Harley-Davidson Launches All-New Milwaukee-Eight Engine

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Aug 23, 2016, 11:01 ET

Fans Go Behind The Scenes via Facebook Live To See New Big Twin Engine Being Made

MILWAUKEE, Aug. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- More Power. More Comfort. More Control. Today, Harley-Davidson unveils the all-new Milwaukee-Eight™ engine, the ninth Big Twin in its history, plus all-new front and rear suspension for its Model Year 2017 Touring motorcycle lineup.

Harley-Davidson's new Milwaukee-Eight engine, the ninth Big Twin in the company's history, delivers more power and an improved riding experience while retaining the iconic look, sound and feel of its predecessors.

Equipped with the new Milwaukee-Eight engine and new front and rear suspension, Harley-Davidson's 2017 Touring motorcycles like this Street Glide Special model are the company's most powerful, most responsive and most comfortable Touring motorcycles ever.

Assembled Milwaukee-Eight engines at Harley-Davidson's Powertrain Operations factory in Menomonee Falls, Wis., await shipment for final vehicle assembly.

"These are the most powerful, most responsive and most comfortable Touring motorcycles ever offered by Harley-Davidson," said Scott Miller, Harley-Davidson Vice President of Styling and Product Development Strategy. "You truly have to ride one to feel the difference – so we're inviting all riders to visit a Harley-Davidson dealer and take a test ride."

To launch the Milwaukee-Eight™107 and Milwaukee-Eight™114 engines, Harley-Davidson – in a brand first – will take fans where they've never gone before: The floor of a Harley-Davidson factory in a virtual tour on Facebook Live to watch the making of its newest Big Twin engine today at 12:30 p.m. CST.

"We're excited to open our doors to allow the world to see our newest Big Twin engine come to life in our state-of-the-art factory," said Randy Christianson, General Manager of Harley-Davidson Powertrain Operations in Menomonee Falls, Wis. "With an all-new design, the new Milwaukee-Eight engine offers quicker throttle response, more passing power, purer sound, a smoother ride and more of the feeling riders want from a Harley-Davidson Touring motorcycle."

Power. Comfort. Control.
The new Milwaukee-Eight™ engine is a ground-up design that combines the classic look, sound and feel of Harley-Davidson® Big Twin engines with improvements in performance, comfort and control.

Retaining the classic 45-degree V-Twin cylinder angle, the Milwaukee-Eight™ engine produces 10 percent more torque and features four-valve cylinder heads that offer 50 percent more intake and exhaust flow capacity than previous year models.

The Milwaukee-Eight™ engine is counter-balanced to cancel 75 percent of primary vibration at idle, retaining the classic feel of a Harley® V-Twin engine while being very smooth at highway speeds. A new heat management strategy improves rider and passenger comfort.

New Engine and Much More for Model Year 2017
Along with the Milwaukee-Eight™ engine unveiling, Harley-Davidson also announced:

New Touring Suspension: All-new front and rear suspension components enhance the comfort, control and performance of all 2017 Harley-Davidson® Touring models. New dual bending valve front suspension technology provides the performance of a racing-style cartridge fork with linear damping characteristics and reduced weight. New emulsion-technology rear shocks offer 15 to 30 percent more pre-load adjustment than previous standard Touring shocks, with a single, hand-adjustable knob to hydraulically dial in pre-load.
Screamin' Eagle^® Performance: Harley-Davidson® Screamin' Eagle^® Performance will offer a full selection of street-legal performance components for the Milwaukee-Eight™ engines, including Screamin' Eagle^® Milwaukee-Eight™ engine Stage kits that deliver up to a 24-percent increase in torque over the stock engine (availability varies by market).
Harley-Davidson® Custom Vehicle Operations™: Harley-Davidson^® Custom Vehicle Operations™ (CVO™) models combine prestige and performance in three limited-edition factory-custom motorcycles for 2017. The CVO^™ Limited and CVO^™ Street Glide^® models feature the refined performance of the new Twin-Cooled™ Milwaukee-Eight™ 114 engine, while the CVO^™Pro Street Breakout^® motorcycle is powered by the Screamin' Eagle^® Twin Cam 110B™ air-cooled V-Twin engine.
2017 Harley-Davidson Street® 500/750 Motorcycles 2017 Harley-Davidson Street® motorcycles are now available with ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) and the Harley-Davidson® Smart Security System with hands-free, proximity-based security fob, each as a factory-installed option.
Powerful Cruiser Lineup: With the High Output Twin Cam 103™ standard for all 2017 Softail® models and Dyna® models (U.S. models only) except the Street Bob® model and the S Series cruisers with the Screamin' Eagle® Twin Cam 110™ engine, Harley-Davidson continues to offer its most powerful cruisers ever.

"We want all riders to save the date of Sept. 23," said Dino Bernacchi, Director of U.S. Marketing at Harley-Davidson. "That weekend, Harley-Davidson dealers across the country will host open house events so riders can throw a leg over our Model Year 2017 touring motorcycles and feel the difference of the all-new Milwaukee-Eight engine for themselves."

To experience the transformation of the 2017 Harley-Davidson® models now, visit h-d.com/testride to schedule a test ride.

* All comparisons in this communication are drawn between Harley-Davidson 2017 Touring models and 2016 Touring models.

** Not all models are available in all countries. Please contact your local Harley-Davidson dealer for more information.

About Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Since 1903, Harley-Davidson Motor Company has fulfilled dreams of personal freedom with cruiser, touring and custom motorcycles, riding experiences and events, and a complete line of Harley-Davidson® motorcycle parts, accessories, general merchandise, riding gear and apparel. For more information, visit www.h-d.com.

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SOURCE Harley-Davidson