Harley Davidson 1941 WLD Sport Solo

Harley Davidson had originally followed Indian when the latter had produced its first 45 cu. in. side-valve machine in 1927. Initially, the Indian 45s were the most highly regarded, but by the time Harley introduced its W-series in 1937, it was the Milwaukee-built bikes that enjoyed the better specification and reputation. Replacing the R-series—with which they had much in common—the three models in the original lineup were the basic W, this high-compression WLD, and the competition model WLDR. The main difference over the Rs was in the new styling, which mimicked the classy 61 Knucklehead that had been introduced the previous year. By the time this bike was built Harley was offering a range of factory-fitted accessory packages. Extras on this WLD include chrome spotlights, chrome trim on the mudguards, and a front fender light..

Harley Davidson 1941 WLD Sport Solo

Harley Davidson 1941 WLD Sport Solo SPECIFICATIONS

• ENGINE Side-valve, V-twin

• CAPACITY 45cu. in. (738cc)

• POWER OUTPUT 25bhp (est.)

• TRANSMISSION Three-speed, chain drive

• FRAME Tubular cradle

• SUSPENSION Leading-link front forks, rigid rear

• WEIGHT 692lb (314kg)

• TOP SPEED 96mph (155km/h)

The 1941 model shown here is rare because by this date most of Harley’s production was devoted to military machines. The 45s were basic, robust machines that made them ideal for converting to military bikes. Just like their big brother, the 45s now had teardrop tanks with an  integrated instrument panel and curved mudguards, creating a quality range that further established Harley as the market leader.

Harley Davidson 1935 RL

When the original D-series Harley 45s were introduced in 1929, they were nicknamed the “three-cylinder Harleys” because their vertically mounted generators resembled an extra cylinder. Harley-Davidson produced these bikes in response to the success of the popular Indian Scout, but the D-series was not considered a success and it was replaced, in 1932, by the R-series. One of the benefits of the V-twin engine design is its narrow width, keeping the weight of the machine close to the center line.

Harley Davidson 1935 RL

The stand was fitted until Harley-Davidson adopted rear suspension. The critical change was the new frame, which now featured a curved front downtube and allowed the fitting of a conventional horizontal generator in front of the engine. These 45s were available in four versions: the basic R model, the high-compression RL, the RLD, and sidecar RS. This bike, with its diamond graphics and airflow taillight dates from 1935, though the engine number indicates that it is a 1932 motor. This kind of contradictory evidence is not uncommon when dealing with many years of history. When the R-series was introduced in 1932, the D-series 45 unit was totally reworked, with modifications to the flywheels, crankcases, barrels, pistons, conrods, and oil pump. There were only a few minor internal changes to the engine between 1932 and 1935. The Rs were replaced by the W-series in 1936. While the European market considered a 750cc machine to be a big bike, the R-series were the smallest bikes in Harley’s range in the mid-1930s.

Harley Davidson 1935 RL SPECIFICATIONS

• ENGINE Side-valve, V-twin

• CAPACITY 45cu. in. (738cc)

• POWER OUTPUT 22bhp (approx.)

• TRANSMISSION Three-speed,hand shift

• FRAME Tubular cradle

• SUSPENSION Leading-link front forks

• WEIGHT 390lb (177kg) (approx.)

• TOP SPEED 65mph (105km/h)

Harley Davidson 1933 VLE

The V-series were reliable side-valve V-twins that consistently out-sold every other range of Harley-Davidson during the early 1930s. Introduced in August 1929 for the 1930 model year, 1930 VL is an example of one of the all-new bikes brought in to replace the F-head V-twins. New features included the duplex primary chain, the steering head lock, and the I-beam forged fork legs. Twin headlights and the klaxon horn were carried over from the 1929 model. The bike’s color scheme is the traditional olive green with vermilion striping edged in maroon and centered in gold. Drop center wheel rims were another feature introduced with the VL.

