Should Harley get back into sledding? - Snowmobile Forum: Your #1 Snowmobile Forum

MrCamaro · 03-06-2004, 12:04 PM

they've been out of the business for over 30 years now!

theyre stock is thru the roof

they need an outlet for the harley "branding"

there is a resurgance of American pride after 9/11

they could skip past 30 years of evolution of the snowmobile, and jump back in in 2006 with a 4 stroke, cruising sled with all the amenities.

NO, it wouldnt be a racing sled! no, no, no
dont tell me that your sled would blow it off the trail, becuase thats not what its about.

ArcticKid · 03-06-2004, 02:10 PM

Take out that damn rearview camera! Someones going to pay big bucks for that, and then crash it!

Snow Freak · 03-06-2004, 09:22 PM

That must be so expensive!!! Looks like a Yamaha!

chase9119 · 03-10-2004, 10:54 PM

Not no, but hell no!!
They need to come a VERY long way to even try and compete with todays high tech 2/4 stroke sleds. The V-Rod was one thing, but they have no technology to even attempt a in-line 2 / 3 / 4 jug motor. They only know how to utalize the old "push-rod" technology.

They thought they had something special with the Buell breaking into the sportbike market. All that thing is, is a huge vibrating peace of plastic (married people & **** advocates know what that amounts too.

) That gets made fun of by both sportbike riders & Harley riders.
I say they stick with what brought them back into todays economy and stay there. They are only asking for finacial heartache if they venture away from what has made them successfull.

JRomano · 06-06-2004, 09:32 PM

Sure thats just what we need !!!
More obnoxious noisy sleds that leak oil all over the snow!
They would need to have repair shops on the trails with Mechanics on duty 24/7.
I dont get the Harley thing, they dont "GO" and they dont handle well.

Id take a Rice rocket anyday, and for sleds anything thats fast and dependable.
Harley doesnt fit that decription in my books.
How many "Hogs " have you seen dead on the side of the road ?
Rice Rockets ? Ok so you may see a few wrapped around trees but thats Operator error.

Sorry for the rant but I hate Harleys Big Time dont want to see them in the Winter too.

J

1999zr600efi · 06-06-2004, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JRomano
Sure thats just what we need !!!
More obnoxious noisy sleds that leak oil all over the snow!
They would need to have repair shops on the trails with Mechanics on duty 24/7.
I dont get the Harley thing, they dont "GO" and they dont handle well.

Id take a Rice rocket anyday, and for sleds anything thats fast and dependable.
Harley doesnt fit that decription in my books.
How many "Hogs " have you seen dead on the side of the road ?
Rice Rockets ? Ok so you may see a few wrapped around trees but thats Operator error.

Sorry for the rant but I hate Harleys Big Time dont want to see them in the Winter too.

J

You make good points but you forget that most guys that ride harleys think they are king of the road and have no respect for anyone else on the road. Thats the last thing we need on the trials, we already have enough of those guys. Sorry for the generalization of harley guys but they piss me off!

Frosty · 09-10-2004, 12:51 PM

No Way!!Harleys are big heavy, noisy fashion statements. That uses lawnmower engine technology. They could never compete in this market just like they can't compete in motorcycle racing today.

01MXZ800 · 09-16-2004, 08:38 PM

it seems that you guys are unaware that blade produced a sled with a harley motor last year, and the v-twin would be an excellent motor for a sled, stock harleys are quietier than stock sleds, and they have a long stroke where as they would have some nasty torque, would give other 4-strokes a run for their money.

Maverick · 09-16-2004, 09:32 PM

and you could make a sled sound like a harley. that would be hilarious and bring a whole new group to the snowmobiling world.

**smallengineguy** · 09-16-2004, 10:00 PM

I can picture it now... A harley sled rider and his 'ol lady ride by and her ass cheeks are hanging out of her leather chaps.....

