Did you know- Harley built Hondas?

[john fish]

New young folks moved into the neighborhood.  Shortly afterwards, a semi-disassembled mid-80s Honda Magna appeared on the porch.  I'm OK with that-- it's that kind of neighborhood.  Anyway, the guy, his young wife, and infant were walking past and we chatted a bit.  He told me that the trouble with the bike is that:

Harley-Davidson made the bikes for Honda that year and there were no timing marks on the crank.

Just thought I'd share and warn you guys not to buy those Honda-Davidsons.

[Lannis]

Our own experience is full of examples of the fact that the world in general believes that every bike is a Harley and every motorcyclist is a "biker", with all that implies in popular usage.

It makes it pretty clear how people can be so wrong and misguided about other things, too, if they can't even get something simple like motorcycles straight!

Lannis

[oldbike54]

 Guy tried to convince me that his CX500 Honda,was a Harley race bike

 Dusty

[Zoom Zoom]

Ah yes. the very rare and hard to come by Honda-Davidson....

John Henry

[jbell]

I had heard that timing marks cost extra that year but hadn't believed it till now.

[twowheeladdict]

Our own experience is full of examples of the fact that the world in general believes that every bike is a Harley and every motorcyclist is a "biker", with all that implies in popular usage.

It makes it pretty clear how people can be so wrong and misguided about other things, too, if they can't even get something simple like motorcycles straight!

Lannis

 

[john fish]

He seems to be a nice young man.  I won't say anything to make him feel bad but I may wander up sometime when I see him out working on the bike.  Got to be a timing mark on there somewhere.  :)  And I'm thinking a Honda V-4 may have been the wrong choice for a tyro mechanic.

Then again, he may just think I'm the idiot and he's shining me on. . .

 

[bigbikerrick]

I live on the border with Mexico. In the past,I have gone to bike rally,s in the sister city,and noticed alot of Hondas, Suzukis, kawis, with Harley Davidson bar and shield stickers placed over the original markings. One time, I asked one of the guys why the HD stickers? His answer in Spanish of course was Because  " Harley Davidson is the Mercedes Benz of motorcycles" 
Hmmm, I kinda had to think about that one for a while...
Rick.

[twowheeladdict]

I live on the border with Mexico. In the past,I have gone to bike rally,s in the sister city,and noticed alot of Hondas, Suzukis, kawis, with Harley Davidson bar and shield stickers placed over the original markings. One time, I asked one of the guys why the HD stickers? His answer in Spanish of course was Because  " Harley Davidson is the Mercedes Benz of motorcycles" 
Hmmm, I kinda had to think about that one for a while...
Rick.

I have seen Mercedes grill and hood ornaments on other brands while in El Paso.

[Chuck in Indiana]

And I'm thinking a Honda V-4 may have been the wrong choice for a tyro mechanic.

Ya think? 
I see disaster lurking in the wings..

[kirb]

Ah yes. the very rare and hard to come by Honda-Davidson....
John Henry

Not so rare...sometimes called a V-rod.

[Moparnut72]

I have been asked a few times what model of Harley my Audace is.  I now have a license plate frame that says "Not a Harley."
kk

[Zoom Zoom]

Not so rare...sometimes called a V-rod.

IIRC, Yamaha had that influence, not Honda. That would be the Yammi-Davidson.

John Henry

[SIR REAL ED]

my standard of measure for rare bikes is:

-  if at least two members of this forum do not claim to have owned one, or do not claim to currently own two, then the bike in question probably never existed.

I call it the Reverse Bigfoot Wild Guzzi Corollary.

[garbln]

A lot of old Brit bikes didn't have timing marks.  But they did leak like old Harly's.

[cookiemech]

He seems to be a nice young man.  I won't say anything to make him feel bad but I may wander up sometime when I see him out working on the bike.

Well, I hope you DO see him working on the bike. My prediction is that the bike will be sitting in the same spot (maybe partially diassembled) two years from now.

I'd rather look at that bike than at the horrible big boat (on a trailer) that's been sitting in the lot behind my garage for the past two or more years.

[Perazzimx14]

Ah yes. the very rare and hard to come by Honda-Davidson....

John Henry

In the 80's Honda was not allowed to import timing marks or muffler bearings due to expired trade agreements. It wasn't until about 1989's that these agreements were made and Honda was again allowed to import timing marks. In turn the US was able to export lightbulb repair kits and left handed pipe wrenches to Japan.

[Tom]

Blinker bulb fluid also included in the imports. 

[Phil/TX]

Pretty soon people will try to tell you that a Buell is a Harley! 

[john fish]

In the 80's Honda was not allowed to import timing marks or muffler bearings due to expired trade agreements. It wasn't until about 1989's that these agreements were made and Honda was again allowed to import timing marks. In turn the US was able to export lightbulb repair kits and left handed pipe wrenches to Japan.

That reminds me that a fellow told me, in all seriousness, that Japan had patented 4 cylinder bikes and that's why Harley's were 2 cylinder machines.  Apparently, the whole country of Japan filed for that patent.  Clever bastards.

Cookiemech-- since Second Saturday @ the Bakery is no more and you might not pass by once a month, I'll keep you updated on the bike.  You're probably right-- probably a never ending project.

[slopokes]

There was also a limit on on a fifty foot roll of shore line...

[john fish]

my standard of measure for rare bikes is:

-  if at least two members of this forum do not claim to have owned one, or do not claim to currently own two, then the bike in question probably never existed.

I call it the Reverse Bigfoot Wild Guzzi Corollary.

Actually, that's brilliant.