Harley Davidson 1933 VLE

SPECIFICATIONS

• ENGINE Side-valve, V-twin

• CAPACITY 74cu. in. (1213cc)

• POWER OUTPUT 22bhp

• TRANSMISSION Three-speed (optional reverse), hand shift

• FRAME Tubular cradle

• SUSPENSION Leading-link front forks, rigid rear

• WEIGHT 390lb (177kg)

• TOP SPEED 65mph (105km/h)

Harley-Davidson introduced The V-series in 1930, 14 years after rivals Indian had made their first side-valve big twins, but the bike suffered a number of teething problems. The first two months’ production had to be recalled so that new frames, flywheels, engine cases, valves, springs, and kick-start mechanisms could be changed. The work was carried out for owners free of charge, but it was a costly exercise that did little for the reputation of the V-series. After the shaky start, the side-valves evolved into rugged, fast, dependable bikes, and a VLE even went on to establish the American production bike speed record in 1933 of 104mph (167km/h). The 1933 VLE was the high-compression model in the series, with magnesium-alloy pistons providing the extra power. While only 3,700 bikes were built by Harley in 1933, this still accounted for 60 percent of all motorcycles sold in the US that year.

Harley Davidson 1942 XA

Harley Davidson supplied thousands of traditional 45° V-twin WLA and WLC models to the Allied military during World War II, but the company also produced a small number of BMW-style machines for the war effort. Although the WLA was a good all-around military bike, the US army asked Harley-Davidson to produce a shaft-drive machine and Harley turned to the enemy for inspiration. BMW’s R75 was virtually cloned and a test batch of 1,000 XA’s were produced, as were a batch of prototype shaft-drive Indians, the idea being that the better of the two bikes would be awarded a contract. Neither satisfied the army, which ordered extra WLAs instead, thus ending the XA’s brief life. The XA used a transversely mounted side-valve flat-twin cylinder engine, had shaft drive to the rear wheel, a four-speed gearbox, and plunger rear suspension. The XA was a prototype shaft-driven machine built for the US army that was ultimately only produced in limited numbers because of the success of the Willys Jeep as a battlefield vehicle. While it was built to the special specification of the US military, the arrival of the immensely successful four-wheel drive Willys Jeep changed the agenda as far as military motorcycle use was concerned, and only 1,000 XA bikes were ever made.

Harley Davidson 1942 XA

SPECIFICATIONS
Harley Davidson 1942 XA
• ENGINE Horizontally opposed side-valve twin
• CAPACITY 45cu. in. (738cc)
• POWER OUTPUT 23bhp @ 4,600rpm
• TRANSMISSION Four-speed, shaft drive
• FRAME Tubular cradle
• SUSPENSION Leading-link front forks, plunger rear
• WEIGHT 538lb (244kg)
• TOP SPEED 65mph (105km/h) (est.)

Harley-Davidson 1930 Hill Climber

In hill-climbing, riders launch their machines at impossibly steep hills. If riders make the summit then time decides the winner, but if no rider reaches the peak, then the one who has reached the highest point wins. A hill-climb bike appears simple, even if the reality is rather more complicated. The essential element is power, and in the case of this machine a methanol-burning eight-valve engine was enough in 1930 to make it a competitive bike. A long wheelbase and weight at the front to prevent the bike tipping over backward are both essential, as is grip, which is why this bike’s rear tire is wrapped in chains. This unrestored bike is typical of the ingenious hill-climbing machines of the period. The frame is from a JD model circa 1929, and the forks are from a 1928 45cu. in. bike. The engine cases are from a JDH, with JE model flywheels; special barrels and overhead-valve cylinder heads are from a single-cylinder Harley. Modern hill-climb racers still have a similar look to this rugged machine and the difficulty of trying to convert power into climbing ability remains the same. These crude facts belie the level of expertise involved in handling these machines, and once again it was Joe Petrali who took the honors for Harley-Davidson. Between 1932 and 1938, he won six national hill-climbing titles on a Harley. The Harley-Davidson race teams were easily recognizable by their orange and black jerseys. These colors would later be used as the livery for Harley’s racing bikes.

