Willie G. Davidson about Sturgis Harley-Davidson
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 พ.ค. 2018
- William Godfrey "Willie G." Davidson, the grandson of the Harley-Davidson company's founder, was and is an avid fan of motorcycles. He could be found every year making the trek, or ride, to the pinnacle of pleasure for Harley fans, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota.
HD 123
I just bought an '81 today! what a great looking machine they still are, timeless classic. have wanted one since I was 19 years old back in '80
When I first rode my 1982 FXB, I was truly shocked at how smooth it was, as smooth as an FXR and definitely the smoothest 4 speed shovelhead I've ever ridden. With its dual belts and tall FLH gears, I think Willie G. intended the Sturgis as HD's sport-tourer. After a few thousand miles, the rubber dampers of the compensating sprocket came apart (they were 40 years old and crunchy AF), and I replaced it with a Karata solid front pulley. I've since found a NOS set of dampers on Ebay and plan to rebuild the sprocket. Harley recommended that the dampers be lubed every 10,000 miles, but I think most Sturgis owners back then just treated it like a chain sprocket and forgot about it. BTW--- the FXB was the best looking HD ever!
@@davidsnow2420 mine has that crunchy compensater sprocket acting weird on me. but once the clutch is out it is as smooth as butter. I think the gears are even higher than an FLH. the bike is so relaxed at 65 MPH!
Hell yea brother ✊️
A still own my 1980 FXB Sturgis. Immaculately preserved and running like a night train.
For sale?
@@ryneprince7113 how much would you pay?
Just listening to Willie G,you just know he just wants to make a great bike.Legend👏👏👏
I have #14 Off the assembly line 1980
AWESOME
I STILL HAVE MY 1985 FXWG
I still have my 68 Bonnie.
I have #13 FXWG from that year.
I have my Vrod '03😂
I still got my Kawasaki meansterke 1500 since 2003 😡😎👍
Hair by AMF
My friends first gen Sturgis is why I always loved HD.
He still owns it today 40 years later
I love the old Harley-Davidson commercials.
'Merica!
I got out a paper bag, removed my hemp and started a list of what the bike should be. 🇺🇸🇺🇸💪💪
Haha can’t imagine the current board being so down with the customer base to mingle and pass the doobie around
Harley-Davidson needs another Willie G.
Still have mine after all these years 1980FXB
It’s more than a machine!
Willie G, black on black, full face helmet, shredding canyons. The original dyna bro haha
Duuude! No shit, it's so true!
@@LuziannaMann That's way before the dyna !
???? not even rubber mounted
this is the bike a Lt had in basic training and while in trouble i was sitting on curb and he pulled up and parked right beside me. year 1980 been hogin it ever since. love all my Harley equally. nothing else matters
...absolutely stunning!!! Thanks for sharing!!! Best wishes from Germany...
Loved that bike! My small engine repair teacher had one back in 89. Coolest bike around at the time.
I've been executing the comb over for a few years now...After watching this video, I'm switching up to the Willie G .
Ron L lol
Ron L: lmao 😂
Don't do it chief! Just let it go! Shave the head and grow the beard!
he is 85yrs old today!
Ya still alive
@@stuwhyte479 😼👍
One of my all time favorites, during the prime of my riding life...
One of the best looking Harleys of it's time
My dream bike as a teenager back in the day .. rear as hens teeth here in uk only ever saw one outside the woolpack pub .. drew quite a crowd..
D.
“Woolpack:” Oh, the irony. Probably more accurate today.
A good buisnessman and great bike builder. As a barber he would' nt earn any money.
A Good Buiness man does not spend $125 Million to shut down the Buell Factory .. that took a special kind of stupid to do that..
Mike Skidmore why bother responding to a comment from over a year ago?...
@@mikeskidmore6754 motorcycle hair, just don't care. Obviously you're not much of a rider if you don't understand the messy hair.
@@mikeskidmore6754huh??? Keith Wandell the current CEO shut down buell.
@@GryffindorAlumni To upset Trolls.
...my first Harley, was an 81 Sturgis
Doug Steven I still own and ride my fxb
Mine also I loved that bike but mine had a good many issues, In hind site i should have worked through them
Still got my 80 Sturgis, coming on to 40 years now loving it still
My wife's 2nd harley was '81FXB
Comp. Sprocket would eat the rubbers then snap belt.
