History of the Harley-Davidson Sportster XL - Ep.3: Ascension (1958 - 1965)
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- Опубликовано: 30 июл 2024
- Episode 3: the H-D Sportster is poised to become the greatest motorcycle in the world... but not until 1966. Why? In this episode we'll see how the Sportster's glourious asension proceeds, and how true greatness was achieved in 1959.
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Very great presentation. I'm a sportster guy. SPORTSTER4LIFE ☘️
Thanks Irish! Gotta love a Sportster... 🙂
bravo. excellent report. much respect
Thank you TreeHug - I do appreciate you taking the time to say such a nice thing.
Cheers,
Chris
Really enjoying this series thanks
Thanks again Lee. I'm not sure when the next one will be put together (it'll be episode 5: the AMF years), but it will be up one day!
Thank you for your encouragement, :-)
Cheers,
Chris
Super interesting and well done. I have a few comments to make.
Thanks Brown - I'm looking forward to your comments, as always. (You've been so helpful in the past - thank you.)
Cheers,
Chris
Just a little thing about compression. It was not possible until the intruduction of additives to the fuel, that preventet "knocking", premature ignition in the cylinder. And another limmiting factor was the metalurgi of the exhaustvalve. But a nice series, chers. ;o)
Thanks Noah - I appreciate the kind words. I didn't know it was the additives in petrol that prevented knocking. Does that mean all old engines suffered with it?
Cheers,
Chris
@@chrisoftheot6272 Indeed.. It became apparant just before ww2, where it was found out that adding etyl-lead to gas, made it knock at a much higher compression. The Rockefellers Standard oil were among the first to make it, and they sold i by the tankerloads to the nazis, until it gor impossible due to the Brittish blockade of Germany. So the germans had to soldier on with only 87 oktane fuel, while the brittish got 100 oktane from America. And the exhaustvalve problem was remmidied by hollowing out the stem og the valve, and prtly fill it with sodium. The splashing up and down transferred enough heat to make the valve cold enough to endure. But the addition of lead was very bad for the environment, so it got prohibited, and other, less harmfull substanses added. That is why there is signs on pumps and stuff, saying "unleaded only" Hope it helped. ;o)
@@chrisoftheot6272lead was used in the gas to prevent knock but was also used because the engines from back then didn't have hardened valve seats. You can still buy lead alternatives to add to gas to use in old engines. This was in the USA, but what about England? Did they use lead to prevent engine knock or something similar?
I really injoyed your video and subscribed. The Sportster really was a great bike. Too bad Harley-Davidson didn't think it was worth keeping in the line up. I'm going to start on your first video now. 🙂
I have a 2005 XLC. . I put 10 thousand miles on it in two sesons, getting it bore out to1200cc. I have upgraded carburator and exhaust. Should be running 70 horse come springtime.
The Evo sportster is light years ahead of the old xls....all aluminum construction helped, and best of all, way way more reliable.
Morning Topher - glad to hear you're enjoying your Sportster. The 'Custom' is always going to be my favourite too (although I've got to go with EFI...)
Cheers,
Chris
There is another "variant", though I don't know if any/many were manufactured in the UK. That variant was the Magnum 45, where the Sportster top end was married to the flat head 45 bottom end.
I remember seeing the 45 Magnum in Big Bike or Chopper mag around 1970 or so. That was Randy Smith of Custom Cycle Engineering who build it. How many were made I don’t know. But I wonder if the rather weak 45 transmission could have taken the extra OHV power. ChrisOT could include 45 Magnum to his episode. At the time it seemed really cool.
Morning Brown & George - I had heard of the strange practice of nailing Sportster heads to a Flathead engine, though I'd forgotten it was known as a Magnum. (I was also surprised to see that some in America are still making parts for said conversion: madness!)
As far as I can discover, the Magnum conversion was never a Harley option, only an (extremely passionate) enthusiast's option. It's also very difficult, with some real hard-core grinding & welding fabrication needed. Not exactly 'main stream'! I can't really understand why anyone would want to do it - but it takes all sorts, I suppose.
Anyway, thanks for the pointer George. And Brown, sorry mate but it's not going to figure in this series.
Cheers,
Chris
@@chrisoftheot6272 Yes, 45 Magnum was more of a gimmick than anything else. The rationale was a lighter weight machine, but with all the work involved and with the weak 45 transmission you were better off with a stock Sportster. You gotta remember this was the age of LSD chopper inspiration when bizarre was the norm and 45 Magnum was just another custom angle slant, only performance based.
