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.
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| 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.)
