Harley Davidson 110th Ride Report

The 110th Harley Davidson anniversary party has come and gone, but it was one to remember.  Maybe my expectations were low, maybe the flu had got to my head, but I enjoyed every minute.  In fact, I can't wait until 2018 to do it all again.

My wife and I planned on leaving early Friday morning but instead found ourselves leaving at 1 pm during the hottest part of the day. We ended up having to leave so late because our daughter was sick the day before, a sickness which we both now had the pleasure of experiencing.  So, hot and sick we took off.  Besides every joint of my body feeling like it was painfully stuck and sweating profusely from the heat, the first part of the trip went fine.  Approximately 60 miles west of Milwaukee, a cloud as black as night was moving toward us traveling Southeast.  20 minutes later, 70 mph winds, hail, horizontal rain, and flash flooding.  Luckily, after several miles of hold on for dear life we found a Shopko, where we were able to wait out the storm.  Unfortunately, our packed clothes, sleeping bag, and blankets didn't fair so well and sat soaking up the rain.

Eventually my wife and I made it to our campground at the Wisconsin State Fair Park.  Not typically used for tent camping, the park opened the Milwaukee Mile racing grounds for us "budget conscious" campers.  The good side was it was a pretty cool place to camp and it was located only minutes from downtown, the lake front, and the HD museum.  The bad, several inches of rocks directly under a thin layer of grass made staking a tent almost impossible and sleeping about as comfortable as riding through the hail storm.

Once we got the tent set up and the bike unloaded, it was starting to get dark.  We decided to head downtown.  For those of you who have not visited Milwaukee, I highly recommended it.  Milwaukee is set on the shore of Lake Michigan with the Milwaukee River snaking throughout its downtown area.  The shoreline has parks and green space broken only by museums and concert venues.  This is where the majority of the 110 celebrations took place, filling the lake front with vendors, exhibits, and several concerts.

Unlike mostly rallies I have been to, the urban location of the 110 celebration provided a unique atmosphere.  Thundering around skyscrapers and the lake front with thousands of other motorcycles made for an exciting experience.  If crowds aren't your thing, but instead you prefer to relax with a beer and listen to music, no problem.  There is apparently no open container law in Wisconsin and alcohol was sold along the lake front.  You could quench your thirst while walking around, lying in the grass, or dipping your feet in Lake Michigan.

On Saturday, I awoke at 6 am to the sound of a gas generator next to my tent.  Funny thing is, half asleep, for the first few minutes I thought it was the worst sounding Harley I had ever heard.  But seriously, if you are camping in a tent only area, have some courtesy and don't bring a generator. I think it is funny that the "biker" next to me could afford a pickup, enclosed trailer, motorcycle, and generator but could not afford a DC to AC converter to plug in his coffee pot.

Up early, we decided to have some coffee and breakfast on the lake front.  From there we went the HD museum which by opening time was already packed and continued to fill up with each passing second.  So maybe I should have thanked my neighbor for getting me up so early, not cursed him.  Oh well.

The rest of the day was spent riding around town and partaking in festivities.  By night time, we had one item left on our to list, UFC 164.  I am a huge mixed martial arts fan.  Again maybe my expectations were low, but the fights Saturday night were fantastic (except for one undercard heavyweight fight which after about one minute, I am not sure if the two fighters were cuddling or just sleeping together, but they were certainly not fighting anymore.  It's called a "cardio" big boys, you should try it sometime).  Several of the fighters were hometown boys which always gets the crowd going.  UFC 164 was not biggest crowd with less than 10,000 people.  However, we made up for our lack of numbers with boisterous enthusiasm.  Even my wife who reluctantly agreed to come to the fights was screaming at the end.  Saving the best for last, the fight night ended with a new minted Lightweight champion.  Anthony Pettis, a Milwaukee native, and Taekwondo practitioner, winning via submission against a Jujitsu black-belt.  I did not see that coming, awesome stuff!

Anyway, the rest of the trip was uneventful, excluding the drunks and burnouts at the campground at 3 am but hey, it's a bike rally.

As always, there is too much to see and do in such a short period of time.  But isn't that what keeps us coming back for more?

Iron Butt Rally Tracking Map

I find endurance events fascinating.  Whether it is ultramarathons, century bicycle rides, or any other crazy made up tasks that human invent to push our limits, it blows my mind as to what the human body can endure and accomplish.  I feel the same way about machines.  I have the same innate feeling deep down inside when I think about pushing them to their limits.  I love the patina of higher mileage machines, baked by the sun and worn by rain and tens of thousands of miles.  Maybe it is some type of anthropomorphism but I see motorcycles like humans, pushing themselves to their limits and exceeding what many think is possible.  