Morning Brown - I'd not really appreciated the importance of hallucinogenic drugs in the development of the Magnum. Just goes to show, you live and learn! 😵
Cheers,
Chris
@@chrisoftheot6272 I didn't mean to suggest that 45 Magnum was specifically LSD inspired, only that LSD was wildly popular in that era and did influence the custom bike scene.
“Here’s one I prepared earlier” 😂 Nice
Thanks. It was kinda cute, wasn't it? (As is Vern Acular...)
Cheers,
Chris
14:00 According to BRAD RICHARDS, VP OF STYLING DESIGNER AT HARLEY-DAVIDSON, THE SPORTSTER MODEL HAS NOT BEEN CEASED IN PRODUCTION.
BRAD RICHARDS, VP OF STYLING DESIGNER, indicated that the people involved in the 2021 Harley-Davidson “SPORSTER S” RH1250, BROUGHT SPORTSMANSHIP BACK TO THE SPORTSTER.
That is, they did not create a new model to replace the SPORTSTER model MANUFACTURED CONTINUOUSLY FOR MORE THAN 67 YEARS AND WHICH WILL BE 68 YEARS OLD ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2024.
Note: On September 1, 1956, the first H-D sportster arrived on display for the first time, according to BILL JACKSON, ARCHIVES MANAGER of Harley-Davidson.
BRAD RICHARDS added THAT: “When the H-D SPORTSTER was born it was considered a “GIANT KILLER”. It was a super bike:
1. Both on Flat Track circuits
2. acceleration racing
3. On the open road.
4. It was characterized by its high performance.
and For Harley-Davidson, the SPORTSTER legacy is a very important part of Harley-Davidson history.
BILL JACKSON, ARCHIVES MANAGER, highlighted the merit of staying ahead of time and even more so, staying ahead of the times.
“This is what SPORTSTER MODEL has been doing throughout its history,” he noted.
At no time does it suggest anything like the SPORTSTER is finished being produced.
His name for his third engine, THE THIRD PLATFORM (THE THIRD GENERATION OF SPORTSTER ENGINES) says it “clearly”:
2021 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER S 1250.
BRAD RICHARDS, VP OF STYLING DESIGNER, for his part indicated:
“and today, with the birth of the new REVOLUTION MAX platform, WE GO FROM EVOLUTION TO REVOLUTION.”
“With the SPORTSTER S, we knew we could bring back - the sportiness - to the SPORTSTER and that time has come.”
“We knew we had the technology to do it with the new Revolution Max (1250T) engine.”
“In the end, motorcycles like this come out that surpass ALL LIMITS, offering the purest Harley-Davidson experience.
HE NEVER SAID THAT PRODUCTION OF THE SPORTSTER MODEL WAS ENDED.
SOURCE:
VIDEO “From evolution to revolution - Sportster S 2021”
By: Harley-Davidson.
Afternoon Hugger - thanks for putting all this effort into your reply. It's nice to have a considered response!
I do address the Sportster 'continuity' (so to speak) specifically in my video Sportster Identity Crisis. At 8:55 I quote Mr Richards who says the Sportster continuity (my word) comes from the "16" front wheel" and "the tail section". Are those the things that really make a Sportster uniquely distinctive?
I also note in that video that the 1250 engine is not the 'third [Sportster] platform', it is the third Porsche Revolution engine (Revolution, Revolution X and Revolution Max).
In my view, I'd also note that the H-D Sportster has never, ever been 'ahead of its time'...!
I've only ever seen three - possibly four - Nightster/S Models out in the wild. I suppose there are more in America, are there? There are more Pan Americas about. From what I've heard and read, the RevMax platform is very good. But why wouldn't it be? It comes from the engineering capital of the world, and one of the most successful and respected companies therein. Are you a RevMax rider Hugger? Did you buy one from new? If so, how do you like it?
Thanks again for the comment,
Cheers,
Chris
Apologies, but you did miss one key change to the Sportster, the use of the cassette style transmission. I'm not quite sure if it came along in 1958, or 59, but the change was made around then. The funny part is, if you compare an exploded view of the transmission of a Vincent Rapide to the Sportster, the similarities are striking. Except for the shape of the transmission trapdoor, it's pretty much the same. It would not be the first time Harley has pinched a design.
