Mike’s Typo

I told you the 105th was gonna rock.  Springsteen rocked Milwaukee, but there were lots of great, great - great events.  Day and night.  A family commitment kept me home.  So, Jimmy (always self-less) volunteered to take my place and immerse himself and his wonderful woman in the depths of the 105th party.  Off to Milwaukee we sent M & M Jimmy.  Armed him with a front and center wrist band for the Springsteen concert.  Told him to soak it all in.

And, all I got was a lousy t-shirt….

No. Really.  Here is a few thoughts - straight from the Jimmy on his and Marianne’s Milwaukee experience.  When you’re done with the read - check out Harley’s videos.  Not as good as being there - but, puts a smile on your face none-the-less.

From Jimmy:

“As a Harley-Davidson enthusiast (at least that’s what Bruce Springsteen called us), there are several events that you have to attend …Sturgis, Daytona, Laconia, Hollister, and Reno. Well, add one more to the list of must-dos if you ride a Harley: a Milwaukee anniversary party. After a whirlwind 4-day trip back to where it all began, all I can say is: WOW. So many events to choose from. Where do I start?

‘My first stop was Club HOG’s 25th Anniversary at Miller Park (where the Milwaukee Brewers play). My first reaction was the incredible number of bikes in the parking lot and riding around the area. Inside it was wall to wall people trying to get a spot to see the musical acts that ended with the headliner Kid Rock.

‘The next day was spent checking out all the things going on at the Summerfest grounds (home of the world’s largest musical festival, Summerfest), ending with seeing ZZ Top (well, actually listening and trying to see over what seemed to be a wall of 6 foot 5 inch guys in front of me) perform. Billy Gibbons, lead singer and guitarist, said: ” I was in California this morning and figured I better get on the road to make this show in front of thousands of Harley-Davidson owners tonight”. Their show was 2 hrs of Texas-style Rock N’ Roll.

‘Saturday was the highlight as I spent 2.5 hours living, breathing, and experiencing 105 years of the greatest motorcycle company in the world. The Harley-Davidson Museum has so many things that make you stand in awe. Like one model from every year of production, including Serial Number One. This trip through history made me appreciate Harley-Davidson and makes me proud to own a Harley and work for a company that stands for everything that makes the good ‘ol USA a damn good place to call home. Lastly, The Boss (not my boss Mike James) put on a marathon 3.5 hour 31 song concert that will rank up there for me as one of the best concerts that I’ve ever seen. (and I’ve seen over 100 concerts with everyone from the Godfather of Soul James Brown to Willie Nelson to Rob Zombie). All in all, I came back truly appreciating Harley-Davidson and everything it stands for. The next time you’re riding in the wind, think about the 105 years of history you’re riding and the many thousands of people that are just like you.”

I think I mentioned previously, that I signed up to be a Charter Member of the Harley-Davidson Museum.  (I’m too young to have made the charter member status of the Mikey Mouse Club.)  So.  They’ve been sending me all sorts of stuff.  More swag than I know what to do with.  Cool stuff.  Not sure what I’ll do with it stuff.  But, cool stuff.

I get back from the family vac.  Here is a envelop from the Museum.  I skip the bills.  Pass right over my copy of Wired mag and rip open that really cool envelop.  Opps.  Shoulda saved the envelop.  What was I tinkin’?

Low and behold (where’d that expression come from; better yet - what does it mean?) here is The Backroad Chronicles.  It’s a neat little book that they describe as the inside scoop on the stories that pay tribute to Harley-Davidson.  I love this piece.  Cover to cover - really cool.

So, here is one little tid-bit.  You know I often appear sexist with my beach volleyball, etc.  It’s true - I like lookin’ women a whole lot more than men.  But all that aside, I have a healthy respect for what a woman can do when she sets a mind to it.  Always have.  Here is an example - from 1915 mind you.

“It’s a misconception that women only recently took an interest in motorcycling.  Nothing could be further from the truth.’

‘With only 10 days of riding experience, Della Crewe of Waco, Texas and her dog, Trouble, racked up huge miles together during the spring of 1915.  With 125 lbs. of gear stuffed in the sidecar, Della and Trouble headed to the races in Dodge City, Kansas.  After discovering how much fun that road trip was, they continued on to New York, often on dirt roads that were rutted by buggies, cars, excessive rain, and severe erosion.  But that didn’t stop them….”

That was in 1915.  Tough lady that Della.  Hats off to you!

