2019 / 20 Harleys watercooled DOHC 60degree V twins
Discussion
''16 new middleweight models using two all-new engines, one that will be 500 and 750cc and the other that will be 975 and 1,250cc, all liquid-cooled, 60-degree V-twins with DOHC. These will power adventure-tourers, customs, and streetfighters and put Harley-Davidson in segments it’s never directly competed in before.''
And they are going to launch the electric 'Live wire' bike too.. more details here https://www.cycleworld.com/harley-davidson-to-buil...
And they are going to launch the electric 'Live wire' bike too.. more details here https://www.cycleworld.com/harley-davidson-to-buil...
The adventure bike has some interesting features, like brake calipers that operate without brake lines (maybe it's to stop them getting snagged on the undergrowth) and a chainguard on the right leading to the right-side disk.
With Indian sales on the increase and the new FTR1200 due to be revealed in October I can see HD coming out with quite a few new models to compete.
With Indian sales on the increase and the new FTR1200 due to be revealed in October I can see HD coming out with quite a few new models to compete.
stuckmojo said:
Great to see innovation from Harley.
Let's see what they really look like in production form. I reckon they'll be also assembled in Europe as well as the US and could be very good bikes.
Yup. Personally I think the adventure bike looks like the wrong end of a dog, but they need to innovate. The traditional Harley buyers just aren't enough and they're dwindling.Let's see what they really look like in production form. I reckon they'll be also assembled in Europe as well as the US and could be very good bikes.
Really like the look of the naked.
The naked actually looks quite good but the adventure hit every branch of the ugly tree on its way down.
While HD have a reasonably strong following in their "traditional" markets I think they will have an uphill struggle to win over a new client base. Let's hope they deliver robust products with good specifications and at a competitive price.
While HD have a reasonably strong following in their "traditional" markets I think they will have an uphill struggle to win over a new client base. Let's hope they deliver robust products with good specifications and at a competitive price.
Have to say its about time, I haven't been interested in any of their range since i bought my xr1200.
Its a bit of the triumph playbook with a modern and retro/heritage range to appeal to different customers.
They have a perfect set of benchmark bikes from triumph to gauge themselves on.
blurb says new but a 60deg V twin with water cooling suggest its a development of the vrod's revolution engine so expect to see a minimum 125bhp from the 1250 with scope for more in the sportier bikes.
They've gone down like a lead balloon with the old guard which is to be expected really but providing they keep the current air cooled core market happy i can see these going down well.
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Its a bit of the triumph playbook with a modern and retro/heritage range to appeal to different customers.
They have a perfect set of benchmark bikes from triumph to gauge themselves on.
blurb says new but a 60deg V twin with water cooling suggest its a development of the vrod's revolution engine so expect to see a minimum 125bhp from the 1250 with scope for more in the sportier bikes.
They've gone down like a lead balloon with the old guard which is to be expected really but providing they keep the current air cooled core market happy i can see these going down well.
.
Happy to be shot down here, but if I understand this correctly the US Flat-track racers have to run 'approved' engines. And I gather part of that approval is some link, however tenuous, to a production bike/motor. So I believe the engine Harley have been campaigning is based somewhat tenuously on the old V-Rod motor - which was never designed as a race motor from day 1.
Flat track is huge in the US, and historically great marketing for Harley.
Indian then did a clean-sheet design for a full-on race V-twin for their flat track racer. Although often labelled a 'Scout FTR750', that motor was designed separately as a pure race unit and is totally different from the motor in the Scout albeit both water-cooled V_twins with twin-cam 4-valve heads. But part of that approval to race was that the motor (or one with links to it) should see the light of day in some form or other in a production bike - ergo the forthcoming FTR1200 for the street.
Indian then pretty much wiped the floor with Harley with with not just wins, but lock-ots of sometimes the first 6 places or more, kind of showing the difference between an older 'converted to race motor with road-bike roots' and a state-of the art (within regulations) V-twin race motor purpose designed for flat track.
I'm presuming then that Harley are now beavering away to build a proper designed-to-race motor for flat track, and I've got to assume the same sort of 'approval to race' will be places on Harley too, so if they want a new race motor it's going to have to appear in some shape or form as a street motor at some point.
That's certainly my understanding - but happy to be corrected.
Flat track is huge in the US, and historically great marketing for Harley.
Indian then did a clean-sheet design for a full-on race V-twin for their flat track racer. Although often labelled a 'Scout FTR750', that motor was designed separately as a pure race unit and is totally different from the motor in the Scout albeit both water-cooled V_twins with twin-cam 4-valve heads. But part of that approval to race was that the motor (or one with links to it) should see the light of day in some form or other in a production bike - ergo the forthcoming FTR1200 for the street.
Indian then pretty much wiped the floor with Harley with with not just wins, but lock-ots of sometimes the first 6 places or more, kind of showing the difference between an older 'converted to race motor with road-bike roots' and a state-of the art (within regulations) V-twin race motor purpose designed for flat track.
I'm presuming then that Harley are now beavering away to build a proper designed-to-race motor for flat track, and I've got to assume the same sort of 'approval to race' will be places on Harley too, so if they want a new race motor it's going to have to appear in some shape or form as a street motor at some point.
That's certainly my understanding - but happy to be corrected.
The new H-D race bike is based on the Street Rod/Street 750 engine.
https://www.americanflattrack.com/news/view/harley...
(I'll have the XR in the glass case, please.
)
https://www.americanflattrack.com/news/view/harley...
(I'll have the XR in the glass case, please.
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