Donny’s Unauthorized Technical Guide to Harley-Davidson, 1936 to Present: Volume Iii: the Evolution: 1984 to 2000

By Donny Petersen

Donny is the Winner of the 2012 International Book Awards.

Donny Petersen has been educating motorcycle enthusiasts about Harley-Davidson bikes for years. Now, he has combined all his knowledge into a twelve-volume series masterpiece and this third book is one that every rider will treasure.

Petersen, who has studied privately with Harley-Davidson engineers and has spent thirty-six years working on motorcycles, is sharing all of his secrets! As the founder of Toronto’s Heavy Duty Cycles in 1974, North America’s premier motorcycle shop, the dean of motorcycle technology teaches about the theory, design, and mechanical aspects of Harleys. In this third volume, discover:

1. How to identify the Evolution models.
2. Why the Evolution models are better.
3. Everything you need to know about engines.
4. Troubleshooting every facet of the Evolution.
And so much more!

The Harley-Davidson Evolution

The Japanese had more than quality. Their arsenal included acceleration and speed combining with good braking and handling. They could design, tool-up and build a new motorcycle in a mere eighteen months. The flavor of the day could easily be accomplished with this organizational skill and dexterity. On top of this they had lower prices.

The Gang of 13 took over a failing company or did they? By 1982, Harley-Davidson sales went into a tailspin with plunging production. The USA was in a deep recession. Adding to the perfect storm was the flood of Asian imports that many believe were being sold in the U.S. below their manufactured costs.

Whether this was true or not, how did a small country a half-world away manufacture a quality product that was faster, handled better, and was less expensive? Furthermore, these import motorcycles were more functional. Well, of course they did because USA motorcycle manufacturing offered old clunker styling that was slower, did not handle well, and broke down all the time! And for all of this, Harley-Davidson’s cost more. Insulting if one thinks about it.

It is not that the Evolution was that good relative to their competitors because in my opinion it was not. However, the Evolution was stellar relative to what went before. I was a loyal Shovelhead rider, necessarily becoming a mechanic along the way. I like the rest of my ilk would never consider riding any other product. I did not care that a Honda might be functionally better, less expensive, and not require my newfound mechanical skills. Honda simply did not give what my psyche craved.

Importantly, H-D dropped its lackadaisical attitude towards copyright infringement, particularly with knock-off products. Harley-Davidson became extremely aggressive against the counterfeiting of their trademarks. It licensed use of its logos with all manner merchandise that was embraced by mainstream America followed by the world including the Japanese.

H-D then saw the birth of HOG, the most successful marketing and loyalty campaign in the annals of corporate sustenance. The world embraced this pasteurized version of the outlaw subculture.

You might meet the nicest people on a Honda but Harley riders are all about cool. They adapt a pseudo-outlaw lifestyle that emulates freedom and individualism. They spend much of their time adopting one charity or another to prove they really aren’t bad. Many charities benefitted greatly during the Harley boom. Can these riders be contesting the Honda mantra of niceness?

The previous owners AMF deserve much credit for the success of Harley-Davidson. They gave the Gang of 13 a platform from, which to launch. These new guys were brighter than bright. They put a management team together that knew no bounds in success. I am sure that Marketing 101 in every business school teaches and will continue to teach their brilliant story. Harley-Davidson became the epitome of American manufacturing and marketing, the darling of capitalism at its finest. Think about it! How could a rusty old manufacturer whose time had drifted by reach such p

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Mar 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9781450208192

Donny Petersen

no back cover author bio or author picture.

Book preview

Donny’s Unauthorized Technical Guide to Harley-Davidson, 1936 to Present

Volume III: The Evolution: 1984 to 2000

Copyright © 2010 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.

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.

iUniverse

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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.

ISBN: 978-1-4502-0818-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4502-0820-8 (dj)

ISBN: 978-1-4502-0819-2 (ebk)

