Help with finding some information

If possible, I was wanting some help in finding some hard facts regarding Harley Davidsons racing history.  As best I can tell they haven't won a road race since 1969 at daytona.  They always talk highly about their flat track record and drag racing but I have heard things about harley having a hand in the ama rulings to maintain dominance in flat track.  Such as keeping other manufacturers limited in displacement amongst other things.  Where can I find some hard facts regarding these claims.  

any takers?  

Not sure what "claims" you're looking for.

If you mean Harley-Davidson's influence on the AMA's rulemaking policies, no H-D person ever went on record stating as such. However, it was pretty obvious that once Jerry Griffith and Honda got the RS750 dialed in and hired both Bubba Shobert and the late Ricky Graham, it was no contest for several years. Honda introduced the RS750 in 1983, and then went on a tear, with Graham winning the Grand National Championship in '84, and then Shobert winning in '85, '86, and '87. In fact, '87 was the year that the 33mm restrictor plates were mandated for all twins (restrictor plates hurt flow on the Honda's four-valve head more than they did on the Harley's two-valve head, because the Hondas turned higher rpm), but Honda still found a way to beat the Harleys. However, because of rumors of even more restrictions being put on the Hondas, as well as their concentration on the growing Superbike roadracing category, Honda decided to cease factory flat-track support in '88, although privateer RS750s continued to do well (the most notable being Ricky Graham winning the GNC as a total privateer over the factory Harleys in '93).

Then there was the AMA giving the go-ahead for homologation of the VR1000 in '94 to allow their AMA superbike team to compete, even though the rules specified that at least 150 examples of the street-legal production made had to be made and sold. The problem was that the production VR1000 hadn't gone through emissions testing for most European countries; so Harley then claimed that it was street legal for use in Poland, when there was no requirement. Several people in the know claim that no more than 45 were actually built, which angered companies like American Honda, who had to provide constant proof that there were actually 150 examples in the country.  

Historically, the AMA's rule making and rule enforcement often has helped HD and harmed anything not HD.  Back in the 60's and '70s AMA rules allowed 750cc for HD's side valve engines while limiting the overhead valve British bikes to 500cc.  More recently HD got a similar displacement advantage in the AMA's Daytona Sportbike class for the 1125 Buells than ran against 600cc fours.  

Thanks for the reply.  Did Harley still have factory supported teams during the AMF years?  I also can't seem to find anywhere that the VR1000 ever won a race despite haveing great champions like Miguel Duhamel race on it.  It also seems that Buells are available as 2010 models here in the U.S.  I thought Herley shut them down except for a race only division.  

I have also noticed that in NHRA pro street the Harleys enjoy a displacement double that of Japanese manufacturers.  I have a friend that boasts about Harleys racing prowess.  I was wanting a clearer picture of their flat track "dominance" and what has seemed to me a desire to avoid roadracing.  Thanks for the input.  

AFAIK, Harley still supported the flat-track teams during the AMF years (although it mostly consisted of just manufacturing the XR750 and attendant parts, and doling them out to the favored few).

No, the VR1000 never won a race, despite the best efforts of Duhamel (his superhuman effort at Road America in '94, where he was running off the edge of the track while leading the race for the first few laps was one example). Chris Carr put it on the pole at the AMA race ridiculously held in the parking lot at Pomona in '95.

There were probably some Buell models built during the latter part of '09 (before the factory was shut down) that were destined as '10 models.  

wvrider:
I have also noticed that in NHRA pro street the Harleys enjoy a displacement double that of Japanese manufacturers.  I have a friend that boasts about Harleys racing prowess.  I was wanting a clearer picture of their flat track "dominance" and what has seemed to me a desire to avoid roadracing.  Thanks for the input.

Yes, the NHRA "Pro Stock Motorcycle" class allows the "V twins" (H-D and Buell) to run 2638cc (161 cu in.) while the four-cylinder two-valve machines can only run 1655cc (101 cu in.). The four-valve four-cylinder machines used to be restricted even more in displacement, and have only recently been allowed to run the same size engine as the two-valvers; the only reason the four-valve hasn't started to make an impact is because of political infighting among the builders responsible for the engine that resulted in the project stalling dead in the water.

There's also the fact that while the four-cylinder machines still use the same cylinder spacing and stock crankshaft (and utilized the heavily modified stock cylinder head for a time), absolutely nothing on the V-twins has even the slightest resemblance to stock. The V-twins were/are allowed all sorts of special accommodations in the rules; they were allowed an all-billet construction as well as fuel injection (when H-Ds still used carburetors), with carte blanche on much of the design. When the H-Ds predictably dominated in the first few races, the NHRA quickly saddled them with 40 pounds, and have been fiddling with the weight ever since.

The whole reason the V-twins were given carte blanche to enter NHRA Pro Stock is because there was some backlash at the class in the '80s and '90s due to spectators resenting foreign manufacturers dominating a dragracing class.

Harley-Davidson has absolutely no interest in roadracing, and its new CEO Keith Wandell has been quoted as saying he had no idea why anyone would want a sportbike, which was part of the reason why Buell was killed off, even though it cost H-D more than $125 million to do it.  

Thank you.  Your wealth of knowledge never ceases to amaze me.  

No worries. I'm no know-it-all, just know a lot about subjects you've inquired about. I'm sure you can find much of this info on the internet, just need to spend time searching with the correct search terms.  

Have you heard anything about the motocysz c1 making it to production anytime in the forseeable future?  

I know, probably not without the interest and financial backing of some rather deep pockets.  Since I don't have 100,000 for a replica I will have to dream about it.  

wvrider:
Have you heard anything about the motocysz c1 making it to production anytime in the forseeable future?

Not that I know of. I think the market for $100K motorcycles has kind of dried up at the moment.

Czysz seems to spending all of his efforts at developing and promoting his E1pc electric bike now.  

The e1 has been showing some promise.  Winner of the 2010 IOM TT Zero.  I believe average speed was about 97 m.p.h.  As far as the c1 is concerned,  it would be nice to see a competitive American made bike instead of one that is propped up.  

Harley-Davidson has absolutely no interest in roadracing, and its new CEO Keith Wandell has been quoted as saying he had no idea why anyone would want a sportbike, which was part of the reason why Buell was killed off, even though it cost H-D more than $125 million to do it.  

WHAT? What closed minded thinking. Did he ever consider that some motorcycle riders actually like to go fast through corners?