Harley-Davidson launch new engine [Archive]

Bob

18th July 2006, 00:25

Harley-Davidson has announced details of its new engine, to be used in the 2007 range. The ‘Twin Cam 96’ will power all models in Dyna, Softail and Touring product ranges, each of which will also feature six-speed transmission. The new engine and gear configuration is said to deliver up to 17 percent more torque. It will only be offered with fuel injection.

"The V-Twin engine has always been the centerpiece of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle," said Bill Davidson, Harley-Davidson Director of Motorcycle Product Development. "It's integral not only to the performance of the motorcycle, but also to its styling, to its sound, and to the way it feels to the rider. The new Twin Cam 96 and 6-speed Cruise Drive transmission offer enhanced performance, while maintaining the traditional aesthetics of the Harley-Davidson Big Twin."

Mr. Peanut

18th July 2006, 06:04

Harley-Davidson launch new engine - Now there's an oxymoron :wait:

James Deuce

18th July 2006, 06:57

ZeroIndex

18th July 2006, 07:05

Don't mistake HD's "traditional" look and feel for a lack of modern technique. HD spend more on getting the sound of a new engine right than most Japanese companies spend on developing a new model. One man's meat and all that.

Harley Davidson techinicians:
1)ok, the sound is too clean, try putting some sawdust in the oil tank..
2)yeah, that sounds a bit better
1)what else can we do that would normally screw up a perfectly good engine?

:D p/t

scumdog

18th July 2006, 07:28

Seems that the majority of H-D slagging comes from those with little or no experience with H-D bikes - and likely never to have ridden on or to own one.:wait:

Arm-chair critic is the expression that comes to mind?

Or just trolling?

scumdog

18th July 2006, 07:29

Seems that each time I get a H-D they bring out a newer/bigger/better model!! - 96 cubic inches now eh??

Motig

18th July 2006, 09:21

Is repetitive the sound a Harley makes? Would love one but its the old having to cut the cloth to suit ie there way to dear for me.:angry:

limbimtimwim

18th July 2006, 19:21

Is it still air-cooled? Did those cunning Germans work on it? Air-cooled is good aesthetically and aurally positive.

Now if they shove it in little frame, paint some bits baby blue, I might be interested. When I win lotto.

Bob

18th July 2006, 20:33

Harley Davidson techinicians:
1)ok, the sound is too clean, try putting some sawdust in the oil tank..
2)yeah, that sounds a bit better
1)what else can we do that would normally screw up a perfectly good engine?

:D p/t

Reading an article last night - H-D have found a way to meet the new emissions regulations over here... but INCREASE the sound level when the bike is on the move. Very clever and you only get to do this sort of thing with some serious equipment available.

According to the article, they've got a multi-million dollar facility which deals in the aural and acoustic side of things. We may all laugh, but the "sound of a Harley" is a huge part of their image and they do spend serious amounts of money making sure it is right on every model they produce.

A year or so ago, I came up with some statistics for bike recalls in the UK. Worst numbers? Honda. Least recalls of any major manufacturer? Harley-Davidson.

scumdog

18th July 2006, 21:14

Shut up Bob!

You're going to ruin it for a lot of anti-H-D types out there!!

Marknz

18th July 2006, 21:42

For a minute there I thought it read "Harley-Davidson lunch new engine" and I was wondering what the news was

:scooter: :yawn:

NordieBoy

18th July 2006, 21:42

A year or so ago, I came up with some statistics for bike recalls in the UK. Worst numbers? Honda. Least recalls of any major manufacturer? Harley-Davidson.
But how many models do Harley bring out compared to other brands?
Oh and "with tassells and without tassells" doesn't count as 2 models.

Rider: I think there's something wrong with my Harley.
Mech: What's happening?
Rider: It sounds like a bucket full of bolts being shaken around.
Mech: No, that's normal.

Before anyone flames me for the aforementioned :wait: I would just like to say that I normally ride alone but was on a rideout with the Nelson Road Touring Club and I heard this god-awful rattling sound and nearly crapped myself thinking "oh shit, the cam belt has gone!" or some such.

I've never been more pleased to be passed by a Harley in my life :yes:
The adrenaline was flowing for a while there.

PS: The BMW F650 sounds almost as bad.

scumdog

19th July 2006, 07:51

But how many models do Harley bring out compared to other brands?
Oh and "with tassells and without tassells" doesn't count as 2 models.

Rider: I think there's something wrong with my Harley.
Mech: What's happening?
Rider: It sounds like a bucket full of bolts being shaken around.
Mech: No, that's normal.

Before anyone flames me for the aforementioned :wait: I would just like to say that I normally ride alone but was on a rideout with the Nelson Road Touring Club and I heard this god-awful rattling sound and nearly crapped myself thinking "oh shit, the cam belt has gone!" or some such.

I've never been more pleased to be passed by a Harley in my life :yes:
The adrenaline was flowing for a while there.

PS: The BMW F650 sounds almost as bad.

I know what you mean, you hav'nt lived until you've taken an iron-head sporty for a thrash then stopped and taken your helmet off - the mechanical clattering, whirring and knocking are (in Mr Ixion language) 'most alarming.

Blardy sounds terminal at first but they keep going like that!!

Flyingpony

19th July 2006, 09:04

Lou Girardin

19th July 2006, 09:32

Funny that, I hear late model Harleys all the time. Haven't heard one as rattley as a dry clutch Duc yet.

Crisis management

19th July 2006, 09:56

Funny that, I hear late model Harleys all the time. Haven't heard one as rattley as a dry clutch Duc yet.
Ah, but one of them is the rattle of highly tuned racing clearances, the other is the collision of loosely assembled antique parts...:nya:

Lou Girardin

19th July 2006, 09:59

Ah, but one of them is the rattle of highly tuned racing clearances, the other is the collision of loosely assembled antique parts...:nya:

Been reading a Duc brochure, have you?

