How Harley Davidson made their greatest motorcycle ever
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- čas přidán 23. 06. 2023
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The Harley Davidson Knucklehead changed the future for the company and set the standard for American motorcycles going forward, with its overhead valve setup and innovative recirculating oil system.
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Seems to be a recurring story for Harley Davidson needing to survive bad times but strangely I can't see current management taking pay cuts.
Emissions laws was the latest.
@@huwzebediahthomas9193 I call bullshit on the claim that emissions rules are an issue for them. If a Chinese company has created a euro 5 Evo engine in a few months Harley goddamn Davidson can make all of their engines euro 5 while keeping their personality.
It's just marketing teams trying to reinvent Harley w
As someone from the UK I genuinely love Harley Davidson. I think they may need to streamline their offering a little as it can be confusing to non harley Europeans. They need to think of bringing back out a typical harley shaped bike with a smaller capacity engine. Something that looked like the soft tail standard or the Iron 883 with a 650cc engine with 47 horsepower and reasonable torque that wasn't too heavy, etc.
Key point - it needs to be under €8000.
The modern nightster and sportster are both too modern looking, and unless you are getting livewire, no one wants a futuristic looks American bike.
@@AsmodeusT Behold the RE Super Meteor 650
@@AsmodeusT They had them, the Street 500 and 750. They were discontinued in 2021, due to poor sales.
I think the 1937 Knucklehead is the best looking factory produced motorcycle ever made. Built to last too. There's alot of 'em still runnin' in 2023.
@@lurch789 maybe you will specify what exactly Harley Davidson copied from Vincent in 1937. Or maybe you just like to invent stories that have absolutely no support in reality. I would like you to describe for us only one specific mechanical item , design feature or engineering principle that Harley Davidson copied from Vincent in 1937 or ever.
All the old Knucklehead, Panhead, Shovelhead, and EVO Harleys look great. But they also have substance. The feel and sound like a Harley should. Not the case with "modern" M8 Harley Davidsons.
I like the 1939 color scheme more
@geraldscott4302 Harley Davidson should of never went fuel injection, it ruined the sound of the motorcycle, the new bikes idle too high and sound like shit. I used to own a 1977 iron head. Loved that bike, hell of a bitch to start in the winter time though. I hate the new bikes, if I get another Harley it will be a shovel head.
dechamp0: I don't recall saying anything about anything being copied from anyone. I believe you're addressing the wrong person
The 1936 Knucklehead is perhaps the best looking bike ever created.
Id say that’s subjective, in my opinion the Ducati 916 is the most gorgeous bike ever built. Don’t get me wrong, that harley is a great looking American bike, and I’d have one in a heartbeat given the chance.
definitely.
The first '36 el knuckle sold in NC is at the American Classic Motorcycle Museum in Asheboro,NC
I say the key to the Motor Co's resurgence is in this video. Give us a 2025 Knucklehead! Some sort of "Heritage" model. No frills, kick start option, springer option, etc. Bring it back, make it affordable (like they were) and watch the masses gobble em up!
Basically the goal of the Crossbones, but I think the Springer is too much of a headache to deal with for most roads and people.
The best way I can describe this channel to my ride buddies, is that this is the LORE of motorcycles.
Tell them it's the nerdiest motorcycle shit you've ever seen
@bartmotorcycle 😂 I love all the nerd info love your channel I don't even own a motorcycle I've rode a cr80f for a few hours and a Honda rebel 250 in a neighborhood. I'm into atvs. I wish someone was doing lengthy nerdy videos about atvs like this.❤
I think we will look back at the pan America as another win in their history I think they just need options keep the cool old and make the fast new with it
"There was a time, about a hundred years ago or so, when HD was at the cutting edge of technology."