iUniverse rev. date: 2/19/2010

Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

Introduction

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Chapter VII

Chapter VIII

Chapter IX

Chapter X

Chapter XI

Chapter XII

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, MLS, Myst Free, Power Vent, Delkron, Dynojet, Edelbrock, Edelbrock Carb(s), Performer, Feuling, GESi Technology, 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, 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, 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, Disc Glide, Dyna, Electra Glide, Evolution, Evo, Fatbob(s), Fat Bob, Fatboy, HD, H-D, Harley, Harley-Davidson, Heritage Softail, Heritage Springer, HOG, Hog, Hawg, Hugger, Lightning, Low Rider, Night Train, Power Blend, Premium II, Road Glide, Road King, Roadster, Rocker, Screamin' Eagle, Softail, Sport Glide, Sportster, Sport Glide, Springer Softail, Street Bob, Street Glide, Sturgis, Super Glide, 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 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 and V-Rod 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, FLHRI, FLHRCI, FLHS, FLHT, FLHTC, FLHTCI, FLHTCU, FLHTCUI, FLHTCUTG, FLHTC, FLHX, FLST, FLSTC, FLSTCI, FLSTF, FLSTFI, FLSTN, FLSTS, FLSTSI, FLT, FLTC, FLTCU, FLTCUI, FLTR, FLTRI, FX, FXB, FXD, FXDB, FXDC, FXDG, FXDL, FXDS, FXDS-Conv., FXDWG, FXDX, 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, VRSCA, VSRC, WL, WLA, XL, XL883C, XL883R, XL1200C, XL1200S, XLCH, XLCR, XLH, XLH883, XLH1100, XLH1200, XLR, XLS, XLT, XLX, XLX-61 and XR-1000.

E. & O. E.

After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you will need to take a leak.

Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner!

Acknowledgements

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

How one learns to deal with problems determines the quality of one’s 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.

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 35 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 is a true pal. You may feel like you have many friends but when the chips are down, they are few and in between.

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.

I also salute Steve Lusk, my head wrench, and the best of all mechanics for twenty-eight years. We tolerate each other well. Sometimes I think Steve is the real Don Petersen.

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 persistent in discouraging sponsors and television stations from my 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.

Now, they have begun the process of taking my business licenses away to prevent an honest living. I sometimes wonder what they hope to accomplish. They don’t care about the taxes paid, the employment given, or that there are no complaints. Their tunnel vision destroys everything in their path. However, I admit that it is tough not getting wet when pissing into the wind.

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. 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

Donny’s Unauthorized Technical Guide to Harley-Davidson, 1936 to Present will be comprised of the twelve volumes listed below. A brief synopsis follows for the reader’s perusal. I have changed the order of the different volumes. I am not fickle, or at least hope I am not. I learn about writing as I go, which is a separate skill from technical knowledge. Therefore, I will cover all the traditional Harley-Davidson models from 1936 to present before I do the theoretical and practical volumes.

I. The Twin Cam (published)

II. Performancing the Twin Cam (published)

III. The Evolution: 1984 to 2000 (published)

IV. Performancing the Evolution

V. The Sportster: 1952 to Present

VI. Shovelheads: 1966 to 1984

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 on my favorite motorcycle and the Rode-Mode survival tips I learned the hard way.

Volume I: The Twin Cam is the comprehensive first book that lays the groundwork for all that follows in Donny’s Unauthorized Technical Guide to Harley-Davidson, 1936 to Present. This volume is available through amazon.com or iuniverse.com.

Volume II: Performancing the Twin Cam is a dynamic introduction to the quest for speed. The Twin Cam is the best platform for performancing 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 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 super-volume 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. Why did it become the chosen one becoming 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 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 get my hands dirty demonstrating the many foibles of the Evo. This volume 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 2000. 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 Sportster’s 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 the 2010 and 2015 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: Shovelheads: 1966 to 1984 will discuss their development from the Panhead. The Shovel lost our affection with the advent of its more reliable successor, the Evolution developed by the reviled American Machine and Foundry. However, AMF had much to do with quality control issues that plagued the Shovelhead.

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 V-Twin Flatheads from 1929 to the demise of the pie-wagon trike in 1973.

Yeah, I know, I screwed up the previous title of the book. It now reads 1929 to Present not 1936 to Present. My knuckle brain was thinking of the Knucklehead, which did begin in 1936. Some really interesting stuff happened between 1929 and 1936 and I will cover it all.

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 1948-65 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 his 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 if not thousands 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 (college) 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?

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.

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 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. It also allows me understanding of the current malaise in 2009-2010 for this previous preeminent powerhouse company.

The hippie influences of the day 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.

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 simply replace parts until a problem disappears. The thinking mechanic 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 questions that would lead to a correct answer. The 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 apprentices 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 six years ago, I started a 3-year stint of doing the weekly 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 new Harley’s apart to see the new-fangled changes for myself.

Volume III: The Evolution: 1984 to 2000 is my third book. It is all about this great Harley-Davidson introduced back in 1984 and continuing on to 1998 for the Dyna and FLT rubbermount models, 1999 for the Softails, and the year 2000 for the Screamin’ Eagle FXR4. I start with an entertaining history of saving the Hogs bacon beginning with the Gang of 13 who bought out the much reviled American Machine and Foundry (AMF) to lay claim for Harley-Davidson’s future.

