Finally, the Harley Davidson death rattle.....

[JeffOlson]

I see electric vehicles that recharge by plugging in as part of a trend away from personal power generation to communal power generation. The pendulum is swinging that way now, but the pendulum may very well swing the other way if people desire more personal control.

The fact is, most of the electricity generated in the United States come from burning something. We are not Norway; we do not have the ability to generate much clean electricity from waves in fjords. So we burn things communally (creating communal pollution). Here is a nice chart:



All motor vehicle manufacturers would do well to work on electric vehicles, but I hope internal combustion vehicles will not be banned entirely.

In any event, I plan to enjoy riding motorcycles and scooters that burn fossil fuels as long as I can.

[Orange Guzzi]

I see electric vehicles that recharge by plugging in as part of a trend away from personal power generation to communal power generation. The pendulum is swinging that way now, but the pendulum may very well swing the other way if people desire more personal control.

The fact is, most of the electricity generated in the United States come from burning something. We are not Norway; we do not have the ability to generate much clean electricity from waves in fjords. So we burn things communally (creating communal pollution). Here is a nice chart:



All motor vehicle manufacturers would do well to work on electric vehicles, but I hope internal combustion vehicles will not be banned entirely.

In any event, I plan to enjoy riding motorcycles and scooters that burn fossil fuels as long as I can.

The Petroleum Fuel Producers claim it will take several Trillion dollars to replace and clean up the current petroleum fueling locations.  All passed on to you and me. 

[JeffOlson]

^ Then we ride while we can and abandon our bikes when we must...

[Orange Guzzi]

^ Then we ride while we can and abandon our bikes when we must...

Camels were indigenous to the U.S., now you only see them in cages at a zoo.  We will survive.  Give me a hoover board and no wheels.  Making roads obsolete.  Saving trillions on infrastructure.  Electric or ICE. 

[LowRyter]

The Petroleum Fuel Producers claim it will take several Trillion dollars to replace and clean up the current petroleum fueling locations.  All passed on to you and me.

now when have the Petro Fuel Producers ever lied to you?




(and why are so many schools in Okla open only 4 days week?  is there a connection?)   

[Chuck in Indiana]

now when have the Petro Fuel Producers ever lied to you?




(and why are so many schools in Okla on 4 day week?  is there a connection?)

Oh, yeah.. the Ethyl corporation and GM bought scientists that said all that lead in the air was normal. 
The big three said those new fangled disc brakes weren't any good.. and they'd *never* be able to meet CAFE standards.. I could go on, but the thread will get nuked.

[LBC Tenni]

I see electric vehicles that recharge by plugging in as part of a trend away from personal power generation to communal power generation. The pendulum is swinging that way now, but the pendulum may very well swing the other way if people desire more personal control.

The fact is, most of the electricity generated in the United States come from burning something. We are not Norway; we do not have the ability to generate much clean electricity from waves in fjords. So we burn things communally (creating communal pollution). Here is a nice chart:



All motor vehicle manufacturers would do well to work on electric vehicles, but I hope internal combustion vehicles will not be banned entirely.

In any event, I plan to enjoy riding motorcycles and scooters that burn fossil fuels as long as I can.

And here I thought all our lectricity came from jelly bean fields! 

[JJ]

And here I thought all our lectricity came from jelly bean fields! 

I must have missed something...I thought all electricity came from here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IojqOMWTgv8

[twowheeladdict]

I am not a fan of windshields on bikes.  I like to run my Road King stripped down.  Not as stripped down as the first pic though.   








web img

[trippah]

HD has produced a bike (The Road King e.g.) for the major part of the US, wide open relatively flat with straight(ish) highways.  They will always have a market until a new set of mountains rise up just West of the Mississippi River and East of the Rockies.  They have adapted pretty well over the past hundred, I suspect they will yet again. 

[Turin]

Orange Guzzi wrote :

Camels were indigenous to the U.S., now you only see them in cages at a zoo.  We will survive.

WHAT ?!?! I don't think that is right. Maybe some ancient ancestor... or were you thinking of this guy...

P.S. Not a camel

[oldbike54]

 Camels were indigenous to North America and migrated across the Bering land bridge into Asia then South .

 Dusty

[Arizona Wayne]

Camels were indigenous to North America and migrated across the Bering land bridge into Asia then South .

 Dusty

Is this supposed to be a joke or who taught you that, some tree hugger?

On that pie chart is the 2.6% solar generation?

[JeffOlson]

^ http://www.history.com/news/giant-ancient-camel-roamed-the-arctic

[cookiemech]

I am not a fan of windshields on bikes.  I like to run my Road King stripped down.  Not as stripped down as the first pic though.   