Join up.  Get the swag.  It’s cool.

How sexy is that?  Ok, not very.  When you step back from the 2009 product launch and think about the “all new” FL touring bikes, it’s easy to get a bit blaze.  I mean who cares about a chassis change?  How excited did folks get when Ford changed their F-150 chassis?  Is it because you can’t see it?  Who knows.  But, you know what, there is an interesting story to be told about the new touring platform.  So.  Here’s my attempt at a summary of what I think is sexy about the all new FLs.

First, we gotta take a little trip down memory lane.  Engineers and execs alike got an earful at the 100th Anniversary celebration for a couple of things.  Remember Elton John?  Well they fixed that.  Saturday’s concert (this Saturday) is Springsteen.  So.  You gotta figure they heard the other chatter pretty clearly too.  Lots of long-haul riders at the 100th and they weren’t bashful about telling anyone that would listen what they wanted in a new FL.

Keep the style, but improve performance and comfort.  Since the 100th we’ve seen a list of great improvements to the FL models.  The Twin Cam 96/103/110 power plants; a super-smooth 6-speed cruise drive transmission; an isolated drive system; electronic throttle control; Brembo brakes; ABS; and a 6-gallon fuel capacity - just to hit the high points.  For 2009, the FLs get the last piece of the puzzle - a chassis that is literally new from the tires up.  Agility, responsiveness, and passenger comfort are the product of this new engineering.   I could rattle off a bunch of technical mumbo-jumbo, but that would just be wrong.  So.  Let’s keep this tactile.

So, I mentioned the exhaust.  Really this is a big thing.  Call it a 2-into-1-into-2 exhaust.  Kinda schitzo, if you ask me.  Can’t decide what it wants to be.  Benefit: reduced heat.  And, it looks cleaner!

Bigger wheels!  How about a 17″ for the front?  The rear wheel is a 16×5 now.  Benefit: handling and capacity (110 more lbs. of allowable GVWR and 10 more lbs. of crap you can pack).  Brand new tires.  They look great.  But, they’re totally redesigned as well.  Better life - 25% better.  Better handling.

There are some great cosmetic changes as well.  How about that clean, fat rear fender?  Hangin’ over that 180 rear tire.  Don’t let the engineering hype fool you - the all new chassis cleaned up a lot of  little things that have lingered since the …well, the 50s.  A little form meets function here.  Or, is it function meets form - I always get confused.

Ok.  So.  To really talk about the new frame (all new) and swingarm, I’ve gotta get a bit techy.  I’m not even going to paraphrase - I’m just gonna steal the Milwaukee geeks’ words.

• The front-end geometry was altered with 18mm more trail to make the ride feel more responsive.
• To reduce powertrain vibration at idle, the new engine-mount system incorporates twin front isolators with a single tie link, and front and rear mounts tuned to balance chassis stiffness and engine isolation.

Where do they learn to talk like this?

• Wheelbase increased to 63.54 inches for greater highway comfort.
• The front and rear suspension has been recalibrated to match the dynamics of the new chassis.

Ok, my eyes are glazing over.  If your still with me.  Here is the kicker.  I’ve seen this new baby naked.  Sure is purdy.  I’d be happy to just have a frame sitting in my garage.  Ok.  Let the jokes about my saddle time start - go ahead.  I can take it.

There’s one way to figure out whether this hype is just a bunch of smoke - ride one of these new FLs.  You’ll be all smiles when you get off.  And, we’ve got demos in the store.  Come on down and take one for a spin this weekend.

Hey, if you’re visual - like me - you’ll wanna check out the video on this page.

It’s official. The date - mark your calendars - is July 12. Just about 105 years after the founding of Harley-Davidson, a pretty bitchin’ museum will open along Milwaukee’s Riverwalk to honor the amazing machines and the rich culture. Wanna know more, tune into the Museum site. There’s a great opportunity to become a “Museum Member” and get invited to special member-only events - including a pre-party before the Museum opens. The museum site boasts a virtual tour of the campus and facilities - 130,000 square feet of historical Harley-Davidson experience. Kinda weak virtual tour - I’m sure it will improve. But, it’s worth a few minutes because it gives a reasonable overview of what’s on the Museum site. Just checked, the Museum voyeur cam is still live - 50º and cloudy at the time of this post.

