2010 Harley-Davidson Dyna Wide Glide Review

[mscuddy]

User Name writes: "There is an opening here for someone to make a totally US new modern designed bike. Not a big opening but if I win the Mega Millions I'd be tempted to start putting designs on paper and sourcing engine manufacturing equipment. Harley won't do it. Maybe they can get the seat height down to 20."

Harley's already going that route with a secret new entry level bike put together by ATK with various parts sourced from overseas companies, like Brembo, Rotax, Ohlins, etc...but as long as it says "Assembeled in the USA from foreign parts" the loyal HD crowd will most likley buy into it.

They were thinking of going the Chinese route, but that didn't fly with the HD management, as an HD fan would never purchase a Harley badged motorcycle that has "made in China" stamped on it somewhere.

Face it User Name, manufacturing in the US of A has vanished. We don't even assemble anything. We've sold all our steel mills and cement plants to Red China. And when was the last time you saw a lathe, or any machine tool that says "Made in USA" on it?

Like the midnight cruiser, the time of our time has come and gone.

[newagetwotone]

Actually, your wrong, there are still some steel mills... believe me i live across the river from one of the 4 of them...

[sarnali2]

The one in West Seattle is still going.....Actually from a manufacturing support standpoint most of the stuff we buy is made in U.S. or Canada. Honeywell subs some of it's stuff out to Mexico. Some of our controls are Yokogawa and I just bought a gold plated 4/20 milliamp relay from Italy, other than that the repair and upgrade parts we use are either made in U.S.A. by American companies or American subsidiaries of European companies.

China might dominate the Wal*Mart crowd but when it comes to machine tools and industrial applications it's the U.S. and Italy that dominates the market.

[seruzawa]

Originally Posted by mscuddy

User Name writes: "There is an opening here for someone to make a totally US new modern designed bike. Not a big opening but if I win the Mega Millions I'd be tempted to start putting designs on paper and sourcing engine manufacturing equipment. Harley won't do it. Maybe they can get the seat height down to 20."

Harley's already going that route with a secret new entry level bike put together by ATK with various parts sourced from overseas companies, like Brembo, Rotax, Ohlins, etc...but as long as it says "Assembeled in the USA from foreign parts" the loyal HD crowd will most likley buy into it.

They were thinking of going the Chinese route, but that didn't fly with the HD management, as an HD fan would never purchase a Harley badged motorcycle that has "made in China" stamped on it somewhere.

Face it User Name, manufacturing in the US of A has vanished. We don't even assemble anything. We've sold all our steel mills and cement plants to Red China. And when was the last time you saw a lathe, or any machine tool that says "Made in USA" on it?

Like the midnight cruiser, the time of our time has come and gone.

It's not that bad yet, Matt. But the bleeding continues with the never ending increase of senseless regulation from Fed and State govts. If Cap and Trade passes you will see the flood to Asia redouble.

[anrajala]

Originally Posted by mscuddy

And when was the last time you saw a lathe, or any machine tool that says "Made in USA" on it?

I saw this morning, a Skill 1840 router made in USA on my shelf. It proudly claims 1 3/4 HP power i.e. 1300 w which is pretty good as the intake is only 980 w. Few of these connected to generators chained together would generate enough excess electricity to power my house. Brilliant.

- cruiz-euro

[The_AirHawk]

Originally Posted by anrajala

I saw this morning, a Skill 1840 router made in USA on my shelf. It proudly claims 1 3/4 HP power i.e. 1300 w which is pretty good as the intake is only 980 w. Few of these connected to generators chained together would generate enough excess electricity to power my house. Brilliant.

- cruiz-euro

It's rated at "rotor lock" amperes - which is essentially the draw when the motor is "stalled". One more way in which ad-copy can lie to the consumer, and yet still "tell the truth".

There was a couple of class-action lawsuits over this a few years back - google "Campbell Hausfeld air compressor settlement".

[bungln]

will somebody please drag harley into the 21st century!!!!! really 96 cubic inches and 68 horsepower. what a joke.

[bungln]

Originally Posted by User Name

It's funny how $14K is starting to sound reasonable for a bike. Of course sounds reasonable and being possible to afford is slip sliding away for half the US population.

It is entirely possible that in 5 to 10 years the dollars value will be 25% or even 50% lower. That isn't a prediction, just a considered probability. At that point manufacturing bikes here will make sense. There is an opening here for someone to make a totally US new modern designed bike. Not a big opening but if I win the Mega Millions I'd be tempted to start putting designs on paper and sourcing engine manufacturing equipment. Harley won't do it. Maybe they can get the seat height down to 20".

ever hear of Victory?

[The_AirHawk]

Originally Posted by bungln

will somebody please drag harley into the 21st century!!!!! really 96 cubic inches and 68 horsepower. what a joke.

Harley knows its own Market - and it's technology is about as 21st-Century as a Z51 Corvette or "new" Camaro SS.

[The_AirHawk]

Originally Posted by bungln

ever hear of Victory?

You mean that company that has sold about 15,000 bikes in the past ten years, to Harley's 2,500,000 or so in the same period? THAT Victory?