High Value Guzzi Oil Filter

[Guest Mattress]

Perot was right: Remember him warning about the "big sucking sound" of jobs going to Mexico?

Yeah, and remember when he had a press conference and said the Viet Cong had sent spies to his compound and he sicked the dogs on them and they came back to him with a piece of some chinamen's pants?

 

He was right about NAFTA. Too bad he was a kook. Cause me and my roommate were gonna vote for him when we were at Michigan Technological Universtity realizing we wouldn't ever have a date for the next four years.

[Ryland3210]

Yeah, and remember when he had a press conference and said the Viet Cong had sent spies to his compound and he sicked the dogs on them and they came back to him with a piece of some chinamen's pants?

 

He was right about NAFTA. Too bad he was a kook. Cause me and my roommate were gonna vote for him when we were at Michigan Technological Universtity realizing we wouldn't ever have a date for the next four years.

 

I don't remember the Viet Cong story, but it wouldn't surprise me. I admired the fact that when some of his employees were kidnapped in Lebanon, he didn't wait for the diplomats to figure out how to save them. He went there personally, took charge, and did what it took to get his guys out.

 

He picked a running mate because of the man's character and heroism. Too bad the guy was poor at expressing himself. Then quit, changed his mind to continue running when his supporters pleaded with him. In spite of that, as I recall he won an amazing 20% of the vote. I voted for him, knowing he would probably lose. I absolutely object to the argument some friends told me that I was wasting my vote. To me that's the biggest problem with the American voting public-voting for the lesser of two evils like lemmings, instead of the candidate that really represents the way they would like things to be. To me that is indeed wasting one's vote. Its why we always have one of the two major parties winning, and also why it gets harder and harder to tell the difference.

 

Perot was probably our last chance to have any real change in direction. That is towards ever bigger government, exponential deficits, fiscal bankruptcy, more and more bureacracy with its constantly increasing tax burden and infringement on our independence and freedom to choose.

 

Perot was not a kook in my opinion. He simply looked like one because he told it like it was, tried to educate the public in basic economics, and made his decisions and pitch to the public based on ethics and character. Of course, that's the opposite of a typical politician's approach to the public, which is why he came across as so unusual.

[Guest Mattress]

Perot was not a kook in my opinion. He simply looked like one because he told it like it was, tried to educate the public in basic economics, and made his decisions and pitch to the public based on ethics and character. Of course, that's the opposite of a typical politician's approach to the public, which is why he came across as so unusual.

 

That is fair. I have no basis to name-call him. It was just such an odd interview, my room-mate and I thought maybe he was really paranoid. But then again maybe he knows a lot I don't and has good reason to be a bit paranoid.

 

Strange we haven't heard from him?

 

Back to the topic: here is the oil sensor details from Continental:

 

Oil quality sensor protects motorcycle engines against wear and makes oil level checks unneces-sary

 

Continental Automotive Systems transfers to motorcycle engines the know-how gained from producing ten million QLT sensors for passenger car engines

 

Frankfurt am Main, Germany, November 16, 2006. Having a sensor system check the level, temperature and quality of the engine oil is already a standard feature in many passenger cars. Continental Automotive Systems is now able to transfer this technology for use in motorcycles. The division of the international automotive supplier Continental AG possesses exceptional know-how in this area, having already produced ten million QLT (Quality, Level, Temperature) sensors for passenger cars, and having developed the QDIS oil diagnostic system. An oil qual-ity sensor does not just mean improved engine protection for motorcycles; an added bonus is that it obviates the need for the frequently tiresome oil level check.

 

Oil quality sensors prevent damage by taking constant readings

 

Checking a motorcycle's oil level is usually a cumbersome task. For example, many motorcy-cles are not kept on jack stands but are only parked on side stands. To check the oil, the motor-cyclist has to hold the motorcycle in a vertical position while, at the same time, either checking the sight glass at the bottom of the engine block or withdrawing and reading off the dipstick. The task is often made more difficult by a cowling or the motorcyclist risks getting burned on hot en-gine and exhaust parts.