I discuss at length why AMF became the whipping dog for the H-D rider traditionalists. Much of the dislike and outright hatred for AMF bases on myth. In fact AMF is responsible for the wild successes that followed under Gang of 13 management. AMF restructured factories, instituted JIT (just-in-time) and MAN (materials as needed) production methods, and most of all, modernized the Shovelhead engine into the Evolution, the savior of Harley-Davidson. However, AMF management went from a motorcycle friendly president to one who took Harley-Davidson profits and invested them into non-motorcycle industries.

The Gang of 13 led Harley-Davidson from the precipice of bankruptcy to ride the wave of the post World War II baby boom until it began crashing on the beach of time in 2007. I follow this tumultuous wave of Dentists with attitude as they relive years gone by and reclaim a youth spent on education, work and family life.

The success and crash of Harley-Davidson has as much to do with sociology and psychology as it do riding a beloved dinosaur-technology motorcycle. For twenty-five years the dinosaur ruled the streets of America and Canada followed by Europe and Australia and finally the rest of the Southern Hemisphere and even the source of competition, Japan.

The Evolution captured the hearts of a middle-aged generation. How did the likes of Elvis Presley, Evel Knievel, Easyriders, Steppenwolf, the hippie counterculture and of course, H.O.G. spur this love affair with an inanimate motorcycle? However, did the wise men of Milwaukee plan for the next generation of riders that would surely want better technology different from their parents? Could they not see an impending Great Recession creating a Perfect Storm in conjunction with an aging demographic?

I will then dissect the Evolution engine and discuss why it was better than predecessor Harley-Davidson engines from head design, valve angularity, cocked connecting rods, metallurgy, machining, and pride of workmanship.

AMF also developed the ultra-secret Nova Project 5-speed, liquid-cooled, overhead cam (OHC) motorcycle that never saw the light of day. However, that did not stop the most aerodynamic Harley-Davidson Big Twin of all time, the FXRT from borrowing the Nova design faring and bags for this purpose. I will then delve into another Nova invention, the 1980 to 2006 Shovelhead-Evolution-Twin Cam 5-speed transmission.

I examine the updated 1984 and 1985 Evolution 4-speed transmission and how it paled in comparison with its successor 5-speed. I compare the late 4-speed technology and mechanics with the 5-speed and finally do the same with the Cruise Drive 6-speed introduced in 2006. Each transmission has its strengths and weaknesses as I view the progression of Harley-Davidson technology through a time-glass.

The Evolution was the breeding ground for the modern engine management system where ignition and fuel delivery correlate via microprocessor electronics fed by information gathering sensors. Again, I start with the old-technology Kehein carburetor and its progression to the best Harley-Davidson carburetor of all time the constant velocity CV Kehein both manufactured by a subsidiary of the Motor Company’s arch rival, Honda! I finish with H-D’s initial venture into electronic fuel injection (EFI) in 1995 on the high-end Bagger models. Surely, the Magneti-Marelli (MM) EFI had its problems, which I will discuss along with the fixes. However, MM EFI formed the basis for an ever-increasingly sophisticated engine management system so necessary to the survival of Harley-Davidson in the dictatorial clutches of the EPA and CARB (California Air Resources Board).

In fact, I will say that most H-D design changes such as unleaded gas valve seats, chain to belt drive, carburetor to fuel injection, quieter complex exhaust systems, cam design, head combustion chamber shape and on it goes are all direct results of meeting Environmental Protection Agency goals. I will follow these developments like a dog on a bone since the modern Harley-Davidson looks and functions as it does because of acquiescing to environmental dictates.

I will then dissect Evo electrics and their diagnostics. First, I will teach proper care and maintenance. I simplify complex testing procedures for faulty circuit breakers, wiring, alternators, regulator/rectifiers, batteries, ignition, and lighting systems.

Finally, I discuss a favorite topic for gear heads, the Evolution lubrication systems and more interestingly their lifeblood oil. How can the enthusiast read an oil can (bottle) and determine if the contents are suitable or highly desirable for their motorcycle? Learn about the functions of oil, additive packages, air versus liquid cooled engine needs, and whether motorcycle-formulated oil is any different from off-the-shelf automotive ones.

The Heavy Duty Cycles Toronto team, including myself, has worked on customer and personal Harley-Davidson’s six days a week for well over thirty years. 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 the Evolution engine. My encyclopedic knowledge about motorcycles…if I may be so immodest…will leave no stone unturned.

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

Please enjoy.

Chapter I

The Gang of 13

The Evolution engine and motorcycle may never have been. Harley-Davidson was in a slow decline. The venerable Motor Company had been struggling for decades lurching from year to year. H-D asked for tariff protection from foreign competitors as early as 1951.

However, in the nineteen-seventies, there was a glimmer of hope as a secret project motorcycle was developing in conjunction with Porsche. It was technologically far ahead of most competitors and at least equal to the Japanese…and no, it was not the V-Rod. The secretive Harley-Davidson is only now releasing information about this revolutionary engine and motorcycle in the last few years.