OUCH! I see what you did there 😅
😂
@@fidelcatsro6948 Can I get an "AMEN"? People ride what they like, correct? Is there REALLY any need to put down another person's ride? If you love your' Japanese or Euro bike, GOOD FOR YOU! But please have the courtesy and good grace to allow others to enjoy their rides as well. We're ALL motorcyclists. Yes, by god,, you are entitled to your own opinion. But feel free to keep it to yourself! After all, it is YOUR opinion. Personally, I can find the good in any motorcycle, and there is some good in all of those that ride them. But try not to be the obnoxious jerk that gets in my face every time that I fuel up my Ironheads or my Shovelhead please.
@@DeanAWhite-gr8eo ok i will agree harleys are great heat generating combustion pumps that are comfortable to sit and ride as long as you are not in a rush to break speed records🐱👍🏿
Excellent tribute to the most beautiful motorcycle ever made! The 1936 EL "61 OHV" Knucklehead was also the last project that all 4 HD founders worked on together. Bill Harley's last engine was also his greatest!
Just put the 36 knucklehead back into production, Harley. Your financial problems will be over.
Love the knucklehead! But for me the one to use and enjoy long-term is the Evolution. Huge aftermarket support probably till Kingdom Come.
Sportys are good but they handed like a turkey with a broken wing. Wobble Wobble tank slapper bang you got a broken leg or you dead.
This one showed up on my feed again and it’s funny, there’s a lot of great content on this channel, but the fact you don’t like Harleys always seems to lurk here and there. “When Harley Made A Good Motorcycle.” Okay.
I’ve been riding for over 50 years, love just about every kind of motorcycle ever made and have ridden a lot of them.
One of the most fascinating things I’ve experienced is the excruciating trait some (many) motorcycle enthusiasts have regarding Harleys…
They can’t help but inform the folks riding them (and everyone else) that they just ain’t very good.
*.
Journalists especially like to pick Harleys apart, rating them through all the usual categories and it all makes sense. To them.
I know what it feels like to ride a cherry 650 Bonneville from the late ‘60s. I’ve felt the strangely polite yet terrifying pull of a Hayabusa and managed to stay alive blasting through big city traffic juggling the “opposite day” controls of a ‘48 Indian Chief, which are the reverse of the same era Harleys. Ninjas. Gold Wings. R1s. Ducatis. Name it. I’ve nearly died on it.
But never have I or any other Harley rider I’ve known over the decades ever wasted anyone’s time trying to convince them Harleys are cool. Or the best. Or the whatever.
Yet, here you all come, sauntering over as I pump my gas from your non-Harley-Davidson, that predictable friendliness preceding the polite mention of your own motorcycles attributes. The reasons for your choices and/or philosophies on life in general.
The back handed compliments and witticisms will eventually arrive if I listen politely. So I usually don’t.
I never waste this much time on any of you but I’m older these days and relax more…
Harley riders as a rule just don’t give a damn when it comes to opinions whether Harleys “are any good” etc.
But, it sure was cool when you made the video of you riding your daughter on that beautiful Triumph. Magnificent.
Some of us have a lifetime of memorable experiences with motorcycles and the only ones I would erase are the multitudinal spewings of passive aggressive goof balls trying to roundabout inform me my Harley ain’t good.
Life is short Cousin.
Harleys certainly are a religion for their adherents; there never was a more loyal fanbase for a company.
There are upsides and downsides when it comes to being a religion, though, and some of Harley's problems (both as a company, and as a product) come from the orthodoxy.
When I roll my 2021 Sportster Forty-Eight out of the garage, start her up and ride her, I feel a link to awesome bikes like the Knucklehead that made history. That's an awesome feeling!
I grew up riding in the back of my dads knucklehead. It was an awesome machine he built and rode. He lost it in a fire a few years ago.
Sorry to hear that I still ride Harleys have 2 EG and fat boy keep on keeping on kiddo
He's still got a shovelhead and bought a TC Heritage. Maybe one day he will get another knucklehead.
Now THAT is a loss that I'd cry over.