                                                                            2011 Iron Butt Rally

The stamina and perseverance displayed by both the rider and motorcycle while completing in endurance motorcycle events is for me the sans peril.  I imagine that I am not the only one who thinks this way, as evidenced by the popularity of the Iron Butt Association, Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge, and Cannon Ball Run Coast to Coast Motorcycle Challenge.  

This is why I find the video above are so entertaining.  The video feature icons circumventing the United States, as they race from location to location to accumulate as many points as possible, before finishing exactly where they started.  The amazing thing is that each icon represents a single rider.  Each rider maps their own route and then sets out to cover approximately 11,000 miles in 11 days.  Now that is endurance for both man and machine.  

If you haven't yet check out the video above of the 2011 Iron Butt Rally, as well as the link to a similar style video of the 2013 rally here.  Then as always tell me what you think.      

Indian Motorcycle Assurance Program

It looks like Indian Motorcycles is taking some great steps to address some potential concerns of buyers.  They have released the "Indian Motorcycle Assurance Program," which includes the following elements.

5 Years of Coverage: Indian Motorcycle® backs every new Indian Motorcycle with 5 years of coverage that includes both a 1 year limited warranty and an extended service contract. Coverage is subject to $50 deductible with no mileage limitation.

Fly & Ride: The Fly & Ride program encourages new owners to make buying and riding a new Indian Chief a memorable and rewarding experience. Buyers can fly to an Indian Motorcycle dealer on any commercial airline, ride their new bike home, and receive a $250 credit on their Indian Chief purchase.

Trade-in Confidence: Buy a new 2014 Indian Chief with the total confidence that comes from guaranteed trade-in values. Two years after purchase, owners can bank on a guaranteed trade-in value of 70 percent of original MSRP, and 60 percent trade-in value after three years.

Competitive Financing: Indian Motorcycle dealers across the country are offering competitive financing rates of 3.99% for 36 months, or 6.99% for 72 months. Rates are available now through the end of the 2013.

Roadside Assistance: New owners who purchase now through the end of 2013 receive a full year of roadside assistance coverage. Available services include emergency transport (up to 100 miles at no cost), pickup and delivery of your motorcycle (charges apply), fluids delivery, and jump starting services.

In addition to the Indian Motorcycle Assurance Program, there is a 24 hours a day, seven days a week Concierge Hotline available for Indian Motorcycle owners. New owners of an all-new 2014 Indian Chief motorcycle can buy and ride with confidence knowing service, support and assistance is a phone call away.

There is a lot of risk from purchasing a bike from a completely new manufacturer.  Outside of the obvious issue of unknown reliability, there is lack of dealership support, and potential lost of value when trading-in the bike.  

The "Indian Motorcycle Assurance Program"  seems to help address these concerns.  What do you think?  If you were in the market for a new motorcycle, would this program sway you to purchase an Indian?

Liquid cooled Harley-Davidson's for 2014

Named "Project Rushmore," the 2014 Harley model release saw several updates to there traditional motorcycle line. Most notably, they announced that some of their 2014 Touring models will feature the "Twin-Cooled" engine. These engines will circulate coolant through the cylinder heads in combination with air cooling to allow for higher compression ratios and more stable engine output.

Ever since a patent of a liquid cooled Twin Cam surfaced on the internet, there has been speculation that Harley-Davidson would be releasing a liquid cooled engine.  It looks like the speculation was right.  The design of the engine shows a discrete radiator located between the down tubes. 

Three models will receive the “Twin-Cooled” engine, including the 103 cubic inch Electra Glide Ultra Limited motorcycle and the Tri Glide Ultra motorcycle. A 110 cubic inch version of the “Twin-Cooled” engine will also be found in the 2014 CVO Limited.

Other touring models featured as part of "Project Rushmore" will received a traditionally air cooled, High Output Twin Cam 103 motors.


