Donny’S Unauthorized Technical Guide to Harley-Davidson, 1936 to Present: Volume I: the Twin Cam

By Donny Petersen

Volume I: The Twin Cam is the updated first volume of Petersen's long-awaited Donny's Unauthorized Technical Guide to Harley-Davidson, 1936 to Present series. This twelve-volume series by the dean of motorcycle technology examines the theory, design, and practical aspects of all things Harley-Davidson.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jan 20, 2011
• ISBN: 9781450267724

Donny Petersen

no back cover author bio or author picture.

Book preview

Donny’s Unauthorized

Technical Guide to Harley-Davidson,

1936 to Present

Volume I: The Twin Cam

Donny Petersen

iUniverse, Inc.

Bloomington

Donny’s Unauthorized

Technical Guide to Harley-Davidson,

1936-Present

Volume I: The Twin Cam

Copyright ©2011 by Donny Petersen

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any Web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-4502-6770-0 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-1-4502-6772-4 (ebk)

ISBN: 978-1-4502-6771-7 (hbk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010916855

Printed in the United States of America

iUniverse rev. date: 1/11/11

Contents

Disclaimer

Acknowledgements

Preface

Introduction

Chapter I

March 1998: Introduction of the Twin Cam

The Secrecy Agreement

Ya’ll Ain’t Gitten in der Boy! Dats were da secret stuff is.

The Fathead Name

1919 to 1929: The First Twin Cam

H-D Technical Heaven

An Overview of the Twin Cam 88 Fathead

Twin Cam Heads

The Barrels (Cylinders)

Twin Cam Hypereutectic Pistons

Twin Cam Engine Cases

The TC88 Flywheel (Crank) Assembly

Curiosity didn’t Kill this Cat: the Hollow Crank Pin

Connecting Rods

Dual Cams and Timing Drive Chains

Valve Train Tappet Hydraulic Lifters and Pushrods

Oil Filtration

The TC88 Oil Pump

Twin Cam Engine Oil Feed and Return

The Twin Cam Breather Vent

Twin Cam Engine Covers and Gasketing

Engine Compartmentalization

Defeating Noise

The Transmission Housing: Structural Strength

Heat Treating

Primary Gear Ratios

Single Fire Ignition Spark Map

CV Kehein Carbureted Ignition

Magneti-Marelli Fuel Injected Ignition

Delphi Fuel Injected Ignition

Electronic Control Module

Fuel is Pressure Delivered

Evolution and Twin Cam Engine Shared Parts

Designing the Twin Cam 88

Screamin’ Eagle is Flying High

Milwaukee’s Secret Race Facility

The $1,000 Lunch

The Buell

Thanks to my Teacher(s)

The Harley Fantasy Trip 1999

The Year 2000 Harley-Davidson Twin Cam 88B

Chapter II

1999 to 2000 Teething Problems

Donny, What Went Wrong?

Pinion Shaft Noise

Whistling Pinion Bearing

Cam Sprocket Keyway

Cam Support Plate Bearings

Rear Cam Ball Bearing Breakdown

Cam Chain Tensioner Stress

H-D Corrected the Ball-Bearing Debacle Quickly

The Engine Build Date Determines the Rear Cam Bearing Defect

Reading the Oil Filter for Engine Damage

Fixing the Rear Cam Bearing Problem at the Factory

Identifying Carbureted and EFI Camshafts

What causes the Engine to Stop?

Bearing Damage Cleanup

Timing Compartment Debris

The Mystery of Traveling Debris Unwinds

Researching Service Recalls for all Years

Chapter III

Timing Chest Breakdowns and Solutions

Where Does the Noise Come From?

Pushrod Engines 101

The Belt Drive

Color-Coded Cam Gear Sizing

H-D Engine Design Forces

Valve Train Inertia and Momentum

The S&S Gear Drive Solution

The Harley-Davidson Solution

Moment Arm Force Creates a Potential Problem

The Spintron Dynamometer

Laser Video of Internal Engine Running

1999 to 2006 Cam Gear Drive Installation

Gear Drive Specifications

Chapter IV

Harley Oil Leaks: Marking its Spot

The Shovelhead Blues

Life inside an Engine

The Rotary Breather Gear

Puking Gravity Feed Oil Tanks

Twin Cam Pinion Bearing

Twin Cam Sprocket Shaft Bearing(s)

The Hollow Crank Pin

Twin Cam Oil Pump Seepage at Rest

Defining Blowby, Oil Carryover, and Venting

Modern Engine Venting Breathers

Enlarging Drain Hole to Assist Venting

The Real Problem: Disrupted Oil Return

Digital Signal Processing Dynamometer

The S&S Reed Valve Solution

The TP ProVent Solution

The Flathead 80: a Study in Pollution

The Twin Cam 3-Stage Venting System

The Doherty Myst Free Fix

The 2007 Harley Oil Pump Scavenging Fix

Softail Oil Tank can be Blowby Cause

Chapter V

Twin Cam Lubrication

Grease

Crude Oil Fractionalization Creates Many Products

Oil has Four Jobs

Fossil, Synthetic, and Semi-Synthetic Oil

Syn 3 Oil vs. Using Gear Oil in H-D Transmissions

Synthetic Oil Disadvantages

Advantages of Synthetic Oil

The Mythological Bearing Skid

Oil Change Intervals

Oil Additives

Airplane Oil in a Harley-Davidson

Heat is the Enemy

Two Modifications for Cooler Twin Cams

Oil Coolers

Reading the Oil Can

Engine Oil Ratings

The Law on Voiding Warranty

Oil Recommendations for the Twin Cam

Oil Pressure

Filtering the Oil

The Twin Cam Oil Pump

Comparison: 1992 to 2000 Evolution Oil Flow

Twin Cam Engine Oil Feed

Twin Cam Engine Oil Return

The Twin Cam Breather System

Chapter VI

Twin Cam Heads: Deficient Air Flow

Mom-and-Pop Dealerships

The Big-Bore Kit

Massaging Stock Twin Cam Heads

Performance and Efficiency 101: Cutting the Valve Seat

Performance and Efficiency 102: Valve Seat Fitment

Polishing Head Ports

Lighter Valve Train

TC96, TC103, CVO 110 Head Flow

Chapter VII

Retrofitting the Twin Cam Engine into Old Style Frames

The Offset Twin Cam Engine

TC88A Engine Installation in an Evolution Frame

Wiring and Electrical

Chapter VIII

Twin Cam Fuel Delivery

Gasoline for the Twin Cam

Octane

Gasoline Additive Effects on a Harley-Davidson

Fuel Tank Cleaning, Sealing, and Storage

Primer for Gas Cap(s) History

Evaporate Gas

California (CARB) Vapor Re-burning

The Vapor Valve

Continuous Venting: 1992 to Present

Diagnostic Skills: Gas Overflow

Vacuum Operated Gas Valve (Petcock)

Is the Vacuum Operated Gas Petcock an Improvement?

