I think it will all depend on what the market brings for a water cooled touring bike made by Harley. At some point with design and marketing they could do the classic style bike. But I do not think they'll jump right in until there is a demand.

 

They cried when the flat heads were gone. Then the knuckle, pan, shovel, they will cry and buy what's next.

The V rod doesn't sell because the engine is water cooled.

It doesn't sell because that engine is in one ugly non Harley looking bike.

I remember there was a show on TV where Willie G was going on and on about the development of the engine. How it had to look like a Harley engine.

Well Willie forgot that the rest of the bike had to look like a Harley as well.

I bet that if Harley had made the V rod engine an option on the big twin bikes pretty much every Harley on the road would be a water cooled engine.

People still dumped a lot of money into a 96 and wanted more. So now their going for 103. Yet they still won't have the power of a V rod.

After spending tons of money on upgrades and getting smoke by those buying the "V rod option engine" there would not be many water cooled bikes sitting on the dealers floor.

 

Water cooling is the DEVIL!


It cracks me up how the "traditionalists" get all up in arms about water cooling.
The Vrod is the absolute best motor HD has ever had and yet they can't use it in anything for fear of some old timers getting their traditional panties in a bunch. A big inch de-tuned (re: more torque-similar power to current) version of that motor would be a standard setter in a touring bike. The current motor would be an absolute hoot in a Dyna or Softail and a total brute in a Sportster sized bike. Instead they chug along with their "traditional" 96 incher that gets sand kicked in it's face from pretty much ever other maker on Earth. Even the 103 doesn't compare all that well to the likes of Yamaha, Kawasaki, or Victory in terms of power output.

 

Get a V-Rod. Besides Sonny doesn't ride water-cooled bikes and neither do I...

Nanner-Nanner-Nanner...

...and Chaos, go buy a Yamahammie or something if you like water cooling so much. My Hayabusa has WC and I hate it. Burns yer legs dude, especially when the fan comes on in traffic...

(must not mention the bag of hammers for these two...)

 

I sometimes wonder if anyone reads the rest of the forums before they make a 3rd post about the same issue

 

I wonder why the hell some of these bozos hang around here if they dislike Harleys so much...

 

Maybe I'm wrong.. but didn't Harley already float the idea of a v-rod motor in a touring bike without much success or interest? Based on shop talk.. which admittedly is just that.. the only mentionable engine changes for 2012 will be 103's in all the big bikes.. Lets face it.. Harley motors being at the bottom of the performance scale compared to other makers isn't anything new.. My take is, at this point, the big bore metric cruisers and Victory have both been around long enough that if HD really wanted to catch up motor wise.. they could be well underway in that dept by now. As an example.. HD could.. if they choose to, offer "screaming eagle" versions of the 103 or 110 as a factory option, but they choose to stay a different course. And that's just one idea.. I'm sure there are others.. Personally, I'd love to see a "big bore" version of the v rod motor for the touring bikes.. but as I said.. I think "traditionalism" trumps outright performance... So, my wishlist aside.. I really feel we won't see a water or liquid cooled bike from HD for another several years at least..

I guess only time will tell right?

 

United States Patent Application 20110114044

 

May 12th anyone?

 

Pure conjecture!!!