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I believe the first fly by wire was on the 06 R6, followed by the 07 R1.

Again, it's easy to implement something across an entire lineup when everything is run on the same engine, transmission, etc.

I'm not attacking HD, I'm really not, but it's not necessary to defend something every time someone jokes about them being old fashioned. They own a huge part of the international market share, they hold their own, but the basic look/feel/persona hasn't changed since the 40s, so we joke about them being ancient technology.

Isn't it just the two Electra Glide models that get the water-cooled (well, partially water-cooled) engine. Interestingly, water-cooling isn't even mentioned in the press notes http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/motorcyc ... aGlide.htm

Wrider wrote:but it's not necessary to defend something every time someone jokes about them being old fashioned.

Nor is it necessary to bring out the same old "jokes" every time the brand is discussed. "Persona, look and feel" are separate topics from "current technology".

Grey Thumper wrote:Isn't it just the two Electra Glide models that get the water-cooled (well, partially water-cooled) engine. Interestingly, water-cooling isn't even mentioned in the press notes http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/motorcyc ... aGlide.htm

They certainly have seemed to downplay the water cooling for some reason. They've been advertising 8 bikes under the "Project Mount Rushmore" banner, which focuses on how they were built with "unprecedented" customer input, so you would think a significant change like water cooling (okay, partial water cooling) would be front and centre in all the hype.

I'm really curious to see how well it works and what, if any, long term maintenance or reliability issues will arise. If they can pass the next hike in emissions standards with this setup, it will be an impressive feat, but I'm still hoping for a bored out V-Rod motor in a Road Glide chassis to appear some day.

Ha ha ha ha

Gummiente wrote:
They certainly have seemed to downplay the water cooling for some reason

It's not something they wanted to do but was forced to do.

Definitely there's a certain charm to air cooled engines. I have three of them in my garage right now, and have owned others in the past.

HYPERR wrote:

Gummiente wrote:
They certainly have seemed to downplay the water cooling for some reason

It's not something they wanted to do but was forced to do.

Definitely there's a certain charm to air cooled engines. I have three of them in my garage right now, and have owned others in the past.

Same downplaying with BMW and its new "precision-cooled" boxer engine. Gotta find a phrase to appease both the traditionalists and potential new buyers (H-D calls it "twin cooling" IIRC). The radiator design looks pretty awful though. They were much more successful (and subtle) with the V-Rod's radiators. I wonder how this engine will be used in Dynas, Softails, etc.

Gummiente wrote:

Grey Thumper wrote: I'm really curious to see how well it works and what, if any, long term maintenance or reliability issues will arise. If they can pass the next hike in emissions standards with this setup, it will be an impressive feat, but I'm still hoping for a bored out V-Rod motor in a Road Glide chassis to appear some day.

I'm with you on curiosity as to how well the partial cooling will fare in the future. I'm thinking that eventually the cylinders will get a little bigger but the pistons will stay the same to make room for a water jacket around the jugs, but will keep the cooling fins to keep the look.

On another forum, this same topic got a response from someone who said they'd read somewhere that the Road Glide is being revamped this year and will return in 2015 with full water cooling. Interesting rumour, but I'll get my chequebook ready just in case it turns out to be true.