Quick question...I am looking pretty hard at making the big switch to harley but I keep hearing rumors about '09 being the last year for air cooled motors. Anybody know if this is/might be true? I have a feeling I would be disappointed if I went ahead and bought a '09 in august and a year later there was a huge switch like that. Any input would be great and sorry if this has already been covered.

I don't know if it's true or not but I think it makes sense.

With motorcycles becoming more popular I think people are probably using bikes more and more for commuting and if you get stuck in traffic with air cooled I'm pretty sure you're in trouble

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Ducati Monster 1100 (Vrooom!!)
Aprilia Shiver 750 (sold)
2007 Kawasaki Ninja 250cc (sold)

That just came up at the XL forum that I go to.

http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/show ... ter+cooled

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2008 HD VRSC-DX Night Rod Special
2008 Buell 1125R

I rode air-cooled bikes for twenty years or more (owned the same Triumph 650 for over eighteen years) and never had any overheating problems.

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Always wear a helmet, eye protection, and protective clothing. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Never heard of a well maintained bike overheating in traffic.

That said water cooled only makes sense with the growing concern on emissions.

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My Blog

Really?

Well that's news to me.

I always heard that if you're stuck in traffic for an extended period of time with no movement you're bike will just naturally overheat.

Guess that was wrong.

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Ducati Monster 1100 (Vrooom!!)
Aprilia Shiver 750 (sold)
2007 Kawasaki Ninja 250cc (sold)

I've never had a problem with my bike overheating, as far as I know. And I've been stuck in some pretty good traffic.

I suppose if the engine is hot, it's a hot day, and you let it sit idling on the asphalt for 30 minutes most will overheat, but that's dumb. Shut the thing off if you're not going anywhere and save some gas while you're at it.

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Flickr.

Yea, i've been in traffic with the sporty under 80+ degree heat and never had a problem. I do start to notice my bike giving off more heat but the temp never rises too far above 150 degrees.

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2008 HD VRSC-DX Night Rod Special
2008 Buell 1125R

The not overheating thing is good to hear about, that is more of a concern because of durability issues as apposed to potential performance gains.

There was a time when just about all bikes were air cooled. Overheating wasn't much of a problem then and it isn't now.

I live in the desert, where it gets up over 100F for about half of the year. The only time you need to worry about overheating is if you leave the bike running while standing still for an extended period of time (20 min. or so) on a really hot day. Even if traffic is moving slowly, the engine will dissapate heat. If you're stuck in a traffic jam that's not moving, then you just shut off the engine.

As for the original post, I don't know if '09 is the target for HD to go water cooled, but they will have to do it eventually. Water cooling is the only way bikes are going to be able to pass future emissions requirements. The bike of the near future is going to be much like cars are today. Computer controlled ignition and fuel systems are going to be common, as well as water cooling to control combustion temperatures.

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Bikin' John
'93 Honda CB750 Nighthawk