Harley-Davidson 1930 Hill Climber

SPECIFICATIONS
Harley-Davidson 1930 Hill Climber
• ENGINE Eight-valve, V-twin
• CAPACITY 74cu. in. (1213cc)
• POWER OUTPUT Not available
• TRANSMISSION Competition single-speed gearbox
• FRAME Tubular cradle
• SUSPENSION Leading-link forks, rigid rear
• WEIGHT 350lb (147kg) (est.)
• TOP SPEED Determined by the gearing chosen for the hill-climb course

Harley-Davidson 1926 Model S Racer

Harley-Davidson 350CC Racing class was created soon after Harley unveiled its “Peashooter” racer in the summer of 1925. The bike was based on its new 21cu. in. ohv single-cylinder economy road bike. To make it competitive for dirt-track racing the bike had a shortened frame and simple telescopic forks that were triangulated for greater strength. All nonessential components were ditched from the standard road model, including the springer forks, saddle spring, brakes, and gearbox. The bikes ran in a single gear and the clutch was only used for starting. Races on oval dirt tracks were run counter clockwise and the left foot was used to stabilize the bike in turns. The legendary Joe Petrali was among several riders who achieved success on Peashooters as Harleys swept the board in the new class. Petrali was one  of the best riders in the history of American bike racing, and in 1935 he won all 13 rounds of the US dirt-track championships on a stock Peashooter. Harley produced its Peashooter racing bikes in limited numbers for a few years and, as well as success at home, they were also raced successfully in Britain and Australia. However, the appearance of the British JAP-powered machines in the 1930s effectively made all competitors redundant and the Peashooter disappeared from the racing circuit.

Harley-Davidson 1926 Model S Racer

SPECIFICATIONS
Harley-Davidson 1926 Model S Racer
• ENGINE Overhead-valve, single cylinder
• CAPACITY 21cu. in. (346cc)
• POWER OUTPUT 12bhp
• TRANSMISSION Single-speed, chain drive
• FRAME Tubular loop
• SUSPENSION Telescopic front forks
• WEIGHT 240lb (109kg)
• TOP SPEED 70mph (113km/h) (est.)

Harley Davidson 1926 Model B

After the failure (comparatively) of the Sport Twin of 1919–23, Harley had another crack at the lightweight market by releasing a range of single-cylinder bikes for the 1926 model year: the A, B, AA, and BA. The design was entirely conventional, and inspired by Indian’s contemporary Prince as well as typical British machines of the period. The bikes were available with side-valve or overhead-valve engines and the racing versions that followed were nicknamed “Peashooters” due to the unique pitch of the exhaust. The side-valve model was revived between 1932 and 1934, probably as much to use up stocks of parts as it was to sell what Harley claimed was its cheapest ever model. The name was eventually applied to all the models. The model shown here is a B, with side valve engine and battery ignition option. Harley-Davidson intended these singles primarily for export markets and initially they were successful. Unfortunately, the worldwide recession meant that the British imposed severe import tariffs and the European market collapsed. The model was discontinued in 1929, though existing stock continued to be sold the following year. These were ideal machines for impoverished commuters and delivery riders who accepted underwhelming performance as long as the bike was cheap to buy and run.

Harley Davidson 1926 Model B

SPECIFICATIONS
Harley Davidson 1926 Model B
• ENGINE Side-valve, single cylinder
• CAPACITY 21cu. in. (346cc)
• POWER OUTPUT 10bhp
• TRANSMISSION Three-speed,vchain drive
• FRAME Tubular loop
• SUSPENSION Leading-link front forks, rigid rear
• WEIGHT 263lb (119kg)
• TOP SPEED 60mph (97km/h)