Here is what Harley has to say on its web site about the new “Twin-Cooled” engines:

“If you started in 1909 with the very first Harley-Davidson V-Twin engine and worked your way up through every engine, every innovation, every improvement, every ride, every durability test in all those years and countless miles since, you arrive at the Twin Cooled High Output Twin Cam 103™ engine. This is the top of the line. 103 cubic inches of air and precision cooled Harley-Davidson®V-twin power. Twin cooling cools the heads around the exhaust ports to deliver at or near peak performance under all operating conditions and temperatures. Higher compression ratio increases efficiency and horsepower. There’s a new airbox for increased airflow and a new cam to optimize low-end torque. It’s got the fastest 60 to 80 mph 5th gear roll on in the history of Harley-Davidson. Which means it’s got the most passing power in the history of Harley-Davidson. On top of all that, it puts less heat on the rider and passenger on scorching days and in stop and go traffic.”

For more information and details regarding the new 2014 Harley-Davidson motorcycles and "Project Rushmore," visit the Harley-Davidson website.

2014 Indian Chieftain, Harley Davidson CVO Ultra Classic, and Victory Cross Roads Tour Test Ride and Comparison

The New 2014 Indian Chieftain and no that is not my helmet but that most definitely is my shirt.

Ok, say you are in Sturgis, and if by some rare circumstance, you find yourself with some free time.  You know, the time between shopping, eating, drinking and partying.  You should totally take your butt to the demo rides.  Seriously, one of my favorite things to do at the rally, is check out the latest and greatest motorcycle offerings.  I mean, where else can you test ride any motorcycle you wish, guilt free and with no pressure or obligation to purchase anything.  With a quick scan of your drivers license within a few seconds you can be on your way.

This year my wife and I rode our Harley Davidson Heritage Softail to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.  It just so happens, she was just as excited as I was to demo some new bikes.  Although, as a backseat driver .

A little background, my wife and I have traveled a decent amount on motorcycles.  We have traveled with and without windshields and soft bags, but never with a fairing or hard bags.  Maybe we are getting older, or at least wiser, but the full dresser touring bikes, the ones with a fairing and hard bags, are starting to look more and more attractive, particularly to my passenger.  With that said, we decided for time's sake to stick with the American manufacturers, Indian, Victory and Harley Davidson.

From Indian, we decided to test the $22,999 Chieftain.  From Victory, we tested the $22,499 Victory Cross Country Tour.  Lastly, from Harley Davidson, we rode the $37,599 CVO Ultra Classic.  Each of these bikes represents the flagship touring models from these manufactures.  Two side notes.  Firstly, this excludes the frame mounted fairing bikes i.e.: the Victory Vision and Harley Davidson Road Glide.  Secondly, I would typically consider a bike like the new Indian Chieftain to be a "bagger" more so than a true touring bike.  The Chieftain lacks a tour trunk and any passenger backrest, but it is the most "touring" model Indian has at this time.

I first tested the Indian on a fairly windy evening.  The next morning was slightly less breezy and I was able to demo the Victory.  A few hours later, I test rode the CVO Harley.

This review is just meant to be both mine and my wife's honest thoughts and impressions after riding each model.  This review is not a comparison of specs and performance numbers of each bike.  For more specific specs, I recommend checking out each manufactures websites, here, here and here.  I will compare each model based on Fit and Finish, Engine, Riding and Handling and Passenger Comfort.  So let's get started.

Harley Davidson vs Indian vs Victory

If you follow motorcycles or at the very least, you follow my blog, at this point you should know that Indian motorcycles is about to be reborn, again. I frequently hear and read comments about the renewed Harley Davidson and Indian rivalry, more specifically that "Harley better watch out, because Indian is going to hurt their bottom line."  While this is possible, these commentators are missing one obvious alternative outcome. Indian hurts its sister brand, Victory.  Keep reading to find out why I think the Indian brand will affect Victory motorcycles more that Harley Davidson.

Tron Motorcycle

If you have seen the Tron movies, then some where deep down inside, you have to admit you wish you could ride one of those beasts.  Well, good news, you are not not alone.  In fact, it appears that some motorcycle fabricators have indeed made rideable replicas of the "Light Cycle."

The Parker Brothers of Melbourne Florida initially found success after building a replica Batmobile motorcycle.  They knew they had found their next challenge after hearing CGI had to be used for the Tron Legacy motorcycles, because the bike was "unbuildable,"

They initially used gas engines, but later teamed up with Evolve Motorcycles (known for their electric scooters) to make an electric version.  So if you have an extra $55,000 to $70000 lying around, then your dream of flying around on a light cycle can be yours.

Below I have included some videos featuring the replica "Light Cycle."  The first video has a gas engine, the second an electric engine, and the last includes more of a history of the design of the bike with some Playboy models thrown in for some good fun (may not be suitable for minors.)

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