The Fault Game

Many blame American Machine and Foundry Company (known in the Harley world as AMF) for Harley-Davidson’s woes in the 1970’s and beyond. Is this a fair assessment? Conversely, some AMF executives saw stale family ownership and mismanagement as responsible for the malaise that led Harley-Davidson to the brink of extinction. Does this judgment have any merit whatsoever? I believe so. Of course, there should be blame as well as kudos for both sides.

This era saw the development of the hugely successful Evolution that saved the day and propelled Harley-Davidson into a stratosphere of success. I will spend some time on the fifteen years of history leading up to 1983, when some Evolution models saw first production. Without this history, there would be no future, no Evolution, and no modern unparalleled success story. In fact, delving into this history is fascinating as the mythology and general beliefs surrounding AMF is largely inaccurate.

As an example, the executive put in charge of Harley-Davidson by AMF was a motorcycle enthusiast, had much affection for Harley-Davidson, and was committed to the survival of this historical company. Harley-Davidson became very profitable under the tutelage of AMF, substantially increasing production. These facts run counter to prevailing mythology that an uncaring mega-corporation with little motorcycle knowledge, American Machine and Foundry had brought Harley-Davidson to the precipice of ruination. After all, the infamous AMF made bowling balls, or so the story went with derisive Harley traditionalists. However, in reality, Harley-Davidson continues to honor the first man at the helm of AMF/Harley-Davidson whose name graces the Ronald C. Gott H-D Museum in York Pennsylvania. Harley-Davidson’s rich history and the public’s zeal to enjoy times gone by are also evidenced in the opening of a fabulous new museum for the 105th anniversary in 2008 in Milwaukee.

On the other hand, one truth that fully supports the problematic mythology is the quality control issues of the era. Both Harley-Davidson and AMF deserve blame for this.

The First Harley-Davidson Takeover

A company by the name of Bangor Punta Corporation of Greenwich Connecticut and listed on the New York Stock Exchange at the time, specialized in many diverse fields such as aviation, law enforcement equipment as well as recreational products. Bangor Punta also bought out financially struggling companies. Harley-Davidson was a natural buyout target. In 1967, Bangor Punta attempted to buy Harley-Davidson via a stock buyout. Two years earlier in 1965, Bangor Punta had successively bought out Smith & Wesson.

Smith & Wesson

I can only imagine the superlative marketing strategies that would evolve from two allied and revered American companies like Harley-Davidson and Smith & Wesson. In 1852, Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson formed their first partnership in Springfield, Massachusetts. Smith & Wesson of course is famous for pistol manufacturing but also handcuffs and Mace as well as other police oriented products. Both H-D and S&W cater to law enforcement with their products. Smith & Wesson is the supplier of guns to a majority of USA law enforcement. By 1940, Harley-Davidson supplies over 3500 law enforcement agencies with motorcycles for patrol use.

More importantly, both companies cater to the old western style romanticism of American history. Perhaps equally, H-D and S&W, exemplify the rugged individualism, freedom of choice, and liberty components of the American Dream. The symbiotic inter-branding of two products that symbolize independence and a macho lifestyle has a myriad of cool possibilities. Off the top of my head, product names like the H-D Magnum, the Smith & Wesson Pursuit Glide, the Harley-Davidson Peacemaker come to mind. The V-Rod might have become the S&W Bullet. The potential branding of this marketing dream is endless.

However, Bangor Punta’s attempt to buy Harley-Davidson via a stock buyout in 1967 failed. Where would Harley-Davidson be today if this buyout were successful? However, another company became victorious in buying the family-owned Harley-Davidson a scant two years later.

You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda

In 1959, Harley-Davidson’s nemesis Honda comes to America to meet the nicest people. Their enduring and effective slogan, You meet the nicest people on a Honda, provides the competition that almost destroys the already declining Harley-Davidson.

This very effective mainstream catchphrase said it all to the Harley riders of the day. We were not that bad but this nice stuff was pure baby Pablum to us. We were tough, hardy individualists. Even if we were nice, we all had some of the old west outlaw free spirit in our soul. The problem with individualism, if there is one, is that some separation is required from the mainstream.

Honda also provides the rivalry to drive Harley-Davidson to the pinnacle of excellence as both companies eventually thrive in the North American motorcycle marketplace. Actually, Honda did not miss a beat in its continual success whereas H-D had to get up to speed before accelerating onto triumph.

