Harley XR1200

[Kurt]

I find this kind of interesting. Developed for the European market. Take a look at the links. Found this when on another search. Different than what they are marketing here.

 

http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/home.jsp?locale=nl_BE

 

http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2006/10/10/new-harley-davidson-xr1200/#comments

[hig4s]

I find this kind of interesting. Developed for the European market. Take a look at the links. Found this when on another search. Different than what they are marketing here.

 

http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/home.jsp?locale=nl_BE

 

http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2006/10/10/new-harley-davidson-xr1200/#comments

 

Seems like an odd bike to market against the Buells

[Snarley Bill]

always liked the xr series sportster . starting back with the flat head kr in the 50's. almost bought an xr1000 one time but could'nt afford it. been several copies of the xr750. tbey dominated flat track back in my era. than honda came along and it's history from there on.

[Deltarat]

after one a friend of mine rode in High School, a very Japanese looking Harley IMHO however. I think they will have a certain vintage appeal kinda like the reproduction 80's Kawasaki's that I've seen coming out.

[hig4s]

always liked the xr series sportster . starting back with the flat head kr in the 50's. almost bought an xr1000 one time but could'nt afford it. been several copies of the xr750. tbey dominated flat track back in my era. than honda came along and it's history from there on.

 

A Grand National Champion has not been on a Honda in 12 years, and they have only won a Championship 5 times ever, 4 of them 84 through 87.

 

Harley dominates flat track only because AMA stacks the rules in their favor, ever since Kenny Roberts won the Championship in 73 and 74 on a bored out Yamaha XS650.

 

Roberts made a name for himself by battling the dominant Harley-Davidson factory dirt track team aboard an underpowered Yamaha XS650 model twin cylinder street motorcycle (overbored to 750CC with a special frame) in the U.S. Grand National Championship, a series which encompassed events in four distinctive dirt track disciplines plus road racing. Roberts is one of only four riders in AMA racing history to win the AMA Grand Slam, representing national wins at a mile, half-mile, short track, TT and road race. He made up for his bike's lack of horsepower with an almost fearless, determined riding style. This fearless style was highlighted in 1975 when Roberts competed at the Indy Mile National aboard a dirt track motorcycle with a Yamaha TZ 750 two-stroke road racing engine wedged inside its frame. On a bike that was considered unrideable due to its excessive horsepower, Roberts came from behind on the two-stroke, and overtook the factory Harley-Davidson duo of Korky Keener and Jay Springsteen on the last lap for one of the most famous wins in American dirt track racing history. Afterwards, Roberts was famously quoted as saying, "They don't pay me enough to ride that thing." AMA promptly banned 2-strokes and Kenny went to Europe to become a world champion on pavement.