So Funny! By JR (Read 1,994 times)

[JR]

.cycleworld.com/2013/02/04/polaris-industries-plans-for-world-domination/?cmpid=enews020713&spPodID=020&spMailingID=5142645&spUserID=MjA0MDMxNTY4NzgS1&spJobID=310229840&spReportId=MzEwMjI5ODQwS0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">.cycleworld.com/2013/02/04/polaris-industries-plans-for-world-domination/?cmpid=enews020713&spPodID=020&spMailingID=5142645&spUserID=MjA0MDMxNTY4NzgS1&spJobID=310229840&spReportId=MzEwMjI5ODQwS0

Domination! Lets look at one of the latest Indians:





Now a Victory or two:





Sleek looking bikes with the old style look with leather saddlebags, that old style V-Twin look that goes way, way back so long ago that some still love today. Low wide seat and look at those pipes!

You also got to love the leather look of long ago that lots of these people wear:






Now of course no old time motorcycle would be complete without a babe picture:





Ah keeping the good old............wait! I've seen this all before somewhere? No it couldn't be? Surely not?








So that's what they've been up to all this time! I thought they were bringing in new ideas and a all new look and attracting all the crotch rocket riders? Young riders who don't want to look like people who still ride in the 50's and 60's? I'm confused?

All amounts to one thing just like in this old song:



Those slick devils, they almost had me fooled! ;D

JR

[JR]

Ain't it the truth John!

JR

[wolfhound]

Now thems moorsicles not sum of them crotchity rickit thangs!!! Ifn I wuz gwine ter git me uh moorsicle thems whut id git me!!!

[inuyasha]

Hi
Heres mine

indian by inuyasha50, on Flickr
Take care and ride safely
Yours Hank

[JR]

Nice ride Hank!

JR

[inuyasha]

Feb 9, 2013 15:59:10 GMT -6 JR said:

Nice ride Hank!

JR

Hi Jr
Thanks ever so much
Dont ride her as often since i got my other scoots and motorbikes, mainly shes for the miss's and i to take on the long trips to the big rallys like Daytona, Laconia and Sturgis
I make it a habit to go to one or 2 of the big events every year
Take care and ride safely dear friend
Yours Hank

[fflintstone]

Now that's a pretty ride,inuyasha,..umm,do you have a side car,not much room on the seat for two riders? Anyhow,now I'm drooling ...happy trails,friend..fflintstone

[inuyasha]

Feb 9, 2013 20:08:22 GMT -6 fflintstone said:

Now that's a pretty ride,inuyasha,..umm,do you have a side car,not much room on the seat for two riders? Anyhow,now I'm drooling ...happy trails,friend..fflintstone

Hi
Thanks ever so much
No sidecar
The miss's rode her own bike to them, sorry i didnt specify that
Take care and ride safely dear friend
Yours Hank

[JR]

I do love the look of those old time engines, just goes back to the good old days!






Wonder where they got it from?

Oh yea I forgot!




JR

[wolfhound]

Is,nt the company that makes the Victory now also making the Indian?? If so the Indian may survive and make a comeback.
JR, I agree.

[JR]

Yes Polaris makes them both Wolf and they are pretty bikes.

JR

[kz1000st]

I know you're a scooter guy JR, but for those of us who study these things there's a slight difference between a Harley and a Victory. Now the Harley is using a separate crankcase and transmission just like the British stopped using in 1960 (53 years ago, just saying). Also Harley continues to use pushrods which the Japanese made look positively old fashioned with the mid 60s Dreams, Benley and CB engines. Of course there's the venerable use of only two valves per cylinder and the densely packed 45 degree angle just begging to overheat and cause rebuilds at regular intervals (usually 40,000 miles).

Now the Victory engine is unit construction, has overhead cams and runs four valves per cylinder. It also uses internal jets to spray the interior of the engine's hot spots with oil, unlike Harley who just lets their engines cook. Also the Victory has a 50 degree angle between cylinders to give the engine room to cool. Some of the many reasons that Victory engines go well over 100,000 miles between rebuilds, something very few Harleys will ever attain.

As you will read here Victory spent several years researching the best ideas for an engine. They had fuel injection long before Harley was forced to do it.