Fuel Tank Venting

Air Filtration

Carburetion Types and Principles

Basic Carburetor Tuning

Screamin’ Eagle 40mm Carburetor

The CV Kehein Carburetor: 1989 to 2006

Front View: CV Kehein Carburetor: 1989 to 2006

Rear View: CV Kehein Carburetor: 1989 to 2006

Left-side View: CV Kehein Carburetor: 1989 to 2006

Tuning the CV Kehein Carburetor

Troubleshooting the CV Kehein

CV Kehein 1989 to 2006 Jet Part Numbers

CV Kehein Carburetors: 1989 to 2006

Spark Plug Color Tuning the CV Kehein

Managing the engine

Carburetion Integrated Ignition

Magneti-Marelli EFI Fuel Linking Ignition

Delphi EFI Fuel Linking Ignition

The ECM: Electronic Control Module

EFI Components

Pressurized Fuel Delivery

EFI Specialty Tools

EFI Cylinder Synchronization

EPA Perfection: Stoichiometric Air Fuel Mixture

Early CVO Problem is Oil Seepage not a Compression Leak

Controlling Stoichiometric Heat

Chapter IX

Synchronizing Ignition and Fuel Delivery

A Brief History of Modern Harley-Davidson Ignitions

Mechanical Points/Condenser Ignition: 1970 to Early 1978

The First Electronic Ignition: 1978 to Early 1979

V-Fire II Electronic Ignition: 1980 to 1983

V-Fire III Electronic Ignition: Evolution 1984 to 2000

The V-Fire III Engine Management System

The Beginning: ECM Fuel-Spark Map for EFI

The (EMS) Engine Management System (2009)

2006 Dyna: Stoichiometric Heat Management

Chapter X

The Controversial Harley 6-speed Transmission

Horsepower and Torque Management

Primary Gear Reduction Ratio

The Secret

Comparing Six-Speeds

The BAKER 7-Speed TC96 Transmission

Sprocket Change Limitations

Secondary Drive Gear Ratios

Final Drive Gear Ratios

Breaking in my 2007 Street Glide

Internal Transmission Ratios

Connecting the Powertrain

Six-Speed Noise

Clutch Cable Ease

Helical and Spur Gears

Engine Lugging

TC96 Performance

The Throwaway Harley

Shift Clutches, Dog Rings, & Gear Dogs

The S&S 6-Speed

The BAKER Solution

The IDS Fix or is that an Enhancement?

Chapter XI

Twin Cam Electrics

Troubleshooting Shortcut: Check the Grounds

The Evolution of Circuit Breakers and Fuses

Fuses Make a Comeback: Usage Expands

The Many Names for Conventional and Maintenance Free Batteries

Boosting (Jump Starting) a Dead Battery

Battery Care

Maintenance Free Battery (VRLA or AGM)

Wet (Conventional) Battery Replacement

Specific Gravity

Battery Recharging

Sulphation

Battery Storage

Amp-hour Rating

Testing a Maintenance Free Battery

The Ultimate Check: Load Testing

Battery Life Expectancy

Twin Cam Charging System

Troubleshooting the Twin Cam Charging System

Twin Cam Starter System

The Starter Motor

Calculating Starter Motor Power

Starter Solenoid

Troubleshooting the Evolution/Twin Cam Nippodenso Starting System

Starter Clutch & Solenoid Repair Kits

Electrical Future Begins in 2011

2011Digital Technician II: Modern Diagnostics

Chapter XII

The 2007-to-present TC96 Engine

Big Bore, Stroke, Swept Volume, Piston Speed, and Compression

Flywheel Runout

Connecting Rods

Reciprocating & Rotating Engine Flywheel Components

The Top End: The Heads and the Valve Train

New Improved Timing Chest?

TC96 Softail Counterbalancer Servicing

The Cam Support Plate

The Andrews Solution

The TC96, TC103, CVO 110 Oil Pump-A Blowby Solution?

TC96 Engine Synopsis

Chapter XIII

2008 Model Changes

Bigger Gas Tank

Torque Ratings

Isolated Rear-Belt Pulley

Compression and Gear Ratios

Brembo ABS Brakes

Fly-by-Wire Throttle Control

New ECM and EFI

The Future is Here

Chapter XIV

2009 Model Changes

The New Twin Cam Touring Frame

Internal Engine and External Rider Cooling

TC96 Engine

TC103 Engine

CVO 110 Engine

The Transmission

Increasing the Juice

2009 Tire and Wheel Information

Touring Models

Softail Models

Dyna Models

The FLHTCUTG Tri Glide Trike

Chapter XV

2010 Model Changes

Cruise Drive 6-speed Transmission Upgrades

Exhaust Catalyst

Wheel and Tire Changes

H-D Part Number Upgrade: December 2009

Vehicle Identification Numbers

Touring Models

Trikes: 103c.i (1690cc)

Softail Models

Dyna Models

CVO Screamin’ Eagle Models

Chapter XVI

2011 Model Changes

Fit Shop

Parts Accessory Warranty

Engine Changes

Vehicle Identification Frame Label

Touring Models

2011 USA Twin Cam Compression Ratios

Trikes: 103c.i (1690cc)

Softail Models

Dyna Models

CVO Screamin’ Eagle Models

Chapter XVII

Why is the Twin Cam Superior?

Best Oil Pump to Date

Oil-sealing

Superior Cooling

Friction Reduction

Brute Strength

Twin Cam Engine Cases

The Twin Cam Head: Evolution Continues

Offset Connecting Rods

Automotive Lifters

One-Piece Flywheels

Engine Management System

Fuel Delivery

TC96, TC103, and CVO 110 Helical Transmission Gears

Electrics: Alternators and Starter Motors

Brakes: Calipers, Rotors, and Master Cylinders

Need I go on? The Twin Cam is Superior!

Chapter XVIII

Riding the Post WWII Baby Boom Crash

The Nicest People Ride a Honda

The Failure of Diversification

Failure of AMF Management

Easyriders

Born to be Wild

The Counterculture

H.O.G.

Willie G.

Saving the Hog’s Bacon

The Japanese

The Gods of Capitalism Giveth and Taketh Away

Chapter XIX

Deciphering the Twin Cam Serial Numbers

The Information Order of the 17-digit VIN

The Engine Serial Number Coding

CVO Screamin’ Eagle Models

VIN Codes for Twin Cam H-D Models

Sidecars in Use in Twin Cam Years ¹

Chapter XX

Twin Cam Summary

Acronyms

Author Biography

Disclaimer

This book expresses the views of I Petersen and Heavy Duty Cycles Limited (where mentioned) and are not intended in place of, or to diagnose or resolve any issue not assessed by a qualified technician. I Petersen and Heavy Duty Cycles Limited does not assume and expressly disclaims any liability with respect to the use of, or for damages resulting from the use of any information, advice, or recommendations within. We recognize that some words, model names, and designations mentioned herein are the property of the trademark holder. We use them for identification purposes only. This is not an official publication. Reference to any product, process, publication, service, or offering of any third party by trade name, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply the endorsement or recommendation of such by I Petersen, Harley-Davidson Inc. or Harley-Davidson Motor Company or H-D Michigan, Inc. or Heavy Duty Cycles Limited.