 

An oil level sensor for motorcycles, which Continental Automotive Systems is able to derive from a product family of equivalent passenger car engine sensors, will relieve the motorcyclist of this arduous servicing task and prevent engine damage due to lack of oil: a low oil level will be instantly detected and indicated. In addition to this function, these sensors can also take on fur-ther tasks such as constant oil temperature and quality monitoring. Motorcycle engines are par-ticularly demanding in this respect: with power density up to 200 hp and piston speeds of well above 22 m/s2, motorcycle engines are subject to far greater mechanical and thermal stresses than passenger car engines. Additionally, many motorcycle engines are equipped with a wet clutch, lubricated by the engine oil. This means that the oil has to reduce friction in the engine while maintaining the friction essential in the clutch. It therefore needs to be of a particularly high quality and compounded with special additives.

 

The QLT sensor determines the lubricity and the effectiveness of the additive by ascertaining the oil's permittivity, i.e. its electrical characteristics, through impedance measurement within a specified frequency range. Together with the oil level and temperature readings, permittivity data allow a cockpit display to warn the motorcyclist in good time of the optimum date for the next oil change. Depending on the usage profile, this might well be much later than had been the case so far, adding economic and ecological benefits to enhanced operating reliability.

[Greg Field]

My last comment, and I'll shut up: Remember when Harley was saved by a temporary import duty on Japanese motorcycles?

 

Harley was not saved by this. Harley had already been saved. It was, in fact, a move by Harley to extort loan garantees out of the Japanese government. If you're interested in reading the story of this bold move by Vaughn Beals, buy or steal a copy of "Harley-Davidson Evolution Motorcycles" by yours truly. It's one of many stories related there-in that are revealed to be not at all what was reported at the time.

[Guest Gary Cheek]

Harley Davidson? CRIMINAL?

[dlaing]

Harley was not saved by this. Harley had already been saved. It was, in fact, a move by Harley to extort loan garantees out of the Japanese government. If you're interested in reading the story of this bold move by Vaughn Beals, buy or steal a copy of "Harley-Davidson Evolution Motorcycles" by yours truly. It's one of many stories related there-in that are revealed to be not at all what was reported at the time.

Within four years of protectionism, Harley, who had been losing market share to the Japanese big four, turned around and nearly tripled market share.

If it was not protectionism that "saved" Harley, what did?

[Greg Field]

The tariff had precisely zero to do with saving the company. As I said, it was started in an effort to extort loan garantees out of the Japanese government. Harley started action on the tariff and then approached the Japanese government and offered to drop the tariff bid in exchange for loan garantees to finish developing the Porsche-designed NOVA engine and bikes and a few other projects. The Japanese didn't act as fast as the FTC, so there was a toothless tariff that only resulted in 700-cc Jap bikes for a few years, and little more.

 

Many things saved Harley. Foremost, a CEO (Vaughn Beals) with skill and balls and his life's savings hanging in the balance. He spearheaded the effort to buy back the company from AMF in 1981 and put the spurs to increasing quality control and designing a better engine. Almost as important, styling chief (Willie G. Davidson) who very successfully mined the deep styling heritage the company had available and selectively stole from the customizers, and engineers who did more with less and had ready to go in the months following the inception of the tariff (which took effect in April 1983, from memory) the Evolution engine and Softail chassis (both of which hit the market in August 1983), which together carried the company farther forward than anyone at the time thought possible. By 1985, the company was so profitable it didn't need loan garantees and began looking at other motorcycle companies to BUY. By 1987, they were dominant in their market and requested that the tariff be dropped early. By 1990, there were waiting lists for most models. You know what happened later.

 

The tariff was an inconsequential sideshow to Harley's resurgence.

[Guest Gary Cheek]

Did the Japanese help with the loan garuantees ?

