Fair weather rider
Seeing mention of H-D in previous posts,I remembered years back when H-D had a promising new design that could have allowed them to produce a modern V twin sport bike,but nope they were making huge money on 1930's tech and didnt want to change..It was the VR1000
https://www.odd-bike.com/2016/03/har...own-voice.html
Muddler/Dabbler.
Very good article on HD and they did make the effort in racing, but Harley's sales didn't really depend a lot on road racing, (except at the the beginning), more on the "look at me" image of the fashion industry which, (to me) is "bullshit" but I'm obviously in the minority!Originally Posted by 190mech
Any company is set up to make money, not to lose money after all! ...... and remember, the customer is always right.
How many times when you mention that you have a motorcycle do you immediately hear "a Harley?" - that is making money! ...... The main difference here is, the 'fashion' industry needs to change it's fashion on a yearly basis and Harley manages on around a 50 year basis!
The bike scene is very different to what it was in my earlier days - Royal Enfield in India grew out of a mundane and outdated 500cc "Bullet" which was based on a pre war British design, which they purchased and faithfully reproduced for many years ...... this in a country needing transport - not high output racing machinery - BTW, I've heard that they have purchased Ducati (think that it's true but need to find out).
All just proves that anything can happen and ideas can change - who would have thought that the supremacy of two stroke road bikes would virtually disappear in a matter of 3 or 4 decades - unthinkable!
Strokers Galore!
Anorak
Harley had the opportunity and even i believe had a Britten engine on loan to look at prior, but instead chose to go their own way with Porsche designing the top end.
Plus for some reason they keep it too portly using what was a road spec engine casings
By all accounts it was a sweet handler had a great chassis and brakes but they wouldn't tune it to produce the 15hp or so HP needed to complete at the highest level shit they would even install a 6 speed box for about 3 years.
I would say neither their heart or money was in it and it was just used as a test bed for the V rod engine.
It was a pretty bike and used nearly all US parts and suppliers penske shocks and forks willwood brakes one of the frames was from a US mountain bike company the other from a olace that built Truck extrusions.
Kinky is using a feather. Perverted is using the whole chicken
Hardcore Biker
Bit late to the party...
Hardcore Biker
First lot seem to be in reverse order. Sorry.
Hardcore Biker
Cathcart's opinion...
Hardcore Biker
From Classic Racer magazine
Hardcore Biker
Journalists not so good at maths?
Hardcore Biker
From french and dutch magazines
Hardcore Biker
Air-cooled version. Some images from
http://zweitakte.de/modelle/Motoren/..._Aircooled.htm
That site also has a page on the 125
http://zweitakte.de/modelle/renn/Aer..._125Aletta.htm
http://zweitakte.de has lots of other good stuff, too
Hardcore Biker
More air-cooled images
Hardcore Biker
Random stuff, couple of HD-Aermacchis and a brace of Villas
Hardcore Biker
Villa V-twins
Hardcore Biker
This may have been mentioned on the ESE thread rather than here, but this seems a more appropriate place for it.
I had a really good look and a (static) sit on this bike when Lea Gourlay was riding it (not at the same time!).
At that point they had just fitted a Craig Davies electric water pump instead of the original.
I was very dubious about the 90 horsepower at 10000 claim. When I asked Lea, he just grinned enigmatically...
Hardcore Biker
A bike with a connection to the Ringhini?
A watercooled Benelli 250.
I think Wil mentioned QUB.
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