Expensive Bacon

Reuters ^ | JULY 18, 2017 | Ankit Ajmera

[Macoozie]

Harley-Davidson cuts shipments forecast; shares skid

[OftheOhio]

And what would a tool named Ankit Ajmera know anything about American Iron. Half the post here are just as clueless. I know a person that still rides a Knucklehead, 1949, triple chrome plated forkings by Frank, mirror finish. $40k motorcycle. My old ‘86 4 speed chain drive Sportster is more than half the “experts” here could handle. It clearly will jerk a knot in your *ss if you can ride it and the best handling bike of ANY I have ever ridden. FR is really entertaining since free trader types now rule the day. Anything but American. Spit.

[Garth Tater]

My old ‘86 4 speed chain drive Sportster is more than half the “experts” here could handle.

Is that the 883 with 46 hp and a top speed of 93 mph? Or the 1100 with 50 hp and a top speed of 102?

Not to speak bad of your slow, old piece of iron dude, but you need to go Jap if you want to keep up with the pack.

[Boomer]

True that. We used to call the crotch or rice rockets.

Very different style of riding than the road sofa big touring bikes from several makers.

[IWONDR]

how about one of these?

http://www.polaris.com/en-us/slingshot

[IWONDR]

http://polaris.hs.llnwd.net/o40/slg/2017/img/vehicle/overview/media-viewer/modal/slingshot-slr/slingshot-slr-orange-hero.jpg

[vetvetdoug]

My 94’ Nostalgia is good enough for me and I intend for it to be the last bike I'll ever own. She is classic beauty in Pearl white and silver with the “cow glide” seat, bags and rest. I've had it tweaked a few times and she'll run at 85-90 all day. Some Harley mechanics say the Evo engine was one of the best enduring engines made by Harley. I rode a Yamaha while in college for over five years and liked them but the Harley is just pleasant.

[OftheOhio]

I’ve still got my skin (dude) at this advanced age. Rode everything from H1 Kaw’s to Vmax’s. More than I can say for most riders I’ve known over the years. More than half of the clueless young riders I’ve come across don’t know squat about counter-steering. They will be statistics. Slow old piece of iron, lol. The most impressive riding I’ve ever seen was a HD big iron that did a drag launch from a stoplight. It wasn’t just a wheelie, brought tears to my eyes, instant hookup and shifting on the fly. I’ve seem plenty of idiots do wheelies on the highway, there was no comparison, like I said future statistics. A young woman rider bought the farm last week near me, a deer took her out in the afternoon. That’s what being a rider is all about, enduring the danger without being stupid about it. It wasn’t her call. Kudos to her for BEING a rider though.

[Garth Tater]

50 hp will not "jerk a knot in your ass." I've got an 88 Yamaha with triple the hp and I still have a hard time keeping up with some of the racers I meet on the road. It's not the young guns on their crotch rockets that end up in the morgues (they've still got reflexes and flexible joints going for them) it's the middle aged fat boys out for their weekend rides that end up with their skin on the road. If the young ones don't die their first year out they're probably good to go. But a weekend warriors never does get enough time in the saddle to be able to ride thru a situation.

Where are you at in Ohio dude? Anywhere down by the river?

[OftheOhio]

You might read a little about “torque” Garth. It’s not like sitting on a vmax and looking down at the faggot looking controls, faster than hell, but nonetheless leaving you feeling like a faggot. Tractor pull is where it’s at, lol. Watch the video on the electric racer bike. No torque, but took him down the lane in an instant. Cleaned him up off the road, they did, haha.

[Garth Tater]

Torque is force at a distance. HP is a measure of energy (the ability to do work.) Got the degree and 40 years of building fast machines. HP and torque are in fact closely related and as we both know,

HP = Torque x RPM ÷ 5252

so with a properly geared machine HP and torque are effectively equivalent measures of potential performance.

[fella]

Re: #6

Suicide express.

Just because it can sprint up to 140 doesn’t mean you’ve got to do that everywhere you go.