[Greg Field]

No. The FTC enacted the tariff before the Japanese could decide yes or no. Apparently, H-D had a strong case, abetted by the Japanese foolishness in all banding together to hire common counsel to fight the tariff. This certainly gave the appearance to the FTC that Harley's contention that the company was fighting against a united "J. A. Pan, Inc." had some basis in truth. A few months after the tariff took affect, it was all kinda moot 'cause Harley was on a roll.

[todd haven]

Harley Davidson? CRIMINAL?

 

 

No. "OUTLAW"

[Skeeve]

Within four years of protectionism, Harley, who had been losing market share to the Japanese big four, turned around and nearly tripled market share.

If it was not protectionism that "saved" Harley, what did?

 

Greg already answered this, but to put it more simply:

 

The FXR [1]

The Evolution motor [2]

The Softail [3]

The Buyout [0]

 

Ride on!

 

[0] As Greg made pretty clear, if it wasn't for the LBO coordinated by Vaughn Beals [brought in by AMF to "fix" H-D's red ink problem before giving up completely] and the impetus it provided to fix the QC problems afflicting the company, none of the other factors would have mattered.

 

[1] 1st of the rubber glides, & the only one that could really handle; this frame was killed off by H-D in the name of "production engineering," ie - it's faster & easier to build Dynas than the old FXR, even tho' the Dyna chassis is inferior by far. (Nothing new under the sun! )

 

[2] Imagine, a Harley that doesn't leak & a mileage bump from 40mpg. D@mn straight that motor saved the company!

 

[3] The Softail frame played upon the oh-so-critical nostalgia factor, as Greg so clearly explained above. [4]

 

[4] Hence, the "Fatboy": this model was aptly named after the "Fat Man" & "Little Boy" atomic bombs dropped on Nagasaki & Hiroshima, respectively, in prediction of the effect it would have upon the Japanese "metric cruiser" market. For those who are too young to remember, it was aptly named...

[Guest Mattress]

I think they also had good timing. They were turning out a decent quality product that was unique on the market (although their cylinders still aren't oriented right) at the time Baby Boomers were hitting their stride with disposable income. Once the boomers hit critical mass as owners, it wasn't just the Hell's Angels bike anymore.

 

I guess I was lucky that my boomer uncles were into Guzzis as teenagers and not Harleys. Not that they suck, but they don't appeal to me.

[dlaing]

The tariff was an inconsequential sideshow to Harley's resurgence.

Inconsequential?!? I guess your book sells better if it is contrarian to common sense.

Thanks for posting the other reasons.

I guess I have to buy the book

[Greg Field]

It was inconsequential because it was too late and it was toothless. The first xxxxx thousand over 700 bikes were exempted (a larger number than they actually sold in some cases), as were all bikes assembles in the US (Goldwings and big Kaws). And it ramped up over the first years and then ramped back down. By the time it ramped in, the Japanese had 700s to sell, which were exempt from the tariff. By then, H-D was flush enough to start looking for other companies to buy. What really made Jap[ bikes relatively more expensive at the time was that the yen was so high against the dollar that a new Moto Guzzi was cheaper than an equivalent Japanese bike. This hurt them and prompted them to build more in the US. This assessment is the result of a look at the facts, not out of need to manufacture controversy. I have looked at the facts and interviewed the principals. This is what they say about it, too. The widespread belief that Harley was just bumbling along at the time and and needed the government to save it is not supported by the facts. Vaughn Beals took on the Japanese and outmaneuvered them, all of them at once. He would have made a great wartime general.

[Guest Gary Cheek]

Did HD get any loans ir gauratees from the Japanese or on their behalf, before ,during or after the emabargo? I know the Sporster was a real bargain during the embargo when compared to a similar Jap bike. The price difference surely didn't hurt Harley at all. I also recall the embargo ended quite early at Harley's request. Perhaps a follow through on an agrrement, after they got what they wanted?