I've been thinking about a couple of threads here that have touched on the issue of water cooled vs. air cooled engines. I have an Ultra Limited, and it's very cool . Yes, it runs hot in stop and go traffic, but it's a very good bike.

In thinking about it, if water cooled engines become mandated, would air cooled bikes likely go up or down in value?

Also, yes, heat is shed off water cooled engines, but the difference is inside, I think, where the core engine parts are kept at a more constant temperature.

Guessing as a non-engineer (though I've slept with one for decades):

Air Cooled: Has to be built to looser tolerances to allow for the greater temperature ranges, and hence metal expansions, from a hot to a cold engine, so the engine is less efficient, gets relatively worse gas mileage, and is allowed to run hotter.

Water Cooled: Can be built to tighter tolerances because the water cooling can keep internal parts at a more constant temperature, so the engine is likely more efficient—and also should get better gas mileage than a comparable air cooled engine.

If Harley ever switches to water cooled engines, I'm not sure I'd be concerned about it except as per the value of my air cooled bike, because I see pros and cons. It's more complexity, so there's something more to break on a long haul or out in the middle of nowhere. Hopefully they'd do it well, so it wouldn't break. Much. But if they did it well, then it could help me in stop-and-go traffic when the freeways get clogged.

I've never had to pull over due to heat, but I could see that it could happen if the traffic were real bad. As it is, when I ride someplace through Los Angeles, for example, I check the traffic on my iphone and try to pick a route that is the least likely to have a traffic jam.

 

I'd say your theories are flawed. In most of the motorcycle comparisons I've read, fuel mileage is the one place Harley usually outperforms the water cooled metrics.

 

Been around bikes and airplane engines most of my life. I have chosen water cooled engines over air cooled engines a couple of times in the boats. The reason was over ease of parts availability. I will always chose an air cooled engine anyday over water cooled if it is possible. Simple reason is that in air cooled engines there is one less system to maintain and repair------cooling. Not really sure how much your bike would change in value. I would suspect that going to nothing but water cooled engines would bankrupt HD. You can't give me a revolution engine or a v-rod. I think they are butt ugly and sound like a prius.

 

Sound has nothing to do with how the bike is cooled. It has to do with what pipes you have on it, you can have a nasty loud liquid cooled bike.

Design is another thing, I believe that its possible to be very creative with how you design and/or hide the radiator. I agree tho, the radiator on the V-Rod is hellishly ugly.

 

I Harley was forced to stop making air cooled motors you would see the value of the current air cooled engines go up for sure.

 

Revolution doesn't have the same degree cylinder design as the air
cooled engines. It doesn't even come close to the potato-potato exhaust wave of all the other HD two cylinder air cooled engines. The revolution sounds like a prius------------which sounds like a lawn mower.

 

I think it would track the same way that Porsche prices did when they stopped making air cooled engines in 1997.

I dont think prices would go up, I'd think they would hold their value a bit more, but as the years of liquid cooled bikes add up, it would be that much different.

 

If Harley makes a water cooled engine for a bagger, and if they get it right, I'll buy one. Just not the first or second year model, but maybe a third year. I'd like to see how well they last and perform in the long run and wait for the after market to catch up.

 

I agree. What they will probably do before going to a fully water cooed bike is improve the oil cooiling. Both VW and Porshe moved to oil cooled heads to lower temps before giving up on air cooling all together. I imagine Harley will make similar attempts to maitain the classic looks and sounds of the air cooled bikes.

 

If Harley came out with a beer cooled bike it would put all the nae sayers to rest. lol