[OftheOhio]

I’m impressed Garth, lol. You still don’t get it. Torque as measured in your shoulder sockets or the seat of your pants, not some BS formula that such equals such. I’ve been on Ford Tractors that did wheelies. Good thing you brought up gearing, I was about ready to include you in the company of Ankit. Sprocket size has a great deal to do with preceived torque and of course gearing ratio.

[fella]

Back in the 70's I ran around Europe on one of these

The sidecar didn't have the windscreen or bumper but did have a spare on back and it had been painted red,yellow and black. In the Winter it did OK even kept your feet warm with those opposing heads.

[Garth Tater]

I'm pretty sure I could tell you more about torque than you'd want to hear. "Tell me the difference between horsepower and torque" was one of my test questions when hiring fresh out of univ engineers.

But yeah, you are confused. A tractor can do a wheelie and torque is a factor in that but it is mostly a matter of gearing. That tractor is going to have a top speed of about 20 mph.

A quick run down on how torque affects going fast:

Engineers have a choice when designing an engine to provide a smooth power band - which is a basically flat, horizontal torque curve across the entire usable rpm range or making a torque curve that maximizes in a narrow range. The first is the type of engine (and torque curve) that you get when you are designing a daily driver to take grandma back and forth to the bingo hall twice a week, a flat torque curve so she can change gears at almost any rpm without stalling the engine.

To make a go-fast engine you maximize the engine's output in a narrower band - say 4000 - 5500 rpm instead of from 1000 - 6000 rpm like you would with grannies car. This gives you much more power between 4000 and 5500 rpm but your design constraints will force you to drop the torque curve at the lower rpms when you maximize them in the upper range. This is why the proper gearing is important - the proper gearing allows the rider to keep the engine in the "power band."

If you want to tell me that going fast is all about torque and tractors doing wheelies I really would suggest that you read up a bit more on the subject. That and get a Jap bike instead of a Harley if you really do want to go fast. Top end 102 mph ** snicker **

[Boomer]

After what Polaris did with Victory by leaving all their customers hanging and just quitting rather than downsize to a few models that sell well; I find it impossible to consider buying any Polaris product. They did the same thing with a watercraft line some years previously.

No telling if they will still be in business next week.

[OftheOhio]

“If you want to tell me that going fast is all about torque and tractors doing wheelies I really would suggest that you read up a bit more on the subject.”

Clearly not my words, don’t even suggest such. What’s your point. What, are you going to school me now. I have a college education too, lol. In fact, I’m an accomplished jet engine designer among other things. I never said the Sportster was the fastest bike in the world now did I. The Sportster’s torque curve is significantly higher than horsepower approaching inversely proportional until you hit around 5800rpm. There is a reason why they have ruled the flat track for decades. http://www.baggersmag.com/horsepower-vs-torque-horsepower-rules-torque-king

[anton]

Harley Davidson made of tin,
Ride em out, push em in.

[Garth Tater]

I never said the Sportster was the fastest bike in the world now did I

You said it "jerked a knot in your *ass," which it clearly doesn't. You also denigrated the posters on the thread in your first post, calling them quote-unquote experts and half of them being unable to handle your machine. Your machine LOL That Harley is a slow ride and you can't deny it. You started out with a typical Harley rider's huff and puff and then kept putting your foot in your mouth with your going on about torque and telling me to read up on the subject. As an actual engineer I would have expected you to have a better understanding of the subject. Still, I have to admit, you do seem to know more than most Harley drivers (note I didn't say riders) which go on and on about how fast their machines are until they actually get out on the road. I think we've both had enough. Later dude.

[OftheOhio]

The Baggersmag article put your tired excuse to bed mister college graduate and great engine designer, lol. You learn something new everyday. I expected a thank you, lol. Of course, there’s some never admit they are wrong. Typical misdirection, change the subject, or try to imply someone said things they didn’t. Read the article Dude, haha. You clearly don’t know torque from a ham sandwich.

[rrrod]

Riding a Harley or not one shouldn’t speak ill of them....it’s unAmerican.....lol