Harley-Davidson

The Harley-Davidson Motor Company {{nyse|HDI}} is a manufacturer of motorcycles based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, making it one of the two remaining American mass-producer of motorcycles (along with Victory Motorcycles). The company emphasizes heavy bikes designed for cruising, bikes known for their distinctive exhaust noise.

The Harley-Davidson V-twin engine

The classic Harley-Davidson engines are two-cylinder, V-twin engines with the pistons placed at a 45 degree angle. The crankshaft has a single pin, and both pistons are connected to this pin through their connecting rods. This design causes the pistons not to fire at even intervals.

Related Topics:
Cylinder - V-twin - Crankshaft - Piston - Connecting rod

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On the V-twin, the sequence is as follows:

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• the first piston fires (this is the 0° position)
• the other piston fires at 315° into the stroke
• there is a 405° gap (as both cylinders go through their exhaust stroke) until the first piston fires again

This design, which is covered under several United States patents, gives the Harley-Davidson V-twin its unique "potato-potato" sound.

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On 1 February 1994, the company filed a trademark application for

Related Topics:
1 February - 1994 - Trademark

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the distinctive sound of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle engine: "The mark consists of the exhaust sound of applicant's motorcycles, produced by V-twin, common crankpin motorcycle engines when the goods are in use". Nine of Harley-Davidson's competitors filed comments opposing the application, arguing that cruiser-style motorcycles of various brands use a single-crankpin V-twin engine which produce a similar sound. These objections were followed by litigation. After six years, Harley-Davidson withdrew their trademark application.

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The earliest named model

• The Flathead, 1929-1974, 45 cubic inches (0.7 L).

The Big Twins

• Knucklehead, 1936-47, 61 and 74 cubic inches (1.0 and 1.2 L)
• Panhead, 1948-65, 61 and 74 cubic inches (1.0 and 1.2 L)
• Shovelhead, 1966-85, 74 cubic inches (1.2 L) and 80 cubic inches since late 1978
• Evolution (aka "Evo" and "Blockhead"), 1984-99, 80 cubic inches (1.3 L)
• Twin Cam 88 (aka "Fathead") 1999-present, 88 cubic inches (1.4 L)
• Twin Cam 88B (counter balanced version of the Twin Cam 88) 2000-present, 88 cubic inches (1.4 L)
• Revolution, 2001-present, 69 cubic inches (1.13 L), 60 degree V-twin (all of the above are 45 degrees), Liquid cooled (all of the above are air cooled)

The Sportsters

• Ironhead, 1967-1984, 900, then 1000 cc
• Sportster (a smaller version of the Evolution engine), 1985-present, 883 and 1200 cc

2002 water-cooled engine

• Revolution, 2002-present, 69 cubic inches (1.1 L), used in VRSC (V-Twin Racing Street Custom) models. At first it was used in a single model called the V-Rod; it now comes in four consumer models: The V-Rod, the "roadster-styled" Street Rod, the long and low Night Rod, and the VRSCSE² Screamin? Eagle V-Rod.
• There is also a non-street fifth variant: the VRXSE SE Destroyer (comes stock with larger engine, nitrous oxide injection, wheelie bar, among other features.