E. & O. E. (errors and omissions excepted)

Use of the words, Allen, Andrews, Andrews Gears, Andrews Cams, Andrews Products, Aramid, ARP, Axtell, Axtell Sales, Axtell Dyno Master Performance Product’s, Band-Aid, Bendix, Bick, Brembo, Champion, Crane, Crane Cams, Crane Time Savers, Custom Chrome, Rev-Tech, Delphi, Deltran Battery Tender, Derale, DFO, Dobeck, Doherty, Doherty Machine, Dunlop, iPod, iPod nano, iPod touch, iPhone, iPod classic, iPod shuffle, MLS, Myst Free, nano, Power Vent, Delkron, Dynojet, Edelbrock, Edelbrock Carb(s), Performer, Feuling, GESi Technology, Hayes, Hayden, Hitachi, Hoover, Horsepower Inc., Hylomar, Ina, JIMS, JIMS Machining, JIMS Powerglide, JIMS Pro-Lite, Kehein, Kevlar, Knight Prowler, Kreem, Kuryakin, Lexan, Lockhart, Loctite, Mace, Magneti Marelli, Manley, Max Flow, Mikuni, HSR Mikuni Smoothbore, Nachi, NASCAR, Ohlins, Pablum, Pingel, Plastocine, Procharger, Pro Vent, Prestolite, Rivera, Rivera Taper Lite, S&S, S&S Cycle, S&S Cycle, Inc., Spinylok, Super Stock, Spiro, STD, Sunnen, SuperFlow, SuperTrapp, Techlusion, Teflon, Thunder Jet, Tillotson, Timken, Torx, TP, TP Engineering, Trochoid, Uralite, Ultralite, VHR, Viton, Wood, Wood Carbs, zumo, various model names and designations, and OEM part numbers and derivatives of the foregoing along with trademarks and copyrights owned by the above companies or any companies owned or affiliated to the above companies whose names are listed wholly or partly are provided solely for reference, fitment, or partial fitment and application information, and there is no affiliation between the above companies or products whose names are listed wholly or partly and Heavy Duty Cycles Limited or I Petersen.

E. & O. E.

Use of the word Harley-Davidson, various model names and designations, and OEM part numbers along with trademarks and copyrights owned by Harley-Davidson, Inc. or Harley-Davidson Motor Company, H-D Michigan, Inc. or any companies owned or connected or affiliated to Harley-Davidson, Inc. or Harley-Davidson Motor Company, H-D Michigan, Inc. and derivatives of the foregoing are provided solely for reference, fitment or partial fitment and application information and there is no affiliation between Harley-Davidson, Inc. or Harley-Davidson Motor Company and companies owned or connected to them and I Petersen or Heavy Duty Cycles Limited. The words Bad Boy, Buell, Cross Bones, Cruise Drive, Cyclone, CVO, Deuce, Digital Technician, Disc Glide, Dyna, Electra Glide, Evolution, Evo, Fatbob(s), Fat Bob, Fatboy, Fat Boy, Fat Boy Lo, Fat Boy Special, HD, H-D, Harley, Harley-Davidson, Heritage Softail, Heritage Springer, HOG, Hog, Hawg, Hugger, Lightning, Low Rider, Night Train, Power Blend, PowerPak, PowerPak 103, Premium II, Road Glide, Road King, Road Tech, Roadster, Rocker, Screamin’ Eagle, Softail, Sport Glide, Sportster, Sport Glide, Springer Softail, Street Bob, Street Glide, Sturgis, Super Glide, TechLink, T-Sport, Tour Pak, Tour Glide, Twin Cam, Twin Cam 88, Twin Cam 88A, Twin Cam 88B, TC88, TC88A, TC88B, Twin Cam 96, Twin Cam 96A, Twin Cam 96B, TC96, TC96A, TC96B, Ultra, Ultra Classic, and Wide Glide are registered trademarks of Harley-Davidson, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA or Harley-Davidson Motor Company. The words: Bad Boy, Blast, Convertible, Deuce, Duo-Glide, Firebolt, Hydra-Glide, Revolution, Thunderbolt, Tri Glide, V2, V-Fire III, V-Rod, XR1200, and XR1200X are trademarks of Harley-Davidson, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, or Harley-Davidson Motor Company. The following model designations and any derivatives thereof for Harley-Davidson motorcycles are used in this book for reference only: EL, FL, FLH, FLHC, FLHF, FLHR, FLHRC, FLHRI, FLHRCI, FLHS, FLHT, FLHTC, FLHTCI, FLHTCU, FLHTCUI, FLHTCUTG, FLHTK, FLHX, FLHXXX, FLST, FLSTC, FLSTCI, FLSTF, FLSTFI, FLSTN, FLSTNI, FLSTS, FLSTSB, FLSTSCI, FLSTSI, FLT, FLTC, FLTCU, FLTCUI, FLTR, FLTRI, FLTRX, FX, FXB, FXCW, FXCWC, FXD, FXD35, FXDB, FXDBI, FXDC, FXDCI, FXDF, FXDI, FXDG, FXDL, FXDLI, FXDS, FXDS-Conv., FXDWG, FXDWGI, FXDX, FXDXI, FXDXT, FXE, FXEF, FXLR, FXR, FXRC, FXRD, FXRDG, FXRP, FXRS, FXRSE, FXRS-Convertible, FXRS-SP, FXRT, FXS, FXSB, FXST, FXSTB, FXSTBI, FXSTC, FXSTD, FXSTDI, FXSTI, FXSTS, FXSTSB, FXSTSI, FXWG, GE, K, KH, VRSC, VRSCA, VRSCB, VRSCD, VRSCDA, VRSCF, VRSCR, VRSCAW, VRSCAWA, VRSCW, VRSCDX, VRSCDXA, WL, WLA, XL, XL883C, XL883L, XL883N, XL883R, XL1200C, XL1200L, XL1200N, XL1200S, XLCH, XLCR, XLH, XLH883, XLH1100, XLH1200, XLR, XLS, XLT, XLX, XLX-61, XR-1000, XR1200, and XR1200X plus any of the above that form part of the Screamin’ Eagle CVO models that will have the suffix SE or the plethora of police models that will generally contain the letter P in the model designation nomenclature. In addition, there may be other derivative models that base or bear reference to FL, FLH, FLHT, FX, FXST, FLST, FXR, FXD, VRS, XL, and XR.

E. & O. E.

Acknowledgements

Firstly, my parents deserve the greatest credit. Value systems instilled in the formative years carry one through life.

After the Nazi invasion of Denmark, my parents’ homeland, they both served honorably in the Royal Canadian Air Force, emerging as officers at war’s end. I thank them for the many sacrifices they made defending freedom for future generations. Their wartime experiences inspired me never to start a fight but always finish one, no matter the consequences. They worked unselfishly at multiple menial jobs, day and night, so I could get an education in their new homeland, Canada. They taught me to work hard, to be honest, and to treat people, as you would have them treat you, never to hate, as negative energy will destroy oneself from within. Their teachings and love have held me in good stead my whole life.

The schoolyard is a cruel instructor for those who are different; it teaches prejudice, fighting, and the gang mentality no matter the social class. One learns to either fight or become subjugated. How one rises above this tribalism dictates a person’s ability to successfully deal with life’s problems. How one learns to deal with problems determines the quality of one’s life.

