I can see it now - a Harley marketing dude tells his co-worker "Our market research indicates that an NHRA tie-in will increase sales. After all, lots of riders have been drag racing modified Harleys for years. But we both know that the only really fast bikes are built in Japan and Europe, so I refuse to take advantage of the gullible public!"
Harley Named Official Motorcycle of NHRA.
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I find it interesting that nobody has commented on the NHRA rules book that basically puts Suzuki and other manufacturers at a distinct disadvantage to H-D. The Harley gets to run fuel injection (vs carbs for the inline fours) and very nearly twice the displacement.
It's not so much that H-D has gotten steadily faster, it's more that they've had the rules designed to MAKE them win. The most remarkable thing to me is: how close the inline fours are to making a truly competitive go of it, in spite of this.
Clearly, the NHRA is interested in pleasing the fans in the stands (Ummurricans, riding Ummurican machines?), and not so interested in having the sports' participants compete on a level playing field. How turning motorcycle drag racing into a one marque show can possibly be good for the sport is completely beyond me.
Now that they are the "Official Motorcycle of the NHRA", if another manufacturer somehow happens to win in spite of their ongoing efforts to prevent that from happening, will H-D and NHRA then sue them for mentioning this in their advertising???
It's not so much that H-D has gotten steadily faster, it's more that they've had the rules designed to MAKE them win. The most remarkable thing to me is: how close the inline fours are to making a truly competitive go of it, in spite of this.
Clearly, the NHRA is interested in pleasing the fans in the stands (Ummurricans, riding Ummurican machines?), and not so interested in having the sports' participants compete on a level playing field. How turning motorcycle drag racing into a one marque show can possibly be good for the sport is completely beyond me.
Now that they are the "Official Motorcycle of the NHRA", if another manufacturer somehow happens to win in spite of their ongoing efforts to prevent that from happening, will H-D and NHRA then sue them for mentioning this in their advertising???
That's ridiculous - next you'll be claiming that Champion-framed Rotax single-engined flat track bikes aren't real Harley Davidsons! Or that the "V-Rod" pro stock bike doesn't use an engine remotely related to an actual V-rod motor! They both say "Harley Davidson" on the gas tanks and bodywork, and I can't believe an American motorcycle company would mislead anyone, so I think you owe them a big apology.
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