Thank you for the history of development. My favourite Harley is the Shovelhead 1340, I think this was the last of the true Harley's. Very enjoyable. 🇬🇧
Not a fan of HD in general, but boy would i be happy with one of these for my sunday rides.
Article titled "Knucle Head" but shows picture of a flathead!
The flatheads had recirculating oil system; even the 45.
I believe you have to go back to VL or earlier to have non scavenging oil system.
The current management needs to realize the heritage they constantly harp on and play upon needs to be supported by the Motor Company. I have a 2005 RK that is being “planned obsolete” by no support for parts and service by them. I can understand not stocking parts for 50-60yo bikes but bike less than 20yo should be supported and not abandoned to the internet. Support your products Harley. Encourage loyalty from your customer, don’t alienate them.
I can't think of another manufacturer that makes parts for 20 year old vehicles. I know that Honda doesn't. The aftermarket does.
That's not just Harley. GM will abandon support in as little as 15 years.
@@stevenwilliams1805 I agree with you… it’s just ridiculous. But here we are.
@@johnasbury9915 why I don't want to buy anything newer than 05' and will do anything I can to keep my "older" vehicle on the road. If more people did that manufacturers would be less likely to abandon everything to the aftermarket.
@@stevenwilliams1805 my ‘05 RK is probably my favorite Harley I’ve had(I’ve had 6) because it can do everything and just lopes down the road in a locomotive like manner. She handles like a dream and can go anywhere. She’s a keeper.
I wonder what would happen to sales if they were to come out with a bolt-for-bolt exact reissue of a knucklehead, with optional turn signal lights, etc. to make it road legal today?
That's a great thought, but unfortunately, it will never happen because of our EPA. Hell, they can't even build a simple lawnmower anymore.
When I think "motorcycle," I think about a knucklehead.
I think about an sv650 🥲
i think about a Cathead bandit1200..
I was born in '63, where the PANHEAD was still going strong, as far as looks go, I still like it the best. Nice Vid Bart
Kickstart needs a pedal to help spread the force across more of your foot so when it backfires it doesn't break your arch LOL
Nice article about the knucklehead but the bike under the title is a flathead. I love them too tho
I'd love to pay $300 for a new knucklehead in 2024. Absolutely love it.
Awesome video! About the history, the styling, the technology en this bike in relation to others. That’s what I love about all of your video’s, Bart, and especially about this one. Greatly done. 👌🏻
Yeah, I'd never thought about the influence of the Great Depression and Art Deco as a movement on the design of the Knucklehead. Once it was pointed out, I was like "Doh!"
It would seem that one of Harley's biggest hurdles is overcoming stigma. It's such a divisive brand name-and for good reason. I personally hope that they can continue making heritage inspired machines that still give the public a solid value for money. It is a premium brand and I don't see myself buying a new Harley, but there are plenty of people that would. Every time I think of selling my Harley and getting a more modern Triumph or something like a Tenere 700, I worry that I will miss that mechanical feeling of having to actually pilot the machine. Yet the stigma bothers me too. I don't wear a turtle shell on my head, and I don't pull in the clutch and rev the bike for no reason. And yet heaps of Harley riders do. Maybe that will never change and I'll be too annoyed and finally give in to a modern easy to ride Triumph or Honda and KTM. I love your channel by the way!
It's stigma as much as the "lifestyle" dogma, something that Harley always pushes. Harley is big on tradition and selling bikes as "the grandson of your granddad's bike": it may look more modern and use more modern technology, but underneath nothing much has changed. And that philosophy speaks to certain groups of riders, which is where the stigma attached itself to the Harley lifestyle.
Both stigma and lifestyle combined have given us pseudo-logics like "loud pipes save lives", "if it was good enough for my pappy and his pappy before him, it's good enough for me", revving the engine unloaded (of course with the straight pipes) and puttering along at minimum revs in the highest gear "because that sounds so nice".
