Death nell of Nitro??

At the time, I would tend to agree. Remember, back then, they were "owned" by AMF, a company world famous for their motorcycling knowledge (snort, cough, snort). They had Showa forks and Nippon Seiki gages and who knows what else in foreign parts. Their own loyalists were abandoning them. They were poorly put together and fell apart on the road (the owners manual said you had to stop every 500 miles and tighten the cylinder base bolts!). I was an MC mechanic about that time and heard all the bitching from die-hard fans. Harley was dying and they knew it.

The only reason they are doing so well now is the born-again corporate Harley "mystique" wanna-be's. No one who buys a bike for its on-the-road function would consider one.

HEHE!

No, it's a Buell. The ONLY reason Harley is involved is because someone else took the initiative and risk to build the product. Never in a million years would Harley come up with such a bike and market it under their own name.

They are 1200CC bikes that the AMA lets into races againse 600CC jap bikes!

Very true. Ask anyone who owns one and, if they are telling the truth, they will agree. There is NOTHING a Harley can do mechanically that many other bikes don't do better and for less money.

Actually, Honda did just that with their earlier V-twins. They used offset crankpins to simulate different angles.

To me it is more unrefined than anything else. Compare it to an Aprilia or Ducati for example.

Very true. Anything a Harley can do, most any competing brand does much better.

The last time I was at a motorcycle race (probably about 15 years ago) at Brainard, there was a completely separate class for HD's. The HD's were so slow there was no point in running them against anything else.

I was talking about the great Levis fiasco. Levis are not made in the EU but have an "official" importer who is guaranteed all the sales. Tesco wanted to bypass this cartel and directly import them so everyone could pay the same price as we do in the USA. The "official" importer took them to court to enforce the protectionist laws and Levis sided with them (the hand that feeds you and all that).

There isn't much that the UK makes that we really want!

I have been taking quality assurance and quality management courses for the last 20 years and Harley was never mentioned in any of them as a shining example. I believe their sole reason for success lies in the "mystique" factor and all the corporate mid-life-crisis, clip-on pony tail, hells angel wanna-be's. Ask 100 Harley owners why they picked a Harley over any other brand and you won't hear anything about the actual performance of the bike. At least none will be supportable!

When Evil Kneivil was "riding" you could swear that the bike company's name was "Harley Davidson Best Motorcycle In The World".

"mystique"

company's name

government in

crocodile

Well I have read articles that extol HD's quality control. I don't think they use any breakthrough methods. Also their newest engine is one of the most durable, easily going 100,000 miles, one of the reasons it is popular with the police. Too big and heavy for the military except possibly MP duties these days though. The newest military bike will be a desiel trail bike, but do not remember who makes it.

Well! It did once make a pretty decent Aircraft Carrier. Except for the fact that it never has, doesn't now and never will go anywhere!

Were you to do your research, Buell was started by, designed by and is being built under the guidance of a former HD engineer. He struck out on his own with the full backing and support of Milwaukee!

But of course, it has nothing to do with or related to HD.

Hmmm! 750 cc Flat Track! Dominated by HD for how many years?

And they still can't get it right!

Actually, these days you can order your HD with a variety of options to include different pipes. Straight from the factory!

Yea! The chicks love it too!