Harley-Davidson Missed a BIG Opportunity (Modern Evolution Engine)

Harley-Davidson missed a huge opportunity to get back to the glory days in the modern era. After the Evolution engine Harley-Davidson missed a huge opportunity here more recently to get back to the best engine Harley-Davidson ever produced. Harley-Davidson got close but missed with the Milwaukee 8 engine. Harley-Davidson went back to the single cam design but still built upon the the infamous pressed crank. No way was Harley-Davidson going to build a crankshaft right again and go back to a gear driven cam design.

Random and Funny Videos!!

Bikes on the channel:

Motorcycle: 2016 Harley-Davidson Sportster XL1200CP (Sportster 1200 Custom)

Custom Parts Installed:
Screamin' Eagle Heavy Breather air cleaner
Harley-Davidson Reach Seat
Harley-Davidson Chrome and Rubber Collection grips
Drag Specialties Offset Clevis Footpeg Conversion Kit
Aftermarket Detachable Back Rest
Harley-Davidson Air Flow timing cover
Harley-Davidson Air Flow clutch cover
Screamin' Eagle spark plug wires
Screamin' Eagle spark plugs
Flipped Down Stock Mirrors

Motorcycle: 2017 Harley-Davidson Sportster XL1200X (Sportster Forty-Eight)

Custom Parts installed:
Harley-Davidson Factory Security System
Screamin' Eagle Exteme Billed Air Cleaner (Black)
Harley-Davidson Burst Collection Foot Pegs
Harley-Davidson Burst Collection Grips
Harley-Davidson Burst Collection Shifter Peg
Screamin' Eagle spark plug wires

[GixxerFoo]

What opportunities do you feel Harley-Davidson absolutely missed over the years?

[truthbetold-jqiw]

Hiring a successful American as CEO that cared about the quality of their motorcycles and also their heritage of the company and its customer base.

[fq]

Supposedly the twin cam engine had 2 million miles of testing. They had to know that those tensioners were dog shit.

[fmagalhaes]

I have to agree. Their missed opportunity was not going back to a gear driven cam. This is one of the reasons that I love and will keep my Evo forever.

[jimfischione]

They screwed up big time by dumping Buell. They needed to tap into the youth market and they threw it away when it was right in front of them. Stupid.

[martincvitkovich]

I owned a 2003 RK for 13 years. Every other year I inspected the tensioners and replaced them 3 times. What I noticed was less wear on pads as the bike aged. I contribute to this the chain was getting well polished. 120, 000 miles

[blues]

GixxerFoo, you lost me on the technology but I'm glad I stayed with the Evolution engine all these years.

[RNintheTrenches]

Don’t think we’ll see an engine with the beautiful simplicity of the Evo ever again. My 114 M8 offers more power, but lacks the soul the Evo’s had.

[fearsomename]

My 1999 stock Heritage Springer is fine by me. Last year evolution motor is bulletproof. She rides like a dream.

[edwardjohnson]

I've stomped my feet and screamed for years that th the EVO is the best darned engine
H, D, ever produced . Thanks, Gixer Foo . Love the channel .

[kennethwise]

Their biggest missed opportunity was and will FOREVER be the fact that they fail to support older vehicles from the 40's to the 90's. The day they stopped the REMAN program for Evo's was another bone head decision.

[travlincanucks]

Back to basics, EVO and a simple wiring harness and you will be set for life……no EFI, no computer = hassle free

[johnsimmons]

1994 heritage 52000 miles no leaks love it

[brianbayowski]

Picked up my 2003 Road King Classic in October 2002. Had my shop upgrade the cam chest at 50, 000 miles with the Feuling OE+ kit (525 cams). The original cam chain tensioners still had life left! Been running Red Line fluids in all 3 holes since it's first service. 👌

[markh.harris]

My dual cam FLSTSI came on my anniversary issue Heritage Springer Softail (2003); 88b.

I had the followers inspected (and replaced) at about 15K miles. I went with the new hydraulic tensioner plate, tensioner shoes (new style), but we used the original chain; nothing wrong with it. I also installed a Jag oil cooler.

There are three issues: 1) follower shoes too soft, 2) tensioner springs too strong, 3) engine oil too effing hot.

My shoes were worn but not as bad as some, and I had no engine damage.

Still riding my Heritage; great bike, classic, ❤️ it !

marcus

[seththomas]

Opportunities missed: 5-speed transmission in the 1970's, oil cooler on every Shovelhead and Sportser engine, Buell, V-Rod engine, not servicing anything older than 10 years, Cheap entry level bike in the 250-500 CC range, Enduro/dirt bikes, forcing small dealers with loyal followings to "get big or get out".

[okiemale]

It's Friday...
Big thumbs up for the channel...
😎👍

[robert-wrmd]

Sounds like the market for Evo's will stay strong for many years. Thanks for another great video.

[rolfklein]

My 1995 Evo Sportster 883 was one of the best vehicles I ever owned – i stayed faithful to it for 11 years because it war so troule-free. Porsche in Weissach/Germany did an excellent job in the Eighties to get the V2 engines reliable - Sportsters and Big Twins. After 1999, the bean-counters struck... There is a reason for the high prices paid for the last Evo Sportsters paid here in Europe

[ezification]

My 03 twin am tensioner shoe wore down to the pivot shaft at 24, 000 miles . Just avoided failure. So I installed the S$S gear drive cam . At 74, 000 it’s still running strong . 👍😎