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New Rule Legalizing 4-valve Harley-Davidson V-Rod Meeting Resistance …

Harley-Davidson is getting a new four valve engine configuration in 2009, as stated in the newly printed NHRA rulebook.

Suzuki proponents are crying foul and Buell users are just crying.

Suzuki proponents believe Harley-Davidson officials benefited from the process NHRA officials used to approve a new four valve Suzuki engine. They also believe that Harley-Davidson's official marketing status is behind the general lack of knowledge concerning the new engine configuration.

Did the rule change only come to light by a casual look through of the new rulebook? That is what some in the Suzuki camp are claiming.

Byron Hines, leader of Harley-Davidson’s factory-backed team, said he sat in meetings with the likes of Steve Tartaglia, Steve Johnson, George Bryce as well as the NHRA’s Don Taylor and watched the Suzuki four-valve engine go from concept to reality. He contends he did nothing underhanded and followed the same criteria that Suzuki used to get their new engine approved.

Hines added the Suzuki project went from being a simple four-valve engine to increased bore center as well.

He contends that the same individuals who said a four-valve engine presents no performance advantage are those screaming the loudest at Harley-Davidson’s new four-valve inclusion.

Based on the criteria Suzuki used to get their engine approved, absolutely. Harley-Davidson went to the NHRA and proposed what we wanted to do and based it on what Suzuki had done. We didn’t want anything special. We didn’t want any more and we didn’t want any less. We just wanted to use the same criteria the other guys used to get their engine approved. - Byron Hines

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"Once the guidelines were put in place allowing the engine to be built with Suzuki’s blessing, everyone was happy,” Hines recalled. “The people who run the race program for Harley-Davidson went to the NHRA’s tech department seeking approval to build an engine based on the same guidelines used for the Suzuki. They wanted the latest technology that is being sold on the showroom floor.

“They [NHRA] didn’t want to do it at first and they were reluctant,” Hines revealed. “They used the same criteria (they used with Suzuki) that allowed the two-valve engine to be converted to a four-valve. They applied that to the current V-Rod engine so that they could say they’ve built a late model Harley-Davidson engine based on the same criteria that allowed the Suzuki engine to be built.”

Many allege the criteria for which the Suzuki four-valve engine was built differs from the Harley-Davidson scenario.

Steve Johnson, the former President of PRO2, the motorcycle equivalent to PRO, is beyond angry with the NHRA decision and the way the scenario played out. He’s said to be on the verge of ending his career with this controversy being 99.9 percent of the reason.

“That really burned my ass,” Johnson said when asked about the way this approval process transpired. Johnson has always felt the sanctioning body and the organization kept an open door of communication for the betterment of the class, until now.

“Every time that PRO2 had gone to the sanctioning body in the past, we’ve had open communication,” Johnson said. “We just had a meeting and there was no discussion of this. Why do you [NHRA] come to us and ask for suggestions and then you have covert operations going on?

“I was the number one guy who pushed to get that Harley-Davidson on the track and I used my own time to lobby for the electronic fuel injection. I knew it was better for the class. But, I have to wonder what good does this do?”

George Bryce has either raced or tuned two of three primary OEMs currently utilized in Pro Stock Motorcycle. The multi-time championship tuner has been calling the NHRA’s offices since he first learned of the adjustment and as of Wednesday afternoon has yet to receive what he deems as satisfactory answers from the sanctioning body.

With each moment that passes, Bryce says he can’t help but think there are ulterior motives behind the decision.
 

The whole Pro Stock Motorcycle division as a whole has to stand up and do something about this. I don’t know if we can. It’s plain and simple that the NHRA and Byron Hines shouldn’t be doing this. The economy just isn’t good enough to entice teams to go out and spend money in search of an extra 20 or 30 horsepower. - Steve Johnson

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Clearly the Buell combination stands to lose the most in the NHRA’s approval of the respective four-valve engines. Once the Harley-Davidson and Suzuki four-valve powerplants become operational he feels the Buell combination will be relegated to third in the parity pecking order.

Why won’t the Buell teams just develop a four-valve engine to compete? Bryce says there is a very good reason.

“NHRA won’t let us have one,” Bryce said. “Our marketing power with the NHRA is small compared to that of Harley-Davidson. Case in point, we have sent in requests for design improvements and they keep turning us down. One of those requests was for an improved cam chest and it got shot down. It’s not like we asked for a 30 horsepower improvement.”

The largest factor in Buell’s non-development, Bryce and others allege, is that Harley-Davidson owns Buell and discourages any such advancement. In the past, officials at Buell have denied any such pressure.

Matt Smith, now a Suzuki rider for Don Schumacher, argues that point with anyone who will listen.

Smith won the 2007 championship aboard a Buell and alleges he submitted plans for a new Buell body during his championship defense season which he claims was initially approved by the NHRA and then rejected because of pressure from officials at Harley-Davidson.

Those claims have been staunchly denied by officials at Buell.

The new four-valve Suzuki engine, first submitted for approval 18 months ago, has received final approval for their blueprints. An NHRA spokesman confirmed with CompetitionPlus.com the final approval will come once the finished product is presented to NHRA Tech and verified that it fits blueprint specs.

