PROJECT RUSHMORE
CH CH CHANGES
By now I’m sure you’ve heard or read the breaking news about the changes Harley’s “Project Rushmore” did to the 2014 Harleys, right? Years ago when Harley introduced the V-Rod I said that the whole purpose of that model was to get people used to seeing a Harley with a radiator on it. Well, that day has finally arrived. That day meaning that some 2014 Harley-Davidson touring models now come with a radiator. They are discreetly housed in the lower fairing louvers so they can cool the 1.1 quart of liquid that cools the engine.
The first liquid-cooled engine is called the Twin Cooled High Output Twin Cam 103 V-Twin. Harley’s PR says, “Twin cooling cools the heads around the exhaust ports to deliver at or near peak performance under all operation conditions and temperatures.” The system also has a higher flow airbox so it will make less engine heat in stop-and-go traffic. And Harley bumped up the compression ratio on the TC103 and installed a new cam aimed at improving low-end torque. The 2014 Ultra Limited and the 2014 Tri Glide Ultra are the first two Harley motorcycles with the Twin Cooled High Output Twin Cam 103. The 2014 CVO Limited sports a 110 cubic inch version of the Twin Cooled engine.
Also from the “Project Rushmore” comes a Reflex linked braking system with ABS, that synchronizes the front and back units when activated at speeds over 20 mph. Techno geeks will like the new Boom! Box infotainment system with an integrated audio system with voice activation for music, phone and GPS. The dashboard also gets a big, 6.5-inch full color touch screen controlled by 5-way joy sticks on the hand controls that give riders access to most of the system’s functions. Plus there’s a Jukebox that pops open at the push of a button allowing riders to connect their iPhone, iTouch, or other USB devices.
But wait, there’s also a redesigned Batwing fairing that’s wider to channel more air around a rider’s hands and reduce head buffeting. This is achieved with the addition of a pressure-equalizing channel cut into the middle of the fairing that opens and closes with the touch of a button to produce “slipstream venting”.
Okay, the bikes pretty much look the same but there have been big changes. Riders maybe haven’t been changes like this since they went from foot clutch/tank hand shift to hand clutch/foot shift.
Source and image: Harley-Davidson
Posted by Sam Kanish