A little recap of what I learned trolling around the site:

• This Museum is full of exhibits that tell the stories of the extraordinary people, products, history and culture of H-D - afterall this is what we want to see, right?
• Peek into the Archives where they are curating and restoring - before your very eyes (Caution: Please Don’t Feed the Animals)
• Visit the Living the Legend rivets - just try to find yours….
• The whole thing should make you hungry, so it’s time to visit the on-site H-D Cafe.

I for one, can’t wait.

Those museum folks even have their own Blog. It needs a little help - but, it’ll make you appreciate this one!

That’s the weather in Milwaukee as I write this post to the blob. Yep, you guessed it, I checked in with the web voyeurs watching the H-D Museum build. Doesn’t look like much is happening. My guess is they moved inside. Walls, electrical, flooring. So, where’s the indoor cams. Come on H-D, get with it. Anticipate the desires of your constituents! It’s still fun to hop over and check out what the new Milwaukee skyline looks like. I’m getting pretty excited about the party in Milwaukee in August. Celebrating the big 10.5. Springsteen is the headliner. And, the who’s who of rock ‘n roll B players are on the list. The ride to, the week of celebrating, the concerts, the 15 mile long parade of bikes - it’s all going to be a blast. Think about it.

So, for you folks who’ve been checking out the voyeur cam regularly, doesn’t it bug you that the horizon is running down on the right. I’m sure hoping that’s the way the river flows. But, really, I just want to crawl up on that tower (even though I’ve got a bad thing for heights) and twist that camera level. One good reason it can’t be done is the Time Lapse button. Check that out. It’s like watching re-runs of I Love Lucy (sort of).

Ever wanted to sit around in your underwear and customize a new Harley; your own Harley; your sig other’s Harley?  Well, those smart, geeky guys/gals/neuts they keep locked up in the basement of Juneau Ave have done it again.  Voila - the Harley Customizer.  This looks like a first pass at what, when you think about all the accessories and option in the P&A catalog, is a daunting task, and it really came out nicely.  My intent was to take a quick peek and then if it passed the sniff test throw it out there to you.  An hour later, I’d built 3 customs.  I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours!  Check it out.

One reader emailed me with the exclaimation: “You murdered the Springer!” I believe this accusation to be in response to their immediate (and perhaps knee-jerk) reaction to a photo of the Cross Bones in the eBlast yesterday. You know the one where we announced the Cross Bones had arrived, blah, blah, blah. So, to those of you out there (all three of you) who feel the photo in question is more “crime scene” than “Christmas morning” - I apologize. Shot through the peak hole in the crate, I thought it was more of an anticipatory shot than the morbid image it conjured up for at least one of you. I was thinking foreplay and obviously a bit of Psycho came across. Suffice-it-to-say, the Springer is alive and well.

The good news… The Cross Bones is on display (and available for sale) on the SC sales floor. Swing by and take a look.

There was a pretty steady crowd yesterday afternoon taking it all in. Lots of excitement. The staff loves it; the customers love it; I think it’s going to be a popular bike.

It’s here! The Cross Bones arrived this morning. We’ve got some minor trickery planned for it. But, it’s beautiful as it sits. And, it’s ready for viewing. Come down this weekend and take a peak. Whoever buys this one (yes, it’s available) will want to bring their camera and take a picture of it in the crate on our sales floor. As an aside, it was an engineering project getting it in the store in the crate. And, you guessed it, there were more chiefs than indians. I suppose that’s no longer politically correct. But, you get the point. Come see this bike. It looks great.

Harley launched a new custom seat program for Softails. It’s online. You design your seat and then we order it for you. Could this be a hint of what’s to come on the custom front? If so, it’s all long overdue. This is a cool tool. Check it out here. Better yet, check it out, build a custom seat, and we’ll order it for you!

TV, that is. TODAY! The Rocker will be featured in a 30-minute show that airs today on SpeedTV. The show features Willie G and Bill Davidson and some other sorted characters. Carey Hart, the freestyle motorcross rider, makes a cameo and gives his impression of the Rocker. I’m betting he likes it. Hope I didn’t spoil that for you. (I hate it when someone tells me how the movie ends.)

Show time: Tuesday, 1/29, 5:30p. Come by Santa Cruz H-D, we’ll have it blasting on our TVs.

Can’t make it by this afternoon. Here are a few other times the segment will air:

• Saturday, 2/2, 8a
• Tuesday, 2/5, 9:30a
• Tuesday, 2/5, 5:30p
• Wednesday, 2/6, 5:30a
• Thursday, 2/21, 12a

Our lawyers make us say, check your local listings to verify the show times in your area.