2012 Motor Company Musings

Hard to believe it's already that time of year, hell the new season of the Real Housewives of the OC as hardly even gotten underway (don't even tell me that Tamra isn't the hottest mommy in all the land...yeah, you know it's true), and here we are breathlessly awaiting tawdry details of Harley's 2012 line-up. Like you, we want to know what's happening behind the scenes; the drama, the dumbass blunders, the stuff we're not supposed to know. In short, the good stuff. That said, we're gonna leave the "bold new graphics" story lines for what passes for investigative journalism in the powersports media and dive straight into rumor and speculation, kinda like the New York Times would handle, oh say, stories about Iraq or the deficit. Time to dig Chromies.

And just what  has the Asylum unearthed in its relentless pursuit of tasty tidbits of truth?  Please. Like I've got a bug in Willy G's office, although did I mention that I applied for work in the CIA as a lad? (true story, check the archives, stay sharp!).... If you were expecting some TMZ worthy rumors, perhaps a spy pic, or some inside dope obtained by nefarious means; a lifted thumb drive handed over in a seedy strip bar at 2am, the sweat of a disgruntled HD engineer still clinging to the casing, keep smokin'. Basically what I got you could find on the web, if you rooted around long enough, and knew where to look. Hardly "off the record", Deep Throat (Watergate you perv's), background kind of intel. No Pulitzer here fellow Chromies, not that we'd except the damn thing anyway. But news we have found nonetheless.

First, what we think we know that we know (bonus "Rumsfled", ain't gonna get that at American Iron!). Looks like there's a strong possibility that radio equipped FLH models maybe delivered sans the actual receivers. Seems the recent unpleasantness in Japan has put a hitch in the get-along when it comes to HD's boom boxes, lack of internal circuitry components. Even units assembled right here in the good old US of A contain a fair amount of "foreign content", shocker. Seems there's no domestic source for tunes. Really!? There's no Radio Shack's in York and KC!? Hell, when I was in ninth grade I built a crystal radio, you'd think the Motor Company brain trust could come up with a better solution than a gift card and a face plate. Does this seem like leveraging HD's core competencies in order to develop an acceptable interim solution to ensure customer's uninterrupted audio connectivity to Kenny G's greatest hits to you? Biz bonus bingo speak aside, come on guys, kinda lame.

Continuing with how events in Japan are putting the hurt on Milwaukee, it looks like a shortage of paint pigments is threatening to derail some of HD's hottest color choices. One of my favorites, "Sedona Orange" is most likely gonna be off the color charts this year, with other hues sure to be replaced. Again, is PPG or Dupont not able to offer up some acceptable substitutes here? Even if we have to bust out of our long term pigment sourcing budget, it would seem worth eating some margin points to ensure we've got just the right paint/graphic combinations...we've heard that color is kind of a critical branch on the old decision tree when folks are choosing their future rides. As much as "true believers" dig black (there really is no other option for the pure of heart) there are those unenlightened souls that demand some options when it comes to colors, let's not give them an excuse not to buy. I'm just saying, it's not 2003 for gripes sake.

The big news for 2012 would have to be water cooling, if the Motor Company were actually going to introduce it this year. Not gonna happen. April Fools rumors, and the odd sighting of a V-Rod powered Road Glide in Kansas City aside, we just don't see it for '12. If the entire touring line were to make the transition to H2O we're thinking there'd be a lot more "chatter" about the switch by this late date. Nah, there's still more development to be done, this is one HD cannot afford to get wrong. It's not that the great unwashed won't accept a wet powerplant from Milwaukee, it's that the Motor Company has to get the aesthetic just right. As a matter of fact, reading the forums as we do there's not the rabid pitchfork and torches response to the mere mention of a water cooled Harley, certainly not like there might have been five to ten years ago. But getting it right means no lame ass, ugly, "barn door" radiators, ala the V-Rod. Nope, they've got to be integrated between the frame downtubes and for all intents and purposes, invisible. If they end up looking like Will Smiths ears, it's a no sale. And just for old times sake, maybe we leave a couple of air cooled offerings in the line-up for us oldsters, at least as long as the Fascists at the EPA will allow.

With the entire FLH line going to 103cu in motors for 2012 (great idea by the way, the 103 is responsive and gives the touring rigs much needed grunt, not enough so the Motor Company would be tempted to actually divulge horsepower figures, we're not there yet, but a major step in the right direction, good on 'em) we're thinking there's gonna be pressure to up the displacement of the top of the line CVO Screamin' Eagle bikes. The 110 motor is simply to close to the now "standard" 103, look for a 120cu in lump in the near future. I know, I know, but we have faith that HD's engineering elves will overcome the inherent reliability issues and develop a perfectly acceptable powerplant, they're a crafty lot. And speaking of CVO machines, time for a really sinister, blacked out, no chrome, club inspired Dyna to make the lineup. The time and vibe is right, and throw in the tallest set of apes the lawyers will allow. Oh yeah!

And who says we gotta jump into water pumpers anyway? Remember the original GSX-R's, oil cooled my friends, and they were the bomb (bomb meaning good, not bomb as in grenade, which for those of you new to the industry, and you know who you are, would be bad when referring to a motor, got that?). Given oil coolings success in a high performance, racing application, adapting the technology for Harley's seems a no brainer. And while I'm no tech head (knock it off NG!), this seems like a potentially perfect interim solution when it comes to complying with ever tightening emissions restrictions. Just so ya know this theory isn't just the wishful ramblings of a guy that got a "B" in auto shop, folks I know at a company that does a ton of development work for Harley related products (it's a real drag that I can't tell you who they are) say it's a perfectly plausible answer. So there. And the real bonus of oil cooling, it gives the Motor Company some additional time to dope out the absolute best water cooling solution, because in the end, we're all gonna get wet. Has to be. Sucks, but that's progress, guess we can console ourselves with the massive gains in horsepower our new motors will be pumping out. See, mom was right, there's always a bright side.

Lastly, while we really love the new XR-1200, it seems that most of you do not, they're not exactly flying out of the showrooms of late. Too bad, they are stupid fun to ride, look great, and until HD comes up with a "fill" for the void left for the sporting few with the demise of Buell, it's the only "high performance" stud in the stable. Alas, we fear that when the AMA XR series fades (and we hope that it won't) the XR will be no more. That would be a shame. And while no one really noticed, 2012 will be a year in which HD will not offer a single springer model. OK, no one noticed, and no one cares, I get it. But folks would care, indeed they would buy a $9,500 Dyna! Come on HD, we've asked you before, and we're pleading again, you need to offer a big displacement machine for under ten grand. Want younger demo riders? You don't need yet another Sporty variant, you need a grown up bike, with a price tag that works on a younger guy's wallet. You can do it, and you should.

We're pretty sure we've got some loyal Chromies that are in the employ of the Motor Company, and we'd like to let those folks know, the tip lines are open and manned 24/7, so if you're feelin' the need to set the record straight, or offer up some tasty insights, we're here. And no one needs to be the wiser, federal witness protection can't keep a secret better than the crew at the Asylum, we're a tomb. Got that? OK, holding our breath, starting now........