The educational system perpetrates and imposes unjust values on the young mind, favoring some and discriminating against others. Examples are IQ testing that does not recognize cultural differences, ill-educated parents, or the use of English as a second language. The educational system teaches the poor that they are intrinsically bad and will never achieve any of education’s goals; yet one can survive all of this and excel. I quit school on my own terms when I realized I could be anything I wanted and that I could pass all my examinations. I finally overcame artificially instilled inadequacies, realizing how spurious the system is. Everything hinges on and reduces to a piece of paper.

I thank the dealer nicknamed Mouldy who sold me my second Harley back in 1969 with no oil in it. He blamed it on me, not realizing I did not even know how to check the oil. Mouldy was the only game in town. Many times when I bought parts from Mouldy he would say, I only have two in stock so you can’t have it. I always keep one for the police; I keep the second for my best customers. Don, you can have the third if I have it! We used to watch him go to the hardware store to buy common nuts, bolts, cotter pins, etc. He would stand at his parts counter putting the hardware into Harley boxes right before our eyes. He would then sell these penny purchases for dollar H-D prices. Mouldy was instrumental in my decision to learn Harley mechanics and work on my own.

The horrific motorcycle accident that left me unable to move for many months, living daily with the impending threat of paralysis, and refusing amputation were probably my best experiences. They developed a steely resolve because there were only two choices…go crazy or be strong. Adversity leads to opportunity. I acknowledge the doctors who told me daily that I would never walk again; their negativity inspired me to become a weight lifter, to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, and to attempt Everest.

Death on Everest was one of my most excellent experiences. Inner strength and the refusal to give up carried me through. I even managed to save another climber, undeserving as he was since he begged me to leave him behind to die. I thank wife number three, Elizabeth, who was instrumental to my survival, although she threatened to kill me for bringing her to that godforsaken mountain.

Lenny Creed, publisher of Canadian Biker who gave me my first opportunity in 1989 as tech writer with my first monthly column, The Dept. of Acceleration. Our relationship benefited us both, as the magazine grew more popular through our mutual efforts. Lenny and I are cut from the same cloth.

Buzz Kanter and Chris Maida, publisher and editor respectively of American Iron Magazine, have given me free rein writing Techline, allowing me to develop into what I am. When approached by Canadian authorities, they would not fire me for being who I am.

Marty MacDougall, my Canadian East Coast buddy, allowed exposure of my business worldwide through his photography of the bikes Heavy Duty Cycles built over 30 years. It allowed our being featured in every major Harley-oriented magazine in the world.

My pal Gareth Seltzer is the selfless, consummate champion of the underdog…like who gets away with a name like Gareth in the biker world? Well, he does because everyone of worth likes him. This adventurous blueblood uses his considerable intellect, social networking, wealth, and energy to help those that would help themselves. Gareth gave me the opportunity to piss into the wind one more time in addressing the Empire Club’s prestigious forum to help advance biker civil rights. He also came to my rescue in 2007 to obtain my release on bail rather than wait in an overcrowded and repressive jail cell for 3 ½ years before my onerous 5-month trial could begin.

I acknowledge the efforts of certain media, politicians, and authorities who have systematically prevented me from teaching, designing mechanical curricula, and writing licensing examinations, all of which the Ontario, Canada Ministry of Education and the Superior Court recognized that I preformed with skill, honesty, and integrity. These crusaders for their version of good are currently trying to have sponsors and television stations prevent me from appearing in my television show segments.

I thank the producer of my TV show for hanging tough when it would be easier to get rid of me. Of course, after blond hair and big tits, I am the most popular segment of the show. Oops, spoke too soon. He, too, has succumbed to authoritarian pressure. All of this because of my lifelong sequential memberships in two prominent motorcycle clubs.

I thank my pal Guy who does hang tough when the going gets tough.

I have been planning forever to write this series of books along with a sequel to the movie Easy Rider. I never had time with all my endeavors, particularly with the educational system. I now make time because of the authorities’ ongoing and systematic denial of every previous course of creative endeavor. They cannot take my writing from me.

Preface

First, some kind words from Chris Maida.

As the editor of American Iron Magazine, I have known and worked with Donny Petersen for over 11 years. To this day, the depth of his knowledge of Harley-Davidson’s, both old and new, is still astounding to me. I have been riding and wrenching for almost 40 years. During that time, I have met lots of knowledgeable mechanics, designers, builders, and engineers. Moreover, in my opinion, Donny ranks up there with the best of them in knowledge and experience. – Chris Maida, editor, American Iron Magazine

Donny’s Unauthorized Technical Guide to Harley-Davidson, 1936 to Present will be comprised of the twelve volumes listed below. I will cover all the traditional Harley-Davidson models from 1936 to present except for briefly foraging back to 1929 when the V-Twin 45⁰ Flatheads introduced before I do the theoretical and practical volumes. A brief synopsis follows for the reader’s perusal.

I. The Twin Cam (published) ¹

II. Performancing the Twin Cam (published)

III. The Evolution: 1984 to 2000 (published)

IV. Performancing the Evolution

V. The Sportster: 1952-to Present

VI. The Shovelhead: 1966 to 1985

VII. Panheads, Knuckleheads, and Flatheads: 1929 to 1973

VIII. How It All Works

IX. Lubrication

X. The H-D Technical Encyclopedia

XI. Tech Tips

XII. Living the Dream

Each volume will describe, discuss, and analyze a different technical subject within the world of Harley-Davidson except Living the Dream, which will be about my riding exotic locales and the Rode-Mode survival tips I learned the hard way.

Volume I: The Twin Cam is the comprehensive first book that will lay the groundwork for all that follows in Donny’s Unauthorized Technical Guide to Harley- Davidson 1936 to Present.

¹ Volume I has two versions; the original covers from 1999 to 2008 and is 430 pages while this the updated Volume I is over 700 pages with smaller type and covers until 2012. These volumes are available through amazon.com or iuniverse.com.

Volume II: Performancing the Twin Cam will be a dynamic introduction to the quest for speed. The Twin Cam is the best platform for performance in the world of Harley.

Carburetors, fuel injection, cams, headwork, strokers, big-bore, supercharging, turbo charging, and nitrous oxide are all hot topics for discussion. I will take the reader through building a very reliable 124-cubic-inch engine using stock Twin Cam engine cases, a feat no previous H-D engine has managed to perform. This volume in excess of 700 pages is available through amazon.com or iuniverse.com.

Volume III: The Evolution: 1984 to 2000 is the bike that many credit with saving Harley- Davidson from bankruptcy. Who saved the Hog’s bacon? Why did it become the chosen one? How did H-D become the darling of American capitalism? After all, there was a more progressive and practical bike in the works. However, Harley-Davidson is not about practicality.

I will explore the Evolution from different perspectives, explaining why it’s so much faster and more reliable than its Shovelhead predecessor is. However, there is a lot wrong with the Evo that loyal riders love to overlook. I will get my hands dirty demonstrating the many foibles of the Evo. This super-sized volume in excess of 700 pages is available through amazon.com or iuniverse.com.

