Thread: Getting power out of a harley

Originally Posted by 300CALMAN

I had a torana with a 186, 1/2 race came etc. One of the nicest sounding motors ever imho

I had a 68 monaro..the first of the 2 door coupes..had a 186 in it...for all of a week...was swapped out for a 400 chev small block bored out to 412 ci and tunnel rammed amongst all the other work running twin 600 holleys about a foot out the bonnet , amounted to 580 rwhp on Dyno , which I will add was a lot 30 yrs ago when I built it. Now THAT sounded better than the 186....

Originally Posted by Happy

Attachment 150427


Her you go my latest mid Restoration... Getting hard to get un molested good ones Push the button it goes every time Everyone falls in love with it .. Got the last carrier, carb kit front wheel
and other bits ex Honda

Been offered silly money 1986 model its all done now

Need to get newer pic

I don't know what to say to that one. A friend had an identical one we took turns to ride in the school car park. I rode it into the car park hedge. I will raise you a chappy (I rode a chappy into a fence after the throttle came loose).

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/m...4?bof=BKtkEHPA

Originally Posted by rugerman

The trouble with riding at 100% on the road, is sooner or later you come around the corner to gravel on the road or someone pulling out of a driveway and your off to meet ya maker.
I like going around corners so aren't too keen on Harleys Got a 1250 Bandit at the mo and it's got all the grunt I need. Bit on the heavy side though.

In Ozstralia it was roos and bloody galahs not to mention tractor drivers.

Originally Posted by cameronjackwhite

If you're ever in the hawkes bay region take this one for a spin. You'll be underwhelmed and still somehow love every minute!

Every moment on two wheels is better than 100 in a car.

Just spotted a dream bike on Trade me...you know, the lotto one that I wanted as a kid and had the poster on the wall.....They sold for three years wages when new ($50k in the early 90s) and it is for sale for $17k now...and has THREE km on the clock...only dilemma is ....It would be criminal to buy a bike of such finesse and precision for that much money and not ride it....but it would also be criminal to buy a bike that has only ever been pushed around the garage and start riding it after all these years...

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/m...2?bof=OegI9LOq

Bimota YB11

I would imagine it would take a bit of work to make it a runner though at that age with so little use. I would expect rubber parts such as fork seals and carb internal orings etc would need replacing due to drying out from sitting so long.

Originally Posted by 300CALMAN

I left mine in OZ more than 20 years ago, I should have bought another when I got back but it just didn't happen.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/m...2?bof=BKtkEHPA

pity about the paint scheme but so tempting...

They had the crappiest looking wheels unfortunately.

Definitely tempting though... but I would probably lose my license before I finished the first tank of gas

This is a cranky one. One of the riders had this at the Pike river tribute 29 memorial run back in 2016
9 liter cummins v8 diesel. Trans and diff out of the truck as well
Handled way better than you would think (apparently and also went like a scalded cat

Attachment 150724

Originally Posted by 300CALMAN

OMG I am probably only here because I couldn't get mine off the garage floor, unfortunately parts supplies had dried up by the 90s 9it was missing a couple of parts). With great regret I sold it having never rode it as I moved to OZ......
....... All hail to the mighty 2 stroke we will remember you always....

I was down town about 6 months ago and I heard one start up in the car park. I nearly leapt out of my skin, and was instantly transported back 45 years in time
Went over and had a chat. Had been immaculately rebuilt. Mine had aftermarket expansion chambers on it and was a real cackle monster, but to hear this tripple 2 smoker burbling away at high idle almost brought a tear to my eye

Originally Posted by john m

I love my Interceptor.Attachment 150425

Just bought one identical to it this arvo Mrs Finnwolf bought the one with the Orange Crush coloured petrol tank.
I also took a GT for a spin, pleasantly surprised at how these low velocity bikes went, utter fun!

Bless the Harley Davidson for holding such good resale value, it helped well into the price of the two Royal Enfields!

Cool man, sweet sounding twins

Nice.. they look alot like the early BSA Lightning 650s - or the Bonnies.

Yeah man, if my wife would let me ride one of these would be my bag I reckon

Originally Posted by 300CALMAN

I need a "more than like" button for that one.

To me Harleys are always going to be a cruising bike for crossing Australia or Arizona (stopping at every gas station on the way) so I cant see much advantage in making one go fast with 1930's technology engines. However, due to their bad name for reliability I would take a BMW any day for a cruiser. That would be my advice if you don't want a japanese bike. I have to say I do have a soft spot for Ducati's also but they are also expensive on the upkeep.

I remember in Australia reviving a fair amount of abuse from Harley riders while riding my RZ350, they usually abused me at the lights (rice burning tinny jap crap etc) and definitely jumped ahead for the first 50m or so but once the power valves opened they got left in the dust.

Sitting out in Akaroa one sunny afternoon, a 916, a ZX10, and a Busa - tatty older lookin feralish thing wearing a german helmet with a Harley sitting nearby, it gets up to leave and comments out the side of its mouth as it sticks the cranking handle in the Massey Davidson "that jap shit wouldn't suck the skin of a rice pudding" silly fucker didn't even get that one of them wasn't a japper anyway, didn't cotton on that any one of the three bokes could easily have ripped out his lungs and used them to tie him up. He didn't seem to hear the laughter as his steamshovel fired up and clanked off down the road.