Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: JonfromCB
What's with all the "marketing" [censored]? Who cares? The title of the thread is about Japan taking over the motorcycle industry...which is a benign concept. Japanese companies manufacture millions of bikes under 125cc and the majority of those are not motorcycles, they are scooters. Back to the title of the thread....HD, a US manufacturer makes and sells half of the worlds motorcycles over 600cc. It is what it is no mater how you feel about it. One US company, half the world supply and no one else comes close. Why do you think each of the Japanese big 4 continually make and market so many HD "knockoffs"? Last time I checked Honda was making no less than 12 different Harley "wanabe" models, yet they produce less than 70,000 total motorcycles over 500cc each year. How do you think that's working out for them and their dealers?
Regarding the engine design point, what major manufacturer can you name that isn't building using the basic "original" engine design of an air cooled piston engine? If you think HD has not changed their "basic engine design" in 100 years you need to take apart a pre 1920 HD single, a HD WWII flat twin, a Knuckle head, a panhead, a shovel head, a twin-cam, a rushmore, and a
V-Rod so you can see for yourself that you are spewing nonsense.
I didn't say the TYPE of engine design hasn't changed. I'm saying their designs are antiquated, and they are. If they weren't, they'd be liquid cooled and they wouldn't have to install band-aids like the rear cylinder shutdown circuit that keeps the rear cylinder from destroying itself from overheating, or they'd have gear driven engine parts instead on chain driven parts (and then they could get rid of the cheap plastic chain guides...FWIW, the V-Rod was designed by Porsche, not Harley. You also seem to be focused on sales numbers. As a consumer, who cares about sales numbers?
When did Harley install rear cylinder shutdown due to cylinder failure?
Originally Posted By: JonfromCB
What's with all the "marketing" [censored]? Who cares? The title of the thread is about Japan taking over the motorcycle industry...which is a benign concept. Japanese companies manufacture millions of bikes under 125cc and the majority of those are not motorcycles, they are scooters. Back to the title of the thread....HD, a US manufacturer makes and sells half of the worlds motorcycles over 600cc. It is what it is no mater how you feel about it. One US company, half the world supply and no one else comes close. Why do you think each of the Japanese big 4 continually make and market so many HD "knockoffs"? Last time I checked Honda was making no less than 12 different Harley "wanabe" models, yet they produce less than 70,000 total motorcycles over 500cc each year. How do you think that's working out for them and their dealers?
Regarding the engine design point, what major manufacturer can you name that isn't building using the basic "original" engine design of an air cooled piston engine? If you think HD has not changed their "basic engine design" in 100 years you need to take apart a pre 1920 HD single, a HD WWII flat twin, a Knuckle head, a panhead, a shovel head, a twin-cam, a rushmore, and a
V-Rod so you can see for yourself that you are spewing nonsense.
I didn't say the TYPE of engine design hasn't changed. I'm saying their designs are antiquated, and they are. If they weren't, they'd be liquid cooled and they wouldn't have to install band-aids like the rear cylinder shutdown circuit that keeps the rear cylinder from destroying itself from overheating, or they'd have gear driven engine parts instead on chain driven parts (and then they could get rid of the cheap plastic chain guides...FWIW, the V-Rod was designed by Porsche, not Harley. You also seem to be focused on sales numbers. As a consumer, who cares about sales numbers?
When did Harley install rear cylinder shutdown due to cylinder failure?