Volume IV: Performancing the Evolution will describe the hop-ups available for the fastest of the Harley Big Twins up until 1999. It’s easy to make the Evo faster within the limitations of the engine and retain reliability. I will explain how and show you what to do, and perhaps more importantly, what not to do.

Volume V: The Sportster: 1952-to-Present will begin with Flathead K models and lead into the birth of the modern Milwaukee Vibrator, the 1957 overhead-valve Sportster. The Sportster lost its vibrator status in 2004, entering a new era of touring capability. I will chronicle the Sportsters many mechanical changes over the years.

The historically ignorant and sexist derisively relegate the Sportster to girl’s bike status. Originally, a man’s bike, the Sportster dominated racing as well as the hardcore outlaw lifestyle that all modern riding clubs like HOG are based on. Consequently, it is the most customized Harley of all time. Performancing this ground pounder will be a hot section of the book.

I will then explain the future and all the changes that will occur to meet new 2015 dictates after the implementation of the 2010 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions restraints. There will be big changes in the Sportster to meet compliance, beginning with electronic fuel injection for all models in 2007.

Volume VI: The Shovelhead: 1966 to 1985 will discuss their development from the Panhead. The Shovel lost our affection with the advent of its more reliable successor, the Evolution.

The Shovelhead is back with a vengeance feeding the bobber boom the custom industry is currently enjoying. The Shovel has become one cool bike.

Volume VII: Panheads, Knuckleheads, and Flatheads: 1929 to 1973 will chronicle the development of the Flatheads from 1929 to the demise of the pie-wagon trike in 1973.

Next, I’ll discuss the first hemi-head Harley, the legendary cast-iron Knucklehead built from 1936 to 1947.

This intriguing volume will round out with exploring the beloved 1948 to 1965 Panhead. To quote the sexist vernacular of the day, It takes a man to ride a Pan

Volume VIII: How It All Works will be a techie dream. I will explain the component parts of the engine and subsequent Powertrain from valve springs to sprockets, examining their individual functions and interrelationships. A total knowledge of the V-Twin engine will evolve in the reader’s mind. With this understanding, analysis will follow and thus the ability to diagnose.

Volume IX: Lubrication is the all-time favorite subject of those that discuss their bikes and mechanics. Which brand oil is the best? The half-truths, marketing claims, and mythology surrounding oil are a maze that few penetrate. I am going to remove the hype and give the real deal.

Which oil will win? The combatants will be out of the ground fossil oil versus manmade synthetics. Myth will separate from fact, perhaps giving the reader his first unbiased look at this intriguing subject.

I will then go in depth with Harley’s marking their spot. Why do traditional oil leaks occur? How do we fix them? Why does your Harley puke oil out the breather? I will explain what is wrong and why and then explain the fixes.

Volume X: The H-D Technical Encyclopedia will be a calculation reference bible. There will be a comprehensive section on engine formulae that will cover calculations of every aspect of Harley-Davidson mechanics and performance. This will follow with explanations on how to make them work for you. The book will discuss such topics as taking everyday practical engine formulae like calculating compression ratios, explaining the math, and then applying the results to bump an engine’s compression.

I will also discuss a myriad of interesting topics like calculating cubic-inch displacements, transmission gear ratios, and final drive ratios. The reader will learn how–just like the experts–to modify his particular bike’s specifications, altering them to tailor his specific needs and wants.

Volume XI: Tech Tips will offer hundreds of practical tips on Harley-Davidson mechanics, short cuts, roadside repairs, and general information that will be intriguing for gear heads and casual readers alike.

One of yesteryears tips concerns a roadside fix using Comet cleanser to prevent engines from smoking oil out the exhaust. Blowing this fine abrasive into the carburetor throat reseats worn-out piston rings. This treatment stops smoke emanating from the exhaust pipes and, more importantly, prevents the spark plug from oil fouling, leaving the rider at the side of the road.

This volume will read like Confucius’s sayings.

Volume XII: Living the Dream will contain roadside technical advice interspersed with my biking adventures. Sprinkled throughout will be Rode-Mode practical guidance that every high-miler learns the hard way, such as surviving impacts at speed with dogs as well as bears, cows, deer, moose, and a flock of Canadian geese. My riding friends and I have encountered them all.

Living the Dream will chronicle my rides around the world from crisscrossing Europe and North America to Central America and Brazil. The riveting circular ride around South Africa to God’s Window is in a most beautiful and friendly place. However, there are ten different ways to die each day.

Introduction

While studying town planning at Toronto’s York University in the late sixties and early seventies, I found that I enjoyed writing essays and materials for thesis studies. At the time, I considered these years a necessary waste. Necessary since a diploma appeared to be a prerequisite key to a successful career. A waste because the subject matter never seemed relevant to my life. I quit one subject short of my degree. I finished that course in economics but could not be bothered to write the final exam. I may do this at some point. Economics seemed ethereal and useless. Did I leave out boring?

However, today, I find economics fascinating as I watch my stock portfolio. This subject that I now absorb with great interest also lets me analyze the modern success and failure story of American capitalism, Harley-Davidson. One needs to know economics if one wants to understand the rationale for Harley-Davidson’s decision-making processes that many times contravenes analytical thought on mechanics.

One by-product of a college education is mastering the fine art of bullshitting, also known as taking a position. This was actually the main reason I quit since this seemed so phony and thereby tainted the otherwise good aspects of an education. Taking a position returns to haunt me today as prosecutors define my life by their persecutory tainted thoughts in an adversarial court system that leaves much to be desired. Judge not until you too have been through the justice grinder! This relentless steamroller makes bad mistakes in both opposing directions.

The hippie influences of the early days made sociology and psychology interesting subjects since we had an innate need to understand where society had gone wrong. Even though a lot of that stuff turned out to be garbage, it does help me understand the third factor after economics and sociology and influencing every Harley- Davidson corporate decision: the psyche of the Harley rider whose needs range from reliving a romanticized past to the Freudian concept of an extension to the male…well, I am sure the reader gets my drift. I say this half in jest, true as it is, as I too, have had a need to ride a Harley-Davidson my whole life.

Little did I know that physics, the most difficult and boring of subjects, would, decades later, resurface in my mind, allowing me to analyze engine dynamics? Physics explains mechanical problems and, more importantly, the solutions.

Sociology explains the modern success story of H-D and, again, the reasons for corporate decisions relating to consumer needs.

College (University in Canada) prepared me in a unique way for the knowledge I would need decades later in a blue-collar world.

I quit school to become a Harley mechanic without having the benefit of any technical background whatsoever. My mother would not let me take those courses because I might join a gang. Authorities say I have been a gang member for close to forty years now. We in the biker world call them clubs. I am a club member.

Many times in life, I do things backwards. In 1971, after a local dealer ripped me off, I opened a repair shop in Toronto that later became Heavy Duty Cycles. I did this before I became a licensed mechanic in 1977. I loved working on my 1966 Shovelhead, my 1938 Flathead 80, and a 1954 750cc K Sportster as well as my friends Pans, Knucks, and Flatheads. I learned fast, absorbing mechanical knowledge like a sponge. Soon I realized that I had skills other mechanics seemed to lack.