It also keeps Harley from modernising even more, up to the point that when they actually come up with a better concept like the V-Rod, or the Buell, they kill it off to keep pushing the "tried and trusted" bikes. So in a way I think it's fair to say that the biggest competitor for Harley is Harley itself: it will never get over its own traditions, stigma and lifestyle dogma.
I agree! Every time I get off my softail slim, battered by the wind and deafened by the pipes l think l need to get a gold wing to make it easier. Then l realise l have a car for that and I’d miss the feeling- as you put so well- of actually participating in piloting the machine.
There's a "stigma"??? LOL, been riding old Harleys since the 70's and never noticed any stigma or divisiveness of the name. Guess I just don't get it, lol.
How do you have a documentary voice and I've never seen you on a motorcycle, but this is one of my favorite motorcycle channels? Great work.
I rebuilt, customized, and rode for over 10 years a 1948 Harley Panhead. 1948 was the first year for the Panheads. I really liked it, especially Kick Stating it, (thinking back wished I had kept ir, but at the time I needed some cash to buy a sailboat, that I sailed to Hawaii. Anyway, those old Harley's had some issues, terrible, worthless Brakes, a 6 volt Electrical system, No Oil Filters, pressed-in bronze cam roller guides, the stock Bendix carb was like a lawn mower carb with no accelerator pump.
Suggestion: The historic rivalry between Harley Davidson and Indian motorcycles goes back to 1901. I had my first ride on the back of a salmon pink1940 Indian Sport Scout at age 13 in Milwaukee, WI and became a life long Indian lover. At age 85, I don't ride anymore but my second 1948 Indian Chief still sits in my garage. If I had been given a ride on a Harley 45, I probably would have become a Harley lover. There is a rich history of famous racing riders of both brands. There were bar-fights concerning which were the better bikes. Indian tried an electric starter in the mid 1900's, rear plunger suspension in the 40's, all kinds of racing engines, dry sump engine lubrication, air cooled oil compartment in the right side gas tank, the " beautiful" roman helmet style fenders, the variety of paint schemes available, during the Dupont era for a few dollars extra. It would take a bit of research and effort to produce an epic Harley VS Indian video, or series of videos, but your unique and entertaining style of story telling could do it justice.
No H-D /Indian rivalry in 1901, as Harley didn't exist at that time. But if it did, then you would be on point.
@@northerniltree Correct, I still have my second '48 Chief.
I thoroughly enjoyed this short history lesson, thank you.
Management taking a 50% pay cut for the good of the company. What a concept! Don't hold your breath waiting for any of today's managers doing that.
HD seems to be in a dilemma. Most of their customers want a bike that looks and operates like it was made in the 1950s. When innovation is attempted, it is rejected. If it were a car company, all of their customers would only want a 1957 Chevy Belair.
I never could buy a Knucklehead when I was in my teens back in the 1970s but I finally got a Ironhead sportster which had the cast iron heads which kinda reminded me of the knucklehead cast iron heads.
The cutting edge technology that made the Knucklehead a beacon is not evident in the new products. Asking what's new in a Harley showroom gets you to the paint jobs.
I’m always stoked to see a bart video drop. I get a little extra excited to see vintage Harley content.