The proclaimed “Buell Killer,” Suzuki engine developed by Tartaglia and Don Schumacher Racing was displayed at the season-ending event in Pomona at the urging of the NHRA but was denied the aforementioned final approval because of a transmission issue.

The transmission issue is not a performance advantage nor presents a safety hazard. Those close to the situation say the transmission controversy is a “spirit of the rules” scenario with its design coming out the side of the engine.

Smith alleges the simple denial of the Suzuki’s transmission location/design has cost the new combination valuable time to combat the impending Harley-Davidson four-valve engine expected to debut as soon as Gainesville, the first race of the season for the Pro Stock Motorcycle division.

They won’t beat anyone by a bunch. They’ll run up front until someone starts running with them and then they’ll run up front again. Byron Hines and Terry Vance are smart men and they’ll make it look perfect. - George Bryce 

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Smith said the NHRA informed the team the transmission has to be in the casing like the current Suzuki design.


“They approved it with the transmission coming out the side of the motor,” Smith added. “It’s the same way we ran the Buell. It’s still in the motor, just a lot easier to access. You don’t have to pull the motor out to change the transmission.

“That was the good thing about the Buell; you have a problem with the transmission you could just change it out without having to pull the entire engine out similar to the Pro Stock car.”

Smith and others believe the Harley-Davidson four-valve concept will have little resistance in coming to fruition.

CompetitionPlus.com first contacted the NHRA’s Taylor who referred the magazine to NHRA spokesman Jerry Archambeault.

Archambeault assured CompetitionPlus.com that Harley-Davidson will receive no preferential treatment in this issue based on their marketing partner status with the NHRA.

Beyond the aforementioned issues, comes the question of how this significant change was going to affect the already challenged parity concerns. The optimism surrounding the implementation of the Suzuki is that horsepower increases will bring the combination closer to the currently quicker Harley-Davidson and Buell combinations.

The introduction of the four-valve Harley-Davidson will throw a monkey wrench into gains from the previous season in balancing parity.

“The NHRA has a brutal deal when dealing with the factory [parity issue],” Johnson said. “For someone to show up at the race track with a four-valve engine, the redesigned, restyled aftermarket engine when the other OEM doesn’t have it would really cause demise and dissension in the class.

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“Boil the whole thing down, the facts are the facts, we are not racing oranges against oranges. We are racing apples against oranges so arguably the sanctioning body and the competitors are always at arms in who has the advantage.

“If you take the V-twins and the Harley-Davidsons the last five years and they qualify No. 1 seventy-five percent of the time, why would you give them an advantage? If there’s anything they [NHRA] ought to do, is take a wheel off of them [Harley-Davidson]. Take the front wheel off and let the Suzukis catch up. Instead they [NHRA] do what they did.”

“NHRA can do whatever they want, but I’m just one guy who has been racing a Suzuki this whole time. I am highly frustrated at their decision making process.”

Hines believes the competition is making judgments on a combination that hasn’t made the first run in competition and should have more faith in the NHRA’s Tech department to police the competition.

“Ultimately the NHRA is going to control how quick these bikes go based on the criteria for maintaining parity,” Hines said. “If someone has an advantage, they’ll just hammer away at them like in years past. There’s no real difference other than if you get out of line you will be penalized or at least adjustments will be made to restore parity.”

That’s where the tricky part comes in, adds Bryce. The Buell, he believes will be relegated to third on the pecking order while the Harley-Davidson group can maintain just enough of an advantage to stay in front.

“No one will be able to tell because those guys race so good,” Bryce alleges. “They won’t beat anyone by a bunch. They’ll run up front until someone starts running with them and then they’ll run up front again. Byron Hines and Terry Vance are smart men and they’ll make it look perfect.”

With that said, Bryce believes the Buell teams will likely stay in the game for as long as they can. A time to call it quits will be clear for all to see.

“As soon as we are rendered uncompetitive,” Bryce added. “As long as you’re competitive, you keep digging. If you get legislated out of contention I don’t know how you fix that.”

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Hines knows he’ll hear the complaints and arguments but feels completely justified in the steps his team and manufacturer have taken to ensure their future survival.

“Based on the criteria Suzuki used to get their engine approved, absolutely,” Hines said. “Harley-Davidson went to the NHRA and proposed what we wanted to do and based it on what Suzuki had done. We didn’t want anything special. We didn’t want any more and we didn’t want any less. We just wanted to use the same criteria the other guys used to get their engine approved.”

Johnson doesn’t disagree with the argument of what is good for the goose is good for the gander mentality Harley-Davidson cites, but in the long run he wishes the parties involved would have taken into consideration the already complex fight for parity and the dire economic condition drag racing faces.

“I want to throw my hands in the air,” Johnson said. “The whole Pro Stock Motorcycle division as a whole has to stand up and do something about this. I don’t know if we can. It’s plain and simple that the NHRA and Byron Hines shouldn’t be doing this. The economy just isn’t good enough to entice teams to go out and spend money in search of an extra 20 or 30 horsepower.

“They might have the money and that’s fine … just spend it on what they are doing without making everyone else have to spend more money. You can’t even buy what they have now. Why are you going to make something else that you can’t even buy either? It’s not a fair deal.”