Love my 94 Softail Custom. 140,000+ miles and never tore the engine apart, still running the original clutch. No computer, no key fob, no radio downloads - simplicity at its best.
@brandonjones152
Жыл бұрын
Love this telling of your great bike!
@clintdenman3037
Жыл бұрын
I still have my old shovel from 81 and I must admit that it has had one rebuild and one top end but my speedo broke ages ago but she has a fairly strong background.
@kipholscher1812
Жыл бұрын
Same with mine, 2995 FXSTC, 130,000 miles, no engine work or rebuild, and original clutch. The only thing now is I don't get on the hwy so I don't have to push it so hard. All back roads.
@PincheBuzo
Жыл бұрын
Not everyone is trying to be the first guy to reach the next watering hole. EVO's for life!
@danielrobey1759
Жыл бұрын
Hell yeah!
@DILLIGAF88
Жыл бұрын
😎🤘
@JosephStreppone
Жыл бұрын
1984 Softail Evo. Any Time I try to think about selling it, I go look at it and say, He'll No, CAN'T DO IT 😁
@fearsomename4517
Жыл бұрын
It was the perfect storm. My stock '99 Heritage Springer softail is fine by me. Motor is bulletproof and the ride is more than adequate.
@metalted6128
Жыл бұрын
Another great video!! I love my 1984 evo softail. Still ride it hundreds of miles on cross state rides. Even the original 4 speed tranny, chain final drive, and kickstarter/ plus electric start, is just fine for me.
@rickvia8435
10 ай бұрын
In '84 my buddy bought a new Evolution Softtail (chain final). I remember the speedo maxed at 85 (that was cool - speed limit was 55). I was riding a '78 El Glide. I was very impressed and a couple years later I bought a new '86 Softail.
@davidpasquale8498
Жыл бұрын
Good to know the facts, still love my 91EVO FLHS.
@carlbruhn1772
Жыл бұрын
Ask Eric Buell about ideas that Harley claim as their own.
@frankmarkovcijr5459
Жыл бұрын
Harley started using the Softail frame that was invented by a biker in the '60s he had patented the Softail name. When Harley was using his frame design with his name he sued Harley-Davidson one and now they have permission to build the frame. Throughout its history Harley-Davidson has done Shady underhanded things. In the old days they would talk to suppliers and tell them if you sold say Wheels cuz this company he would not buy wheels from you. So in order to preserve your business from Harley-Davidson you would Short Change other customers. I remember they stole something from some guy in 1920s lost in court and it cost them I think $3 million in those days money. When Crocker started to build his motorcycles he was sued by Harley-Davidson. They went to court and in front of the Judges Bench was a brand new Harley knucklehead and a Crocker. The judge took one look at both motorcycles and told Harley-Davidson that they were lucky Crocker did not Sue them.
@danowens7145
Жыл бұрын
@Clovis Point it was the Honda Rebel that Harley tried sue Honda back in 80s. Harley tried to sue japanese bike manufacturers over it's twin sound.
@lanceandmelanierogers6255
Жыл бұрын
When did Harley Davidson sue Honda and the Rotax motor in the AMA flat track racing motorcycles?? I think people forget about that
@firechickenracin
Жыл бұрын
There are lots of false facts and bad dates in this comment and thread.
@frankmarkovcijr5459
Жыл бұрын
@@firechickenracin you need to elaborate on your statement. Where was it incorrect?
@firechickenracin
Жыл бұрын
@@frankmarkovcijr5459 when Harley-Davidson was sued in the early 1900s they were sued by multiple manufacturers at the exact same time. This was an attempt to close Harley-Davidson and eliminate them from competition. What they had done was found any parts that they used alongside Harley-Davidson, found which ones Harley-Davidson never patented then filed the patent themself and sued Harley-Davidson. This was done with all the parts Harley-Davidson did not patent and it was underhanded
@joemay7704
Жыл бұрын
Great info. I ride a softail and never knew that. Remember, there’s nothing soft about a softail
@bobtoner9820
Жыл бұрын
Gotta love the free market to come up with the best ideas. Still riding my 85 Electra Glide
@guspineda7167
Жыл бұрын
I said before , and I'll say it again, I have a 91 heritage and a 99 sporty , I told my wife to bury me with my heritage , you keep the sporty
@RayfordRaySiegel
Жыл бұрын
That's really cool to know the history of the Softail. Thanks
@HeatEngine
Жыл бұрын
I actually still have the Roadworx softail frame pamphlet that got me drooling for an upgrade before Harley bought 'em out.