Crisis management

19th July 2006, 10:25

Been reading a Duc brochure, have you?
No, inhaling....

Bob

19th July 2006, 23:50

Shut up Bob!

You're going to ruin it for a lot of anti-H-D types out there!!

Ho hum... actually, I have a genuine question, which I'm guessing you'd know.

Not having ridden one, but having parked my backside on a few at shows - do they all have such heavy clutches?

By which I mean whenever I've tried hauling back the clutch lever, I've felt like I'd need to go on a body-building session afterwards if I wanted to ride one for any length of time. Especially if there was any town work involved.

Hoping in a few years - if everything works out - to ride a chunk of Route 66 (have to be a bit - that road is 2,100 miles long and I wouldn't have the holiday time to handle it) and it will almost certainly be on Harleys. So just interested to see if regular gear changing on a H-D really does mean putting in some gym work on the biceps first!

Virago

20th July 2006, 00:02

The new Dyna range, with the 6-speed box, has a re-worked clutch which is delightfully light compared to older hogs. I tried out the new Dyna Street Bob last year, a nice ride.

scumdog

20th July 2006, 10:09

Ho hum... actually, I have a genuine question, which I'm guessing you'd know.

Not having ridden one, but having parked my backside on a few at shows - do they all have such heavy clutches?

Not being smart but after riding only H-Ds for the last 10 or more years I just assumed ALL makes of bikes had clutches like that!!

Never found it a problem myself and C.B. has never complained.

Good luck with Route 66, had a ball cruising it myself!

Lou Girardin

20th July 2006, 10:22

Not having ridden one, but having parked my backside on a few at shows - do they all have such heavy clutches?

That's because they're designed for MEN:apumpin: , not effete metrosexuals.:buggerd:
Sorry Bob, no offence.

sunhuntin

21st July 2006, 10:40

I've seen a H-D from 1970 and all it need was some polishing. Didn't blow smoke either and started first pop too. Love the idle sound of H-D's. Would like to own a H-D one day, but they're just too expensive.

my ex over in canada has a 65 panhead. after discovering her buried in the basement, i begged him to dig her out "just so i can look"
3 days of polishing later, we had a perfect almost stock pan. he had blue LEDs under the hardbags which were under about an inch of dried dirt [sadly they werent hooked up] and it had been a year since she was last on the road. in about 1994 he wrecked her and rebuilt. the wreck cost him his memory, his teeth, his shoulder and almost his life.
after polishing, he opened the doors to the basement, pushed her out and away she went! beautiful ride, that bike. i actually took a bit of practise just sitting on her and getting her off the stand...getting the feel of the weight.
never did get her as shiny as i wanted, but near enough.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/sunhuntin/front.jpg

another guy i met over there had a 1970s ironhead magneto i think. tried kick starting and nearly broke my ankle when it kicked back, lol. now that was a rattle trap! the lights would usually die, lol. neat bike though, and mike loved it.

Motu

21st July 2006, 11:16

Yeah,I'd like to see some of these modern tough guy Harley owners try and kickstart an old Sportster or Pan Head.I've only kicked a Sporty into life,we didn't have big blocks back in those days.To someone who was brought up on high comp big singles,Triumphs on 11:1 and Commando's on 10:1 - it took twice the effort to get the Sporty going.A really serious effort is required - you can see why they had push bike pedals on the kickstarter.

sunhuntin

21st July 2006, 16:36

motu...if i could find someone willing to put their bike out....id love to learn to kickstart....but could come back to bite the both of us.

Shadows

21st July 2006, 16:58

Ho hum... actually, I have a genuine question, which I'm guessing you'd know.

Not having ridden one, but having parked my backside on a few at shows - do they all have such heavy clutches?

By which I mean whenever I've tried hauling back the clutch lever, I've felt like I'd need to go on a body-building session afterwards if I wanted to ride one for any length of time. Especially if there was any town work involved.

Hoping in a few years - if everything works out - to ride a chunk of Route 66 (have to be a bit - that road is 2,100 miles long and I wouldn't have the holiday time to handle it) and it will almost certainly be on Harleys. So just interested to see if regular gear changing on a H-D really does mean putting in some gym work on the biceps first!

Yes most of the HD clutches are heavy. It is more the back of the wrist that hurts after a while. It doesn't take that long to get used to it though. A couple of weeks of regular riding and the pain goes away.

NordieBoy

22nd July 2006, 11:15

By which I mean whenever I've tried hauling back the clutch lever, I've felt like I'd need to go on a body-building session afterwards if I wanted to ride one for any length of time. Especially if there was any town work involved.
My '79 XR250 is like that.
We put stronger clutch springs in, new fibre plates and bead blasted the other plates.
You pull the clutch in and start thinking seriously about learning to do clutchless shifts :D

While riding you don't notice it though.

limbimtimwim

24th July 2006, 18:09

Riding my 400 for more than 4 days in a row, all day, results in wincing in pain. Funny thing, it feels fine initially. Light even. But if you use it for every single shift for days, man, does that ache set in.

So I learnt not to use it 90% of the time. Problem solved :).

98tls

24th July 2006, 18:27

I put a 6 spring clutch into my TL..new plates/steels etc after adjusting actuator i still found it a tad hard so unhooked cable and sprayed heaps of lube down between cable and cover...made things alot better.

jase the ace

30th August 2006, 09:45

well i reckon harleys are are best ridden by yanks . way overpriced in nz. most are heavy and real slow . like mp's they are too noisy expensive and do nothing . the best bikes in the world just have to hondas . take the firestorm well priced fast and light .:whocares: :shit: :bye: