Harley-Davidson to build a Tri-Rod?

[Administrator]

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Harley-Davidson to build a Tri-Rod?

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[newagetwotone]

What the hell? Piaggio MP3+can am spider + soft tail = WTF mate?

[TheFox]

Interesting. Nice to see the motor company has been doing something like this. I know everyone says "LOLZ Harley Enjuneers just mak widgets bettor lulz!" and maybe this will quiet them a little.

Though more that likely, I'll hear about how "Piaggo did it first, Harley is a rip-off and the engine in the V-Rod is a Porsche Engine blah blah blah."

I'd be really interested to see them bring this to market. Hm

[Kenneth_Moore]

"If you build it, they will hurl."

[The_AirHawk]

Not a Harley fan by any means here, but I think it's kinda cool that they're at least seriously considering something other than their previous status-quo.

Though it's just drawings, it looks better to me than the current 3-wheelers out there.

Wouldn't it be great if it does come to market, and it's not only good-looking, but fun to ride?

[TheFox]

Something I just noticed was that the drawings are all with the air cooled big twin rather than the Revolution powerplant. You would think that this would be a good place for the water cooled mill...

[Kenneth_Moore]

Originally Posted by TheFox

Something I just noticed was that the drawings are all with the air cooled big twin rather than the Revolution powerplant. You would think that this would be a good place for the water cooled mill...

Yeah, the article did say it looked like the Revo engine would go nicely in the frame, and seemed to say HD hinted that was a possibility. I like the fact that they made it so it can lean; maybe it won't have it's balls whacked off with nanny controls like the Spyder does. And I agree that it's great that HD is trying new things; albeit just a bit behind the other builders.

Did you know that HD built a V-4 liquid cooled bike in the 80's? It was another design done with Porsche. Apparently quite a few prototypes were built, but never made it to production.

[acecycleins]

If you check the US Patent Office they applied for the patent around 3 years ago when Piaggio released the MP3. I find it refreshing that HD R&D is thinking outside the box. Don't know that it would sell. However, the concept is interesting.

[TheFox]

Originally Posted by Kenneth_Moore

Did you know that HD built a V-4 liquid cooled bike in the 80's? It was another design done with Porsche. Apparently quite a few prototypes were built, but never made it to production.

Actually I did, but only because I went to the new Museum in Milwaukee. They have one on the floor there but I'm pretty sure it's mostly clay model rather than an actual one (they tell you that on the card). It looks cool in a very 80's sort of way. I wonder what the motorcycleing world would be like it it had been built (and succeeded).

[Kenneth_Moore]

Originally Posted by TheFox

Actually I did, but only because I went to the new Museum in Milwaukee. They have one on the floor there but I'm pretty sure it's mostly clay model rather than an actual one (they tell you that on the card). It looks cool in a very 80's sort of way. I wonder what the motorcycleing world would be like it it had been built (and succeeded).

How was the museum overall? Worth going?

I was watching one of the bike shows on Speed, and they were filming a traveling HD exhibition of famous bikes. There were three or four of these; they were all runners according to the narrator. Looked pretty cool; like a FXS with a VMAX stuffed in there.

It's always struck me how Harley's supposed deficit of an antiquated engine design turned out to be what saved the company. Pretty hard to get that potato potato sound out of a V-4!