@stephenwatt7140
Жыл бұрын
I rode my 88 Softail on a trip in 90. It was the 50th.yr anniversary of Sturgis Rally. I ended up riding almost 8000 miles in 24 days and it was my first road trip. I had 22in. apehangers, mild cam, Ram-Jet intake, Thunderjet modification in stock carb, 33 tooth primary pulley. It would haul ass and take pink slips. I had tools with me but, only used them on other bikes that had broken down. It still hauls ass and is in the garage as we speak. I've never had a wrench on it but for oil changes since! Best $10,000 I spent in my life!!
@glenntaylor6201
Жыл бұрын
I remember those soft tail frames being advertised in Easyrider magazine in the early 70s then suddenly they weren't. Harley then came out with one, I thought at the time no coincidence.
@garyforestiere7732
Жыл бұрын
I remember that too you could take your swingarm shovel head super glide and put it in one of these frames you could buy the frame right out of eazyrider magazine right from the guy that designed them and yes all of a sudden the add was no longer in there I’m sure someone with a collection of old eazyrider mags could find it
@Cinebar2
Жыл бұрын
I have at 2015 Sportster Iron 883 I've always called my Norton 2.0. Rode a 1972 Norton Commando (Combat) back in the 80's for seven yrs as my every day rider. Had no idea how much history they shared. Love it!
@frankqu1427
Жыл бұрын
I have numerous books about the supposed history of HD. Regarding the softail frame one book says that 2 brothers out of ST. Louis designed it and HD saw it at a bike show , liked it and purchased the rights to it. Another book says that Bill Davis an engineer employed at HD designed it while working there. I believe what you are saying is what really happened. It's amazing how stories change from book to book. Thanks for getting it right.
@ChiefHobie
Жыл бұрын
Interesting video! Love my softail, great design, still the best looking harley ever.
@maddutchman9218
Жыл бұрын
WOW!!! I've got a 92 Evo Softail and a 75 850 Commando....Never knew there was a connction... Pretty cool...
@midnightmc3096
Жыл бұрын
That Commando was my favorite Brit bike when it came out. Something "in your face" cool about it that the BSA's and Triumph's never quite had. From southern California ~ Ride Forever!
@JosephStreppone
Жыл бұрын
1984 Softail Evo, any time I think about selling it, I go look at it and say, Hell No, CAN'T DO IT ! 😁
@jimkraft9445
Жыл бұрын
My 99 Softail Custom is my favorite of all time motorcycle. How it all came together is interesting, but the fact that it did is what is great. Harley put out the finished product. The simplicity of the EVO Softail is what makes it for some of us old school guys. At 82 I am not into much but cruising the back roads which this bike does extremely well.
@stevenshoemaker4375
Жыл бұрын
I watch all your videos, I have a 100th anniversary Dyna wide glide and would love for you to do more videos on the 88 carb bikes, I am doing the cam chain upgrade this winter, keep up the good work brother and ride safe!
@rickmancr
Жыл бұрын
John Favill didn't design the Commando engine. All the Norton twins were developed from the original 500 designed by Bert Hopwood in 1947. The subsequent 600, 650, 750, and 830 engines differed only in capacity and in details such as the downdraft "SS" cylinder head first fitted to the US market Manxman 650.
@tompava3923
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the deeper dive into the Softail origins/Sub=Shox frame! I never knew the background about Bill Davis. ✌😎
@christophern.8422
Жыл бұрын
Back when the EVO came on the scene it was widely known that Dr. Porsche was heavily involved with design. Never heard anything about the Norton Commando connection either.
@jukeboxfan60
Жыл бұрын
That’s what I read in books too
@TheMachoGabacho
Жыл бұрын
A 1984 Softail is my dream bike. My TC88 is nice, but I want the Evo with kick/electric start.
@craigbraswell4269
Жыл бұрын
My father has a v-rod muscle and I enjoy the hell outta that thing! I never knew a stock harley could have so much butt-puckering torque! I would like to get myself one now.