A man after my own heart! We have the same Road King (I bought it just because I loved the silver/blue, but that Milwaukee Eight motor is phenomenal). Looks like you have a Road Glide Ultra at the end of the line . . . but mine is two-tone red . . . not the blue.

On Day 1 with a new Road King, the windshield is removed and hung on the wall. When I gave away my 2007 Road King, its windshield was still brand new (and my friend always rides it with the shield, so he's happy).

[rodekyll]

Camels were indigenous to North America and migrated across the Bering land bridge into Asia then South .

 Dusty

They were a separate species from the types of Asian camels and faded out as the last ice age began warming, in part of a minor global extinction event.  Back when we covered it in school the jury was out as to what made them extinct -- the introduction of people, or climate change.  North American camels were shy, but if you look close you can see one hiding behind the one on the cigarette box.

[Kev m]

Trippah, though that's all true, I'd note that the RK dances reasonably well in the mountains for a bike of it's size. Like the Cali 1400 it may surprise those who assume it can't.

I am not a fan of windshields on bikes.  I like to run my Road King stripped down.  Not as stripped down as the first pic though.   

Ya know it's funny. I always liked that ability with the RK, though I found I generally ran mine with a smaller shield instead of totally stripped.

However, on my current RK I found myself in a dilemma. The police seat is so comfortable that I don't want to change it out. But the seat puts me a good 2-3" higher to a point where my 32" inseam is not quite flat foot at stops and my legs are straighter and more below me than on any other big tourer I've ever ridden.

So here's the problem, without the shield, once I'm above say 50 mph, I have to physically hang on to the bars because of the wind and the seating position. I've never experienced that on a Harley or similar bike before. But my lower body can't help.

And since there's almost no such thing as "local" riding in the pines where you remain below that speed for any length of time, a windshield (at least a short one, but often the full shield) is my choice on this one.

[Rough Edge racing]

 Kev, I don't bash Harley as a bike, you know why? I have never ridden a Harley other than the several Shovelheads I owned many years ago..I suspect, that the vast majority, but not all, people who put down Harleys have never ridden one...

[Kev m]

Kev, I don't bash Harley as a bike, you know why? I have never ridden a Harley other than the several Shovelheads I owned many years ago..I suspect, that the vast majority, but not all, people who put down Harleys have never ridden one...

I've often found that to be true, or they rode one (usually one of the lowered models with limited clearance and maybe true forward controls) and base everything on that.

Some years back when I was still living in PA we had lots of little twisty roads which snaked back and forth along some small creeks and rivers (including the Brandywine Creek). A number of the bridges were old and tiny one car deals, with steep ramps up and off them.

I remember one time driving somewhere with Jenn and our then new baby, so I was taking it particularly easy when a Harley dresser came up behind me. No biggie, as I figured he'd pass the first change he got.

We were snaking through a series of 2-3 S curves which crossed and recrossed some railroad tracks and then went right up onto one of these one-lane bridges. It was long and steep enough that you couldn't see anything on the other side without pulling to the side and watching for oncoming traffic on the road behind the bridge.

But this still wouldn't tell you if someone was already on the ramp on the other side, so most people stopped here and waited a second or two. If you saw no traffic approaching the bridge beyond and the front end of a car/truck didn't appear on the bridge in the next second or two you'd be reasonably sure no-one was approaching. You'd then proceed, but still with caution for obvious reasons.

That is unless you were that Harley dresser. As soon as I pulled to the side to check for oncoming traffic he gunned it, up the ramp he flew, and I could barely believe my eyes as that 700-800# monster caught air on the break-over at the end of the ramp landing on the bridge at WOT. He may have caught air again coming off the other side, I couldn't see.

I'm happy to say he got lucky that day as there was no traffic coming the other way.

 

[blackcat]

Kev, I don't bash Harley as a bike, you know why? I have never ridden a Harley other than the several Shovelheads I owned many years ago..I suspect, that the vast majority, but not all, people who put down Harleys have never ridden one...

Owned two Harley's, changed oil and of course added gas. Put about 40,000 miles on the two bikes and never had a maintenance issue.

[JJ]

Owned two Harley's, changed oil and of course added gas. Put about 40,000 miles on the two bikes and never had a maintenance issue.

Over the years, I have owned and ridden four (4) Big Twin Harley's with >125,000 miles combined...