Harley Davidson reached the pinnacle of perfection in the late 1990s, with the last of the EVO powered bikes. The looked great, they sounded great, they felt great, and they were reliable. Much more reliable than BMW. They were still simple, easy to work on, easy to modify machines. Then came the Twin Cams. They still looked, sounded, and felt like Harleys, for the most part, but they were far less reliable than the EVO powered bikes. The cheap pressed together cranks, poorly designed chain driven cams and tensioners that tended to fail at fairly low mileage made them far more troublesome than the EVO. Then in 2007, all Harleys got EFI, another major step in the wrong direction. That turned them into computers on wheels, made them almost impossible for the average mechanically inclined owner to work on and modify, and made shop or dealer repairs MUCH more expensive. Then came the M8, the end of Harley Davidson. These bikes may have said Harley Davidson on the tank, but they definitely were NOT "Harleys" Back in the Twin Cam era, H-D had started painting most of their bikes flat black, which totally ruined the looks. Then came the M8 engine, which felt and sounded just like a Honda Goldwing engine. I know that because I have owned two Goldwings, and I test rode an M8 H-D back in 2016, when they first came out. It was so smooth and quiet I couldn't tell if the engine was running. While riding it, the only noise I could hear was gear whine. I felt nothing. The mirrors were completely clear. That is NOT what Harleys are about, and is the reason why the high tech Japanese Harley "copies", with their balancers, offset crankpins, and liquid cooling, never sold as well as real Harleys. About the only reason they ever sold at all was because they were so much cheaper than Harleys. I have a 1989 Harley FXRS Low Rider I have owned since 2003, twenty years, and it has been trouble free, while still giving me everything I love about Harleys. Back in 2016 I bought a 2001 Sportster 1200C. It has also been completely trouble free.
More reliable than a BMW? MY EVO was one of the worst bikes I ever owned. The other three worst were all HD. My BMW carried me for years and awesome miles. HD may look good standing still but I wouldn't trust one to the end of my driveway.
This era was the best, nowadays they are just expensive only lawyers and doctors can afford them
when I think of a vintage Harley a few bikes come to mind, the FLH, the K-Model, the original Sportster, but the one I think of first is always the Knucklehead it's just truly iconic and absolutely gorgeous
Very impressed with the quality of your narration. Thanks.
Another great video!
Herb Wagner gives a detailed description of HD's teething problems with the Knucklehead in his book "Revolutionary Motorcycles and those who rode them". HD got into trouble with the Knuckle's design by copying the current British practice of leaving the valve springs and rockers exposed to a cooling airflow, while also trying to incorporate Bill Harley's patented automatic rocker shaft lubrication system.
Apparently HD had purchased a number of British OHV machines in the early 30's to disassemble and investigate current OHV practice. Most British OHV bike engines of the time like Norton, Triumph and BSA had exposed rockers and valve springs. You had to manually lubricate the rocker shafts and valve stems to keep wear within reason.
Bill Harley had designed a pressurized and metered system to automatically feed the rockers and valve ends, but in the original design that oil was meant to be lost to the atmosphere, so it was a total loss system. The motorcycle operator therefore had to walk a very fine line when adjusting the oil flow. Too much oil and you had an unholy mess... not enough and the rockers started to squeak and seize. Acceptable oil flow at low engine speeds could become a gusher at high speeds. There's a picture somewhere of a pre-production test rider with his pants completely drenched with oil.
They struggled with this for two years before finally deciding to cover the rockers and springs. Bill Harley quickly designed a system to create a partial vacuum to pull oil back down from the now-enclosed rocker housing. In his book Herb Wagner suggests that although HD could have come up with the final idea on their own, they may also have caught wind of the fact that BMW had been using enclosed rockers for a decade with no ill effects! Whatever the case, the redesign saved HD's OHV "Knucklehead" project from the scrap heap.
Thanks for making otherwise unknown or banal tech developments seem so fascinating. 👍
I do remember when the Evolution engine saved HD as well.
Absolutely awesome video!
Only second toJason Momoa’s epic video with Harley which touched my heart in its description of why certain bikes will always mean more than the specifications 👍🇬🇧
Excellent video. I just discovered this channel and subscribed immediately! Thank you for this great story, told expertly using flawless production techniques.
Very good edits and well expressed. Love these insights to Harley.
HD should look at Royal Enfield. Keep the old design and make smaller motorcycles and price them competitive.
They will not sell in the US but the rest of the world will be interested.
I own a Harley and I desperately want to see the company survive. My youngest is on his fourth Milwaukee Eight. He told me all four burned oil. He jokes and says it's a feature. He calls it a self changing oil system, just add. I did some research on this and found truth in what he said. I found a comment from Harley that said it was normal for the Milwaukee Eight to use up to one quart of oil every one thousand miles. What? Me of little knowledge says, "No"! The thing that bothers me the most is what isn't said. Like, what's being done to fix it. Needless to say, I won't be buying a new Harley any time soon. This is not how a company moves forward if it intends to live. This video is about the Knucklehead and how it saved the company. It sounds to me like the company needs to be saved once more and not by bean counters. JMO! Love the video!