@leonardstanford1877
Жыл бұрын
Never been a fan of the Softail but I did build one .I took the mid controls off a Dyna along with the narrow glide front end oh yeah I used the Dyna wheels 19 front & 16 rear painted it flat black & called it mad max sold it last summer & everyone that rode it says they never rid we n a Softail that handles as good as mad max ! EVO s RULE ! Learned some stuff I didn't know Thanks great video !
@dutchyjhome
Жыл бұрын
Very accurate video ! Yes I keep telling people: Harley-Davidson may have developed their motorcycles way back in time but nowadays Harley-Davidson is a trade company and almost all engineering is outsourced. See practically everything is purchased and not developed in house anymore. All engines starting from the mighty EVO are designed and developed In other factories and in foreign countries than at Harley Davidson itself. The European (German) company of Porsche is responsible for a lot of Air-cooled engine engineering, just like the European (Austrian) company of Rotax is responsible for a lot of the latest water-cooled engine engineering, although The first encounter Harley Davidson had with Rotax was the Air-cooled MT500 Off-Road motorcycle from (European) British company Armstrong, which was produced for the British Army. Harley Davidson managed to purchase the Armstrong Motorcycle company and talked to ROTAX to improve the existing MT500 into a better bike and so Rotax came up with the MT350. This all new Army motorcycle was re-badged into Harley Davidson and sold as such to the British Army. Harley Davidson had no experience with Off-Road machines at all at that time, but they did have marketing wise some ideas for the future: An competitor of the All-Road machine BMW GS1200: an All-Road machine with 1200 Cc water-cooled V-twin designed and developed and made by Rotax. Rotax first could develop a high powered water-cooled engine for the fast Buells at the time. And so the PAN AM was born, and the Sportster S as well, engine wise spoken. Even the brakes: Made in Europe Italy at Brembo; all electrical wiring: made in Germany at Bosch, or at Japan at Denso. just like the ignition and the fuel injection. For decades the front-forks were made in Japan at Showa, which is a Honda company. All cockpits (Speed o-meter and the tachometer and other gauges) are Japanese and usually made at Denso. And so on... There really is no such a thing as an All American Harley Davidson, not since the mighty EVO anymore. It really is entirely a logical thing to do. Why to put a lot of money in, in house H-D, into Research and development, If existing products of far superior quality already exist? Or even to outsource the R&D since specialized companies can do this a lot better and far much more efficient than Harley Davidson can. It really makes a lot of sense. Without all imported tech from Europe and Japan, the company of Harley Davidson would no longer exist. These are all established facts.
@cj8172
Жыл бұрын
Great vid brother. Hey where's the overloaded shelf in behind you gone?
@wendyvic4046
Жыл бұрын
Good video! I knew about the Evo design, but I didn't know about the Softail frame. Thanks for some great info!
@keithgoins9646
Жыл бұрын
I'm a history nut. Thanks for sharing this info.
@curious9715
Жыл бұрын
Your Harley Davidson knowledge is incredible ‼️ Love your channel Thank you for sharing.
@dionrau5580
Жыл бұрын
I remember seeing that frame advertised in the iron horse, or mighta been easy rider... The rest as they say is history.
@mikeholder5554
11 ай бұрын
Let me clarify your story, because I was there when it happened. Bill lived in Berkeley mo. Asked the bike shop a few miles from his house to help get fabrication started. They made 26 frames. I have #3 to this day with a panhead because no evo yet, and the frame was not designed for the evo. They sold the patent after 9 months of being in business to HD. They only got a few frames on hand. They sold the Heritage classic bike they designed too. That was bill the other partners bike. There is alot more to this story, i hope this helped.
@GixxerFoo
6 ай бұрын
That's incredible to hear from someone that was there!! I absolutely love this!
@ACoustaDC
Жыл бұрын
Wow, Never knew this... and at least the frame was "designed in the USA!"
@martinkeet8373
Жыл бұрын
Great Video, don't apologise for giving us great content, we appreciate you!
@lpd1snipe
Жыл бұрын
You are correct. Harley did not design the Softail frame. In the '80s in the back of Easy Rider magazine advertisements there was a Softail frame there for sale. They bought it from him. Just like everything else we do the R&D for Harley. Also I owned a 73 Norton 850 commando. I believe they were the first motorcycle that had a rubber mounted engine also.