I understood why the Harley factory turned out bikes the way it did because of those formerly useless subjects I once spurned. I understood the needs and wants of the Harley rider. More importantly, I developed diagnostic skills because I could understand the processes causing mechanical problems. I understood venting gases, vacuum blockages, and all the other stuff that happens inside an engine because I understood physics.

Twenty-five years later, I thanked my mother for being so persistent in ensuring that I continued my education. I had studied these dumb subjects so as not to disappoint her.

College taught me how to write and, more importantly, think. Any great wrench thinks his or her way through a mechanical problem. Too many mechanics or especially technicians simply replace parts until a problem disappears. The thinking mechanic/technician is always the best mechanic.

I spent so many years in school that I learned how to pass examinations without necessarily knowing the correct answers. I somewhat knew, but not really, Harley mechanical work but certainly had no clue about Japanese, English, or other European bikes whatsoever. I knew how to adjust a chain but knew nothing of belts or shaft drives. Fast Eddie, the head Harley mechanic in the dealership that ripped me off, sponsored me to take the mechanical examination for licensing in the trade. I passed a poorly written examination because I analyzed the questions and not because of any extensive mechanical knowledge.

I have never felt good about this. Years later, I began to teach, for the Canadian Province of Ontario, apprentice mechanics, some traveling up to 1,000 miles for the opportunity.

I knew how to analyze examination questions that would lead to a correct answer. The Canadian Federal Government put me through a course on how to write an effective examination. Now I could write questions that even I could not answer correctly without appropriate knowledge. I taught the apprentice mechanics the knowledge necessary to pass the examinations I wrote. My examinations required the knowledge of a mechanic ready to enter the trade.

The Minister of Education then appointed me to a special committee to further the skill of aspiring mechanics in motive small engine trades. From this came the rewriting and updating of course requirements.

Then we had to upgrade the teachers who were living in the past and not improving their present skills, never mind the future. We briefly taught points-condenser mechanical ignitions instead of dwelling on them as if they were the only ignition available. We concentrated on electronic ignitions, sensors, and engine management systems that barely received mention before because the older teachers did not understand this subject themselves. Yes, we taught carburetion thoroughly but concentrated more on electronic fuel injection with open and closed loop systems and diagnostic procedures.

I taught young people the future, not the past.

Writing an extensive computer-generated examination bank became my next task. The question bank, still in use today, spits out a different exam each time with correct subject-weighted questions. It matters not if the examination bank falls into student hands; the bank of questions is so extensive that only a thorough knowledge of motorcycle mechanics would enable the student to pass.

I began writing monthly technical columns first for Canadian Biker Magazine’s Dept. of Acceleration beginning in 1989 and then, starting in 1992, Techline for American Iron Magazine (AIM). I still write monthly for AIM and thoroughly enjoy it.

Around eight years ago, I started doing the Tech-Talk segment of Biker TV shown across Canada.

I always knew I would write books and now the time has come. I thought it would be a simple matter of sewing my hundreds of columns together. When I am wrong, I am really wrong. It has turned out that the books will supply the columns. Even with extensive knowledge, I found myself taking my 2007 Harley apart to see the new changes for myself.

My first book is all about the Twin Cam engine introduced back in 1999. The 2007 Twin Cam has instituted many changes, including the first serious attempt by the Factory (H-D’s nickname, used by some Harley buffs), to resolve the timing compartment problems plaguing this best of all H-D Big Twin engines made since 1999. Chapters III and XII chronicle all these changes including the increased cubic-inch displacement of the engine.

The temperature will rise as the very controversial 6-speed transmission undergoes examination and detailed explanation. Chapter X is devoted entirely to the 6-speed, its successes and its problems, along with aftermarket solutions. The six-speed transmission in all 2007 Twin Cams initially tested in the 2006 Dyna models is something the aftermarket has been providing for ten years. Harley wanted to both cut the aftermarket out of H-D’s action and to resolve gear noise violating new EPA decibel dictates. Preliminary reports indicate that the Factory may have failed on both counts. However, the transmission gear ratios have been coordinated with the primary and final drive ratios to produce the most seamless, integrated riding ever.

This first volume begins describing my secrecy agreement with Harley-Davidson over the then hush-hush Twin Cam engine starting with my entertaining cab ride to the top-secret section of Harley-Davidson’s Juneau Avenue complex in Milwaukee. As part of an AIM team, I spent almost a week in March 1998 as a guest of Harley- Davidson. In total secrecy, the Twin Cams design engineers taught us about every aspect of this new model.

On a subsequent invitational trip in 1999, I was part of another AIM team that rode and evaluated the Twin Cams for Harley-Davidson through four states out of the York Pennsylvania facility. I was fortunate enough to be able to look at the Twin Cam development and implementation from every angle.

The Heavy Duty Cycles Toronto team, including myself, has worked on customer and personal Twin Cams six days a week since then. Because of all this, I am able to relay to you the tremendous improvements guaranteeing the continuation of Harley-Davidson’s success story. You will learn from my hopefully entertaining writing style all one could ever want or need to know about this new engine. My encyclopedic knowledge about motorcycles…if I may be so immodest…will leave no stone unturned.

Volume I: The Twin Cam explains this engine as the most radical departure from the past since the introduction of the Knucklehead in 1936. First, I will delve into all the initial teething problems, then detail how the Factory attempted to resolve them. Then I will dissect the ongoing timing chest boondoggles and discuss the permanent fix in detail.

Even the Twin Cam is not immune to marking its spot so oil escaping the engine will be a big topic. Exposing the culprits overloading the breathing system and curing this malady will be an even bigger subject.

Many of the newly designed parts like the exemplary gasketing will receive their due attention.

After that, I will take up the deficient air flow in the best…however restrictive…of all Harley head designs. Then I will demonstrate how to massage these heads through porting and polishing to increase the flow of air. I will do the same with the new TC96 heads introduced in 2007.

For those that want to retrofit the new engine into older frames, there will be a complete how-to chapter on this subject.

Then, I will dissect all the new changes like the new 2007 TC96 engine, super sized Drivetrain, the 2008 ABS braking, electronic throttle control Furthermore, I will do the same for the 2009 models discussing such topics as the new FLHT frame to accommodate larger engines, CVO 110 improvements, the overdue rubbermount 4-point engine-powertrain mounting system, dramatic new wheel and tire changes plus the first H-D trike since 1973, the FLHTCUTG Tri-Glide.

Are the improvements, well, improvements? Why is there not much of a horsepower increase despite eight more cubic inches? We shall see but it is looking good.

I will do the same with the 2010 and 2011 models exploring the new exhaust catalyst and the necessary changes surrounding this new feature that meets the midyear 2010 EPA mandates as well as the many other changes that occur this year after the ravages of the Great Recession begin to affect the Motor Company in a big way.

I will then decipher Twin Cam serial numbers and the necessary Vehicle Identification Numbers. Big changes occur in 2010. H-D has grown so much that a new part numbering system institutes in December of 2009. I take the confusion away from the numbers so that they can become your friend.

Lastly, I will trace Harley-Davidson history from its most difficult beginning under new management during the Deep Recession of 1982 to the very real struggles the Motor Company faces in the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009.

