New Harleys?

[user_deleted]

Chapter 2 V-rod

So I was deeply conflicted. Love hate--Try to contact HD sometime, what a labyrinth!!!. I just wanted to make some inputs/suggestions about what I thought would be a better V-rod--like talking into an empty mine shaft.

If Erik B had taken the V-Rod and worked his magic we would have the ultimate American Sport Tourer--Anyone know what happened to the V-Rod tooling and all that--what a great opportunity missed.

Opto

Anyone know what happened to the V-Rod tooling and all that

john: H-D gradually dismantles and phases out motor tooling at the driveline facility once the fed-mandated "10 year supply rule" is close to expiring. think in terms of original "evo" and aluminum XL motors. the tooling for the twin-cam 2-valve big-twin....the XR motor....the vrod/revolution motor all remains at the milwaukee power-train/driveline production facility. the vrod was unique in that during its production run it was the only model with the motor, all fabrication and assembly done at the same production facility. H-D right now is sitting on tooling and production equipment for the twin-cam, the XR, all XL, M8, revolution X and revolution(vrod). all will eventually get scrapped for a multitude of reasons BUT insiders say NOT the case for the revolution motor leading me to believe it will appear again somewhere down the road on a completely different platform. NOTE: the revolution motor was THE only motorcycle engine in modern history to pass the "Dusseldorf Destruction Test" with flying colors. typically that test is the death-knell for engines. the revolution motor complete assembly including trans truly is one of the greatest motorcycle engines ever produced. ever!

and speaking of H-D here's an extremely rare photo from the H-D archives. it is the intersection of 37th st. and Highland blvd. in milwaukee. the large home is the original home of the Davidson family where william, walter and arthur were raised. the "shed" is the original H-D building in the back yard that the father built for his sons to tinker in. thought you might enjoy it.
original davidson home.jpg

[Cooter]

WOW Lunatic, thats a great photo to print and frame. History.

[BuellyBagger]

Anyone know what happened to the V-Rod tooling and all that

john: H-D gradually dismantles and phases out motor tooling at the driveline facility once the fed-mandated "10 year supply rule" is close to expiring. think in terms of original "evo" and aluminum XL motors. the tooling for the twin-cam 2-valve big-twin....the XR motor....the vrod/revolution motor all remains at the milwaukee power-train/driveline production facility. the vrod was unique in that during its production run it was the only model with the motor, all fabrication and assembly done at the same production facility. H-D right now is sitting on tooling and production equipment for the twin-cam, the XR, all XL, M8, revolution X and revolution(vrod). all will eventually get scrapped for a multitude of reasons BUT insiders say NOT the case for the revolution motor leading me to believe it will appear again somewhere down the road on a completely different platform. NOTE: the revolution motor was THE only motorcycle engine in modern history to pass the "Dusseldorf Destruction Test" with flying colors. typically that test is the death-knell for engines. the revolution motor complete assembly including trans truly is one of the greatest motorcycle engines ever produced. ever!

and speaking of H-D here's an extremely rare photo from the H-D archives. it is the intersection of 37th st. and Highland blvd. in milwaukee. the large home is the original home of the Davidson family where william, walter and arthur were raised. the "shed" is the original H-D building in the back yard that the father built for his sons to tinker in. thought you might enjoy it.
original davidson home.jpg

Great history lesson indeed! I assume all of you have watched the docudrama: harley and the davidson's? Great show i thought! I believe it was pretty historically accurate too!

[nicholas900]

Good info LF. Cool pic too!

[Outlaw]

Good info. Thanks John.

[user_deleted]

thanks one and all. i love most all motorcycles but the history of H-D to this day remains one of the most compelling, enduring and fascinating success stories of the industrial age. here's a few more seldom if ever seen from the archives: in order is the first known pic of the genius behind it all....william harley. second is last known pic of the 3 davidson brothers and william harley all together. william davidson is to the left of the bike in the pic and passed away 6 months later at the age of 66. and lastly is the very first batch of XR750's being assembled on the top floor of the original juneau avenue assembly plant. only the very early 1970 models had the silver colored zinc plated rear exhaust pipe vertical mounting bracket so these are undoubtedly the first ever.

william harley2.jpg
last together.jpg
first xr.jpg

[wickedchop]

Badass ironhead pics for sure....

[jl551c]

B04CF8BA-CB9C-4BAB-9424-647C5BEC019C.jpg

I couldn’t resist posting a pic of my great Uncle Roy after seeing Lunatic’s old photos Here he is in Cohoes, NY about 1931. If us Buellers were alive in this time period with as much riding experience then as we do now we’d be the most experienced riders in the world.

[user_deleted]

one more because it's my fav and then i'll quit. summer of 1904 and the first "full year" of production. william harley admiring a just completed bike...believed to be probably #10 or so....in front of the back yard shed where it all started.

1904 william harley.jpg

[Cooter]

Don't stop! These are seriously badass prints John, thanks for sharing!