@martincvitkovich724
Жыл бұрын
Yes, HD comes out with 'something new" and the aftermarket figures out how it should be built
@rickmancr
Жыл бұрын
Not the first. The shaft drive Sunbeam S7 and S8 had rubber mounts, and I am sure there were others. What was innovative was that the engine, gearbox, AND swinging arm were isolated from the frame by rubber mounts. The "Isolastic" mounts permitted vertical movement to absorb vibration, but not horizontal movement. This kept the transmission and rear wheel in line and allowed chain drive. Norton's system inspired the FXR rubber mounts that H-D introduced 15 years later.
@owenbruce4120
Жыл бұрын
the Commando 750 came with isolastic mounts...then the 850 model...a starter motor added on MK11 model...this was in 🇳🇿 US specs may have varied
@lpd1snipe
Жыл бұрын
@@owenbruce4120 my 850 didn't have the electric starter. It was a sweet ride I wish I still had it but that was 40+ years ago. Also unlike 75 and up it shifted on the correct side.
@clintwoodruff1187
Жыл бұрын
@@lpd1snipe - Roger that !
@Comm0ut
6 ай бұрын
John Favill is brilliant and still speaks at Norton rallies. The Isolastic on Norton's Commando was a brilliant ancestor of the rubbermount Evo though that involved Barry Controls who made the mounts.
@GixxerFoo
6 ай бұрын
This is why I absolutely love KZitem, you reach such an exspance of knowledge. I never knew that, but British bikes with their firing order are really close to Harley, that's why they still remained competitive against the XR 750 in flat track putting the power to the ground on the dirt. It makes absolute sense the mounting system was likely copied from Norton.
@LOMROB
Жыл бұрын
You have some great content. Thanks for putting out quality stuff.
@mechcavandy986
Жыл бұрын
Maybe that’s why the Evo is such a reliable engine.
@VN9001
Жыл бұрын
Yes! Compare it to the Twin Cam and the M8 and it's STILL the most reliable Harley engine. What does that tell you?
@spamfriedmice4800
2 ай бұрын
@@VN9001Evolution, not only better then what it replaced, but better than what they replaced it with.
@creigmacc
Жыл бұрын
Want to see the engineering inspiration for the M8? Look at the 2006 Yamaha Stratoliner engine. Harley did leave off the hotrod bits and kept the sumping from the twin cam.
@arthurleino
Жыл бұрын
Very informative video! When the Softails first came out, the local dealer here sold many!
@westcoast3595
Жыл бұрын
Very, very cool. VRod was a sweet design. Germans build quality.
@westcoast3595
Жыл бұрын
@Clovis Point then the evo should have been called a norton
@rob8379
Жыл бұрын
I love the V-Rod. Great bike and engine.
@owenbruce4120
Жыл бұрын
Had quite a few Norton's, a step up in durability to some other British iron I've owned with looks, performance, glorious sound and isolastic motor mounts...must've subconsciously picked up on that n gone with the Evo which has similar attributes...now you've shone a light on the lineage !! Thanks so much for your research 👍😎
@frankfurther3828
Жыл бұрын
RIP, HD Inc. 1903-1999. When they stopped supporting the EVO, they lost me. FHD. Even brake parts needed to preserve life, are obsolete.
@tetlow2
Жыл бұрын
I love your videos. Thank you for all the knowledge
@MoeLarrycurly1
Жыл бұрын
Yeah I remember reading easy Rider and for a month or two maybe it was more there was a guy that was trying to sell his frame design. Never made much of it until the Softail come out years later...
@ronsampservice3066
Жыл бұрын
Great vid brother! Thanks for all the info you provide to all of us in the Harley world!
@waltertodd4281
Жыл бұрын
Great video on HD history!
@daveq6549
Жыл бұрын
I have a 2005 dyna and 1999 evo 80 inch softail that I will ride more because it feels more comfortable the dyna I use more for around town stuff
@fredlewis4432
Жыл бұрын
A Really enjoyable well done Video You have a Fan here in Arkansas
@gvs5318
Жыл бұрын
Love my '91 FXR. when I ride it I'm in no big hurry to get anywhere, just that 80" stock EVO just keeps purring alomg
@raymondwilliams5661
5 ай бұрын
Yah me to mate 93 f.x.r just love the fucking bike man. All the best from 😎 Australia 🇦🇺.
