Harley-Davidson R-Odynamic Is Screamin’ Eagle Heart in the Right Custom Body


by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com

If we were to choose between a custom made motorcycle (that means built from the ground up, with different parts made to fit together in previously untried ways) and an extreme conversion of an existing series production model, we’d certainly go full custom.

Perhaps that’s owed to the countless hours spent in front of a TV screen in our childhood, seeing the likes of the Teutuls working their magic on metal while fighting each other like they were enemies. Thanks to them and others that go back decades, custom motorcycles are still very hot in America today.

Not the same can be said about Europe. There are far fewer shops there, and most of them are involved in bringing back to life old, locally-made models the likes of 1970s-1980s BMWs. Sure, there are shops specializing in reimagining Harleys, as we’ve seen in the recently concluded King of Kings competition, but almost none of them is in the business of mating Harley engines to custom frames, for instance.

We said almost because in Germany there’s a very active shop that goes by the name Thunderbike. The group has in its portfolio literally hundreds of Harley builds, most of them based on existing models, but also around 15 frames they have been playing around with for the past 25 years.

One of those frames is called Dragster R-Odynamic, and is used to underpin the bike in the gallery above. Specifically designed to work with 21-inch rear tires, it only includes the single-side swingarm, meaning everything else has to be carefully fitted to work with it.

First, the engine. The shop went in this case with a Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle 110. Tied to a Harley-Davidson 6-speed transmission and ignition, it breathes through a Vance & Hines exhaust system.

A combination of Harley and custom Thunderbike parts was used to put the whole thing together. Aside from the engine and transmission, Milwaukee also made the headlamp, electric system, and the primary, while the Germans are responsible for the suspension, grips and handlebar, rims (23-inch front and 21-inch rear), brakes, and pretty much everything else.

The bike was completed back in 2011, and was put through its paces down Germany’s roads, as you can see in the video attached below. We are not being told how much the entire assembly cost, but you should know the frame alone is worth over 12,000 euros (roughly $14,000).

 

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Harley-Davidson swings to Q2 loss, plans overhaul of operating model with new 5-year plan

by Ciara Linnane from https://www.marketwatch.com

Harley-Davidson Inc. shares HOG, -0.75% slid 2.9% premarket Tuesday, after the iconic motorcycle company swung to a loss in the second quarter and unveiled an overhaul of its business that will see it exit certain markets and streamline its product line. Milwaukee-based Harley swung to a loss of $92 million, or 60 cents a share, in the quarter, after a profit of $196 million, or $1.23 a share, in the year-earlier period. Its adjusted loss per share came to 35 cents, short of the FactSet consensus for earnings of 11 cents a share. Revenue fell 47% to $865 million from $1.633 billion, ahead of the $761 million FactSet consensus. U.S. motorcycle sales fell 27% to $31.3 million, EMEA sales fell 30% to $11 million and Asia Pacific sales were down 10% to $6.9 million.

The company is not offering guidance, given the uncertainty created by the pandemic. Harley is planning a ‘Rewire’ restructuring of its global operating model, that will impact all areas of the business from commercial operations to center-led support functions. That process will build to a new five-year plan, to be called ‘Hardwire.’ “Building on our strong brand legacy, we are reinvigorating our core profit driving business — powered by our strongest dealers, most exciting products and careful inventory management, while focusing on the most important opportunities for future expansion,” Chief Executive Jochen Zeitz said in a statement.

The plan includes 700 job cuts that were previously announced and a streamlining of motorbike models by about 30%. The company will focus on about 50 markets in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific that currently account for most of its volume and growth potential. The company is planning a marketing campaign featuring “Aquaman” actor Jason Momoa. The company expects too save $250 million in cash in 2020 and to book a $42 million restructuring charge. Shares have fallen 21% in the year to date, while the S&P 500 SPX, -0.64% has gained 0.3%.

 

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