Harley Davidson Powertrain factory tour

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Thu 12 May 2005 19:46
Harley Davidson Powertrain factory tour - SjB {P}
Just back in the office after my tour of Harley-Davidson Powertrain at Capitol Drive, Milwaukee.

What a great tour! Our guide, Bud, couldn't have been more Harley to the core, but easy going in the gentle way he passed it all on. Bald head, grey beard, pot belly, and corporate pale blue shirt married to well used jeans. Just great; anything else just wouldn't have been right! The tour itself was as slick and professional too, as the factory is spotlessly clean and well organized.

Bikers go round at no charge, too, even Rice Rocketeers like myself! ;-)

Before the tour started, I tried a load of bikes from the current range, and the one that felt 'just right' (really, instantly) was a fully dressed V-Rod. Growler'll tell me it's not a real Harley (sorry, G!), but having had a couple come past me on the freeway, I love the 'wheeeeeeeeee' turbinesque howl, too. Deep and shrill combined, totally un-Harley, totally un-V-twin, and totally unlike anything else, it's unique and fabulous in equal measure. It has a living quality beyond 'potato-potato-potato' to it that's hard to put in to words. Amazingly, there's no helmet law in Wisconsin, and although there's no way, Jose, that I would ever ride without one, the two V-Rod dudes I saw, with wrap around Oakleys on bare head, white t-shirts & blue jeans, looked spot on.

Unfortunately, the local dealers have already rented their V-Rods out for Saturday (my only remaining free day), and have no Street Rods, so it'll either be a bagger of some description, or a Sportster, that I rent if the sun comes out to play.


Some tour highlights:

Just being there. :-)

The guide's knowledge and demeanour.

The well honed manner in which each engine (350 per day) is hooked up for a hot test at the end of production, and unhooked afterwards (just seconds each time), before carrying along on the conveyor. Run for four and a half minutes, the hot test includes pressures and temperatures as you'd expect, but also an electronic stethoscope that compares the noises coming from inside with a software library of what's expected. The dire quality days of the seventies and eighties are as long gone as the ill fated marriage with AMF, who knew not a jot about bike production, it seems.

In-house attention to keeping old models on the road, with a 1916 FL kickstart lever being the oldest item still manufactured on demand at the site of the old B-29 propellor factory (that never produced a single propellor coz WWII ended) at Capitol Drive. A whole section of the factory is given over to production of components for obsolete models, with row upon row of the original machine tools, and employees with the knowledge to use them.

Professional remanufacturing programme, where a completely overhauled twin cam motor, fully powder coated, dressed and chromed, will cost you just over 2000 Bucks, compared to 4,400 new. Externally, the two were indestinguishable, and internally the only give aways are a slight overbore, re-use of the components that don't ordinarily 'wear out' where possible, and some bearing sleeves or oversized bearings. No dodgy motors here, rebuilt on a shoe string or given a quick polish.


Disappoinments?

Just one! A poor collection of Harley casual leather jackets in the shop, so I guess I'll have to wait until I visit a dealer.


So, although I won't be chopping in the Hornet for a Harley anytime soon, I'm starting to get what it's all about.
What feels out of place back home feels right in place over here.



Stay safe,
SjB
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Thu 12 May 2005 20:45
Harley Davidson Powertrain factory tour - cheddar
Sounds interesting, if you had asked me I would have guessed that the guide would be called Bud!


Regards.
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Fri 13 May 2005 01:15
Harley Davidson Powertrain factory tour - Kevin
Where are the photos????

Kevin...
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Sat 14 May 2005 16:51
Harley Davidson Powertrain factory tour - SjB {P}
Where are the photos????
Kevin...


Unfortunately, no cameras within the factory, though I got a couple of shots of me sat on bikes in the reception area. Of these, the V-Rod felt the most 'right' as written above, but for someone with relatively short legs like me, even the Electra Glide felt comfy too, and I could reach the ground properly. It really felt like it could be ridden all day.