My earliest memories of Honda was around 1969 when someone on a 450cc Honda CB450 whose name if memory serves me correct was the Hellcat (Canada) or the Black Bomber (USA) beat all our Triumphs, Norton’s, Harley’s and Indians with no trouble whatsoever. This was sacrilege. We immediately socially ostracized anyone on a Japanese motorcycle not that these riders wanted to hang around with us either.

However, Harley-Davidson did not need Honda to put the nails in its coffin, as their sales ten years earlier, in 1959, were only about 17-million dollars with approximately 12,300 units. Compare this to sales of $5,726,848,000.00 with a staggering 349,200 motorcycle production in 2007. By 1968, Harley-Davidson was in the midst of a financial crisis. This venerable company was in dire need of help from outside resources.

The requirement for financial help was immediate with structural reorganization an ongoing solution for the future. Although Honda became a constant threat beginning in the early nineteen-seventies, it cannot accept blame for the 1968 financial crisis that had been building for many years. The reader only need reference the May 15, 1951 Harley-Davidson petition to the U.S. Tariff Commission for a 40% import tax on all imported foreign motorcycles. This onerous tariff was not against Honda or the other Japanese companies, as they had not yet begun their assault. America was once again fighting off an English invasion. This time it was Triumph, British Small Arms (BSA), and the likes of the Snortin’ Norton not to mention the fastest of the fast Vincent motorcycles like the 998cc Black Shadow. For the purists, the non-production Vincent Black Lightning was faster than the Black Shadow.

The AMF/Harley-Davidson Merger

In my opinion, Harley-Davidson family management unfortunately did not meet marketplace challenges for many decades. Negotiations began in earnest in 1968 with AMF for a merger of the two companies. On December 18, 1968, Harley-Davidson voted to merge with American Machine and Foundry Company. On January 7, 1969, the AMF shareholders approved a majority buyout of Harley-Davidson stock for a measly 21-million dollars. AMF’s Rodney C. Gott, a motorcycle enthusiast and Harley rider becomes the chairman of American Machine and Foundry and Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

The Failure of Diversification

Present day, the mantra is that diversification is the key to enduring and long-term financial success. In 1970, the introduction of the ill-fated Harley-Davidson snowmobile began with limited production. It was not an AMF idea as the design preceded the buyout. Harley-Davidson has continually failed in strategic well-meaning attempts to diversify, primarily in other recreational areas such as golf carts, the Topper scooter, recreational vehicles notably Holiday Rambler, and entry level motorcycles like Aermacchi on/off road two-stroke motorcycles.

However, in 1978, Harley-Davidson wisely returned to concentrate on their traditional strengths by selling Aermacchi to Cagiva. Cagiva grows into the Italian motorcycle conglomerate that includes the famed Husqvarna. I feel that Harley-Davidson could have and should have been successful at some of these diversification attempts. In my opinion, these failings had much to do with inadequate financing, lack of modern manufacturing methodology, and virtually no research and development funding. How can any product blossom in such a void?

The ideas were good except there was no infrastructure to implement and support these well-meaning ventures properly. Many times Harley-Davidson ideas were ahead of the curve. For example, Aermacchi or a similar company would enjoy much success under a separate Harley-Davidson banner in later years when H-D had the resources and muscle to make it a success. More importantly, the void of younger riders joining the ranks of Harley-Davidson rider enthusiasts to replace the current aging demographics would resolve and be a major factor in future success.

The big problem today for Harley-Davidson is the aging demographics of its ridership without young entry level riders to fill the void. Lo and behold, in 2008 the Motor Company buys out Aermacchi’s parent company MV Augusta the well-respected Italian motorcycle conglomerate.

The Great Recession

The recession hits the Motor Company and its consumer finance arm in 2009 with devastating effect. On Thursday October 15, 2009, The Associated Press reports that Harley-Davidson announces that its third quarter profit (July, August, and September) slides by 84% because of:

1. Fewer motorcycle shipments to dealers.

2. Difficulties in getting loans for customers to purchase their product because of the recession.

Furthermore H-D announces that it will stop manufacturing Buell and that it is putting up MV Augusta for sale!

AMF Truths and Mythologies

I realize many traditionalists will not want to hear what I have to say about the fact that AMF brought adequate financing, modern manufacturing methodologies, and R&D to Harley-Davidson. I too, hated AMF back in 1970 and decried this monstrous company for my perceptions of what it was doing to my beloved Harley-Davidson. I too, did not understand. Loyalty blinded me to reality. I disliked AMF for the same nonsensical reasons that I abhorred Honda.

I now realize that AMF was no monster and neither is Honda. The Japanese provided the competition and set the bar that Harley-Davidson needed to aspire to for survival amongst the fittest. Furthermore, a more mature attitude is that all riders are cast from the same dye of two wheels.

