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[Sundog1258]

Build us a 120 race motor for the 88" twin cams too!!

[Spiderman]

While in Rapid City SD in '09 a few of our members met with Representatives from HD. Among the many things confirmed during that meeting was the fact that this site is regularly visited but not posted by these Reps.

Soooo, in an effort to save them time I thought we could offer one thread to share our ideas and make it easy reading for these guys. Just a thought .... fire away except Twolane

OK here goes

A) As others have stated Quality Control. No more bad gaskets, poor toqued comp sprocket nuts, finger prints in clearcoat etc etc
B) Keep moving forward with the plan you're executing in allowing engine options. Push that out to include custom paint, any wheels in the P&A Catalogue and any seat
C) Hire somebody who truly understands how to make a proper motorcycle seat and not just one that fits the frame. Your stock seats are horrible
D) Enforce MSR pricing. Hold dealers accountable for their poor performance.
E) Take what the aftermarket does best and use it. No reason why the best this that and every other thing should be from some Mfg other than H-D Inc.

  Ok, that's enough for now

B B

[tazmun]

First off guys, nobody make a "perfect motorcycle"!
1)  I believe air-cooled is out.
1A) An engine you can rev 6k plus, and then lug below 2k without fear!
2) The MoCo makes TONS of money on P&A! (so why make a perfect bike)!
3) I've never understood (3) holes to change your fluids, much less the filter location!
4) Seats & suspensions..... hey they finally got the brakes right, next century!
5) The list just gets longer.

Seriously, right now the company is trying to change too many things
with employees and vendors...... too much at one time creates ?
When you have bikes coming to dealers with different tires front and rear,
wrong painted panels, you know your having quality problems with employees
which has to be addressed RFN! Then when you please the employees, the
people buying them will be happy, and stock holders will be happy!!!!
Take a look at how Fords doing (without government help)!

[Spiderman]

First off guys, nobody make a "perfect motorcycle"!
1)  I believe air-cooled is out.
1A) An engine you can rev 6k plus, and then lug below 2k without fear!
2) The MoCo makes TONS of money on P&A! (so why make a perfect bike)!
3) I've never understood (3) holes to change your fluids, much less the filter location!
4) Seats & suspensions..... hey they finally got the brakes right, next century!
5) The list just gets longer.

Seriously, right now the company is trying to change too many things
with employees and vendors...... too much at one time creates ?
When you have bikes coming to dealers with different tires front and rear,
wrong painted panels, you know your having quality problems with employees
which has to be addressed RFN! Then when you please the employees, the
people buying them will be happy, and stock holders will be happy!!!!
Take a look at how Fords doing (without government help)!

WIth one exception, I agree with this thrust of this post. Right now the MoCo should focus on making what they have better. That would mean air cooled engines. I do not agree they should be putting out a water cooled engine until they get what they've been selling for the past few years (110) right. They've made huge strides in frame geometry, handling, suspension and braking. Finish fixing the rest of the platform while moving forward with a serious water cooled development program and address the other issues we've all mentioned here. Seems so simple one has to wonder what the folks getting the big bucks at H-D Inc are thinking these days ?

B B

[kb]

I have yet to see any mass production machine that does not have some type of  problem. Any problem that I have had has been corrected to my satisfaction but how about giving me the paint code for this thing. I do not understand what the big deal is. I even requested that you sell me a set of hard bags painted to match my bike. No chance.  I love Harley bikes and I will continue to buy them, however it will not be another CVO,because of the paint issue. In this case we both loose. I loose the opportunity to alter a factory custom,Harley looses the sale of a custom bike. Who wins? kb

[tazmun]

"I do not agree they should be putting out a water cooled engine until they get what they've been selling for the past few years (110) right".

1) Air cooled engines will NEVER be right!
2) To meet emissions, you need a constant temperature!
3) Take what they have and put cooling passages around the cylinders!
4) The engine sound will not change with water cooling, as a matter a fact
    it will nullify all the unwanted engine clatter all you people complain
    about! Cooling will also allow for closer machining tolerances.
5) Watercooled engines don't need .060" expansion, like air cooled!

  I'm not complaining about air cooled, but to meet federal emissions
  the engines must be extremely LEAN, and that causes HEAT, which
  causes part Distruction!! Most cars run upwards of 25/1 or more, and
  they last hundreds of thousands of miles, without major problems.

  Just another .02!   

[murphy]

3) I've never understood (3) holes to change your fluids, much less the filter location!

I never did either until I blew the motor and had to replace everything EXCEPT the tranny and primary!