This all-embracing first volume will lay the foundation for all that follows in Donny’s Unauthorized Technical Guide to Harley-Davidson, 1936 to Present.

Please enjoy.

Chapter I

March 1998: Introduction of the Twin Cam

The Secrecy Agreement

In March 1998, Harley-Davidson invited me to Milwaukee along with Buzz Kanter and Chris Maida of American Iron Magazine. We some of the first outsiders were to join the select few who planned, designed, and implemented the Twin Cam 88. Our mission was to learn every facet possible about this new motorcycle and in turn teach the riding public through our writing. The following is written from a 1998 perspective.

Up to seven engineers taught us about the new motor for four days from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Under secrecy agreements with Harley-Davidson, I was unable to talk about this honor until June 25, 1998. American Iron Magazine published my extensive articles on the Twin Cam 88 in its August 1998 issue thus introducing the world to the new engine.

Ya’ll Ain’t Gitten in der Boy!

Dats were da secret stuff is.

The cabby asked. Where ya’ll going, boy.

Juneau Ave, 3700 West Juneau Ave. I said.

Wastin’ yer time, boy. He admonished. Ya’ll ain’t gitten in der. Dats were dey do dat secret stuff

You mean research and development? I volunteered.

Ain’t dat what I said boy! I will wait here. Got me a two-way trip, cuz you ain’t gitten in.

The old six-story building at 3700 West Juneau Ave. in Milwaukee looks exactly what it is, a pre World War II factory. It now houses H-D’s corporate offices, normal and secret storage, and Harley-Davidson Archives.

The modern Milwaukee factories are located on Pilgrim Road, which normally does not offer tours and the Capitol Drive Plant that does have public tours. It has a little Harley store, which has exclusive souvenirs only available there.

Out front of the Juneau facility is a Harley’s only parking lot with a No Cages Allowed sign. Surrounding this primo parking area are the less desirable parking areas for the cages (cars).

The security in the lobby inside was strict.

Enclosed in protective glass was a 1903 Harley-Davidson. It was gussied up to look better than it did back then. Its single-cylinder 3 HP belt-driven engine with no transmission contrasted greatly with the 95th anniversary Road King in the opposite corner.

After this article was published in American Iron Magazine, Dr. Martin Rosenblum, the official Harley-Davidson historian wrote a letter to AIM asserting that I was incorrect and that the 1903 Harley was indeed totally original and identical to when manufactured. The Letters column of AIM published his letter and my reply in the November 1998 issue on page fourteen. Dr. Rosemblum wrote, Thank you for the wonderful piece you wrote entitled Security at Juneau Ave. However, you made a serious error in referring to our 1903-04 Harley-Davidson as a replica. It is not. It is the real thing. Please inform your readers that we have Serial Number One in our lobby for the world to see just as it rolled out of the original factory.

Dr. Martin Jack Rosenblum

Harley-Davidson Archives Historian

Donny’s reply:

I wrote 1903 Harley-Davidson that’s been gussied up to look better than it did back then. I could tell the bike wasn’t a replica but I commented to a factory worker who was conducting a tour that it sure was pretty. It was obviously nicer looking than it was in 1903. He laughed and said, It sure is.

Donny Petersen. ¹

We disagree but Dr. Rosenblum is an authority on Harley-Davidson and did a wonderful job historically documenting the history of this venerable company.

Harley-Davidson Secrecy and Security

Returning to the lobby, opposite the 1903 H.D., the Harley emblazoned black leather furniture sat in the third corner nearest the door outside. A security guard sat at the front door beside the enclosed black check-in counter. Above him in orange neon was the Bar and Shield, Harley’s symbol.

After I identified myself, the secretary phoned the magic name I proffered and all of a sudden, I was okay. Wait for security. Sign in this book, wear this security tag while in the building, and turn it in when leaving. Cameras were prohibited. You must agree to random searches at any time. In addition, the legal department requires signing a confidentiality agreement. You are not allowed to discuss anything you see until June 25th. The date was March 18, 1998.

Do you have any idea how hard it was not to discuss the Twin Cam Fathead for three whole months while all the people supposedly in the know give opinions about what the Factory was doing?

H-D’s top engineers taught us over the best part of a week. We have held each individual part in our hands, seen the completed engine and assembled Fathead bikes.

It was tough especially when the rumors for the most part were wrong. I bit my lip more than once. Having delicious secrets was no fun.

Why did they choose me? I never thought the Factory would approve me in the first place since I was not shy when it comes to being critical in my columns. However, the Factory said I was okay. I am aftermarket and definitely not a yes-man. However, I feel that I am diligent in attempting to be fair. The body language was already telling me the Factory people were confident that they had a winner.

I was not so sure. I had my list of structural complaints about the predecessor Evolution engine. Resolve the whole list with improvements in the new engine and you have a convert. The critic in me becomes loud and clear if this does not happen. The H-D fan in me laps on the praise when it does happen.

Boxes, purses, and bags are searched going in and out. As I wrote this, waiting for my escort to be like Velcro on my side, a security glared at me, officiously wondering what I was writing. Suddenly, I was off the hook as the guard was busy searching a briefcase of someone wanting to leave.

Weather had delayed my cohorts Chris Maida and Buzz Kanter in Chicago. Therefore, I found myself with a nervous Steve Peihl who was in charge of the press. He was great at keeping a secret and not so good at letting one out.

The elevators were the old style, pull-down-the-wooden-slat-door freight ones. We walked through a maze to get where we are going, which turned out to be the Harley-Davidson Archives. The door to the archives is always locked. It is necessary to bang on the door to get in and ask permission to get out.

The Archives

What a strange place to be viewing the future. How come here? I asked. No one will suspect here, came the logical reply. Dr. Rosenblum, the fastidious H-D historian, didn’t like this violation of his inner sanctum, but he consoled himself by watching history in the making. Once allowed inside, I immediately discerned the reasons for security and secrecy.

There it was…a mechanic’s dream. About 460 foreign-looking but somehow familiar parts lay in front of me, I easily identified maybe fifteen or twenty as being 1984-to-present Evolution motor parts. To the side was the complete Twin Cam Fathead engine while on the other was a 1999 Dyna Twin Cam motorcycle.

I was ecstatic as the group lead by Skip Metz began educating me. When realizing my teachers were the engineers in charge of design, testing, and production, I was in heaven. Leading the team was Bill Davidson himself who was extremely emotional about this new milestone for Harley-Davidson. His grandfather must have felt the same way in 1936 when he introduced the new overhead valve Knucklehead that replaced the old Flathead side valve technology.

The Washroom

By now, Buzz and Chris’s plane had come in from Chicago. The engineers had to teach all over again. This was great. I sat back and listened. I was now concentrating on the mechanical theory relating to the newer technology. I began conceptualizing how everything interacted.

We needed pictures, many pictures. We gained security clearance from Steve. However, the archives were too dark for crisp, informative photos. We had to improvise somehow. Chris returned from the locked washroom across the hall. He said the light was great in there. Over we went carrying all the parts. The old-style washroom had lots of white marble, space, and big factory-style windows. We all reconvened in the washroom the next day, taking numerous pictures of each part and the subassembly it fit in.