Afternoon Terry - thanks for the post. Yes, I didn't mention this cassette style, although the whole 'trap door' idea was very significant, as far as I remember. I'll have to look into it! Sorry for the omission.
Cheers,
Chris
Afrernoon Chris, ill assume you have seen the nee Chino-Italian v1200 ‘Sportster’?
Afternoon Frazer - thanks for the reply. Yes, I've seen the Shineray (or SWM, or Mash) V1200. Honestly, it looks fab (!), except the clocks & headlight. There's also the Xiang Shuai XS650N, which looks better, but the engine just ain't right.
Very interesting though...
Cheers Frazer,
Chris
@@chrisoftheot6272 Id be very curious to have a go on the v1200, see how it feels and what not!
Yea, me too Frazer. A bit scary though - imagine if it was wonderful! (Would you buy a 'wonderful' Shineray? Would I?)
Cheers mate,
Chris
@@chrisoftheot6272 To be honest I would if it performs well.
Crumbs - you're confident. (I'm assuming the performance is the same as a pukka Sportster; since it's a clone.)
If the Shinerays are imported into Blighty, I am now very keen to try one!
They were awesome.What the hell happened to them???
If 1903 was Model 1, how could 1908 be Model 4? By simple arithmetic -- 1-2-3-4 -- wouldn't Model 4 be 1906? Yet early Harley-Davidson literature explicitly states that 1908 was Model 4 as you said. How do you account for that glaring discrepancy?
Morning Brown - good to hear from you again. Even with this, most esoteric, of observations. :-)
Well, the 'official' literature varies a little; for instance, 'The Legend Begins' lists the first model as 1903-05. Also, it doesn't identify the first four models by number, just the years. Only from the 1909 Model 5 do the numbers kick in. I suspect that the founders didn't use numbers 'officially' until then (and certainly not for the first, Model 1 - this is a retrospective identification; very logical though).
Cheers again Brown,
Chris
@@chrisoftheot6272 I think you nailed it. The number system kicked in officially around 1909. That tells us that the original company considered 1905 to be "Model 1." Since then HD has added 2 more model years at the front end of things so that 1903 is now considered model one. Wouldn't you think the guys back in 1909 remembered things correctly? Another oddness is that HD made the 1954 machine their 50th Anniversary Model. Why wasn't it 1953? Gotta finish watching your good video!
Liked and Subscribed! Thank you
Thank you David. I appreciate the encouragement. :-)
Cheers,
Chris
You weren't missing anything....they were as temperamental as your triumphs and B.S.A's, leaked just as much, shook parts off with alarming regularity....
Morning Brian - I was expecting the 'temperamental' and 'leaking', but 'shaking parts off' is a bit scary! I do love old bikes but I'd never use one for a daily rider today. Like you, I need modern reliability (& comfort) and will alway love the Evo Sportsters.
(That said, my brand new Speedmaster is no more reliable thus far than my 2016 Sportster was - it's back at the dealer as we speak 'cos the battery was totally flat & not charging. I had that on my Sportster OFTEN!)
Cheers,
Chris
@@chrisoftheot6272 quality and reliability are paramount. Overcomplicated bikes are also maddening, as I don't rely on any dealer, for car or otherwise, the more bells and whistles, the more things go wrong. I had a 86evo sporty, had too replace almost everything but the frame and basic engine. Had stator overheat until drilled out cover, clutch from factory was crap. Battery replaced 3x in 1 year, shocks were garbage, forks were pogosticks, got replaced with cerianis, from a swap meet....good times
Morning Brian - it's nice to hear that you've been enjoying you Evo Sportster for so long. You seem to be very mechanical which, alas, I am not so I do have to rely on dealers. (My Speedmaster is there right now!)
I also like the 'bells and whistles' - and wouldn't want to ride on modern roads without them now. Just my preference...
Cheers,
Chris
And that's the good parts about them but what about their problems !greetings from Tampa Florida 😎
@brucesanborn7484 magneto magnets were crap. Kick in morning until sweating, start, leave running, go in and shower and get ready for school/work, and fill tank 2-3 × a day.
After you used square ruled paper the picture should remiind one of a Willie G. instead. Doooh
Ah - I see what you did there. Very good Bob!
Cheers,
Chris