After HD fixed under warranty 3times we went with Supermax comp. & belt, solved that problem. Still have the paper work from HD trying to explane the problem & one was folding the belt up to ship. This would break down the belt causing a short lifespan. Just like new fan belts are never folded up.
Willie G. Looks like a Giant sized Lollie Pop Kid from the Wizard of Oz.
matrox You mean Hagrid? :P
matrox lolz
It was until the 90s that Harley Davidson got it good ,I had a 94 and a 96 the peack of the Harley back then I had to wait 6 month for delivery
Thanks wille ,,,,we love our 81 Sturgis
what is that song in the beginning? thanks
I miss the 80’s 😊
shit man....I miss the 70's....
@@TheWolfsnack I miss yesterday.
Me to
Denis O'Brien Which one do you miss the most. The 70’s or 80’s ?
@@dublion7 anything pre-covid 19 i miss..
My dad and Willie G were buds💪🏻🤙🏻
I had never heard of the Sturgis! I have 07 Wide Glide. I love that bike I see its roots in this video.
I've got my eye on a 13 Wide Glide right now. Beautiful bike.
Sounds like it's time for you to plan a ride to sturgis!
Never Heard of the "Sturgis" really? So is your HD your first HD? you must be new to Harley or motorcycle's? 🤔
Serious ? I believe the Sturgis model sold more than any other Harley model the year it was introduced .the Lowrider was another big hit. Both of em worth a lot more now than brand new if in good condition.and original.
The bike by Willie G. The song by Kevin Purcell of N. Illinois. He fronts The Nightburners today. I asked him about it, and he said it wasn't him. But, it was. Listen to his voice and harmonica. It is one and the same.
In my opinion,build your own.Bought an 81 wide glide that the previous owner wrecked in a deer accident.Had a "hard tail" welded on.Candy apple red over gold base.Sent all the chrome to "Brown"s Plating".Paducah,Kentucky.Put it all back together,my way,rode that bike for 12 years and 80,000 miles.Some of the best memories of my life."Stock" sucks!"-In my opinion.
Awesome !!!!! Thx
Awesome video!
40 years later the rear belts are now reliable, but the narrow primary belt replacements still sell pretty good
Awesome Video
🚲 Thank You!
sturgis and daytona models on dyna platforms,nothing but very cool ideas and badass looking bikes
Very nice haircut...I will the same! Classic!
The infamous Poly belt and Poly lube for primary drive compensator, both dropped from further production. While rear belts will last quite a long time primary drive belts are great for leaving you on the side of the road.
Is that Reo Speedwagon playing the music? I can't find credits anywhere.
Can't help ya' , but certainly not REO's lead vocalist, hard to say what musicians.
Willie please quit charging so much for your bikes I bought my first Harley Sportster working through college for $1900 a 76 Bi-Centennial purchased in 78 with very few miles on it,I had sooooo much fun riding and turning wrenches. Now retired I can't afford a second hand bike . but I sure would like to ride a couple of more times before they throw dirt on me.
You get what you pay for. You can buy a disposible bike if you want but not me.
Used Sportsters are cheap. 😎
Accounting for inflation, 1900 in 78 would be the equivalent of $8000 for a used sportster.
I had a buddy that had a Sturgis. He put a SU Carb on it. Got rear ended and motorcycle caught on fire. I still ride my 1983 FXWG.
Thumbs up Liked !
Some nice harmonica work on there.
I don't know where this was filmed but, im fairly sure it wasn't between South Dakota and Wisconsin
I think I will buy one when it's out in the dealerships
I would like to know where the one he built is now,I assume it's at the Harley Davidson museum but,I still would like to know, and,I wander what the value is today.
Final drive belt was,is a great idea.
I have a 73 flh rat...good enough for me......been to Sturgis on it too
How far are you from sturgis
Really cool. Just picked up an original 1982 Sturgis two weeks ago. Was this a factory promo vid?
It was.
I also got an original 82 one, with the brown tank and the buckhorns
i think those are pretty rare--- one year color scheme
why was it discontinued?
Harley considered transitioning to shaft drives in the late 70s, which would've been their first since the XA, but its mechanical complexity was a turnoff for them as Willie described in an advertorial at the time. Hence why they stuck to belt drives to this day.
