HD now has Hydra chain conversion kit!

[fxrp]

Not saying it's a good thing, just how things are in the world we live in today.

I'm saying its a bad thing, change for nothing more than change sake is just BS and personally I think they're hurting themselves. Who the hell's in charge Obama?

I used my steering neck bearing tools today on a 1996 Dyna. The race installer fits "HD 1936 to present," there's nothing wrong with that. If they feel they need to compete with the aftermarket maybe they should try producing a competitive product instead of changing parts just to be difficult. The aftermarket can/will adapt much better and faster than the over-bloated HD corporate structure.

Paul

[Ultrashovel]

Not saying it's a good thing, just how things are in the world we live in today.

I'm saying its a bad thing, change for nothing more than change sake is just BS and personally I think they're hurting themselves. Who the hell's in charge Obama?

I used my steering neck bearing tools today on a 1996 Dyna. The race installer fits "HD 1936 to present," there's nothing wrong with that. If they feel they need to compete with the aftermarket maybe they should try producing a competitive product instead of changing parts just to be difficult. The aftermarket can/will adapt much better and faster than the over-bloated HD corporate structure.

Paul

Nice but the neck bearings are the only thing that hasn't changed too much in the interim.

[Faast Ed]

They ucked up the design of the old tensioners when the first created the design.

They saw the aftermarket was happy to sell a "fix".

If Harley can sell HD Coffee, why shouldn't they jump on "one more item to sell". One that may do very well even!

[ederdelyi]

>>change for nothing more than change sake is just BS <<

I certainly agree with that. Truth is, there are reasons why the changes occur other than just changing things to be "difficult". We aren't privy to the real reasons in most cases, but having been involved with the corporate as well as government/military side of things I know some of what goes on. It ain't pretty most times, and the engineers generally don't like most of the decisions. When it comes to a choice of going along or losing your job to a recent (and economical) graduate from India or Taiwan what do you think most will do? it's no bed of Roses out there for any of us. Consumer stuff is vicious, and it's not much better even with stuff that is supposed to defend us or where lives are at risk. Been there, done that, and don't want the T-shirt!

[fxrp]

<<. . . there are reasons why the changes occur other than just changing things to be "difficult".>>

Yeh and a lot of those reasons are cost. HD has made a lot of changes trying to save a few cents/unit that has cost them a lot more to correct. How about the cam bearing issue, the fuel filter shell on the 2008 models, and their problem with the head gaskets on the SE 110" that they refuse to address fully. There's the beginning of a class action suit starting up with that one.

Long story but I ended up with one of the "repair kits" for a 110" leaking head gasket. HD gave the HG kit and all the necessary gaskets to the owner and the bike was trailered to me to install it. Needless to say the dealer wasn't happy but then the owner wasn't happy with them. The OEM HGs were .036" steel gaskets (looked like Cometic). The kit had the old stock style gaskets and they were .067" new, I imagine they crushed down to .057 to .060. Nice fix; makes for real happy customers.

I'm sorry to say it but I think HD is digging their own grave; hell the stock was $11 or $12 last I saw, down from a high of $80 about 1 1/2 years ago and it ain't the economy.

Paul

[ederdelyi]

Well Paul, I can't say that I disagree with some of what you say. Let's just say that it's not just HD that is doing what we are discussing here. Cost is a BIG part of engineering and manufacturing ... always has been. Since this is a tech forum we should probably just let it sit as it is before we end up getting a "time out". The HD we all knew and loved or hated  (depending on your point of view) is gone and likely will never return. Change is gonna happen, whether we like it or not.

[Deye76]

Back to conversion cams. This is a long thread so may have been covered. CRS
If Woods or others are machining cams, does that affect the hardening?

[ederdelyi]

The journal is machined to accept an inner race that works with the old size inner bearing. At least, that's the method I'm familiar with.

[PoorUB]

I'm sorry to say it but I think HD is digging their own grave; hell the stock was $11 or $12 last I saw, down from a high of $80 about 1 1/2 years ago and it ain't the economy.

Paul

You should have bought yesterday, it is $13.73 right now!
Harley will endure just fine! All the talk that the sky is falling is simply B.S. When you look that the numbers of bikes HD has sold over the last few years it was not going to last, bad economy or not. Wait for 2010. HD will produce 200,000 bikes+/- a few. Down from a hgh of about 349,000 in '06. There is no way HD could cintinue at the pace they were running, and HD knows it. Down sizing and lay offs have been in the works for months, if not a year or more. HD has made a bunch of money in the last few years and is in ggod shape. The stock was due for an adjustment, in my opinion it was way over valued from all the yuppies thinking that it would never end. The time is probably right to buy stock in HD. I doubt it will drop much more, and in a few years it will go up.

[Ultrashovel]

I don't know why people are worried about Harley-Davidson's health. They will be in business for a long long time. You may not like everything they do but some of what they do is going to stick in the market and, lets face it, most people just want a motorcycle, they leave the business decisions to the company.

I think those of us who have been riding and owning Harleys for a long time are probably more annoyed by some of their antics because we remember how it was. I really don't like changes too much either. It used to be comforting knowing that if you needed a cylinder head for your 1970 Shovelhead you had a lot of years to choose from. Well that period is gone and so is the horse and buggy.

As far as Harley stock - the whole market is down 60% in the last year. To try to say that it's simply because people don't like the company is like trying to pick the flyspecks out of the pepper. Some people aren't smart enough to hang on for the long haul. they like to sell into a falling market. Can't help some folks. Gotta lettum do what they want to do.

[mayor]

has anyone used this kit yet (the SE kit for older style chain cams)?  I would like to hear some feed back.   

[machinist]

My freind had it done at the dealer, the mechanics hadn't done one yet, but said they would do it to thier personal bikes rather than the geared setup. Many good reasons to go this route. Gary