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Difference between revisions of "Harley-Davidson history"
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The way that Harleys developed through the 1990s reflected this, with more emphasis on styling than engineering. Of course, there have been engineering advances like fuel injection, balance shafts and settled wheel bearings, but the company has chosen not to invest in anything radically new, even though, perhaps for the first time, it could easily afford to. There were rumors of a 95ci (1560cc) version of the Evo in 1989/90, an attempt to overtake the 85ci (1400cc) Japanese lookalikes. It came to nothing, as the bigger engine reportedly had unacceptable bore and piston wear. That was something else that was different about Harley-Davidson — it now knew better than to launch anything substandard. | The way that Harleys developed through the 1990s reflected this, with more emphasis on styling than engineering. Of course, there have been engineering advances like fuel injection, balance shafts and settled wheel bearings, but the company has chosen not to invest in anything radically new, even though, perhaps for the first time, it could easily afford to. There were rumors of a 95ci (1560cc) version of the Evo in 1989/90, an attempt to overtake the 85ci (1400cc) Japanese lookalikes. It came to nothing, as the bigger engine reportedly had unacceptable bore and piston wear. That was something else that was different about Harley-Davidson — it now knew better than to launch anything substandard. | ||
The Fat Boy summed all this up. It was the nearest thing to a new Harley model in 1990, though really no more than a Heritage Softail with a few styling tweaks and a new paint job, Frame, tank, mudguards - almost everything was finished in silver, with the 'fat' look emphasized by solid wheels, wide and heavy valanced mudguards and wide tires, All with a solidly-mounted engine, vibration and all, because that was what some riders wanted. An interesting contrast was the [[Harley-Davidson FXRT|FXRT]], also current in 1990. This had a rubber-mounted motor, proper modern (not stylized) fairing, air-adjustable forks and twin front disc brakes. The [[Harley-Davidson FXRP|FXRP]] police version went down well, but Harley-Davidson sold a mere 304 civilian FXRTs in 1990, and over 4,000 Fat Boys. You couldn't have had a clearer indication of the reasons why people were buying Harleys. Then there was the 'Harleywood' phenomenon in which a new Harley-Davidson became the accessory of choice for Hollywood names. Sylvestor Stallone, Cher, Bruce Willis and countless others were happy to be seen in the saddle of a Harley and millionaire Malcolm Forbes even formed his own club for similarly wealthy Harley riders. One less affluent owner wryly observed that in Hollywood, Harley-Davidsons had become like a certain part of the human anatomy - everyone had one! | The Fat Boy summed all this up. It was the nearest thing to a new Harley model in 1990, though really no more than a Heritage Softail with a few styling tweaks and a new paint job, Frame, tank, mudguards - almost everything was finished in silver, with the 'fat' look emphasized by solid wheels, wide and heavy valanced mudguards and wide tires, All with a solidly-mounted engine, vibration and all, because that was what some riders wanted. An interesting contrast was the [[Harley-Davidson FXRT|FXRT]], also current in 1990. This had a rubber-mounted motor, proper modern (not stylized) fairing, air-adjustable forks and twin front disc brakes. The [[Harley-Davidson FXRP|FXRP]] police version went down well, but Harley-Davidson sold a mere 304 civilian FXRTs in 1990, and over 4,000 Fat Boys. You couldn't have had a clearer indication of the reasons why people were buying Harleys. Then there was the 'Harleywood' phenomenon in which a new Harley-Davidson became the accessory of choice for Hollywood names. Sylvestor Stallone, Cher, Bruce Willis and countless others were happy to be seen in the saddle of a Harley and millionaire [[Malcolm Forbes]] even formed his own club for similarly wealthy Harley riders. One less affluent owner wryly observed that in Hollywood, Harley-Davidsons had become like a certain part of the human anatomy - everyone had one! | ||
Meanwhile, certain advances did trickle down through the range. In 1993, the 883 Sportster finally acquired belt-drive and a five-speed gearbox, both long overdue. It was still relatively cheap to buy, undercutting even some of the equivalent Japanese cruisers and played a crucial role in attracting new riders into the Harley fold, It was still doing that in 2000, seven years on from belt-drive, and 16 from the 883 Evolution motor introduction. It also retained a charming simplicity that was lacking in some of the bigger, more expensive bikes, The Dyna Glide of 1993, on the other hand, had a new frame, but paradoxically the sole reason was to make it look like an old one! The bike was an update of the mid-range rubber-mounted FX series, but the idea here was to emulate the 1970s Low Rider, the engine of which kept its rubber mounts, but were cunningly hidden by the new frame, The names also evoked nostalgia, and the first Dyna Glide was a limited-edition Sturgis (remember 1980), followed by the raked-fork Wide Glide. Mechanically, the Dyna stuck with the 82ci (1340cc) Evolution engine, now in its tenth year and still in a very mild state of tune. | Meanwhile, certain advances did trickle down through the range. In 1993, the 883 Sportster finally acquired belt-drive and a five-speed gearbox, both long overdue. It was still relatively cheap to buy, undercutting even some of the equivalent Japanese cruisers and played a crucial role in attracting new riders into the Harley fold, It was still doing that in 2000, seven years on from belt-drive, and 16 from the 883 Evolution motor introduction. It also retained a charming simplicity that was lacking in some of the bigger, more expensive bikes, The Dyna Glide of 1993, on the other hand, had a new frame, but paradoxically the sole reason was to make it look like an old one! The bike was an update of the mid-range rubber-mounted FX series, but the idea here was to emulate the 1970s Low Rider, the engine of which kept its rubber mounts, but were cunningly hidden by the new frame, The names also evoked nostalgia, and the first Dyna Glide was a limited-edition Sturgis (remember 1980), followed by the raked-fork Wide Glide. Mechanically, the Dyna stuck with the 82ci (1340cc) Evolution engine, now in its tenth year and still in a very mild state of tune. | ||