Harley Davidson 1920 Eight-Valve Racer

Committed to bike racing in 1914, Harley Davidson soon began to take the sport seriously. Special eight-valve racing twins were introduced in 1916. The cylinders and heads on the eight-valve racers were the work of British engineer Harry Ricardo and featured a hemispherical combustion chamber that had been developed on airplane engines during WW1. The bike shown here is a 1920 version with distinct open-port cylinder heads that have no exhaust headers. The eight-valve racer had no gearbox or brakes. Riders slowed their machines using a combination of the throttle, the engine-kill button, and old-fashioned boot leather. Harley riders, however, were up to the task, winning a number of prestigious races this year. It is possibly one of only eight built, with very few of these still in existence. On the rare occasions when they are sold, they command substantial prices. These were built in very limited numbers until 1927 for the use of the factory’s own race team and chosen riders. Four versions of the machine were produced over an 11-year period, giving serious credibility to Harley as a racing-bike manufacturer. The race team secured numerous victories on the eightvalve racers and earned itself the nickname “the Wrecking Crew.” The sight and sound of these—quite literally—fire-breathing machines must have been incredible as they reached speeds of around 120mph (193km/h) on the steeply banked wooden tracks.

Harley Davidson 1920 Eight-Valve Racer

SPECIFICATIONS
Harley Davidson 1920 Eight-Valve Racer
• ENGINE Overhead-valve, V-twin
• CAPACITY 61cu. in. (1000cc)
• POWER OUTPUT 15bhp
• TRANSMISSION Single-speed, direct drive
• FRAME Tubular loop Keystone racing frame
• SUSPENSION Leading-link front forks,rigid rear
• WEIGHT 692lb (314kg)
• TOP SPEED 120mph (193km/h)

Harley-Davidson 1918 Model J Sidecar

Harley-Davidson first added sidecars to its model line in 1914, and later offered specially tuned engines for sidecar use. Before then, standard bikes such as this Model J just had a sidecar bolted onto them. Harley’s big F-head V-twin was ideal for pulling a sidecar and the company began offering sidecars as an option in 1914. From then until 1925 Harley’s sidecars were built by the Rogers Company, but when Rogers ceased production Harley started building its own chairs. Production has continued, but they are now built in small numbers.

Harley-Davidson 1918 Model J Sidecar

A sidecar meant motorcycle riders could now transport their family, large packages, or even a nervous crinolene-clad girlfriend, for whom the sidecar was a poor substitute for a proper motor car. Period sidecar production was influenced by the horse-drawn buggy. The body was mounted to the chassis by springs that isolated the passenger from the worst jolts of the road surface. The sidecar peaked in the years leading up to the 1920s, with some Harley examples even used on the battlefields of World War I, but the Model T Ford made the car cheaper, and from around 1920 the sidecar became a minority interest for the eccentric enthusiast.
SPECIFICATIONS
Harley-Davidson 1918 Model J Sidecar
• ENGINE Inlet-over-exhaust, V-twin
• CAPACITY 61cu. in. (1000cc)
• POWER OUTPUT Unknown
• TRANSMISSION Three-speed, chain drive
• FRAME Tubular loop
• SUSPENSION Leading-link front forks
• WEIGHT 325lb (147kg)
• TOP SPEED 55mph (89km/h) (est.)

Harley-Davidson 1918 Model J Sidecar

Harley-Davidson 1928 JD

Harley-Davidson rarely rushed change, and it always knew the value of cubic inches. The history of the 45° F-head V-twin goes back to the original prototype twin of 1907, and by 1928 it was approaching its sell-by date. In 1922 Harley created the JD model by increasing capacity from 61 to 74 cubic inches. The result was a high-performance machine capable of outrunning almost any other vehicle on the road in the 1920s. Olive Green was the standard paint finish in 1928, but buyers could pay extra for colors such as Black, White, Cream, Police Blue, Coach Green, Maroon, Fawn Gray, or Azure Blue. No wonder these models were popular with police departments.

Harley-Davidson 1928 JD

Harley-Davidson 1928 JD

Harley-Davidson 1928 JD

 The single camshaft JD model was a high performance machine that consistently outsold every other Harley between 1923 and 1930. This was partly due to its popularity with police departments. Sporting riders who wanted even more performance could opt for the two-cam JDH model, with its race derived engine. When Harley dropped the big F-head twins and replaced them with side-valve machines in 1930, many riders considered it a step backward. At first, the new side-valves were slower and no more reliable than the trusty F-head.

