HD designed a WSBK and then killed it, obviously

Seen this on twitter today
credit
@matoxley
@DawnTreaderEng
I'm not surprised but unreasonably mad that Hardly Davidson killed an actually interesting design for WSBK right as they were to start engine prototyping.
Gearbox in the middle of the Vee, ducted tail radiator that used the meredith effect to negate some drag, an appropriately sized airbox, with room for an appropriately sized swing arm
There's going to be a 5 page spread on it in bike magazine just gotta track one down now.

 

4000cc v-twin?

 

600 lb?

 

T

The article is in the Nov 21 issue of RRW

 

Odd. Wonder why they went to dual brakes...

 

How else will they stop 900 pounds of American iron?

 

The design is clearly pretty old. It doesn't even have radial calipers.

 

Wonder if HD execs or marketing execs would view an endeavor like a WSBK campaign or putting themselves in racing competition against other brands as too much of a reputation liability or risk? Granted could just come down to costs or was simply a hampster wheel project to satisfy some engineers/designers.

 

Probably more recent than you think. They just slap a pair of ZX6 forks on.

 

Because it's a HD not a Buell. The VR1000 also ran a standard set up.

 

I miss watching that thing race. Not a Harley guy, but It would have been so cool to see it win.

 

Would of been a nice venture for Harley. Huge risk and being competitive might of taken at least ten years.

They need to do something, I just don't see them surviving on legacy vibrating old tech.

 

Welcome to 25 years ago

 

This is the thing Mike Smith raced on correct?

 

And Miggy and Russell.

 

And Carr

 

If you guys tune into the Carr on 2 wheels podcast that was recorded last week and XcelerateTv that Chris Carr commentates on he goes into some of the history about going away from the flat track scene and going road racing on the VR1000. Harley isn't even investing money to build a race only flat track bike right now. They are still messing around with the production based XG. Why would they dump metric shit tons of money into another VR1000 when they have fans showing up in droves to watch big bar hoppin baggers being flogged in MotoAmerica.

 

Paint it pink/blue and swap out the front end and it's a dead ringer for a Britten.

 

Would’ve or would have
Might’ve or might have

 

It has a little MGS01 feel, too.