Right; let´s end this once and for all

[Petrus]

Harley-Davidson XA.

I really do not need to say anything more but I will because I like it

Dring WW2 the US army asked HD and Indian to design a transverse twin with shaft drive like BMW because their V-twins ran too hot for the users and the chain was a pain.
HD actually produced 1000 of such XA-
Experience based it is said that the XA runs 100 F / 38 C. cooler than the WLA. End of.

By the time the XA got into action the Jeep was widely used and the WLA had vary limited roles and was a lot cheaper so that was end of too.

Rather cool though, pun intended, that HD themselves proved that boxer twins run a lót cooler.

Hope you guys like this and do read up on the XA. It makes you wonder about quite a lot: In ´42 they had hand clutch/foot shift, rear suspension p.e.

 

[Star-Lord]

My H-D buddies give me a ton of $#!T about my sideways engine... This is great ammunition for me..

 

[Petrus]

My H-D buddies give me a ton of $#!T about my sideways engine... This is great ammunition for me..

They copied the R72. It was reliable, had hand clutch foot shift, rear suspension, ran a lot cooler. Next they sold their old stuff for another decade because it was cheaper to produce and they could sell it anyway, marketing the war heritage big time. This basically has not changed.

Now, if you take a step back.... I bet nowadays there would be a class law suit about selling the suicide clutch for another decade while they had the safe stuff already proven.

 

[Longshot]

Was the Indian ones any good?

 

[Petrus]

Was the Indian ones any good?

That is entirely irrelevant to the thread no?!

It does raise an imo cool point. With the BMW boxer engine mounting it is temping to say transverse (I know I sometimes do ) but that would be mistaken. Although the cilinders are oriented sideways, the cranskshaft is lengthwise in line with the motorcycle, thus longitudinal mount.

 

[Anibal]

My H-D buddies give me a ton of $#!T about my sideways engine... This is great ammunition for me..

When I ride my Bagger, I only feel a bit of heat around the boots area when splitting lanes during the summer. Other than that, she runs very cool. One thing in common with all my previous bikes was the clink clink clink sound in my garage after I parked the bike. The R18 has yet to make any noise when I park her, so for the guys giving you a bit of s**it about your B, remind them that whilst they are preparing Egg Benedict at the traffic lights, you remain cool as a cucumber

 

[Petrus]

. One thing in common with all my previous bikes was the clink clink clink sound in my garage after I parked the bike. The R18 has yet to make any noise when I park her,

Quite!
Over here we had 46 C. ambient temp past weekend. Easily well over 60 tarmac temp. Any metal in the sun too hot to touch. Yet when parking the bike after a two up ride in that, nó cooling off pinking.

It is amazing though how long it takes for the huge lump to come down to ambient temp. It tells you how much heavy (literally!) duty steel is in there.