SPECIFICATIONS
Harley-Davidson 1928 JD
• ENGINE Inlet-over-exhaust, V-twin
• CAPACITY 74cu. in. (1213cc)
• POWER OUTPUT 18bhp
• TRANSMISSION Three-speed, hand shift
• FRAME Tubular cradle
• SUSPENSION Leading-link front forks
• WEIGHT 365lb (166kg)
• TOP SPEED 75mph (121km/h)

Harley-Davidson 1915 Model F

The introduction of a number of innovative new features in 1915 meant that this was a significant  year in the development of Harley-Davidson’s road bikes. It could even be said that it was the year when the motorcycle came of age as a practical machine. For 1915 Harley-Davidson listed five V-twin motorcycles with a combination of single or three-speed transmission and with or without an electrical system. As far as Harley was concerned, there were three main innovations: a three-speed gearbox, a mechanical oil pump, and electrical lighting, with the Model F boasting two out of the three. The gearbox made the bikes faster and also gave them better hill climbing ability and improved low-speed running. The Model F had three gears but no electric lights and sold for $275. Police departments were quick to see the benefit of using high-performance motorcycles to chase errant motorists in low-performance automobiles and Harley V-twins became the models of choice. Their 60mph (97km/h) top speed put them among the fastest bikes around.

Harley-Davidson 1915 Model F

This department is mounted on 1915 Model Js, which was the model up from the Model F in that it had electric lighting. There was also a V-twin commercial tricycle available in the 1915 range which had a box and two front wheels instead of conventional motorcycle forks. The motor-driven oil pump guaranteed better lubrication and improved engine life, and electrical lighting meant that trips at night could now be undertaken at times other than when the moon was full.

SPECIFICATIONS
Harley-Davidson 1915 Model F
• ENGINE Inlet-over-exhaust, V-twin
• CAPACITY 61cu. in. (1000cc)
• POWER OUTPUT 11bhp
• TRANSMISSION Three-speed, chain drive
• FRAME Tubular loop
• SUSPENSION Leading-link front forks, rigid rear
• WEIGHT 325lb (147.5kg)
• TOP SPEED 60mph (97km/h)

Harley-Davidson 1915 KR Fast Roadster

The idea of a race bike on the road has always been attractive to motorcyclists. Modern bikers relish the power, handling, and brakes of competition-developed machinery and pioneer motorcyclists were no different. Harley’s Fast Roadster was based on the boardtrack racer but fitted with mudguards, a chainguard, and conventional handlebars. Who needed a gearbox or lights? One of the civilizing features which the Fast Roadster acquired from its conventional road-going stablemates was a set of pulled-back handlebars. These offered a combination of comfort and control on the road. Racing handlebars would have been suitable only for short trips to the osteopath.

Harley-Davidson 1915 KR Fast Roadster

It was built for amateur racers at a time when Harley-Davidson’s factory race team was starting to taste success; the K-series won a number of 100- and 300-mile (161- and 483-km) races for Harley in 1915. The “close coupled” frame on the KR was shorter than that fitted to other models such as the F because no gearbox was fitted. A short wheelbase traditionally offers better handling at the expense of comfort and stability. With just over 100 built, this model is now very rare.

Harley-Davidson 1915 KR Fast Roadster

SPECIFICATIONS
Harley-Davidson 1915 KR Fast Roadster
• ENGINE Inlet-over-exhaust, V-twin
• CAPACITY 61cu. in. (1000cc)
• POWER OUTPUT 15bhp
• TRANSMISSION Single-speed competition gearbox, chain drive
• FRAME Tubular loop
• SUSPENSION Leading-link front forks, rigid rear.
• WEIGHT 325lb (147kg)
• TOP SPEED 80mph (130km/h)