AMF laid to groundwork for continued existence and the unbelievable success that Harley-Davidson now enjoys. However, a change in AMF focus to their industrial side from recreation after the departure of Rodney C. Gott and with new leadership from Tom York changed everything. Gott was a Harley enthusiast; Tom York was not. The recreational side of AMF, especially Harley-Davidson was an ongoing profit center that helped finance the industrial side of AMF. Gott kept a balance between the two. In my opinion, Tom York’s reputed use of H-D capital to finance industrial expansion left insufficient funds for development of future survival projects for Harley-Davidson. This policy move provides the impetus for the Gang of 13 to rise to the challenge and get this increasingly impersonal behemoth off its back.

The Crisis of Quality Control

Looking at production statistics, the years of 1962 to 1965 demonstrate lackluster figures that begin with 7900 units and reduce to 3700 units by 1965 more than a 50% drop.

• However, in 1966, production picked up substantially with 13,300 traditional Harley-Davidson units.

• This continues in 1967 with a slight drop to 12,900 motorcycles; up in 1968 to about 14,400 bikes and to 15,600 units in AMF’s first year at the helm in 1969.

• AMF gathers steam in 1971 with a paltry 13,900 units. AMF readies for necessary massive production increases to ensure Harley-Davidson survival and perhaps, more importantly profitability.

• Huge increases in production begin in 1971, increasing to 22,700 motorcycles, a 60% increase over 1970.

• In 1972, production goes to 34,750; an incredible 50% year-over-year increase.

• The last year of AMF sees production increase to 48,200; an almost 40% increase over 1972.

These increases saved Harley-Davidson’s bacon but at destructive cost that once again threatened survivability.

AMF Failure

The failure of AMF was to increase production ahead of a quality curve. Production needed to increase for success. Increases in motorcycle manufacturing gave substantial increases in profit. The profit increases came at huge cost. Quality control could not keep up. Quantity was king.

Then AMF focus utilized profits to finance industrial expansion. In short, profits did not increase quality control but went elsewhere. In my opinion, this was the failure of AMF. The riding public, including myself suffered much in these years from a substandard product. Of course, it changed my life in academia as it forced me to develop mechanical skills just to get from point A to point B.

Donny’s Blasts from the Past: the Quality Control Fiasco

Imagine being a Harley-Davidson service manager back in the AMF days. This was a very stressful job as H-D riders of the day had shall I say, aggressive tendencies. My friend Teddy’s considerable bulk of 450lbs served him well with the Harley crowd.

He kept four stacks of warranty files on the go on his desk at any given time. The Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha piles were miniscule. The Harley-Davidson Shovelhead pile was always six inches thick and some days so high in danger of falling over.

Teddy and the mechanics had to cope with the onslaught of unhappy Harley customers with dark humor. The dealership employees set up a gambling pool. The betting revolved around how far the newly delivered Shovelhead Big Twins and Ironhead Sportsters would travel before the writing of the first warranty claim. Many did not make it out of the parking lot before Ted in resignation wrote the first claim of many for that bike.

The dealership owner could not take it anymore and he dropped Harley-Davidson from his lineup to reduce stress levels in his business. Interestingly, he took on H-D once again after the Evo proved its reliability and popularity with the riding public. A major reason for the Evolution’s resounding success was the relative reliability compared to what went before.

The Number 1 Branding Bonanza

However, a future-branding bonanza also occurs in the buyout year, 1969 when one of Harley-Davidson’s most enduring symbols comes into existence, the Number 1 logo.

Harley-Davidson racer, Mert Lawwill becomes the AMA (American Motorcycle Association) Grand National champion, even though the better-known Carl Rayborn wins three first place and three second places in the total of six races at the Anglo-American Races in England, no mean achievement in this motorcycle enthusiast country. He does this on a KR, the racing version of the side valve K, the flathead predecessor of the overhead valve (OHV) Sportster. H-D designs the Number 1 logo to celebrate this crowning AMA achievement. The Stars and Stripes patriotically grace the inside the Number 1 logo. The first signs of marketing genius glimmer with the Number One trademark. Alternatively, perhaps this was merely an early accident of success. One thing is certain; this will lead to exponential branding accomplishments that few companies can ever hope to match.

The AMF/H-D Logo

One-step forward with the Number 1 logo partially negates by one-step backwards with another new logo introduction two years later in 1971. The branding faux pas with H-D loyalist riders occurs when American Machine and Foundry in conjunction with Harley-Davidson first uses the AMF/H-D logo. From my perspective, this logo negatively affects Harley-Davidson resale prices for decades.

The Troubled Move to York Pennsylvania

AMF moved assembly operations to the 400,000 square foot York Pennsylvania Plant in 1971. However, these developments did not sit well with the employees or traditionalists. In 1974, there was a strike for 101 days ostensibly over a cost-of-living wage increase.