One quart every thousand miles? My '97 Evo drinks a quart about every 500 which is a whole lot better than when I rode a Pan which used a quart every 250 miles due to the primary chain oiller. Air cooled motors "burn off" a lot of oil but maybe 1000 miles is a little high considering technology. Also, now days one can find 20w50 at most auto supplies. Back in old times a long distance trip included strategic stops just to obtain 50w.
@@stanfischer6175 I'm thinking we are both long time riders. My experience is with Japanese bikes. That changed in 2013 when I bought my first Harley. Harley Davidsons weren't anything new to me as many friends owned them. In all my years of motorcycling I have never had a bike that used one quart of oil every thousand miles, not anywhere close. My Twin Cam Dyna uses none. Yes, none. Others I have talked with that own Twin Cams say about the same. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to put Twin Cams on a pedestal because they have their share of problems. I'm just talking oil consumption. That said, I never ride hard and long. With that in mind, I expected the Milwaukee Eight to be just as good in regard to oil use. It may be if I owned a Milwaukee Eight, mine wouldn't use any oil either. I'm not going to test that theory. I lost my brain, when I read Harley Davidson saying one quart of oil use is normal in one thousand miles, without saying they were working on a fix. For me? Hell No! Air cooled or liquid cooled, Hell No! If I came up on Harley Davidsons I might feel a bit different about it, but I didn't.
@@stanfischer6175 If your 97 Evo is burning a quart every 500 miles you have something seriously wrong with your engine.
Even before watching, this has to be about the Evo?
No it’s about the knucklehead.
Why is there a flat head on the intro to this.
Nice thumbnail, says knucklehead - shows WL.
Well bart, it seems that you're learning. Congratulations on "growing up"! I'm actually beginning to like your' videos now that you don't appear to feel the need to hate on motorcycles "just because". All motorcycles are good, in one way or another. Even mopeds and scooters have a place in the world. If we all liked the same things, only Honda would make one model of motorcycle. Janus is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. Old tech and style, and expensive. But some people think that they are great, and worth the money. I'd love to ride one at least once, even if it's pokey slow. And yes, I'd throw my leg over a sportbike (former Ducati fan) and enjoy that too. It's not WHAT you ride, it's THAT you ride.
Was the pedal to stop it wrecking your instep when it kicked back? Having owned a few British singles and twins my poor feet think it looks like a pretty good idea,
I had a friend who owned a 40 knuckle modified to the hilt huge valves fat cam 80 flywheels magneto ignition that thing was outrageous
Knucks were always my fave as far as aesthetics go, really iconic and classic "H-D", IMHO,
as far as new and new-ish bikes go, I love many Harleys and Indians and some Triumph bobs look tempting too, but idk,
I may never get to ride again. Only father time knows, for certain.
Great little mini - doc or info video, very cool , well done 👌🏻✌🏻
If there is no oil puddle under your knucklehead...put oil in it.
gold star for the day
HARLEY'S Future would be assured if they brought out the retro knucklehead LOOK w/ modern EVO tech...but what do I know, just an old dude who worked for factory and largest Dealerships for 20 yesrs....going out to shed, walk past my new HARLEY and ride my old, iron barrel, Royal Enfield..hope it starts!
Two models I would buy. 1. Said retro Knucklehead. That means a real tractor style seat etc. A bike that from 100' away you might mistake for a real KH. 2. A real XR750 - that is, a light powerful street tracker, not a 550 pound Sportster based style job.
Recently I think Harley haven't looked back enough. "Personally", I liked the Road King and the Soft Tail Slim.
Harley wouldn't make such a stylish, usable bike until 2020 Heritage Classic 114.