@jd9308
3 ай бұрын
Softail has always been such a nice smooth ride and oh how my old back loves it! Every bike I have ever owned I have ridden them with their stock suspension. Never put aftermarket suspension on any one of them. But I was younger and it didn't bother me when bottoming out! Now that I'm a old codger my back is paying me back. My old 92 Fatboy is still a cadillac ride and when I hit rough road I don't worry about it. Softail Evo, all day everyday! Loved the video GixxerFoo!
@GixxerFoo
3 ай бұрын
That's awesome to hear, I love it when I see Evo out on the road! Especially a Softail or Dyna model, seems like all you see out there today is touring bikes anymore.
@portercoogan4862
Жыл бұрын
Still riding a 92 Heritage,rings and valve grind once and a ton of tires later,EVO forever.whoever gets credit good job.
@mikespencer9913
Жыл бұрын
I ❤my Heritage Softail Deluxe, but I’m happy to ‘tip my hat’ to Bill Davis! It certainly embodies the heart and soul of the Company. Thanks, GixxerFoo, for the insight!
@paulhoover3019
Жыл бұрын
I am buying an evo . I am going to use stock cylinders with 9to 1 compression. A Andrews ev27 cam , s&s carb, s&s ignition, enclosed primary belt, an a oil cooler . I will let you know the horsepower an torque.
@joeharley87
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the history lesson.
@mikegriffith8266
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the history lesson!
@hellbilly6532
Жыл бұрын
An Englishman designing a Harley engine, kinda sets me in mind of the P-51d American design, English engine. A garage built frame changing an industry, what’s more American than that??? Love the videos, keep up the good work
@beekerdabs4996
Жыл бұрын
Great video today my friend always like the cool knowledge u have Keep the vids churning out! 02 softtail duce was my first hd love the sound of that bike
@geoffluck
Жыл бұрын
Fascinating video mate, I havea 1949 Norton es2, lovely motor!
@Smith686plus
Жыл бұрын
More of this style of video, please!
@vernegibb621
Жыл бұрын
I'm old I remember seeing them frames in easyriders magazine in the 70s. Saying the vrod is not. A hd would be like saying ser0001 is not a Harley . It was the 20s or thirty s when they had their 1st 4 value heads.
@brandonjones152
Жыл бұрын
Love the 1994 Electra glide and 1990 softail I got . Ride on
@frnktdmn1937
Жыл бұрын
Thank you. Finally, Bill Davidson gets his due on www media.
@nathanmortenson914
2 ай бұрын
Posche went too it's first water cooled flat 6 in 1996 with the boxster(986) and then later with the 911(996) so they would know that transition. VW did it with the typeIV bus or Vanagon motor using a air cooled block with water jacketed sleeves on the cylinders in the early 80's. A real piecemealed design. Makes sense Porsche would do the Vrod not having motorcycle their own.
@davemagee
Жыл бұрын
Thanks brother another awesome video great information. All the best from NZ 🇳🇿
@DH-tj6tf
Жыл бұрын
Loved my 97 EVO Softail Standard, no Customs for me!😎
@JT-gw5vz
Жыл бұрын
Great video I always love all your videos always great content thanks for sharing JT
@thinman8621
Жыл бұрын
It has been a very long time since Harley Davidson was a ground breaking kind of company.
@ronrepinski7840
Жыл бұрын
Harley museum has that bike that was the first softail on display. And it's not even close to what Harley did with there softail and a evo motor is almost identical to shovel internally just more redefined to say some else designed it not buy it .
@linru992
Жыл бұрын
Excellent program as always!!
@browngreen933
Жыл бұрын
The difference between the Evolution engine and the V-Rod was that the Evolution was a direct descendant of the Knucklehead-Panhead-Shovelhead line --- hence the Evolution name. The V-Rod had no Bill Harley legacy in it -- just like the SportsterS engine has no Sportster engine heritage in it. Doesn't even sound like a Harley. Whether or not Harley-Davidson can transform itself into an entirely new identity with a new customer demographic will be interesting to watch.
@pb68slab18
Жыл бұрын
I always heard the Evo was designed by ex-Honda engineers. The way they use studs sandwiching the cylinder blocks between the cases and head is common to all the air-cooled 70s~80s Japanese air-cooled 2/4cyl motors.
