and it's not where it's normally blamed as being.
This is the first of the new bikes that gives me pause with regards to my 04 RK. Not saying at all that I'm going to trade it in. Just that it is the first of the later bikes that makes me even seriously consider looking.
Just checking in to make sure that everyone's playing nicely and treating each other with respect. Be nice, please.
Thank you.
I have an odd history with HD bikes. I bought three Buell's because HD salesmen completely ignored me when I was interested in a Sportster. I rode those and then got the sportbike bug. That led to a TL1000S. I sold that and revived another Buell S3T.
Those Buells were as reliable as the Suzuki. They were hot rodded Sportsters. Also, they were simple. I could do any work to them required. I can't say the same for the Suzuki and it's injection system. Also, that rotary damper in the rear suspension was worthless. My point being every bike has it's flaws.
From that viewpoint I'm glad to hear Harley is doing something to modernize their line. Suspension changes have been needed for eons. Same with a motor redesign. They tried to knock it out of the park with the Vrod which I don't think has been a strong seller for them.
Say what you will about HD but the Vrod was a powerful, fun, great handling bike. The motor was state of the art. The frame was stiff as anything being made. The suspension was decent and had the aftermarket to be as capable as a bike with a feet forward seating position can be.
..then it didn't meet the sales of the Full dress tourers. Which is cool. It wasn't billed as a replacement for a bagger. Still, I'm sure HD would've loved to have seen that happen.
Modernization has to happen for HD considering how their sales demographic gets grayer and grayer. So this. I like it. I'd like to ride one to get a feel for how it goes down the road. I mean that's the true test right? How it feels riding for hours down the interstate and mountain roads.
Sorry if this is a thread jacking, but I want to see them keep developing that electric bike, "Live Wire", that they were displaying last year.
I seriously doubt that I'd ever buy a big V-Twin, unless it was a Guzzi, but an e-bike (an actual Motor-cycle, if you want to get technical at the geekiest level) from a major manufacturer could get my dollars.
The Live Wire is the only time I've ever lusted after a Harley. It's rad, and I want one.
I dig the LiveWire, but I'd find a way to disable the artificial noise generator.
This is scheduled to be a good motor:
Flathead: Good.
Knucklehead: Bad.
Panhead: Good.
Shovelhead: Bad.
Evo (Blockhead): Good.
Twinkie (Fathead): Bad.
8 valve: Should be a good one.
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