1988 FLH-S & 1992 FLH-S, (Electra Glide Sport), 1994 and 2007 FLHR Road Kings....

During that time, I replaced tires, batteries, 1 stater, and no other major maintenance issues. 

Modern Harley's are excellent road bikes, overall.

[oldbike54]

Is this supposed to be a joke or who taught you that, some tree hugger?

On that pie chart is the 2.6% solar generation?

 Wayne , have you ever read a book ?

 Dusty

[JJ]

Wayne , have you ever read a book ?

 Dusty

"Camel-Breath..." 

[Lannis]

Kev, I don't bash Harley as a bike, you know why? I have never ridden a Harley other than the several Shovelheads I owned many years ago..I suspect, that the vast majority, but not all, people who put down Harleys have never ridden one...

Three Harleys for me, from three different generations - '54 Panhead rigid handshift FLE dresser, a '65 ElectraGlide dresser, and an '84 last-year Shovelhead first-year belt final drive ElectraGlide Classic.

All were fun, all met my expectations, and the easy-fix parts-available characteristics were nice.   It's by no means anything about the bikes themselves that keeps me away from them these days.

Lannis

[timonbik]

I saw on the news today that HD just announced  a recall on 251,000 bikes for a brake fluid flush on ABS equipped tour models.  From what I read I think it is absurd to expect the manufacturer to change fluid on 10 year old bikes but never the less its going to happen.  Probably going to cost the  Motor Company somewhere near 50 million $$$$$$.  Ouch!!!!
Tim

[Rough Edge racing]

Three Harleys for me, from three different generations - '54 Panhead rigid handshift FLE dresser, a '65 ElectraGlide dresser, and an '84 last-year Shovelhead first-year belt final drive ElectraGlide Classic.

All were fun, all met my expectations, and the easy-fix parts-available characteristics were nice.   It's by no means anything about the bikes themselves that keeps me away from them these days.

Lannis

 Yes, and despite all the Brit bike bashing, you do ride an A10 long distances ... I built my Shovelheads and they did not leak oil or fall apart..But like a Brit Bike, you needed to do some maintenance on schedule...

[Kev m]

I saw on the news today that HD just announced  a recall on 251,000 bikes for a brake fluid flush on ABS equipped tour models.  From what I read I think it is absurd to expect the manufacturer to change fluid on 10 year old bikes but never the less its going to happen.  Probably going to cost the  Motor Company somewhere near 50 million $$$$$$.  Ouch!!!!
Tim

So here's the problem as I see it.

Let's be honest, even though many manufacturers now require brake fluid flushes, MANY MANY people don't do it with any frequency (I'd say the vast majority of bike and auto/truck owners ignore this or at LEAST push it off to much longer intervals).

BUT, that doesn't cause mass failures in most cases. Whether we're talking BMW, Ducati, Guzzi or Chevy, Nissan, Fiat.

However, it looks like for whatever reason, on these late-model Harleys with ABS there have been a number of failures to the system (I'm assuming modulator related) that cause problems which rise to the level of NHTSA recall involvement.

And though I generally defend Harley against unreasonable expectations or accusations, I'm not taking their side on this one.

You can't sell a motor vehicle in this day and age that may crash if the owner doesn't change the brake fluid every 2 years. That's unreasonable in my eyes.

[kingoffleece]

Any chance it's a supplier issue and can be back billed at lease in part?

[Lannis]

Yes, and despite all the Brit bike bashing, you do ride an A10 long distances ... I built my Shovelheads and they did not leak oil or fall apart..But like a Brit Bike, you needed to do some maintenance on schedule...

To ride any older bike long distances, you have to make sure it's right, and you have to do regular maintenance for issues driven by its design and how it's used.

As far as I can tell, 95% of "Harley" motorcycle and "Old Brit" motorcycle bashing and spreading of urban legend is done by folks who do not recognize that fact, or who do recognize it and aren't willing to do the necessary work to make it happen.   It would be nice if people would say "It's just not my thing to spend the time and effort necessary to ride a BSA across the country" rather than say "Old BSAs are just crap and you can't really ride them anywhere."   Or "Panheads will just rattle themselves apart and shed bits going down the highway".    You can have a great time and travel all across the country on a '69 Rocket III or a '65 Electra-Glide, and (believe me) while you're doing it, you're just about the only one out there .... !   And people saying "You're doing WHAT .... on THAT?!?! is half the fun ....

Lannis

[bad Chad]

Who cares if they really are good bikes?  They are by far the most popular, for any number of reasons, many of which have little if anything to do with how "good" they really are.   And because they are as common as flies on poop, I love to make fun of them, and many of the dip shots who ride them.