Maverick · 09-16-2004, 10:53 PM

lol didnt need to picture that. imagine the new style of gear that would come out!

sledneck27 · 10-02-2004, 08:53 PM

Could you imagine if Harley started making sleds again, and if they made them like they make their bikes. I could only imagine the products they would bring to the market; overpriced, chrome dipped, Taiwanese junk(no offense to the Taiwanese, its not their fault). In case you hadnt guessed already, I'm not much of a Harley fan.

sledneck27 · 10-02-2004, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 01MXZ800
it seems that you guys are unaware that blade produced a sled with a harley motor last year, and the v-twin would be an excellent motor for a sled, stock harleys are quietier than stock sleds, and they have a long stroke where as they would have some nasty torque, would give other 4-strokes a run for their money.

I forgot to comment on this. It wasnt a Harley motor, it was an S&S Cycles 1640cc V-twin. It was free air cooled and put out about 115 HP and like 105lb/ft of TQ. Its a neat idea but who is going to buy it? A handfull of people, and thats it. I've seen it in person two times now, and while its cool to see and hear that "Harley" sound come out of a sled, whats the point? The one thing I think the Blade Outlaw has going for it is the fact that its pretty light, but that has more to do with the Blade chassis design than anything else(that engine certainly isnt light). Despite its weight advantage, I would still bet on either 1000cc Yamaha to stomp it into the snow and never look back. I hope I'm not comming off like a jerk, but, beyond cool factor, I dont see any point to this sleds existance. One other thing, engine vibration looks to be a real concern on this sled.

Rev. Ronnie · 11-03-2004, 09:04 PM

I keep a Harley around because chicks dig them. One of the last ones was a former Penthouse feature. She walked right past 100 rice bikes to me on my old Shovelhead.
Superficial chick? Probably.
Do I care? No.
Did I have p0rn star style bangin' for 8 months and have the hottest thing at the dragstrip guiding my race car into staging after the burnout? Yes.
Has this scenerio repeated? Yes.

Would I buy a Harley sled????....welllllll....YES.

I'd take the oil leaking shakin' thing and not be one of those guys who has to have the latest, greatest, whatzenheimer to impress the boys at the bar. Also, I don't want to know what it's like to have to tug my fern with the vigor of a sailor who's been at sea for 2 years..

0to60n3 · 11-04-2004, 07:55 PM

Thanks for the sermon Rev. Besides tugging my fern ROCKS!

RedlineViper · 11-09-2004, 07:52 AM

if ya wanna ride a couch, stay home!!!

i am an avid motorcycle rider also, and the harley attitude is the biggest problem between riders. not all harley riders, but most, portray the image of being better or in their own class. god forbid they ride with someone with a jap crusier or a sportbike. my stepfather and his buddies are the only harley guys i ride with and they live 800 mile from me!

just my .02

Old timer · 11-10-2004, 08:41 PM

HARLEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anybody seen their superbike on the track in the 90's ? They paid the best to ride it Scott Russell, Duhamel, Picotte etc. made the podium a few times but the thing was a joke. Not to mention the engine wasn't even American made. I guess the American way is @!%$# thy neighbor.

whitkar22 · 12-29-2004, 01:31 PM

since ski-doo came out with the 3 up why shouldn't harley make sleds. I agree. They could make some dough and if people pay 30,000 for a Harley why wouldn't they pay 10,000 for a snowmachine? It would be a good move on their part in my opinion.
-whit

bobo · 12-29-2004, 02:31 PM

my main gripe about harley is that, how is it that the bikes can run loud pipes and nothing is done or said. my sled has psi modblaster pipes on it, and i can not trail ride it here in wi. so i run it at speedruns. $150-$160 fine for noise. if my car or truck sounded like some of these bike, i would be stopped and told to get the exhaust fixed. as far as them building a sled, it really would'nt matter to me, because i would'nt own one, but i think they should have the same restictions as everyone else. no offence to harley guys, just the bikes. i'm sure there are others out there that are just as loud. but i think whats good for one should be good for all.

skidoo_magoo · 12-29-2004, 03:40 PM

the bigger our sport grows, the better i say. they could atleast make a stab at it...