Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles
Subject: Re: Harley Outperforms ZX11, Film at Eleven
From: zeleny@husc10.harvard.edu (Michael Zeleny)
Date: 10 Oct 92 14:10:31 EDT
Organization: The Phallogocentric Cabal

In article <1992Oct10.060211.22370@cbnewsj.cb.att.com>
car377@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (charles.a.rogers) writes:

>OK, prove that *any* inline-four will go 185,000 miles and require nothing
>more than a top-end job and a cylinder honing to put it back on the street.   
>This capability has been demonstrated and documented where Evos are concerned.  
>I doubt you'll find that it's true of any sport bikes.

As someone who has seen the insides of a good number of motorcycle engines,
I'll venture to make a few observations on this subject.  Regardless of the
engine configuration, any roller-bearing crankshaft motorcycle with a
decent oil filtration system will be able to best your numbers.  In
particular, this is true of Laverdas, which are known for their crank
bearing longevity (the only one I ever heard of that required new bearings
was run on the street with 7C race camshafts, which produce maximum power
about 500 r.p.m. above the factory suggested "sport" redline), in spite of
possessing only a brass mesh oil filter.  In this respect, Harley engines
suffer from a disadvantage shared by Ducati and Vincent (which managed to
log on 100,000 street miles in early Fifties), of forcing two connecting
rods to share a single crankpin.  So I assure you that even a humble Suzuki
Four from the late Seventies will, with proper care, readily duplicate the
above feat, all the while producing twice the horsepower with less
displacement than an 80-inch Harley.

As for the general merits and shortcomings of the latter, there remains a
lot to be said for the aesthetics of its engine design, the needless
complexity of the valve train notwithstanding (a rockerless DOHC design
simply cannot be beat from this standpoint).  Alas, all this is compromised
by the factory's insistence on saddling it with a twin monstrosity of a
bulky clutch and wide drive belt, thereby severely limiting both the
potential ground clearance and footpeg placement, as well as the rear tire
width.  Furthermore, none of the Harley frames, much less the rest of their
chassis components, are adequate, either in material or design, to the
levels of horsepower and torque which can be readily obtained by tuning
their engines.  Thus, any sport rider whose first priority is handling and
control, is automatically excluded from the Harley club.  Of course, part
of the slack is taken up by Buell; still, even this beautiful machine is
sadly lacking in comparison with its Italian competition.

To sum up, the modern Harley engines are getting by on technology inferior
to that of the Vincent Series B.  Given that the Vincent is often available
on the collector market at but a slight premium above the cost of a Big
Evolution Harley, and possesses an enormous advantage of class, speed, and
authenticity, the picture does not look too good for the Milwaukee marvel.

>Chuck Rogers
>car377@druhi.att.com

cordially,
mikhail zeleny@husc.harvard.edu
"Nous donnons la mort, nous saurons la subir."

Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA