has over a century of motorcycle manufacturing history, and Harley will have many models to talk about, some better than others. From 1969 to 1981, there was a time when the company was owned by AMF, which was most closely related to bowling and equipment. This is also a period when most Harley owners would say the quality has gone downhill and it fell into a ravine. Despite the sharp decline in quality in the 1970s, it finally rebounded, and the modern Harley-Davidson motorcycle is a pretty sophisticated machine that many people are willing to retail for a new – top-level – online model for over $44,000. So we dig deep into the archives of Harley-Davidson motorcycles to pull out these 10 best motorcycles from the legendary Milwaukee company.
10. Harley Davidson WLA Liberator
It is incomplete to talk about Harley's contribution to American society without mentioning its contribution to World War II . Signed a contract with the military to provide motorcycles for US Army , and Harley provided the WLA "Liberator". Harley offers motorcycles that are durable and, if not particularly light, weigh over 500 pounds. It uses an older flat-haired engine that is cheaper, easier to produce and has proven to be reliable and sturdy. Since soldiers often have to repair their machines on the go, it also makes it easier to repair on the battlefield. Eventually, Harley sent nearly 100,000 motorcycles overseas (via Silodrome).
Without these durable machines, the Allies might still win the war, but Harley-Davidson's contribution had an impact. They are mainly used for escort, reconnaissance and police duties rather than combat roles. Up to one-third of war products were also sent to our Soviet allies. However, after the war, Harley had difficulties in obtaining raw materials because so much effort was put into rebuilding the European economy. This later led to a flood of cheap imported machines into the U.S. market and hindered Harley's efforts to expand after the war, according to The Motorcyclist.
After the war, tens of thousands of such motorcycles were left at home and abroad, purchased by former soldiers and civilians, and converted for civilian use. This makes original bikes with olive green paint and military symbols extremely rare today.
9. Harley-Davidson V-Pole
V-Rod may not be the most popular Harley-Davidson motorcycle, but it is still an incredible bike and sold an impressive 16 model year. The engine was called a revolution by the company and made its debut. Harley-Davidson has long been proud of its historical reputation, making bikes year after year with little radical change to form or function. There are some minor improvements every few years and are adjusted in the year of designing differentiated model. But V-Rod introduced the first Harley with fuel injection, overhead camshaft and water cooling (via MotorBiscuit). The name of the revolution is very appropriate.
As the company has been perfecting engine designs that date back to before World War II, Porsche Engineering was invited to participate in the development. The resulting engine is very modern and offers a considerable 120 horsepower. The first time Harley drivers can sit in front of a traffic light without a heat wave coming out of the engine. The styling is also more aggressive, presenting a more sporty look while retaining the classic American motorcycle lines.
Although its term is quite long, it has not received much love from hardcore pig fans. It is designed to compete with Japanese bicycles and attract different buyers. The Drive quotes a common saying that there are a lot of motorcycle riders who claim they will never buy Harley…except for the V-Rod.
8. Harley-Davidson Pan American 1250
Revolution engine greatly promoted the development of Harley-Davidson as a brand and its attempts to attract new buyers, resulting in one of its current products: Pan American 1250. It's a stunning departure from the shiny chrome cruiser Harley. famous. Pan American feels as comfortable off-road as it is off-road, but also benefits from the large, torque-heavy V-Twin engine. While the dresser Harleys is built on tradition, this one is built on technology and performance.
This motorcycle features a Revolution X engine with overhead camshaft and water-cooled. Its high, adjustable and adaptable suspension has a great ride distance to help it cope with rough terrain. This is a bit anti-Harley, however, the company is working to diversify its products and hopes to expand its customer base as part of its “More Road to Harley-Davidson” product strategy. Pan America also chooses to display fully digitally on the meter and provides a range of settings for riders. Whether this will achieve the company’s goals remains to be seen, but if the bike is expected, Harley should see new buyers of the brand in the next chapter.
7.Bill Motorcycle Company
To be fair, Buell Motorcycles are not Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, but they have been closely linked for many years. Erik Buell is an engineer at Harley-Davidson, originally a motorcycle designed for racing . Eventually developed into a manufacturing enterprise, Harley-Davidson bought a considerable stake in 1993 and then acquired 98% ownership in 1998. During its existence, Buell used Harley V-Twin air to produce a variety of sporty road motorcycles. Cool the engine (via motorcycle news). These bikes are for sale as Harley’s companion brand, offering an option for customers looking for products other than HD typical cruisers and touring bikes.