After we relocated, poor Skip explained in detail, once again, everything about each part for the third time. I then understood every component, conceptualized how the different systems like oiling, breathing, and the spark map matrix worked. I also appreciated the noise and emissions aspects imposed by government regulations. More importantly, I grasped how they would influence the Fathead and the future.

My immediate impressions were all very favorable. This was some engine. This was a wave of the future for Harley-Davidson and it was a bright future indeed.

missing image file

March 1998, Donny on a Prototype Twin Cam Dyna FXD in the Harley-Davidson Archives at 3700 West Juneau Ave., Milwaukee

© American Iron Magazine, reprinted with permission of www.AIMag.com

I’m posing with a prototype Dyna Twin Cam in March 1998. The location is in the hallway in front of the Harley-Davidson Archives on an upper floor of 3700 West Juneau Avenue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Surrounded in secrecy, we could not release information until June 25, over three months later. Inside the Archives, a disassembled Twin Cam engine was spread out before us. The designing engineers intensively taught us for three full days from early morning until late at night. Harley personnel are passionate, very committed, and work long hours.

The Fathead Name

During lunch one day in Milwaukee before the introduction of the Twin Cam, I was able to help nickname the new engine as the Fathead. Harley-Davidson never promoted this descriptive moniker. American Iron Magazine referred to the Twin Cam as the Fathead for many issues, using it everywhere.

I believe the reason was that we at AIM coincidentally came up with the H-D secret Fathead nickname. We started to use it in print before they were promotionally ready. Harley lore and tradition dictates that every engine has a nickname like the F-head, the Flathead, the Knucklehead, the Panhead, the Shovelhead, the Blockhead (Evo), and now the Fathead.

AIM editor Chris Maida, publisher Buzz Kanter, and myself, the Techline columnist since 1992, were sitting around during a break from our education on the Twin Cam 88. We were tired but constantly stimulated by the onslaught of new information swirling around us. We tossed around possible names like the Splithead because the rocker boxes split into two pieces but always came back to the Fathead. Really, what else could we call this oversized squat engine? The Fathead nomenclature based on the fatter top end on the Twin Cam 88 due to 60 percent more finning on the .250"-bigger diameter cylinders and heads. The combination of the bigger piston bore and the most massive cooling fins ever used on a Harley made this name a natural. Yeah, we could have called it something like the Bighead but the word fat has a special place in Harley lore because of the astronomical success of the Softail Fatboy. Arnold Swarzenegger riding a Fatboy in the movie, the Terminator, branded the name in the public’s mind. In the wacky world of Harley-Davidson the ultimate, rebellious cool was fat, the antithesis of society’s obsession with thin.

Now I was in trouble. Trev Deeley was the very influential Canadian on Harley-Davidson’s board of directors. The rumor that he was a financier and a savior of Harley-Davidson during the buyout from American Machine and Foundry, renamed the AMF Company in 1971 was part of the lore surrounding the man. Deeley set me straight on my audacity in nicknaming the new engine. You fucked everything up, Don! You and those magazine people have no right to do this!

He was an irascible, good guy, if he liked you. His mercurial temper did not suffer fools gladly. Trevor was not crude, but he spoke plainly and was not above scowling, swearing, and raising his voice to make his point. He was a sharp pencil and Canada’s most successful motorcycle importer, introducing many bikes, including Honda, to our shores.

This avid, lifelong motorcyclist would piss off his business-oriented motorcycle dealers. Before he saw these dealers, Trevor usually visited me first at Heavy Duty Cycles when he flew into Toronto from Vancouver. After all, I was the symbolic aftermarket enemy. He did not like a lot of them. He viewed many dealers as lazy, complaining, spoiled brats. It would drive him crazy that some of his people would play golf in the afternoon instead of working. Trevor used his dealer network to make money, lots of it, but the dealers were not his kind of people.

He would shoo my friendly but formidable dogs Huey, a 165-pound Great Dane, and Beau, a 115-pound Shepherd-Bouvier, out of the way, sitting down uninvited on a greasy, stained chair, and go into one of his wonderful rants. My dogs would eyeball me, then him, warily back and forth to see if I felt threatened. If so, they would take care of this blustery intruder. After awhile, they ignored Trev, because they could see how much I enjoyed his company. I will tell you one thing: His dealers never ignored him. He was on them even if they were doing everything right, which, of course, was impossible.

He would tell me that if I would quit my motorcycle club, the Para-Dice Riders…it was bad for the new H-D corporate image…he would make me a rich man. He knew I would not quit for money and he liked that.

One time he said, How come you didn’t attend my dinner roast? It was a big ta-doo honoring him. I had heard about it but did not think I was that welcome or that he even wanted me there, not to mention it was 3,000 miles away. Why didn’t you invite me, I asked. You need a godamn invitation? he bellowed. He then said, The Hells Angels came. I got restless at the head table listening to the bullshit about how great I was. They went outside so I grabbed a couple of beers and went out and hung out with them around their choppers. Told them they should not cut up a Harley that way, but you could tell they knew their way around their bikes and a wrench. Nice fellows, ‘course I understand they’re not always that way, he said with a mischievous wink. Trev liked them on an individual basis because they were bikers. They just were not his kind of motorcyclist.

Another time he was frustrated because he did not know how to quell dealer whining at a dealers’ meeting. What am I going to say to these complainers? I suggested, Where else in the world in any franchise can you become a millionaire in three years not knowing what you were doing! He looked at me stunned. He did not say anything and the conversation drifted elsewhere. Did he ever say that? I do not know, but he was sure capable of it.

One time he said, Do you want to be a dealer? Not me, man, besides I’m in a bike club and you guys won’t tolerate that. Aw, screw that, Don. Just don’t sell aftermarket parts and you can have what you want. Of course, it did not matter that Trev’s personal dealership sold many aftermarket parts. I wouldn’t have to Trev. H-D has many good parts coming down the line. Many of your dealers are not bikers so they don’t know what the riding public wants. They don’t know what to stock and what sells.

Where would you like one? he repeated.

Well Trev, there’s a nice spot up north in the country, but the dealer there is too greedy. He would want too much money. Trev surprised me with his answer, That pompous pain in the ass, I’ve been looking to get rid of him. It’s yours. No money, just show you are financially capable. There are the setup building costs and, of course, inventory. Find a good location in the area. What does he own after he loses the H-D dealer license?

Trev was right in his assessment of that dealer, but then I a changed gears to lead into my next thought about a location. I said that I had been down to Milwaukee to view the…. Don’t say it! Trev growled. You signed a secrecy agreement Fuck, Trev, if I can’t talk about it with you, then who? No one! It’s a nice engine though, eh, Don? We are moving along good. Maybe Trev greased the way for my invitation to be one of the first to see the new engine.

Yeah, that’s why I might consider a big box store, Trev. Harley is on the right track. Where do you want Don? I named the location, and he accused me of having insider information. Don, we’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on demographic studies to show us where to put the dealerships and how far they should be apart.

"Trev, I took town planning at college and if you spent that much dough you got ripped.