[cold1]

 This is the deal, you supply quality motorcycle & service, we continue doing business, keep telling me your #1 & do half azzed work/excuses, money goes somewhere else. Simply we will starve you out, if you don't want to listen to those paying !  

[tazmun]

I never did either until I blew the motor and had to replace everything EXCEPT the tranny and primary!

I'm thinking it don't make a damn bit of difference...... All other MC's only have (1) hole!
If the engine lets go, I'm thinking everything else stops before they go!

Just saying!

[Half_Crazy]

Being an outsider looking in, I should probably leave this alone...

I have yet to see any mass production machine that does not have some type of problem.

Agreed, but there's a big difference between nuisance issues and catastrophic engine failure. The crank is the engine's foundation. You wouldn't build a house on a foundation built out of Dixie cups. The bottom end in the current HD engines is a serious weak link.

I love Harley bikes and I will continue to buy them

There ya have it. The MoCo doesn't need to change a thing. They'll have your money either way.

 

[Spiderman]

Here's something that I don't know if it really belongs here but my mind works like a magic 8 Ball so I'll toss it out there

I bought an old wooden boat late last summer from a guy in Derry NH. The boat was a 1962 Cruisers Inc 302V Commander. 18ft plywood lapstrake construction on the orginal trailer with a 1967 100hp Johnson Golden Meteor 2 stroke outboard. I had to put the whole works on a ramp truck to get it back to Maine but a couple of new tires and tubes, pull the bearings and grease and a bit of this and that and the trailer was fine. The boat itself needs work but nothing major structurally other than the mahogany frames for the hinged front windows. Anyway, I paid $500 for the whole works. The guy I bought it from told me the motor would start but I didn't want him to fire it up dry and those old 2 strokes don't work with a hose strap. Soooooo, when I got back to Maine I put a cut off 55 gallon drum under the lower unit, filled it with water, hooked up a new marine battery and turned the key. It sputtered, it coughed, it smoked like hell and then it started. After warming up it settled down to a nice snarky snarly rumble reminiscent of an old Shovelhead with a nasty Lienweber cam. Knowing the impellor would be dry and brittle, I watched closely for any evidence of that in the water in the barrel but there was none. After about 10 minutes the motor was running smoke free and obvioulsy whatever happens from here on out, I've got my $500 worth. I called the previous owner to let him know he was as good as his word and that the motor had indeed fired up. I then asked him if he hadn't used the boat in 11 years why he had fired the motor up occasionally. He said " I didn't" Me - - " WHAT !" He said the last time he fired it up was the last time the boat had been registered and I should check the NH sticker on the hull. I did and it was said 1998. Forty three year old motor sitting for eleven years outside in New Hampshire weather and it fired up. Show me a 43 year old Harley that's sat unused outdoors unprotected for 11 years that would do the same. I love Harleys but they've never been built to the level of quality a lot of American made products are. I laugh when folks say the new four stroke outboards are superior to the old two stroke ones. I've 60 year old outboards in the boathouse UPTA CAMP that fire up and run like new with only routine changes of sparkplugs. SOoooooooooo, in conclusion I say to Harley-Davidson Incorporated  Build me a motorcycle at a level of quality equal to the outboard engines of yore built by OMC (and others)

B B

[spydglide]

Here's something that I don't know if it really belongs here but my mind works like a magic 8 Ball so I'll toss it out there

SOoooooooooo, in conclusion I say to Harley-Davidson Incorporated  Build me a motorcycle at a level of quality equal to the outboard engines of yore built by OMC (and others)

B B

Was it exclusively used in fresh water, and never brine?  That could make a big difference.  spyder

[Spiderman]

Was it exclusively used in fresh water, and never brine?  That could make a big difference.  spyder

I wouldn't take the gift of a motah that's been in salt watah Spidah.

Still, 43 years old, 11 years of non use, no maintenance,neglected storage and it started ?

That old girl was put togethah on a Wednesday by a right propah mechanic

Oh yeah, by the way, when did we staht ridin our H-D's in watah - - salt or fresh ?

B B

[spydglide]

A1A. Need I say more?  Yeah. You definitely got $500 worth. Har. Spydah

[2018_FLTRXSE]

I wouldn't take the gift of a motah that's been in salt watah Spidah.

Still, 43 years old, 11 years of non use, no maintenance,neglected storage and it started ?

That old girl was put togethah on a Wednesday by a right propah mechanic

Oh yeah, by the way, when did we staht ridin our H-D's in watah - - salt or fresh ?

B B

Speak for yourself.... its pouring here today... so I guess I'll be riding in water!