Great job, man... incredible video.
That's NOT "Mr. HARVEY" at 0:55, that's Bill Ottoway his assistant.
Re-tooling and interior warehouse to build those. Creating an inventing, the tools. The parts. the training,, advertising…. there are no computers. Everything is machined to perfection.
Great video love your stuff right up my line keep them coming thank you
Absolutely the best looking cruiser ever built. You can really feel the Knuckle dna with a Heritage or RK Classic.
The 61 c.i. was the best street Harley as that shorter stroke made for a smoother engine .
Good job. I love this channel!
I love the knucklehead Harleys.
Designed by knuckleheads for knuckleheads.
My roommate and I always watch American Chopper reruns on Saturday morning 👍 (Although they mostly use panhead engines, a more modern version of the knucklehead.)
That was awesome !
The 1936 knucklehead would be hands down the first dream bike of mine that I would buy if I could , who knows if I ever win the lottery or some how earn alot of money some how that would be the bike
I just love your videos.
Exceptional video 👍
Well done!
The 52 Panhead with a thumb shift and a tq converter with Grey Carbonized, the gears on the left hand grip and no clutch, just a converter in the 5 speed gear box an the chain to the rear wheel. Air ride seat post. And no butt in the air look. A laid back disk brake front and rear.
nice brief short of Indian Chief motors being installed. Look like 1950 - 53. The primary has the compensator sprocket hump. Also, another shot of an 80" chief at 5:58
The hard time I have with your question at the end of this video is that Harley is doing so much right now, and not being recognized for it. The Lowrider ST as a sport tourer, the new CVO line of touring motorcycles will be liquid cooled, the M8 is infinitely customizable with variance all the way up to 135 in.³ motor that pushes 160 hp and the same in torque, one of the top rated adventure motorcycles of all time running a new liquid cooled motor with great horsepower and torque numbers also, and a brand new line of sportster’s with variations on that same motor. In many ways simply because of Harley‘s lineage, they become the whipping boy basically treated as though they’re running the same twin cam motor from the early 2000s. Every motorcycle company has holes in their games where improvements could be made. The gaping hole in Harley’s game is obviously price and then it’s lower models suspension. But the ridiculous notion that Harley hasn’t stepped into the future is crazy. The problem with Harley is that until they create motorcycles that are affordable enough that all of the keyboard jockeys online can buy them, and become fanboys for themselves their sales will suffer. I think the smartest thing Harley has done is to not try and get into the sport bike game. I believe that sport bikes are where most people start but a place where very few can end. As they are uncomfortable for 99.99% of the jobs you need to do on the road.
They are uniquely beautiful and iconic while still being utilitarian. Very American.
It's the same as how the British made the most beautifull steam engines in the prior century.
I'm surprised they never redid the knuckles for today's market,as a tribute to the past make a line of modern lookalike or something,pans n shovels too
Yet another awesome vid. Can you please also make a similar video on the Crocker?
That was not the only worst time for the company. They have faced company ending circumstances all the way through their history and done what was necessary to survive. The 36 show where that bike was introduced, the bike on stage was essentially a prototype and not ready at all for the market. All the hate for them is amazing to me because that bike was a great example of how extremely difficult it is to successfully engineer and build a new bike and get it to a world wide market and for the company to stay afloat. Any company. Ducati has not always produced panigale v4 quality bikes, and yet like Harley they have stuck with mainly what they know, and what their buyers want in spite of the market, buyers, being fickle and tastes changing. 385 dollars in just 2002 money was @9k. They are not going to be able to satisfy the price naysayers either, because to build a road glide mainly here, it costs what it costs, and it’s what Harley lovers want. What Harley and these other companies have done to bring these bikes to market and stay on top is just much more difficult than people think.
Honda is busy grabbing the young riders by offering cheap, fun beginner bikes like the Grom and CT models. They are all over the place here. The smaller models don't even need a license plate or insurance to ride.
