The other Harley question reminded me that I’ve wanted to post this for some time.
When Harley-Davidson fell into its deep slump in the 1970s and early 80s (IIRC), I remember seeing a proposal that they were going to break out of the doldrums in the most outrageous way, by going to a super-high-tech design that leapfrogged current Japanese and Euro big-bike tech. Along with radical advances like an aluminum-titanium frame and possibly dual shaft drive, and huge disc brakes like those not seen for another decade elsewhere… they were supposedly looking at a transverse V-8 engine in the 1+ liter range, with triple or quad valves and DPFI.
Did I imagine this, or am I misremembering or conflating it with some other proposal of the era? FWIW, I’m glad HD went back to building what they build best and that they’ve had great success with it. But the idea of a Rickshaw/Beemer-killing Harley lingers.
You’re thinking of the H-D V-4 that was built as a prototype (or 2).
The bike (or was it the engine) was called ‘the Nova’.
Which is ‘no-go’ in Spanish…
I worked at a Harley shop 74-82 and attended the factory schools about every other year. AMF floated a lot of strange ideas, mostly “designed and partly built overseas” like the 2-strokes were, but I’m not sure any were serious or seriously attempted.
The one exception, depending on who you talk to, may have been a rear-engined version of the servi-cycle (trike) for the civilian market. So many folks were making Corvair and VW powered trikes that the MoCo almost seemed ready to bite and float one. I believe it was concerns over licensing (back then you had to take your test on 2 wheels to be licensed for 3 in most states) and the slow and agonizing death of the Steen All-sports <sic?> trikes that killed the project.
Reminds me of New Zealand bike enthusiast who mounted a 5.6L V8 onto a motorbike chassis. Apparently it went really well in spite of a few idiosyncrasies. Firstly it was unbelievably heavy and this had a really big effect on general handling. Secondly there was no room to put a gear box and so it only had one gear. That didn’t stop it doing more than 150km/h.
Last report I heard of it was when its owner/builder died in a motorbike crash on a v8 bike. I assume it was the same one.
The Nova is unquestionably what I was thinking of - thanks! I’ve asked this question in the past and gotten hooted at for the notion. I clearly accreted some details - which might have been my additions or that of a reporter speculating on foggy knowledge - but a lot of it matches right up. Check that one off the list…
Jim Feuling, of Feuling R&D, created a “W3”, 3 cylinder Harley working with H&D but that deal also fell thru. Feuling did produce several working prototype W3 motorcycles.
