NEW sportster overdue!!!
#83
03-05-2020 | 04:08 PM
Including the drum brakes? I have no qualms with a powertrain update, but please do not style it with a beak or something else as stupid looking.
I remember what many call the "good old days" of cars. Ignition Point systems that had to be checked every few months, or that shorted out every time it rained, bias ply tires, poor drum brakes and outright sloppy engine tolerances. I remember when 100,000 miles was a hallmark to celebrate. Not its hohum. I have over 250,000 miles on my 2005 Accord, and it runs as strong as day one when we bought it new. The only work on it has been 2 timing belt changes at the required 100,000 mile intervals. Number 3 will becoming up in about a year.
Electronics can be a PITA to troubleshoot but they have become so reliable it almost becomes moot.
I remember what many call the "good old days" of cars. Ignition Point systems that had to be checked every few months, or that shorted out every time it rained, bias ply tires, poor drum brakes and outright sloppy engine tolerances. I remember when 100,000 miles was a hallmark to celebrate. Not its hohum. I have over 250,000 miles on my 2005 Accord, and it runs as strong as day one when we bought it new. The only work on it has been 2 timing belt changes at the required 100,000 mile intervals. Number 3 will becoming up in about a year.
Electronics can be a PITA to troubleshoot but they have become so reliable it almost becomes moot.
#85
03-05-2020 | 07:32 PM
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Joined: Sep 2018
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From: Kalifornia
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Midpegs (03-06-2020)
#86
03-06-2020 | 10:31 AM
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 300
Likes: 111
From: Iowa
I can't say you are wrong. What's really sad is that if you look at the whole environmental picture the electric vehicles and windmills are worse for the environment than internal combustion engines, but that all gets swept under the rug. One study showed that the total lifetime energy inputs for a Prius were greater than for a Hummer H2.
Last edited by Pugslycat01; 03-06-2020 at 10:34 AM. Reason: Clarified that multiple bikes combined cost is less than Livewire, not each bike.
#88
03-06-2020 | 11:15 AM
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From: Kalifornia
Pugslycat
My points exactly. The mining for the materials they use are some of the most destructive methods available. That is not even getting into production. In spite of what some politicians want to claim, NOTHING is free. We will pay for EVs one way or another, in cost or the environment. Just recently learned of the African countries mining cobalt, and using small children to gather it. Often crawling into crevices too small for adults. This have been documented and even lightly covered in documentary expos. Quite a number of these children have died as a result.
We have solar on our home, along with a Tesla Powerwall battery. We were pissed when we learned about these methods, and I questioned the tech rep about it at Tesla. He got uncomfortable real quick and claimed Tesla is doing "everything they can" to end this practice.
I have no qualms with the epa stepping in to clean the air. I lived in Los Angeles county during the 70's. We live about 70 miles north of LA, in a high desert, protected from LAs weather by mountains. When we had to drive to LA for whatever, the smog was horrible. You could not see the city from the mountains. I am and have always been a fan of solar, just do not want it shoved down our throats.
So not all of what they do is bad, they have just gotten out of control with their regulations. EVs make sense in large dense cities, like NY and LA and plenty others. Out here there are cities that are passing laws that in 10 yrs there will be no ICE sold. Thats moronic because, one, these things are not cheap, and lithium is not getting cheaper, it more than it was 2 yrs ago. We got our Powerwall for $5000 and was $2000 to install. Now folks are telling me they are being quoted $8-9,000 for the battery, and $4-5000 for the install. Yet there are those that still want to force everyone to buy this. We are fortunate enough to be able to afford all this, but many cannot.
Anyway, back on topic.
Spivitz
I think the big hurdle for your idea, a good one I believe, is the width of the powerplant. Why not buy a 103" Dana and build your own "S"? The Danas are really big twin sportsters in many ways. Taller rear shocks, longer fork dampers, with upgraded components. Maybe a stage 2 setup with some higher revving cams, and headwork to match. Maybe add the front brake system from a SG for the dual disks.
My points exactly. The mining for the materials they use are some of the most destructive methods available. That is not even getting into production. In spite of what some politicians want to claim, NOTHING is free. We will pay for EVs one way or another, in cost or the environment. Just recently learned of the African countries mining cobalt, and using small children to gather it. Often crawling into crevices too small for adults. This have been documented and even lightly covered in documentary expos. Quite a number of these children have died as a result.
We have solar on our home, along with a Tesla Powerwall battery. We were pissed when we learned about these methods, and I questioned the tech rep about it at Tesla. He got uncomfortable real quick and claimed Tesla is doing "everything they can" to end this practice.
I have no qualms with the epa stepping in to clean the air. I lived in Los Angeles county during the 70's. We live about 70 miles north of LA, in a high desert, protected from LAs weather by mountains. When we had to drive to LA for whatever, the smog was horrible. You could not see the city from the mountains. I am and have always been a fan of solar, just do not want it shoved down our throats.
So not all of what they do is bad, they have just gotten out of control with their regulations. EVs make sense in large dense cities, like NY and LA and plenty others. Out here there are cities that are passing laws that in 10 yrs there will be no ICE sold. Thats moronic because, one, these things are not cheap, and lithium is not getting cheaper, it more than it was 2 yrs ago. We got our Powerwall for $5000 and was $2000 to install. Now folks are telling me they are being quoted $8-9,000 for the battery, and $4-5000 for the install. Yet there are those that still want to force everyone to buy this. We are fortunate enough to be able to afford all this, but many cannot.
Anyway, back on topic.
Spivitz
I think the big hurdle for your idea, a good one I believe, is the width of the powerplant. Why not buy a 103" Dana and build your own "S"? The Danas are really big twin sportsters in many ways. Taller rear shocks, longer fork dampers, with upgraded components. Maybe a stage 2 setup with some higher revving cams, and headwork to match. Maybe add the front brake system from a SG for the dual disks.
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Spivitz (03-06-2020)
#89
03-06-2020 | 11:24 AM
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Joined: Sep 2018
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From: Kalifornia
One thing I think, for sportier bikes, is the MoCo needs to figure out where to put the stinking exhaust pipes. Look at many of the import V twins, like Ducatti, KTM, etc and the exhaust really blends with the flow of the bike and is away from the riders legs. I know on our bikes the look of the pipes is part of the overall appeal, but I do not think the younger customers feel the same way. Us old guys are fading out of the picture, so they need to appeal to the younger set.
Since they are redesigning the whole bike, design the heads to point the exhaust somewhere to be hidden. Maintenance on these bikes will be more inline with imports, so a lot of DIYers will have less and less they can do, but this is progress, right?
Since they are redesigning the whole bike, design the heads to point the exhaust somewhere to be hidden. Maintenance on these bikes will be more inline with imports, so a lot of DIYers will have less and less they can do, but this is progress, right?
#90
03-06-2020 | 11:46 AM
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Joined: Dec 2011
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From: San Diego, CA
