V-Rod(OT)

Robert,

Not being a smart-ass here but how does it differ from the V-Rods that have been available for the last 2 or 3 years?

Lee DeLaBarre Daytona62

I have not ridden one... should have when I had the chance last summer down at the dealership here in town. I have ridden next to and against a few though.

I find the styling of them nice but I don't really care much for the sound. They just sound a bit 'off' to me. There was a big hoopla about them when the first came out here but, the last few times I was at the dealership, there were several brand new ones sitting on the floor. Everyone says 'neat' but no one wants to buy them. Probably, the worst one I saw was a trike conversion to a V-Rod last summer. To me, that was a total waste of a mediocre machine .......

I have to agree that a LOT of m>Not a thing Lee,its just takin me 3 years and watching that program to

Lee DeLaBarre Daytona62

If I could still comftably and safety ride I would have one in my garage. Calvin

Robert Black wrote:

Davidson and

I did do the test ride at Daytona Bike Week a year or so ago and as a old cafe racer type biker it was cool, but the 6 cylinder Gold Wings are unsurpressed for touring and iron butts in my not so humble opinion. Calvin

Robert Black wrote:

now.The show

future.Emissions and

Davidson and

The hardcore V-twin types are snubbing it but the low seat worked with my 28.5" inseam Calvin

Lee wrote:

summer

future.Emissions and

visual work

V-Rod,and

it.This thing

Last week while at York I took the HD tour... While they don't build the VRod there, it was still an interesting experience. When you get right down to the manufacturing process, it is always fascinating to equate the styling cues as they relate to the building the machine. To see the multiple step punch press whacking out thousands of p/n12345, and then seeing another machine cleaning p/n12345, than another polishing p/n12345,and then another plating p/n12345.... It gets a bit sterile as far as the 'legacy' and 'look' is concerned. Now, this is not a slam, but it seemed to me the marketing department is the real engine in that corporation. So much effort has been put forward for brand identification that the machinery is a slave to it. Six years to build a motorcycle? 45% of that time was probably in design studios and board meetings, and 25% in machine tool designs, and 25% in pre production hype. All that to make a machine that will get the buyer to walk in and put down their good money to have one... but don't build too many, as it has to be hard to get to make it even more desirable. I do like the bike, and the brand. The monolith of the organization just leaves me a bit cold. Even the tour guide was careful to stay on his scripted path to market to potential future buyers. I'd rather build my own I guess. Jeff (and wear my own clothes) Rice

Wish I had the money, I'd buy one. I've owned japs and brits, but never a HD. Not that I didn't want one, just that when I rode only the hard core "biker" types still rode Harley's and the quality was absolute crap. I've wanted one of these Porsch Harley's since the beginning. Just wish I had the $$$$. Harley gets a "A" from me. They have turned around a almost dead American icon. Thank you Harley.....

Real life engineering: Time line 6 years. Time:

-6 years- brainstorming/basic design/nameing and name legalities.

-5 years- build design mules and engine/drivetrain mules with target of lowering vehicle decible levels for EPA certification.

-4 years- bringing in fresh thinkers from outside HD/ Cycle industry to meet design goals, i.e. hiring aircraft design engineers to design frame and outsourcing hydroforming requirements for building frame to eliminate the long learning curve of a new technique, after $XX million dollars wasted in engines that have produced undesireable results, start smooching up to people who have experience in our goals of transititioning from aircooled to water cooled powerplants (Porsche!) as Chevrolet did Mercury Marine for their hi-tech aluminum Corvette engines (ZL-1?) and Ford did Yamaha for their SHO Taurus package. Start design with new "Partner".

-3 years- Begin test mule testing, Charlie, Bravo and Alfa version R&D and final certifications. Mating frame and drivetrain and begine mule series all over again while the accessories and being designed for the Alfa versions of all componets.

-2 years- Final outsourcing contracts, supplier contracts, etc. market

analysis.

-1 year- Start production, market/trade show leaks and teasers. Publication editor test rides, etc

-6 months- Storage of completed product, dealer pre-sales, literature distribution, etc.

-3 months- Big advertising push, awareness campaign, etc.

-D Day- Dealer display product delivery, anchor market dealers prestock hits consumer market.