People are pretty loyal to machines they grow up with.
Great video as always 👍
Great video ❤❤❤
We live in the second art deco now 😔
Why would a kick starter need a pedal? It really doesn't. However, wothoit it, and eorn rubber soles on your boot, kick levers with rough metal, oe rubber, can snag pn worn boot soles.
They also wear holes in leather soled shoes, starting as a groove. The pedal allows rotation, during the down stroke. Also makes for an overall smoother transition over the full arc of the kick.
Wife and I have my great grandfather's 39 Panhead, and other classics. A couple quick kick starts, you notice no real difference.
Kick 10, you start to notice the difference in frictoon, compared to one without the pedal.
And they started with bicycles. You use what got you to the dance.
That makes sense, good observation
@@bartmotorcycle thanks. Been riding all my life, with mom or dad, and pn my own, since age 5. Little YZ50. Had mostly UJM once I got my M endorsement.
11 years of trail and motocross, and until losing my leg in 21, I used lock levera quite often. Still do on the dirt bikes we still own.
Every right boot gained a round notch in the sole. Never met a kick start only Harley rider with that notch.
And yes. I still ride with an above knee amputation.
Great clip
Can you do a video on the pan head my dad had one ...man I miss him
00:51 William S HARVEY?? 😮😂 Slip of the tongue I hope. ✌️🇨🇦
Great thing always about Harleys is that you can find spare parts for them along side the highways.... and the parts are usually coated with oil so there is no rust.
Sounds like you haven't owned a Harley.......in the last 40 years.
@@thomaseatkinson7088 They definitely haven't been in the reliability or refinement class for the last 40 years.
@@carlatamanczyk3891Been riding Harleys for 40 years and never once have I been stranded by any of them. Also, when they need servicing or repair I am able to nearly everything myself aside from machine work during an engine rebuild. Not going to say that I will never get stranded due to a breakdown but thus far my Harleys have been nothing but reliable excellent motorcycles.
Harley is still making great bikes.
Yeah, that's what I want. Mail-order food. What's next? C-rations?
Great bike. The bike pictured in the begining was a flat head not a knuckle head.
This essay is long overdue. People don't give harley credit for the work the have done to bring motorcycles as a whole forward. Bill Harley was an inovator, if he had been around in the 80s he would have never let HD take the image of the typical biker brand. He would have inovated and he would have pushed on. I am 100% certain that Harley would have the fastest bikes by now if the company kept his spirit.
They need to keep the Classic, Deluxe and the Road King.
Bart please make a video on a GSXR 750
Great picture of a flathead on my UTube thumbnail picture
Do you really not know why there is a pedal on the kickstart?
It looks pretty practical to me, (it’s nice to see a bike that’s comfortable to kick start from a seated position)
I've thought about it, but don't know.
I always thought the KHK was the best looking HD.
Great video and i am not s harley fan. I did once want an old knuvkle head to build a bobber , chopper but never found one.
I’d love to see Harley take what they’ve learned over many generations about making a great V Twin and apply that to the next 100 years being about the V4 and go back to selling bikes at volume rather than to a few old rich pricks. And go back to the Buell designs they never really took seriously before, give some American sport bikes another go.
Consider Martin guitar company. They reissued replucas of many of their guitars from the 1930s. Maybe Harley could do the same.
Old Harleys looks more proportional and way better than modern ones
I believe HD needs to make there motorcycles look better, which means industrial design would be a heavier focus, and make better engines, faster, endurances and such
The machine on the title page isn't a knucklehead. It's a big twin flathead.
By 1953, Harleys had a smooth 4 speed transmission, and Indians still had a rough shifting 3 speed transmission, probably the main reason Indian went bankrupt. Also having a left hand throttle.
These days Harleys are overstyled or overloaded been that way for a while now. Softail Slim is on target IMO for a modern clean look and now re-issue those old styles with real steel stuff never mind all the chrome just the basic super cool style of the past.