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Indian Motorcycle Tweets Video of American Manufacturing Amidst Harley-Davidson Drama
The Drive ^ | June 28, 2018 | Eric Brandt

Posted on 06/30/2018 12:20:58 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

Edited on 06/30/2018 12:57:16 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]

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To: Married with Children

No. I will never fly any flag in front of my home besides an American flag, a Buckeye flag (RE my alma matter Ohio State), or one that honors our POWs.

What a ridiculous question.

That doesn’t change my point: American made is American made and creates American jobs. Don’t care about the associated corporate logo.

PS I should have included Victory motorcycles in my list. An oversight.


61 posted on 06/30/2018 7:39:46 PM PDT by piytar (If it was not for double standards, the Democrats and the left would have NO standards.)
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To: piytar

Dang it, I meant Triumph...


62 posted on 06/30/2018 7:40:50 PM PDT by piytar (If it was not for double standards, the Democrats and the left would have NO standards.)
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To: cpdiii

Well, from what I read, the bikes that will be sold in the US are still going to be built in the US. The bikes sold overseas will not be built overseas, instead of built in the US.

At least, that’s what I gathered from the article.


63 posted on 06/30/2018 7:41:34 PM PDT by ro_dreaming (Chesterton, 'Christianity has not been tried and found wanting. It's been found hard and not tried')
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To: OA5599

With all due respect (not mocking) to a fellow Freeper, just wrong: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marysville_Motorcycle_Plant


64 posted on 06/30/2018 7:49:35 PM PDT by piytar (If it was not for double standards, the Democrats and the left would have NO standards.)
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To: piytar
Honda used to make motorcycles in the US. They no longer do. Approaching a decade now since they have stopped. From your own link:

In June 2009, the Marysville Motorcycle Plant ceased production after almost 30 years, as Honda consolidated global production of specific large motorcycles at a new factory in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.

I suppose I could have mentioned that in my earlier post to you. Anyway, I have nothing against Honda. They make great products. I currently have three Honda motorcycles and one Harley.

65 posted on 07/01/2018 4:49:23 AM PDT by OA5599
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To: Bommer

Don’t buy any cars then. They are all made from parts from around the world, and some are assembled here.
See my point?
It’s stupid to single out and hate on Harley Davidson.


66 posted on 07/01/2018 7:20:27 AM PDT by vpintheak (Freedom is not equality; and equality is not freedom!)
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To: OA5599

Thanks for the update! I moved from Ohio about 10 years ago and apparently didn’t keep up. Mea Culpa!


67 posted on 07/01/2018 7:48:50 AM PDT by piytar (If it was not for double standards, the Democrats and the left would have NO standards.)
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To: TexasGator

“But can you make the Indian sound as obnoxious as a Harley?”

A “V” twin can be one of the nicest sounding man made noises there is. The trouble is that the “look at me” wants all the attention it can get even if it’s negative, so they run barely or completely unmuffled. I have a Ducati 900SS SP which is a 90° “V” (HD is 70°) so the cadence is slightly different. I have carbon fiber bodied mufflers that do a good job of keeping the sound at an acceptable level. Also, the exhaust is an ingenious two into one into two design that allows both cylinders to use both mufflers with no reversion. Even my wife, who cares nothing about motors, likes the sound. My touring bike is a BMW with the even firing boxer motor, in my opinion the best motorcycle engine ever built from a practical standpoint. Even with a nice aftermarket exhaust system it sounds about as sexy as the shop air compressor.


68 posted on 07/01/2018 7:52:53 AM PDT by CrazyIvan (A gentleman arms himself for the protection of others.)
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To: CrazyIvan

Yep. It’s a Harley thing.


69 posted on 07/01/2018 8:29:36 AM PDT by TexasGator (Z1)
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To: CrazyIvan

Harley engines are 45 degree. (Except for the V-Rod, which has a 60 deg engine)

What makes Harley engines sound so unique compared to other twins is that the crankshafts are single pin. Most twins have staggered crank pins to fire cylinders evenly at 360 degrees apart. On a Harley, they fire at intervals of 315 degrees and 405 degrees.

Obviously Harley could make a staggered pin crank shaft. This is old tech to be sure. But it’s the sound. That’s why Honda started to copy the sound with their VTX1300 engine. They went backwards in tech to copy Harley.

Another Japanese manufacturer has topped producing overhead cams on big cruisers and went to overhead valve and pushrods to similarly copy Harley. Yamaha “Star” cruisers and their successors for example.


70 posted on 07/01/2018 3:45:55 PM PDT by OA5599
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To: OA5599

Thanks for the correction. I knew HD used a 45° V I just slipped. Aprilla uses a 70°. My Ducati is also a single throw crank, but the rods are side by side, not the HD “knife and fork” setup.


71 posted on 07/01/2018 5:55:21 PM PDT by CrazyIvan (A gentleman arms himself for the protection of others.)
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To: CrazyIvan

Well I just learned something today. I didn’t think you were correct with the single pin Ducati crank... but you were. So I looked at a picture of a Honda RC51 crank. I actually have one of those bikes. Never knew it had a single pin crank as well. Weird how smooth Ducatis and RC51s sound when they fire at 270 and 450 degree intervals.


72 posted on 07/01/2018 6:29:37 PM PDT by OA5599
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To: OA5599

The RC51 was a very nice and underrated bike. I don’t know sales numbers but they seem rare. How stock is yours? I would imagine they sound very good with the right exhaust.


73 posted on 07/02/2018 7:05:37 AM PDT by CrazyIvan (A gentleman arms himself for the protection of others.)
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To: CrazyIvan

Mechanically stock other than slip-ons. I think it’s rated at 125hp, which is more than I could handle.

Cosmetically, the original paint really hid the nice lines of the bike. Way too busy. So I had it painted Ferrari red.


74 posted on 07/02/2018 8:31:21 AM PDT by OA5599
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To: CrazyIvan
RC51_1 RC51_2 RC51_3
75 posted on 07/02/2018 8:35:44 AM PDT by OA5599
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To: OA5599

Looks beautiful! I have the exact same opinion of the original paint but did not want to offend. What are the mufflers? They look like the GPR on my BMW.


76 posted on 07/02/2018 9:10:13 AM PDT by CrazyIvan (A gentleman arms himself for the protection of others.)
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To: CrazyIvan

Thanks! It wasn’t until I saw one online in a solid color that I seriously considered one. The 916/996/748’s that went by sounded sweet, but were too expensive. The RC51’s that went by sounded nice as well... but that hideous paint!

My slip-ons are Moriwaki’s. Definitely better than stock, but still a bit too quiet for my tastes.


77 posted on 07/02/2018 9:41:38 AM PDT by OA5599
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