Engines and transmission production begins at the 260,000 square foot Capitol Drive in Wauwatosa (Milwaukee) Wisconsin with fiberglass and other functions at the Tomahawk plant. Fortuitously, Harley-Davidson purchased the single story Capitol Drive Plant many years before in 1947. Once again, H-D demonstrates that it made some right choices very early on. I think the sparks were always there for resounding success even though banality smothered them.

While there were some good decisions, they did not thread together until the eighties.

3700 W. Juneau Ave.

A key to modern manufacturing is the utilization of single story buildings as opposed to the archaic multi-story manufacturing for production ease and efficiency of use. In 1908, the Harleys and Davidson’s built a 28’ x 80’ building on Chesnut St. in Milwaukee. In 1912, they increased this single story building to five stories and 187,750 square feet. In 1914, the addition of a sixth floor increased square footage to 297,110. By 1920, further additions increased square footage to 542,250. Along the way, Chesnut St. was renamed Juneau Ave.

However, it is not until 1973 that the 3700 W. Juneau Ave. Milwaukee multi-story plant turned into a warehouse and office complex. This wonderful old historic building oozes Harley-Davidson. However, the multi-story facility has no place in efficient modern manufacturing.

Change and resultant uncertainty begins to cause employee unrest. Dissatisfaction manifests in some bizarre warranty claims that do nothing to assuage quality control issues with the dealers or the riding consumers.

Donny’s Blasts from the Past: Employee Revolt

AMF/Harley-Davidson employees were not shy at voicing their displeasure in a variety of ways. They did not like AMF, necessary survival changes and the move to York.

One day back in the early seventies, I was hanging out at Mouldy’s dealership in the service department, as it was as close to heaven as I could get in my early days. Mouldy was going berserk on Fast Eddie, the service manager. Harley riders held Fast Eddie in awe and eventually began referring to him as Mr. Harley-Davidson because of his extensive knowledge. Eddie was the mechanic of last resort.

Sixteen brand new FL Shovelhead police bikes sat in the service department. During pre-delivery inspection, the mechanics started up each bike for its initial test ride. Every Shovel blew the rear head gasket during this process. Compounding the problem is that the gasket blew by the most difficult to reach head bolt, which shrouds by the starter solenoid, heavy starter cables and more delicate wiring.

The police wanted their bikes and Mouldy only stocked up to three of each part. When I tried to buy a part from Mouldy, he would say, I have one for the police, a second for my good customers and if I have a third, you can have it Don. I never did reach good customer status, even though my full paycheck went to Mouldy every week for parts and service for my 1966 Shovelhead. Wife One and I lived and partied on her check because there was no party if the bike was broken down.

Three separate head gaskets, three top end gasket kits and three gasket sets meant the mechanics could fix fifteen of the sixteen bikes right away…over three days. Fast Eddie tried to placate the Chief, which was Mouldy’s nickname when speaking face to face with him. Just then more news arrived from Fats, another mechanic. The gaskets had blown because the associated head bolt was missing on every bike. Mouldy went nuts.

In those days, the owner of the dealership had much power. They were the only game in town; bikes always broke down, and required constant maintenance. There was no aftermarket. Back alley shops existed but they were also dependent on the sole dealer for parts.

Another time, Fats motioned me over to show me the inside of a wooden crate used to transport bikes from Milwaukee to the dealerships. Silently, I read a scrawled note on the wooden plank, Transmission fucked. Fats pulled the tranny and took off the hand shift top. He found a ⅝"-wrench jammed inside the transmission! This was just the way it was. Bikes were hand built, parts were laboriously hand made on lathes, or milling machines and somebody was always pissed at something.

Salvation: AMF Deserves Credit

AMF was to have a profound influence on the future of Harley-Davidson although most still view this merger in a negative light. Myself, I view AMF as the salvation of a struggling company that had no future if left to float on its own. Harley-Davidson based itself on post Industrial Revolution manufacturing techniques and practices that all successful American companies discarded for the efficiencies of modern methodologies. Harley-Davidson did not adapt to improving efficiencies. However, AMF certainly began the process.

Evil Knievel

In a sporadic display of marketing genius, AMF formed a business relationship with daredevil Harley-Davidson rider Evel Knievel in 1971. Evel wrapped himself patriotically in both the American flag as well as the iconic Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Evel was a marketing guru in his own right. He in combination with Harley-Davidson personified the American Dream born out of rich history. However, the business relationship evaporated with Evel Knievel in 1974 after the attempted Snake River jump on the Flash Gordon rocket. Motor Company and AMF aspirations had little to do with failure and rocketry.