Wrong. They had chain drive models then and now
@@thatsmrharley2u2 Ah no they are all chain primary & belt drive there is no chain final drive on any new Harley .
When you look at Willie's hair, is there any doubt why they made him the Head of Styling 😂
If Harley made a bike like that now I would buy one, Unfortunatly they dont
Just admit it you don’t got any money to buy one
@@Iniquityslasher probably true but I would go for one of the older ones if I had the money
Let's say I was 55 walked into a HD dealership during lunchbreak, with No intention of buying a bike and 2 days later rode oit on a brand-new '17 Breakout. I don't go on 300 mile a day trips on it but I love the hell out of it. Threw away those shitty factory pipes, got a set of V&H 2-2 Big Radius Stage One and I'm good to go. 750lbs of testosterone sitting there for me ! Lol
The Lowrider S
My dealer doesn't have any Sturgis models for sale as of 08/27/2023!!!!!
Awesome, I didn't realize they had blacked out engines in the 80's. And that's how you rock a bald head!
Bob Smith Looking like Krusty the Clown.
Didn't Sturgis come w the factory custom flame paint job? How many sturgis were made and what year(s)? I have a factory custom paint job (fenders and tanks) that were purchased from a dealer in early 80s.
The flame paint job came on the first WIDE GLIDE. The Sturgis was always black
I got an original 82 Sturgis, mine is brown not black and has the buckhorn handlebars
I have a 1980 fxs with factory custom flame job and lots of people asks is it a sturgis. Tried to figure how to post pic here at no avail
they must have done that in the last year. The Low Rider went to buckhorns after a few years too. And I wasn't aware of other colors besides black...of course that doesn't mean there weren't any!
Factory flames were on the first year FX WideGlide
I have a 81 and 82 Sturgis...
Harley davidson should totally think about re introducing the sturgis bike as it would be a great bike now a days
They would sell about 3 of them. Retro does not work anymore, it's done. That generation is has bought there last bike or is about to buy there last bike its time to move on. Harley will be bankrupt in 36 months if they do not.
@@donovanlewis7142 they will sure have to pull a rabbit out of their hat to get through this magic trick.
Move on to what exactly? Marketing hideous looking bikes to the younger generations that don’t like Harley? I’m a Harley man through and through, but I think they’re done with. They sealed their fates when they scraped the dyna lineup. Their flagstaff model bike & they get rid of it, yeah that was a smart idea. Not to mention they are really expensive that only people with money can buy them so they can play weekend biker.
Pretty cool video, but I could not, but take notice of those rebels shamelessly crossing the double lines through the curves!
My 80 FXB was originally exported to Canada.....still has KPH speedo......
All 1980 Harleys had MPH & KPH
Far out man !
It needed a 5 speed.... the 4 speed they all had kept the engine in the 4000 rpm range in 4th gear.... the top ends didn’t last too long!
Rev tech makes a 5 speed transmission that fits nicely with or without kick, silky smooth and a downshift dream come true
@@bert6744 Up the game with a 6-into-4, with a kicker. My '39 Indian Chief is a 3-speed. Whoa, Nelly.
Add a tooth to the trans sprocket and its a little better. Especially on a stroker
The belt drive is a smooth invent, but here in 2018 that chain primary drive has to go.
Frank Wood I agree. I run a 3" open belt drive on my 92 Softail it's 1/3 the waight of the stock primary. No oil, no maintenance and my bike runs cooler.
Willie G asked..Who you calling bald?!
Had one was a good bike
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I was fortunate enough to get Willie G's autograph while in Daytona. Willie designed the Road Glide in 1998 and this was the first year of that bike.
th-cam.com/video/eIohnw2glPk/w-d-xo.html
I might add that I'm pushing 137,000 miles and climbing.
Was certainly a "cool " collector's bike. Good as a anniversary sportster but worth more $$ . a FXRS 90 and up would be a more comfortable ride in my opinion.🇺🇸
I got a 96 bad boy thanks to
Willie g
Excellent they have to stay on top I hear the brand is in a major slump I hope not I don’t believe it I am a triker. not ashamed of it their triglide is a miracle machine to me
I think the slump is due to (in Canada anyways), the market is flooded with used Harleys,...maybe the prices will drop I can afford to upgrade 😉
Willie, please make these scoots affordable again, man. I can’t buy new or used from dealers. The working man has been stuck with Honda and Yamaha because of the greed at the factory. I want to buy American but you’re making it impossible.