.victorymotorcycles.com/en-us/2012/Experience/Pages/Top15No3.aspx?WT.mc_id=70527D2C-6271-E211-9E51-0050569A00BC&WT.mc_ev=email&WT.mc_id=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">.victorymotorcycles.com/en-us/2012/Experience/Pages/Top15No3.aspx?WT.mc_id=70527D2C-6271-E211-9E51-0050569A00BC&WT.mc_ev=email&WT.mc_id=

I'm betting the new Indian engine will be head and shoulders better than anything out of Milwaukee.

[kz1000st]

Also yes, the present Indian does use a Harley clone motor with a "Bottlecap Head".

Stellican bought up the tooling from the people in Gilroy, CA who had produced the bike with a clone motor. Polaris bought the whole package from Stellican and put the bike into production with the engine it had, planning to produce a whole new engine for the Indian, distinct and separate from the present Victory engine as it says here.

What is Polaris Industries up to? The Minnesota-based outfit is buying companies across a wide product range: electric-car makers GEM and Goupil Industrie, engineering and prototype firm Swissauto, outdoor-gear-
maker KLIM and even Indian. An all-new Indian powered by a redrawn V-Twin engine is expected from Polaris’ Spirit Lake, Iowa, plant this year. There is also a “strategic partnership” with electric-motorcycle-producer Brammo.

Also:

TheStreet (a digital investment news service) rates Polaris stock a “buy,” citing: robust revenue growth, impressive earnings-per-share, growth in net income, reasonably solid financial position with reasonable debt levels and solid stock price performance.

I haven't seen an engine even closely approaching the engineering and refinement from Harley.

The new models are anticipated to be much sportier, with the goal of not being trapped in a vintage throwback mystique like H-D.

This is from a magazine that has its fingers on the pulse of motorcyclist.

Certainly Polaris has plans for the future, unlike the other American motorcycle maker. Not so funny when you think about it.

[JR]

KZ the thing that is funny here about all of what I've said isn't about how the bikes/engines are built as far as what's in them, who makes the best, etc. Haven't said one word about any of that.

What is funny is the company that is building these is just like Harley in the fact of building these bikes they went after "the look" They are still wanting to attract those old stuck in the 50's 60's people with the jackets boots, old time look and style. I actually saw a big nice Victory pull up the other day at the gas station, had to look to know he was a Victory man because he had that Harley look. Can't tell them apart?

Now if you're planning for the future you need to leave the past behind, Harley is doing a good job with that. As far as being a scooter man I hadn't set foot on a scooter in my life until 2006, never and I owned my first motorcycle in 1960, that goes even father back than you and I've seen a lot of changes in those years and a lot of people have put Harley in the grave many times over the years and yet they are still here.

One thing good about the Polaris bikes is if Harley ever does go under they'll have planty of bikes around to keep "the look".

JR

[kz1000st]

One important difference. Victory is 15 years old and has moved from the original 92C to the Vegas, Kingpin and Vision. I would bet that before I pass they'll introduce a modern sportbike and an entry level machine. Harley has dumped Buell "To concentrate on our core business". Eric Buell was building bikes with modern features and engine in the 1125R, not to mention surrounding Harley engines with modern frames and features in the XB-9 and Ulysses.

Core business at Harley has meant more of same old/same old. What did you say
"if you're planning for the future you need to leave the past behind, Harley is doing a good job" Not dumping Buell they didn't

Guess what? Eric Buell didn't do the decent thing and drop dead when Harley shut him down. He formed Eric Buell Racing (EBR) and produced the 1190S.

Buell also was the original mover to develop and build the V-Rod engine, the only thing modern about Harley. That engine appeared in 2001. Twelve years later and not one new engine. Not exactly "planning for the future".

Want real, stark contrast? Harley sells $30,000 CVO bikes that are nothing more than modified standard Hogs. Honda builds a 1800cc six cylinder Gold Wing for $27,000. BMW also builds a 1600cc six for about the same money. Explain the logic of that to me.

I could go on. I spend way too much time reading and studying bikes. I sat in High School History with a Cycle Guide stuck inside my text book so the teacher wouldn't see it.

Oh, and in 1960 I was eight years old. I did start riding on my own in 1962 when I turned ten. Before that I was passengering with my Dad on Triumphs that are Classics today.