Greg:
Balance always wins. Harley has always been wrong.
At least H-D is in good company with Ferrari V-8's and Cossy DFV's!!!
No, they're not. With their religious adherence to the 45 degree V-twin,
they stand nearly alone. Sure, the other motorcycle companies grudgingly
gave in and began producing engines of a similar ilk, but only because
that's where the money is, not because it's a smart way to build an engine.
(See also: "C'mon, dude, first one is free.") Without external balancers,
there is just no way to dynamically balance a 45 degree V-twin. Had Harley
decided that brains, math and physics matter, they would have been building
90 degree V-twins since the 1930s. A 90 degree V-twin: now THAT engine can
be balanced. And there are other companies--Moto Guzzi, Ducati, Honda--that
have campaigned that layout successfully for a long time. Ferrari and
Cosworth? 90 degrees. Balance always wins.
Rich Wagner
Montrose, CO
Mojave, CA
Tehachapi, CA
And points elsewhere...
'82 GTV6
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