Elvis Presley

In the early nineteen-fifties, Hollywood actors could only ride the 750cc Harley K-models and still maintain insurance. The reason is that the 1952 to 1956 K-models were so slow! In another brilliant marketing move, the Motor Company published a picture of Elvis Presley sitting astride a 1956 KH Harley-Davidson on the cover of the May 1956 Enthusiast. Elvis, an avid devotee owned and rode many Harley-Davidsons over his career.

Easyriders

The Magazine

Easyriders publishes its initial magazine in 1968. It was an instant success capitalizing on the first chopper craze. The Easyriders formula catapulted it to the status of the world’s largest motorcycle magazine by mixing cool choppers, fictional biker tales, cartoons, tech advice, and scantily clad hippie and biker chicks. It was a pinnacle of success for me to be featured numerous times in this iconic chronicler of the lifestyle.

The Movie

Along came the 1969 movie Easyriders movie, a separate entity and not connected to the magazine but perhaps borrowing its name. The opening scene shows Billy (Dennis Hopper) and Wyatt (Peter Fonda’s Captain America) doing a drug deal to finance their cross-country ride in search of America. Steppenwolf’s resounding Goddam the Pusher Man (the pusher don’t care whether you live or die) overwhelms the striking visuals of evil Capitalism. It is a wonderful movie that explores a time in America on so many levels. I am happy that I lived through this era riding my radical chopper.

Steppenwolf

The counterculture band, Steppenwolf was also responsible for the all time great biker hit Born to be Wild, (looking for adventure and whatever comes my way).

Donny’s Blasts from the Past: The Hippie Haircut

When I was around 15-years old, we went to dances in a local church basement in Toronto to hear many bands of the day including John Kay and The Sparrow. This band went on to play in the transitional Beatnik coffee houses to hippie hangouts, communes, and flophouses on a street called Yorkville in downtown Toronto. Think Haight-Ashbury and you have the picture.

Today, forty years later, Yorkville is upscale and one of the wealthiest and commercially most expensive streets in the city. Sure, currently rich urban bikers, with their very safe walks on the wild side, ride their sanitary Harley’s along Yorkville amongst the Ferraris and Lamborghini’s. They replace the greasy longhaired motorcycle club members on their chopped Hawgs of the hippie era.

I gravitated from a street gang milieu into the hippie lifestyle and its peace, love, and groovy philosophy bringing my motorcycle along for the ride. One day, a gang of greasers surrounded me to administer the brutal mandatory haircut of the day. I was able to fend them off for a short while as I made attempt after attempt to turn the other cheek. Peace and love were failing miserably at resolving my problem. That day I became a biker as I fought them off. I kept my hair with the realization that peace is only possible with a big fist.

Then we heard John Kay and The Sparrow split from Yorkville in a beat up old station wagon for California. No one thought the car would make it. The rest is history as The Sparrow emerged as Steppenwolf a short time later.

The Counterculture

Harley-Davidson has made many attempts to garner consumer loyalty usually via club and group associations with their product. However, the counterculture and various American sub-cultures embrace the iron steed as their own. The combination of Harley-Davidson marketing intertwining as an icon of the rebellious sixties and seventies laid the foundation decades later for an aging population attempting to regain their youth.

The Enthusiast

The first significant marketing strategy for brand loyalty and a consumer family approach in making Harley-Davidson ownership an experience much more than just owning a motorcycle occurred in 1916. The introduction of The Enthusiast is popular maintaining much success to this day. Monthly publication begins in 1919. There are 50,000 subscribers by 1921. Every dealer and registered H-D owner receives The Enthusiast for the price of 5 cents. Today it is free.

The Black Hills Rally in Sturgis

Harley-Davidson had no part in the formation of this, the largest motorcycle event in the world. This annual rally has huge benefit to the Motor Company as a celebration of everything Harley and America.

The Jack Pine Gypsies Motorcycle Club began this rally back in 1936. Long before the spectacle of Main Street, campgrounds, parties, and concerts came along, the Sturgis motorcycle rally meant racing. That tradition continues with a full slate of two-wheeled competition throughout at various locations in and around the area although many visitors wouldn’t know it.

• The Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club will continue to celebrate their anniversary with moto-cross, short-track, half-mile and hill climb events at the club grounds in west Sturgis.

• The All Harley Drag Racing Association offers motorcycle drag racing at Sturgis Dragway.

• Also on tap is the North American Hillclimbers Association Rumble in the Hills at the Buffalo Chip Campground.

Harley-Davidson releases the FXB Sturgis model in 1980 to honor the event. The FXB Sturgis uses an 80c.i Shovelhead engine, black-on-black coloring with red striping and employs both primary and a rear belt drives. The rear belt drive is bullet proof and continues to