@HarleyFurgesson
Жыл бұрын
Who do you think the japs copied !! 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧 and just to put a twist on it, Triumph was originally started by a German engineer !
@pb68slab18
Жыл бұрын
@@HarleyFurgesson Japs copied WHAT? Most of the Jap bikes used the long studs and sandwiched cylinder block since the late 60's. And don't forget, Harley SOLD the Japanese company Ruiko a license to produce their flathead VL motor before WWII.
@RenegadesGarage
Жыл бұрын
GixxerFoo... Old News!! Pretty much every manufacturer does this.. Harley is not the first or only company to hire someone and use their designs. The designers and engineers just work for a company they don't own it. That guy that built or designed engines for Norton didn't own the company he just worked there. Which definitely does NOT mean the Evo is a Norton design. Now that he works for Harley it's Harley's design.. Just because a designer or engineer works for 1 or 100 previous manufacturers means nothing. You see how that works, right?
@xlr8r3VA
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing this information! I always love your videos!
@bryanburrows7239
Жыл бұрын
Bullshit
@albertkinney8021
Жыл бұрын
Love my 95 Evo Softail motor is 92 cu in lowered the back end 1 in softened the shock springs put a harmonic balancer on crank in the primary no internal chains no fly by wire no computer 45 mm mikuni 2into 1 into 2 exhaust rides great runs great .So what's the problem? Oh ya I know that would be Nothing what ever twin cam man I was riding before you were born . 50 years on a Harley still got my first one 68 flh ride free
@BillTheHarleyGuy
Жыл бұрын
awesome video as always , that was a cool bit of history right there 👍
@evil_musclemuscled3814
Жыл бұрын
Love the VROD
@TheDesmoto
Жыл бұрын
The softail arrangement (shocks or spring’s below) was used by moto guzzi in the late 30s into the 60s possibly later. Look up moto guzzi falcone, springs are underneath. So mr. engineer didn’t invent shit. Oh yeah, don’t forget about the inverted forks on the falcone
@GixxerFoo
Жыл бұрын
Does this make the Evo or the Softail any less Harley-Davidson?
@psychoticmemories2583
Жыл бұрын
Harley has been built on stolen ideas since Willie G. bought the company back from the AMF. So to answer your question, they are 100% Harley-Davidson.
@Truthdosentexist69
Жыл бұрын
Now that I know the origin/ back story in my opinion yes, it's not a Harley Davidson design.
@RenegadesGarage
Жыл бұрын
GixxerFoo.. NO!! If the guy that was with Norton, now with Harley leaves and goes to work for Honda, does that make Honda now designed or engineered by Norton and Harley? People need to stop spreading BS they know nothing about.
@BMWHP2
Жыл бұрын
My first motorcycle was one of the first Norton Commando's that were produced. As far as I remember, Bernard Hooper and John Favill came over from Villiers. I think John Favill did most of the work on the gearbox and Bernard Hooper the cylinder head and camshaft drive. Bob Trigg did the frame work. But indeed John was a genious engineer. BTW. Funny that the EVO is designed by the British John Favill and everyone calls it a Harley engine. Where a Harley engineer Erik Buell designs a motorcycle that many refuse to see as a Harley 😉
@BMWHP2
Жыл бұрын
@Clovis Point probably not much good:)
@Steve-wx9gl
Жыл бұрын
Agreed
@ianm432
Жыл бұрын
100 hours? I mean, don't most evo motors spend all their time at WOT anyway? Lol
@geraldscott4302
Жыл бұрын
I consider the EVO engine a Harley engine because of the way it looks, the way it sounds, and the way it feels. I don't know who designed it, but I absolutely do not consider the M8 to be a Harley engine. Yes, it sort of looks like one, but that's where the resemblance ends. It does not even come close to sounding or feeling like one. My list of non Harley engines also includes the V-Rod, the Street series, the Revolution Max, and of course the battery powered toy Deadwire. Also, engines aside, the V-Rod, Street, "new" so called "Sportster" Pan America, and the Deadwire, are in no way Harleys. They don't even resemble Harleys. They may say H-D on them, but just because something says H-D on it does not make it a "Harley" A Harley must have certain "characteristics" that make it a Harley. And those date all the way back to the very first Harley V-Twin, but especially the Knucklehead. My list of "non Harleys" also includes all the small bikes that were