Niconjones, how old are you? These bikes were expensive for the time. If I remember correctly, these bikes were about $5,000.00. You could buy a new car for that. My dad was making $8.00 an hour as a field service mechanic, at the Caterpillar dealer in Albuquerque. We never saw him during the week and only a little on the weekend. Always working in the coal, silver, uranium and copper mines. If he didn't work like a dog, we wouldn't have had a roof over our heads. The only bike he could afford, was used. Kind of sounds like today? Doesn't it? Harleys have ALWAYS been more expensive than the competition. The first new Harley that I could buy, was a 94, 1200 Sportster. $8200.00 out the door. That was a lot of money then. I chose that over buying a car.
I've seen some awesome deals on Craigslist recently for used ones. Obviously they are from an individual not a dealer. I would never buy a new one cause that's insane amount of money to me. I realize it's still a chunk of change but I think they are more affordable than they have been in years. My hubs bought me a sportster several yrs back for like 1200 bucks. It was running and all. He's done alot of customizing to it for me. He's a great old school Harley mechanic so obliviously we didn't have to pay for anything other than parts. I hope you can find an affordable one.
Belt Drive sucks on dirt road with pebbles which little rocks put holes in a belt. i stick with a chain all the time even on my knew Twin cams.
Amazing a washing machine belt on a motorcycle! Wow that's state of the art engineering
as opposed to a tractor chain? LOL
No moving parts 🤔
Don’t forget Willie it’s a 80ci
As someone that's owned five Harley's including a panhead. I couldn't possibly disagree with him anymore. I understand it's a " factory promo". And I so desperately want to agree with him and like the bike. But even by IronHead right side shift and the AMF dirt bikes. It's just the biggest pile of shit I've ever owned. I finally drained the fluids and used it as filler in the foundation of my shop. Best decision of my life.
I know - but they are the most sought after harley from the late 70' to 80's
Should have kept the pan......
Yeah sure 🙄
Kinda sounds like Steve Austin back in the day. Six million dollar man add 👍
I want the Evolution Motor Sturgis model.
Those were pretty cool when they came out in the early 90s.
Have that one want an ironhead sitting beside it. Love the orange & black together, but like the rarity of the beer bottle brown for my ironhead
The only bike to leave me at the roadside waiting for a tow truck.
@Dumbass , you can be as mechanically inclined as you want, when you are sitting on the side of the Autobahn with a broken primary belt, there is not much you can do about it. Trust me, I know, because I was the one doing the sitting 😊.
@Dumbass I had a 1973 CB 750K inline four I did a top end job on. I put 30,0000 miles on it in the space of four years. I sold it to a guy who is still riding it. You got on that bike and rode it. Period. You weren't adjusting points that floated out due vibration. You weren't adjusting push rods every few thousand miles. You weren't cleaning the oil off the shop floor. Maybe I'm not mechanically inclined but the stuff I work on generally works. AMF era bikes were quirky. If I was to buy another one I wouldn't mess with anything before the blockhead. In '84 they got it right. Damn kids
@Dumbass Really ? Then how come they have sumping issues ? How come they're leaking oil out of the rocker boxes ? All those issues have been addressed ? I had an '88 sportster which I bought when HD was having their trade in policy. I bought a Softail Custom the following year, dropped $8000 in motor work and chroming and had basically the same f¥¢king issues then they're having now. Their rocker boxes were a three piece design then and outside the oil leak the middle box was starting to flatten and flare out and had to be replaced. The engine oil was crossing over into my primary case (from a production /design flaw) and overfilling my primary case and leaking out the inspection cover. I started to look at either the new Deluxe and Fat Boy (my preference) when I heard of these issues. It's been 30 years since this bullshit happened and they still haven't gotten it corrected ? I'm a Harley guy to my core and wouldn't even consider buying another bike but I cannot get myself to drop $20,000 on a bike from a company that can't get their shit straightened out in 30 years. Look at the technology out there, how could these even be an issue, or better yet, why should these bikes have ANY issues like this ? I haven't and will not look at any other bike but I haven't heard of issues like this with other bikes. Please, enlighten me cuz I would LOVE to buy that brand new leftover 2019 or 2020 Fat Boy !
