Id like to give the new system the benefit of the doubt but this looks like a joke. U mean Harley couldnt figure out how to take the 120 hp true water cooled v rod engine and shoe horn it into a select Dresser frame. It looks like they worked on this for a year. Dam. Most other bike companies have several prototypes they work off of for several years.First impression is this looks rushed

 

Looks like a nightmare to me. Something else that needs attention every 5k miles and something else to worry about getting hit by road debris and springing a leak. I wonder if you could still ride it with no fluid...road trip issues and what not. Makes me love my '12 even more.

 

alot more crap to go wrong. no thanks H.D. you should have come up with a touring bike with the v-rod motor for people that want them. better oil cooling would have been a much better idea.

 

I think all of Jason Wards FCS research proved that oil coolers with fans do little to effectively drop cylinder head temps, while dropping cylinder head temps effectively cools your oil temps. HD may have done better using Jasons FCS on the 2014s!

 

You didn't see the air cond. vents for the riders you should look at the pic again.

 

Who will be the first to say, I went to the Dealer today to pick up a Radiator hose, and they had to order it....

 

What I want to know is why is Mikey from Orange County Choppers in the picture? How weird is that?

 

Make sure you buy the HD coolant since it's the best. Bwahahaha

 

I was wondering how much more they will charge to service a bike..This will get totally out of hand..

 

the oil doesn't adequately reach the head area to remove heat from that area is my guess, so a liquid cooling solution...I might guess that oil exposed to such concentrated heat might turn to coke, so they are spec'ing a specialized fluid.

at some point the whole motor will need to be liquid cooled

which means

lower noise and tailpipe emissions

tighter motor tolerances

more power

Harley's biggest obstacle to progress is US. the customers demand some concept of tradition in appearance, sound and operation...even at the expense of awesomeness.

old companies, whether Harley, or Martin guitar often find themselves compared to and competing with their past

a "new" company has the advantage of no preconception-

that said H-D shot itself in the foot taking on MV agusta and killing Buell, and certainly could look at using the vrod drivetrain in other frame platforms

mike