Top Ten Weird Harley-Davidson Motorcycles in History

Given that Harley-Davidson has just celebrated its 120th anniversary and the CVO Road Glide and CVO Street Glide, the company’s two latest models to date, will soon be released, one can be sure that the motorcycle manufacturer Many others are not as successful.

However, the Milwaukee label’s history has only sometimes been one of resounding success, even with the American brand’s durability and current technological advances.

For every Fat Boy movie, there have been more than a few bombs. A VR1000 WSB wreck has accompanied every flat-track racing championship won in America. And there have been occasional depressing reminders, like the V-Rod, that not all of Harley’s factory bikes have been successful.

Top Ten Weird Harley-Davidson Motorcycles in History – Top Rated

1.1909 Model 5-D – the (failed) first V-twin

Harley-D’s first bike was a single in 1903, despite being famous for its big V-Twins. When its first V-Twin arrived in 1909, it was an absolute disaster. Although the atmospheric intake valve technology proved successful with the singles, it proved ineffective with the new twins. Only about 25 designs were made before the design was abandoned, and most of those that were made were destroyed. The only surviving model is believed to be housed in a Harley museum and may be the first and last Harley V-Twin built. Instead, a revised model was introduced in 1911, and Harley’s new V-Twins were hugely successful.

2. 1920 Sport – the ‘boxer’ Harley ‘built for girls’

The unique 1920 “Sport” was the first Harley-Davidson designed with female riders in mind. It was a longitudinally opposed twin that was neither a V-twin nor a single but was inspired by the British Douglas of the time. It was the first Harley in which the engine acted as the stress element of the chassis, and its low engine allowed for a lower saddle height. The fully enclosed drive chain was also clean and suitable for women’s wear. Additional information here?

3.1932-1973 ‘Servicar’ – who needs a van?

In 1932, America was in a deep depression, and sales of recreational motorcycles were declining. Although it was a bit odd, the Harley Survey Car was a trike-based commercial vehicle that was cheap, useful, and especially loved by American police departments—it not only kept Harley safe in hard times—but helped to keep. Great Depression. However, it also proved so durable that it was produced until 1973. Up to 500 pounds could be loaded in its rear freight “trunk,” and as the rear brake was integrated into the differential, the rear axle instead of the wheels. Was slow.

4. 1934 CAC cinder track racer – Harley’s speedway bike

It’s a Harley-Davidson speedway bike, albeit for a while. No, it’s not Java. During the 1930s, Speedway gained significant popularity in America and Europe, leading Harley to build 20 experimental racers and five additional engines for the class. Today, Speedway is very popular in these regions. Famed Harley racer Joe Petrali helped develop the CAC, which featured a single-cylinder OHV engine producing 32 horsepower at 5600 rpm, a wax-filled seat that fit over the rider’s back, and a price tag of $465. Sadly, however, it failed to take off, and a year later, Harley abandoned the CAC project, turning its attention to the expanding flat-track racing industry.

5. 1941 ‘Package Truck’ – the sidecar delivery solution

Although the “package truck” was an oddball, it was one of the most popular products in Harley-Davidson history when it was built between 1915 and 1957. Small delivery companies found it attractive because it had a freight carrier rather than a passenger-carrying sidecar, and some customers even made their specialized cargo carriers. It has been produced since 1941 by the FL ‘Knucklehead’ platform.

6.1942 XS with sidecar – Harley takes on the Afrika Korps

To counter the BMWs and Zundapps of the Germans, the US Army ordered the XS, a rugged military motorcycle and sidecar from Harley-Davidson, when World War II forced US forces into the North African desert in 1942. It was created. It has large tractor-style tires, additional cooling fins, a shaft drive, powered sidecar wheels, and other features specifically for the desert. Sadly, Harley could only produce three before the government canceled the contract in favor of the Jeep 4×4.

7. 1951 Harley ‘Bantam’ – Harley battles the British invasion and loses

As part of war reparations, Harley-Davidson, like BSA and others, was given access to Germany’s DKW 125 two-stroke single-cylinder after World War II. However, while BSA’s offering, the Bantam, was a huge success, Harley-Davidson’s equivalent, the 1951 Model S, enjoyed a different success. The Harley was more expensive, even though it was mechanically virtually identical, due to increased labor and production costs. Harley unsuccessfully petitioned the US government for higher import tariffs, and the Model S was soon canceled.

8. 1960 Topper – a Harley scooter? Really?

Here’s one you might not be familiar with a short-lived, two-stroke, 165cc, single-cylinder scooter developed in response to the scooter mania of the late 1950s and early 1960s. The Topper, Harley’s only scooter to date, featured a lawn-mowing “ripcord” starter, fiberglass front and rear bodywork, a tendency to overheat, and a sliding “scooterway” gearbox. The system was It lasted less than four years.

9. 1972 MC-65 ‘Shortster’ – the Harley monkey bike

The first of two Harley minibikes of the era, the “Sportster” was built by Italian partner Ermachi and was a product of the monkey bike trend of the early 1970s. In 1973, a second model, the 90cc X-i90, was released. It was Harley’s lightest and smallest bike ever, weighing just 126 pounds, but it was also one of the most potent monkey bikes at the time.

10. 1983 XR1000 – the genuinely sporty Sportster

A Harley with absolute power? Indeed, it is not that it was inherently a victory. The short-lived XR 1000 was built with a larger engine from the XR750 flat-track racer and road-going chassis of the then-common sportster. The result was a respectable 70 horsepower and 70 pound-feet of torque in 1983, along with similarly lively handling and performance. Sadly, it was also expensive and unpopular with classic Harley fans, and Harley had to stop production after just two years due to excessive production costs.

Top Ten Weird Harley-Davidson Motorcycles in History – Top List