FXB1200カッコいい😆
An FX. Which you stop producing in 2018. AH.
What's that haircut called?
Screaming Eagles nest!
I think it's the knucklehead.......
@@johnDukemaster You Win 🎉 😂
Hey Willie, just think if HD hadn't focused on the 1% look, and focussed on the ordinary guy, HD would be in great shape.
Now your hear talking trying to look like 1%er. I guess some never learn.
Looks like Willie G is the only one on the highway.
I still own the title and keys to my 80 Sturgis... Harley Davidson was the easiest bike to hotwire and steal...
4:33 lol
I am surprised the city of Sturgis doesn't throw a fit because it said Sturgis on it. Nice bit of nastalgia!
This is a Great Feel Good Video .. but my 1976 Yamaha RD-400 totally embarssed Harley Davidsons in a drag race and espeically in the twistes .. nn Why on Earth did HD build so many bikes with raked out skinny front tires ? It had much larger dual front disk brakes a read disk brake and Mag wheels I bought it used .. like I said it was a 1976 Model but whooped on HD'
I had an RD400 in 1976 too. Rear sets, clipons, expansion chamber exhaust. It was fast and handled well. That was before I understood what Harley's were all about. Then I rode a buddy's Sportster and found out what the appeal was. Comfortable seating position, gobs of low end torque, and that exhaust sound.
Sure, not as fast as many imports but some people drive Ferrari's and others drive Cadillac's. Not everyone wants to go as fast as they possibly can all the time.
Who gives a shit.
Everybody who rides a Harley knows they're most likely not going to beat a rice rocket without major engine modifications.
All of my Harleys came with Pussy, you should try it sometime 😅
If your Harley doesn't break down every few years. It's not a real Harley. Haha. A 2010 sportster with 1500 miles on it i sold to my dad years ago. Will be getting its 3rd fuel pump next week.
Sittin’ around ain’t good for them either
What happened Willie? In those days that AMF stuff was junk. The you bought the factory and turned out the Evo that made you rich Everyone got one, eventually. Then the TC, and the 💯 anniversary. You thought you were a rockstar. You flooded the market. No more Waiting time. Just drop $20 grand and anyone could have a HARLEY. Now they're $25-30 grand, and your showrooms are packed with unsold bikes. What happened Willie? V rod? Electric? Come out here and speak with the guys that bought those AMF bikes back then. We'll tell you. Maybe you don't care anymore. But the damn thing still has your name on it.
yes, there's so many used hd bikes i don't think the dealers are gonna sell any new bikes, way too expensive. lots of low mile used reasonable priced bikes out there for sale. i picked up a nice low mile heritage for $5k.
Nice HOWDY DOODY hair DOO.....WILLARD
No way he made it all the way to Sturgis on that without breaking down.
CHRIS MARTIN I have a late 81 fxb. I have well over 300,000 on it still riding it today never left me stranded on the side of the road. Shovelhead forever.
wrench,ride and repeat.
I have a 86 Evo with 200,000 plus - breakdowns are part of the experience
I read a lot of comments and was.surprised they were not negative till I saw this one
I been riding shovels for almost 40 years and I'll tell you they are good reliable machines it all comes down to the mechanic that rebuilds them if he's worth his salt.
Shovelheads Forever ; all I've ever owned
Besides an iron.
Harley - Davidson: till death do us part.
@@lonesometinman3147 Ive never owned a shovel but ive had 2 evos and 3 twin cams. The evos were more reliable but u better get a shop manual if u plan on owning a HD long. Ive been left stranded by all of them.
That was one crappy commercial. Nice bike though.
Tattooed fringe is as punk as it gets !!
The history of shit!
Hey harley boys quit crossing the centerline.
I don't know why you were at the 1/4 mile we all know Harley's aren't fast . Classy but not fast
Only took you 20 years to realize how to black out a motorcycle and you guys don’t even do that correctly lol.
Covered in leather , black on black , smell like shit.! !!😄😄😄 still building over priced chrome air compressors !! No thanks
Probably a good man Wille, but ugly as a German bike.
Crap bike and crap design. The man was no genius, just capitalizing on his grandfather's innovation.
That would fit u just right