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Explain to me the difference.

slayer

Member
Hi all, it has been awhile but here I am with a question noone I know can answer so help me out if you can. Ok, so why do some bikes have the oil tank and why do others not? Also why do they have some bikes with counterbalancers/solid mount and others no balancers and rubber mount. Now for the slippery question,,, which combo is better and why.

Thanks
 
To expand a little on Smitty's spot on reply. The oil tank is mounted high on a softail, because the shocks are below the transmission, and occupy the space where the oil pan is on other models.
Softails have internal balancers because the rubber mounting system of the other models doesn't work with the softail design frame.
Which is better? The one in your garage of course. :D
 
Only one thing to add, oil tank technology is traditional Harley...advantage is you do not have to have oil in sump, so it can be very shallow and engine can be lower in the frame. Also fresh oil held in a separate tank not directly attached to the engine means no preheating of the oil, gravity feed keeps oil pump primed, no air so less chance of "cavitation."
 
Only one thing to add, oil tank technology is traditional Harley...advantage is you do not have to have oil in sump, so it can be very shallow and engine can be lower in the frame. Also fresh oil held in a separate tank not directly attached to the engine means no preheating of the oil, gravity feed keeps oil pump primed, no air so less chance of "cavitation."

Look at Buells, oil tank in a swing arm, now is that clever?:s
 
Is the tank on softails also part of the styling? Do they help any with cooling the oil?
 
Don't forget that the FXR had a rubber mounted engine (the 'R' stood for rubber), the separate oil tank that was standard at the time, and the swingarm pivoted from the frame. Consensus initially said the bike looked Japanese because of the frame but now is considered the best handling of all the Harleys.

If the MOCO ever decides to build a FXR with the Twin Cam engine, I'll be first in line. :bigsmiley28:
 
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