made by Aermacchi in Italy. On the other hand, I actually do consider a Buell to be mostly a Harley, even though it does not say Harley on it. The Bikes may not look like Harleys, but they use Harley Sportster engines, which look, sound, and feel like a Harley. As far as the "original" Softail design, it used a single top mounted mostly horizontal shock and spring, almost identical to the first Yamaha Monoshock, which they designed for dirt bikes, way back in 1975. The Yamaha design still uses a single shock, but it is now vertically mounted and incorporates a super complex linkage which is wear prone and difficult and expensive to rebuild. The version that H-D ended up with was later redesigned with two shocks mounted on the bottom, and they worked backwards to a normal shock/spring. Instead of compressing the spring, the new design actually extended the springs. Seems a bit weird, but it worked, and this is the design that H-D wound up with. What really confuses me is that H-D had been putting EVO engines into rigid mount Softail frames for a really long time before the Twin Cam engine came out, and as far as I know, there were no issues in doing so. But for some reason, H-D decided they needed a BALANCED version of the Twin Cam for the rigid mount Softail frames. I would probably never consider buying a Twin Cam engine anyway, considering just what it would take to make it reliable, but I would certainly never buy a Twin Cam in a Softail, because of the balancer. The whole concept of making a Harley engine smoother is completely wrong to me. A big part of what I love about Harleys is how they feel.
@midnightmc3096
Жыл бұрын
Bullseye!
@jefffrayer8238
Жыл бұрын
Thankfully I have a '99 Fat Boy and have been to the H.D. Museum several times and saw the soft tail story that's on the wall. Did Harley ever use the the upper shock in production or go right to the twin shocks on the bottom?
@geraldscott4302
Жыл бұрын
@@jefffrayer8238 They started with the twin shocks on the bottom. There has never been a Harley made (to my knowledge) with just one shock.
@davidgreenland9136
Жыл бұрын
the other engine assesed alongstid the VeeRod was designed by the same guy who developed the susuki gsxr range
@evil_musclemuscled3814
Жыл бұрын
Good video as always man 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼
@Ulfstigandr
Жыл бұрын
The softail has always been my favorite frame.
@DILLIGAF88
Жыл бұрын
Evo for life🤘
@BikesBoatsBivouacs
Жыл бұрын
Reakky interesting information. Nice job.
@barrybarnes96
6 ай бұрын
Any idea how the new M8 softail frame differs from the original?
@GixxerFoo
6 ай бұрын
They are completely redesigned around the M8 engine and simplified the mono shock setup. It's honestly much simpler since they didn't have to account for the oil tank anymore and they could put the mono shock where the oil tank was housed on the old frame.
@dalecarpenter8828
Жыл бұрын
Harley was like edison trying to steal patents
@alexwilsonpottery3733
Жыл бұрын
Didn’t Vincent already have underseat rear suspension in the 1950s?
@Steve-wx9gl
Жыл бұрын
Yet another informative video great stuff
@gerryger1731
Жыл бұрын
Great videos and a new subscriber! Wondering if you or anyone knows about dealerships assembling Harleys in 1997. There is one for sale and title states replica as well as saying it is a harley davidson. Owner said the guy he bought it from years ago said harley was so busy that the dealerships started assembling them. From the states division of motor vehicles it says(replica) not original frame or engine or mix of new and used parts. Anyone know anything as online is a dead-end so far? Thanks Also who in the world would buy a new motorcycle with a branded(replica) title for full price!
@ant4812
Жыл бұрын
The suspension of the ST looks a lot like the suspension of a Vincent Black Shadow.
@stephenbodholdt4326
Жыл бұрын
Outstanding information 👍🇺🇸
@pablorojas259
Жыл бұрын
Hey, gotta 🤚 hand to you, I always thought there was something different about the softail altogether; thanks for the enlightenment, I recently bought one 2000 model and I am looking forward to enjoying it this coming spring and summer. Thanks again 👍
@samchisolm8713
Жыл бұрын
Well done.
@jirvin3170
Жыл бұрын
Can we get a video on the evolution motor still n the sportster? Or just a answer either one lol. I have a 2015 sportster model 48 and was curious cause I thought it had the evolution 1200cc engine or 74 cubic
Пікірлер: 223