View Poll Results: After seeing the 2018 Models are you now planning on buying one?
Yes, I like what I see
260
36.41%
No, I don't like any of the new models
454
63.59%
Voters: 714. You may not vote on this poll
After seeing the 2018 line-up, Are you going to buy?
#732
No problem! That dream bike can be yours for 72 easy payments of $400/month. $425 if you want to toss a lifetime supply of chaps and doo rags on top of the purchase! If you act now you get a free 2015 Sturgis T- shirt!
#734
I would if I could afford a new one. If I could afford a used one it would be a switchback. I think a deluxe or street bob in 114 with a set of cams would be a blast. Everyone upset there isn't a dyna line anymore but bet we will be seeing a three mount fxr type frame down the road and that's why there isn't anything like the dyna anymore. The new bikes look better in person than the internet even though not as much Chrome in some models. Oh except for one bike it looks like crap even in person and that the heritage in denim brown. Sorry if someone has one but maybe some airbrushing could help maybe. Looks better on the street bob. i am happy they were able to stay aircooled and hopefully can get a 100k+ out of a stock motor. And if somebody angered about them dropping the dyna I wouldn't be because there 100k + just sitting in garages waiting for their next owner. I am still carved so when I do get on a new bike anything else will feel new
#735
Have you ridden one of those bikes? They don't need a cam, believe me. Right off the floor those bikes move out better than any cammed Harley I have ever ridden. Harley finally made a bike that doesn't need a thing to go the way it should.
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ktp1598 (10-19-2017)
#736
longer torque curves are a must. you go wot and can skip right past the torque blast. it's early on. don't get me wrong. it's awesome.... just early(BASICALLY INSTANT) and brief.
I think the fat bob has a slightly different cam set up or something (2-1 maybe)... it make peak tq @ 3.5k vs all the other 114s @ 3.0k
i was blown away by how awesome it was stock but, i have a 120t/122h 110 that carries the 100+ tq from ~3.3k to ~6.3K peaking @4.9k. the 114 fat bob i rode felt nearly the same with tq output but, it just dropped off in power really early. i couldn't believe it. hell, i felt stupid for putting in all that work on the 110 and a stock bike delivered almost all i'd worked for PLUS insane handling and braking....STOCK!!!!! hd did good here, really good
Last edited by cvaria; 10-19-2017 at 07:28 AM.
#737
Thanks Glenn, I understand how external and earlier softail shocks work.
So maybe I'm missing something here.
So, here's the new 2018 Chassis. Harley says its all one piece now. Note, the swing arm is solidly attached to the front.
Here it is under the seat, it looks pretty solid to me.
So are we now saying its not a 1 piece frame? The shock under the seat can raise and lower the back of the bike? I'm not seeing it, I'll have to look into it more.
But looking at it tucked under the seat above - it seems to be sitting in a triangle of steel. I don't see the frame under the seat being able to move depending on shock size.
This one seems pretty solid though:
I guess I'm just not seeing how the shock under the seat, surrounded by steel that looks like it can't be lenghtened or shortened can raise or lower the bike.
All Harley's lowering kit does, if you look at the side view of the top pic where you see the shock above and below the frame, is it makes a shock that doesn't stick up above the frame as much, so your seat can go a little lower. It does nothing to lower the bike.
Ok, if I'm wrong, I admit it, I know you guys know more than me I need to research monoshocks more.
So maybe I'm missing something here.
So, here's the new 2018 Chassis. Harley says its all one piece now. Note, the swing arm is solidly attached to the front.
Here it is under the seat, it looks pretty solid to me.
So are we now saying its not a 1 piece frame? The shock under the seat can raise and lower the back of the bike? I'm not seeing it, I'll have to look into it more.
But looking at it tucked under the seat above - it seems to be sitting in a triangle of steel. I don't see the frame under the seat being able to move depending on shock size.
This one seems pretty solid though:
I guess I'm just not seeing how the shock under the seat, surrounded by steel that looks like it can't be lenghtened or shortened can raise or lower the bike.
All Harley's lowering kit does, if you look at the side view of the top pic where you see the shock above and below the frame, is it makes a shock that doesn't stick up above the frame as much, so your seat can go a little lower. It does nothing to lower the bike.
Ok, if I'm wrong, I admit it, I know you guys know more than me I need to research monoshocks more.
If you look at the seatless pic from above, that shock isn't really much different from what you're used to seeing on either side of a Dyna, except it's horizontal. The silver adj. ring w/numbers is the "bottom" of vertical one, and it goes back and forth as the suspension moves up & down, with the left end of the shock remaining stationary just like the top of a vertical shock. On your bike, the swingarm is just a horizontal member while on a Softail, the swingarm is a triangular assembly. They both swing the exact same way from a pivot point on the opposite end of the arm from the axle. Having the triangular shape does two things; imitates the shape of a traditional one piece "hardtail" frame and gives a place to attach a horizontal shock since the highest part of the triangle goes back and forth as the axle goes up & down. The drawing above is really simplified, but gives the main differences. You can see on the lower "softail" drawing that the shock has to be able to pivot a little at the "top" (right) end because the arm top swings in an arc from the lower pivot rather than a straight line. The shock end of swingarm on your Dyna swings also, that's why the shock needs the round bushings top & bottom rather than being bolted up solid like a fender, but you really don't see any rotational movement in either case.
Last edited by Glenn W; 10-19-2017 at 11:54 AM.
#738
#740
I rode a new 2018 Heritage last week. Didn't like the new engine at all. WTF is that wining noise? It had a wine that sounded like a modern Triumph triple engine. The engine was standard and several who also rode it said they thought it was more like a Japanese V-twin, lacking the soul of the traditional HD engines. I ended up buying one of the last 2017 models which I also thought had softer suspension and rode better which will suit the sort of riding I will be using the bike for i.e. touring. I think the new M8 models have been designed to try to compete with the likes of Ducati.
I fully appreciate that regulation is changing the internal combustion engine so I know manufacturers have their hands tied to some extent when designing new models. I guess we should be thankful the engines still look air cooled.
I fully appreciate that regulation is changing the internal combustion engine so I know manufacturers have their hands tied to some extent when designing new models. I guess we should be thankful the engines still look air cooled.