I've just looked at the weather forecast for Milwaukee, and unfortunately it's about to hammer down, so there won't be the Sportster 1200 ride that I had planned; I just gotta come back, especially as I now know that a number of my colleagues are keen Harley riders, and given more notice they would have planned a ride out. I'll make do instead with a visit to House of Harley and a new leather jacket.
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Sun 15 May 2005 02:17
Harley Davidson Powertrain factory tour - SjB {P}
Well, it wasn't House of Harley that I made it to, but Suburban Motors in Thiensville. Quite by chance, today was open house, so as well as acres of bikes to feast the eyes on, there was plenty of free food and drink to have a feast of another kind of, too. I spent three hours of pure pleasure, spoke to so many friendly folk, and learned a load more about Harley. Great crowd.

Although the rain actually held off until mid afternoon, when in fact it hail stoned in fine style, unfortunately all rentals were out. I did spend a good period of time with the rentals manager though, who gave a load of advice, explained the machines they have on their fleet, and recommended what would be right for me; with the V-Rod I covet not being pillion friendly, the result, especially if I bring the missus, was to rent a Road King. Although the Soft Tail had a really low seat height, which I liked, the Road King was still fine and I was told had much plusher, pillion friedly, suspension for touring.

I was actually the third Brit to walk through the doors this week, because two others turned up on Tuesday looking for six month rentals! Yup, they'd jacked their jobs in, and wanted to cruise wherever life took them. They ended up buying a couple of bikes, and have now started to live their dream.

I also saw some custom chops like I've never seen before. Finish and detail beyond belief. One bike had an amazing 'joker' paint job, where the eyes and teeth of the joker painted on the rear mudguard were actually the turn and brake lights! Totally smooth-finished, they gave no hint as to purpose until lit up. With seriously swept back 'bars, a speedo cowl what made a swan's neck look short, and an external belt drive - that must have been 5" wide - from crankshaft back to clutch basket, everything was just so way-out.

Mods - I have given up trying to register for groups.msn.com/honestjohn. Can I mail some photos for you to post, please?
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Sun 15 May 2005 02:27
Harley Davidson Powertrain factory tour - Dynamic Dave
Mods - I have given up trying to register for groups.msn.com/honestjohn.


Same here. I've tired on at least 3 separate occasions now, but to no avail.
Can I mail some photos for you to post, please?


Not sure if any of the others have access or not? Maybe Mark does, as there's at least one pic of his on there.
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Sun 15 May 2005 05:51
Harley Davidson Powertrain factory tour - THe Growler
Yes, the Harley scene. It's a whole culture driven by a bike with a wonderful history and you meet some amazing people. I owned a Road King - the 1997, first year with EFI (although I far prefer a carb'd model because you can mess with the pipes and the jetting to get a better exhaust note) in the obligatory black of course.
Thee were howls of outrage when HD suggested it move over entirely to EFI in a couple of years.

Just don't drop it, you'll need a crane to get it back upright.

Me I go for the Softail because it is infinitely customizable with performance and dressup parts; a good chopper-shop will also translate your ideas in reality with some clever welding and fabrication and you never see two the same. But it's more of a street bike than a tourer, although I've put serious miles on mine on the open road. I just loved recently to watch one of our local paint experts airbrush a Softie fuel tank with a naked girl climbing out of a coffin full of roses.

If you want to see the motorcycle portrayed as art, and the Harley Davidson is the ultimate shrine for that, check out the American Chopper series on Discovery Channel. Amusing characters in it too.
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Sun 15 May 2005 09:15
Harley Davidson Powertrain factory tour - SjB {P}
Interesting reading, Growler.

The folks at Suburban were surmising that it's only a matter of - probably not much - time before the water cooled, fuel injected, Revolution engine from the Rods finds its way in to their traditional bikes. Their reasoning was that this is the only way Harley can pass impending emissions regs in many parts of the world, and noise regs in some parts of the world.

If this happens, I guess the price of well maintained air cooled Harleys is set to harden, and there'll be a lot of beer talk about damned medlin' legislators!

Stay safe.
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Sun 15 May 2005 09:49
Harley Davidson Powertrain factory tour - THe Growler
Goldurn it you'll niver git me on one of them things (slurps beer and wipes mouth with corner of ancient leather vest, then spits).

HD's are mighty expensive where I live but the bonus is they only depreciate about 5% a year. Some of the less common ones like the Night Train and the Deuce have been know to sell for as much as the ownwer paid for them.

Talking of powertrains did you notice that massive industrial clunk when you engage 1st gear? Enough to wake the neighbours. You can put all the fancy synthetic oil in there you want but it don't make no difference.
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