• times- Hoping product meets anticipated sales goals, pricing is market acceptable, cash flow positive, investors and creditors happy and your hemmoroids start to relax Calvin (and that's the quicky version!) Lowell

Jeff Rice wrote:

visual

V-Rod,and

it.This

Why Calvin, That's the most I've seen you write in ages ... I thought you would have written... "Ride a Vrod, don't be a d*****ad" Jeff (now THAT would be pure marketing genius ) Rice

I agree with you 100% Jeff,and I place Harley-Davidson right up there with Studebaker as great companys. They actually wern't responsible for the design of the motorcycles that have made them an icon.It was the hardcore biker types,the greasy fingered guys who built there own motorcycles out of Harley parts.They started the low seat,feet out front,hands in the air,laid back cruiser driving style.Wille G admits it in that show,and hes said it many times before.In the early 60's when he was just getting out of design school,he noticed these"choppers",and rather than being insulted about what the bikers were doing with the companys machines,he decided the company needed that "look",thus the first Super Glide,a factory chopper.It was an instant hit,and this was in the 70s before the company even had a reliable(by todays standards)engine,the old shovelhead.But from the Super Glide came the Wide Glide and that factory custom"bad boy"riding postion was born,and as they say"the rest is history".Harleys whole line up and image is based on what came from a design by outlaw bikers.And in the 80's and 90's,the doctor,lawyer crowd started dressing up in "Motor Clothes",getting on there choppers ,and playing outlaw on Saturday morning. It is cool to see so many motorcycles on the road,and Harley doing so well.Thats why I couldn't understand why they needed to build such a radical motorcycle as the V-Rod.But the company is selling their image as much as the machine,and the new motorcycle has to appeal to the traditional Harley guy . But ain't it cool that from Mr Wille G Davidson right on down,the company ARE riders. I think the Harley image thing has gone way to far,when Harley Dealerships are selling 6000 dollar chrome barbcues that sizzil the HD logo right in your steak.

15k retro Harley Davidson jukeboxes. 20k Harley Davidson pool tables. The worst I get is the HD T-shirts I try to buy from differnt dealers,and I just paid 230 bucks for a pair of HD boots,but damn they are awesome boots. Of course the good Ol Motor Company gets to hit my bank account pretty hard once a month for the next few years(G) "Jeff Rice" wrote in message news:lsgYd.124615$ snipped-for-privacy@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...

Check the label - where were those boots made? I got fed up with HD years ago when I realized how little American content was in the things they sold, right down to the icon, the motorcycle itself. They're getting beyond top dollar for those bikes, and there's likely more foreign content in one than in the average Honda. Their leather goods are from China or Korea, the fabric clothing from India or Pakistan, and the guys who developed the look they've cashed in on haven't been able to afford their product for quite some time.

Robert Black wrote:

There was an article written a couple of years ago stating that there was more domestic USA material in a Honda Gold Wing than in a HD FL series bike anymore. Calvin

Pat Drnec wrote:

fingered guys

these"choppers",and

standards)engine,the old

playing outlaw

dealers,and I

awesome boots.

building the

thousands of

production hype.

V-Rod,and

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I haven't seen much of the V-rod, but I'm really not into Harleys. Nice bikes, but very expensive, and it seems that ir's mostly image they are marketing.

If I wanted a big V twin bike, it'd have to be a Vincent or an Indian.

But I did ride MY motorcycle today. It was warm and sunny this morning, so warm, I had to take my sweater off as I worked cleaning up some trash around the shop. I was cleaning out one side of the shop so I can bring in a Jeep frome to drop on the new body. So I had to move the Honda 350 out. Tried the starter. Cranked real, and fired right up. Must have liked spending the winter in a heated shop.

Found my helmet and leather jacket, and rode into town for lunch. And the doggone sinus headache from my cold went away. Life is good. It was cooling off outside as I came home, and now it's raining.

I just finished meeting with a local builder, and am set to go with my new shop, provided the county doesn't set up any obstacles. I'm going for a 32 X 60 X 14' steel building on concrete piers, with two bay doors, and two man doors, one of the latter 4' wide for garden tractors, etc. It'll cost me $22,000, erected, plus tax.

Now I gotta start moving stuff.

Gord Richmond

Sounds like a decent price on the building, Gord! I want to see pix when it is done.

Lee DeLaBarre Daytona62