It's not impossible to build a 45 degree, liquid cooled, DOHC V-Twin. I have to believe the '09 FL "platform" was designed for something more than the currrent Twin Cam motor.

 

I would agree with you, HD does not make whole sale changes unless they are looking down the road. The touring frame could have been firmed up without a total redesign.

 

The answer to the original question is still, "no." Hell, no! You can quote me.

 

I would buy one as long as it was a torque monster and not a high revving motor like the V-Rod.

 

It's not just about the EPA. Harley is a global player and the EPA is a bunch of playground punks compared to some of the foreign agencies. Porsche, working on HD engine designs since the shovelhead, fought the same battle as HD. Fans claiming they would turn their backs on the 911 if it went water cooled. Well it did, and now performance people love it more then the old air cooled!!
The NOVA project has been around since the beginning of AMF/HD and is the grandfather of the VROD.
I truly believe the VROD was more of a test to see if HD fans would buy a water cooled HD. Hence only one color and model in the beginning. The VROD is not that loved in the USA but really popular in Europe. There are small simularities with the new FL frames and the VROD frames.
I am amazed that HD has not offered up a waterhead based touring bike, maybe with a 4 cylinder even.
BTW the NOVA project was known about but HD would not talk about it until just recently.
You can only do sooo much with aircooled performance and stay under the environmental radar.. to stay afloat internationally HD must begin producing liquid cooled engines.

 

Talked to a couple mid-level management guy from Harley and they was telling me how the moco spends millions of dollars on market research. They said the research says if it isn't a air cooled, exposed pushrod v-twin, it won't sell on the American market.

 

Living in Miami, and riding in rush-hour traffic, I'd say heck yes ! :-)

 

According to this poll they would and I will be right behind them once they have been out for a year or two. Maybe the resale of our old ones will go up since some do not want water cooled!!!!

 

I would still buy the Harley. I never set out to buy an oil cooled engine in the first place. As long as the overall look, feel, sound and ride were the same, liquid cooled or not would not really matter to me. As a matter of thought, would the engine last longer beause it is running cooler as a result of liquid cooling?

 

Well I never got to put my vote in....but you can put me in the NEVER Catagory. I will stick with used and the aftermarket suppliers until the day I can no longer ride or I am no longer on this earth.