Buell Bicycles have many innovations, such as turning the engine into a part of the frame, transferring part of the frame into the fuel tank, and using a unique brake system, brake disc is connected to the outer edge of the wheel. While these bikes usually sell better than Buell expected, they usually don’t fit well into the Harley family. CEO Keith Wandell is said to talk about “Eric’s racing hobby” and asked, “Why do some people even want to ride a sports bike”, which shows his lack of understanding of the entire motorcycle market (via Motorpedia). Despite producing some clever bikes and being the only American sports bike manufacturer, Harley closed the store in 2009 and Buell motorcycles ceased to exist. However,
6. Harley Davidson XR750
Harley Davidson has been committed to racing from the very beginning. Some of the earliest races were played on oval dirt tracks, which is still a popular sport today called flat tracks. Although motorcycles would come out directly from the factory and start racing in the early days, once the manufacturing and competition were mature, special machines would follow.
Harley has been making flat rail machines for many years, but the XR750 that became the legendary one. According to Silodrome, it was provided by Harley for racing in 1970. It was an immediate success and continued to dominate the sport for decades. From 1972 to 2008, it won 29 of the 37 AMA National Championships. The bike’s most famous publicity comes from the use of brave superstar Evel Knievel in his challenge to death stunts. It is a competition machine that is not offered through dealers and is not listed on the company’s website, but it has always been an important part of Harley’s history. It was in production until it was replaced by the water-cooled XG750R in 2015.
5. Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Fat Boy joined the Harley-Davidson lineup in 1990 and has been the mainstay of the brand ever since. It features a lower riding position, wide forks and thick tires, and it's an excellent cruiser bike for riders who don't want extra volume and weight from the full tour model but want a stronger sturdy ride than the Sportster.
Fat Boy is part of the Softail family, which uses a clever hidden rear suspension to make it look like an old bike with a rigid frame. In addition to the thick shock absorbers, the early Fat Boys could be distinguished by their actual heart disc wheels, although the current lineup uses slotted wheels with a reduced disc wheel in the middle. According to Motorcycle News, the company has been struggling in the 1980s, relying on its design traditions to fail to update the look.Willie G. Davidson, grandson of one of the company’s founders, proposed this new look, as a completely new look for the cruiser bike, with a simplicity in appearance that highlights all the benefits of the classic Harley style. It played a role and helped in the 90s cruiser revival. It did a great job and it has been in the lineup ever since.
4. Livewire number 1
Select Livewire will definitely annoy some people. It doesn't have chrome or tassels, but it does have the ability to push Harley-Davidson into the future as a company. No matter how many people may not like electric car , they are here and their market share will continue to grow. It makes sense that Harley will enter this field and build an American version of the future.
Harley-Davidson first launched the Harley-Davidson Livewire motorcycle in 2019, but has since split its electric division into a standalone entity, known simply as Livewire, and now two models are available. The original bike, now called Livewire One, is basically unchanged from the first version, but no longer covers the traditional Harley-Davidson color. When Harley first released the electric motorcycle , a huge criticism was that it retailed for close to $30,000. The new Livewire model, as MotorBiscuit explains, has addressed the issue, with the price dropping to a more manageable $22,799. It is full of technology, with a range of 146 miles and can be charged from zero to full in one hour when charging at Level 2. And the 100-horsepower engine and the instant torque of the electric motor will make you feel like you are taking off every time you ride.
bottom line is, this is the future. If loyal fans of the brand want it to survive, they should embrace this pattern because it is key to keeping relevant. That's why it's one of the best bikes in Harley.
3. Harley-Davidson 11F
Harley-Davidson was founded in 1903 and was originally used to install engines and fuel tanks for bicycle frames. Once the company sees it can succeed in this effort, it will rapidly expand its capabilities and technology over the next few years. By 1915, several innovations had been developed and the 11F model was launched, showing many new features for the first time.
In 11F, Harley equips the bike with a new V-Twin engine, a new three-speed transmission and an magneto-machine with electronic lighting (via How Stuff Works). The V-Twin engine is an improved engine with a larger valve that moves the intake valve to the top position while keeping the exhaust as a side valve. The bike also comes with an automatic gas refueler, which means riders no longer need to refuel the valve mechanism repeatedly on the road. Harley-Davidson was so confident about its new motorcycle that it advertised it had 11 horsepower and supported that in writing, which other motorcycle manufacturers were reluctant to do at the time.
2. Harley-Davidson sports car
Since 1957, the Sportster motorcycle series has been the mainstay of the Harley-Davidson series. Technology has changed frequently, but the style has not changed. From the beginning, the Sportster was Harley's midsize product, equipped with an OHV 883cc engine, upgraded from the 750cc flat-head K model it replaced. This is a response to the light British bikes imported from Triumph, BSA and Norton (via Ultimate Motorcycling). While some races are long over, the Sportster is still the entry-level Harley, and the Sportster S is one of its latest models.
From the 1950s to the 1970s, Harley-Davidson tried to attract buyers of scooters by importing and modifying light European motorcycles, but only achieved some success. However, by 1979, the practice ended, with Sportster becoming the smallest in Harley’s roster until the Street 500 joined the roster from 2014 to 2020. Sportsters are the perfect combination of motorcycles with lots of torque and good size while keeping easy management in any traffic. They are also great for those who like to ride a bike but don’t need road trips.
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