Harley-Davidson

Here’s Your Chance to Own a Garage-Kept Harley-Davidson Drag Motorcycle

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com It’s known as the Screaming Eagle Destroyer. It’s a factory, non-stree-legal, purpose-built drag racing motorcycle capable of doing a quarter mile in under ten seconds as if it’s nothing. And it’s incredibly rare. The motorcycle you see in the gallery above is the drag race-bred VRXSE Screaming Eagle Destroyer put together by Harley’s Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO) back in 2006. One that, unlike most others of its kind, has been kept locked up and never used on the strip. In all its history, there were just a little over 600 units of the Destroyer ever built, and even that was a stretch given the fact Harley initially planned for a production run that was about half that size. So, yes, they are rare, and ones that have been kept as museum pieces can be considered non-existent. But thing is there is at least one such motorcycle in perfect condition, and it’s for sale, on the luxury-oriented DuPont Registry website. Just like all others of its kind, this dragster motorcycle is powered by the same 79ci (1,300 cc) 165 hp V-twin engine, only it features a wide range of race equipment, including a long stroke flywheel, high compression forged pistons, a pneumatic shifter, and larger throttle bodies, among others. The bike also comes with other extra features envisioned by CVO, including a stroker crankshaft, a racing transmission with a multi-stage lock up clutch, programmable shift light, and two-stage launch control. Unlike all other bikes of its kind, it has been kept by its owner in a “museum-like” condition alongside other dragsters, meaning it’s dying to go out and have some fun on the tarmac. The price for the bike is not listed on the said website, but given the fact one sold as new back in […]

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Harley-Davidson LiveWire Breaks 24-Hour Distance Record

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by Elena Gorgan from https://www.autoevolution.com One of the main complaints lodged against the Harley-Davidson LiveWire is the short range offered on a single charge, of just 140 miles. That doesn’t mean it’s not made for touring, though. Swiss rider Michel von Tell has just set a new world record for the longest tour in under 24 hours for an electric motorcycle, covering over 1,000 miles on a LiveWire. The bad news is that the record won’t be recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records, as von Tell did not have Guinness officials present. Electroauto-news reports (via Electrek) that von Tell started in Zurich, Switzerland and covered four countries and a total of 1,723 km (1,070 miles) on the LiveWire, in 23 hours and 48 minutes. He reached Stuttgart, Germany and then traveled to Singen, before heading to Ruggell, Lichtenstein, the final stop on his journey. He used Level 3 DC Fast Charge for charging stops, which considerably cut down stop times. Level 1 on the LiveWire uses a regular wall outlet and takes an entire night for a full charge. Level 3 guarantees a faster charge: a nearly full battery in 40 minutes or so. According to the media outlet, von Tell would stop for charging on Level 3 for an average of 25 minutes whenever he needed to. The previous 24-hour record for an electric motorcycle was set in 2018 on a Zero S fitted with optional Charge Tank and using a team of riders, on a test track. Von Tell traveled in traffic, on the highway and was all alone. While he couldn’t afford the Guinness fee, which would have ensured officials were on hand to confirm the record, and didn’t have a method to do the electronic self-recording required for Guinness confirmation, von Tell did provide

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Sidecar 1999 Harley-Davidson Road King Is a Rare Sight with Just 800 Miles on It

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Sidecars have been trusted sidekicks for motorcycles since times immemorial. According to records, they date back to the late 1890s, when supposedly a French army officer came up with the ancestor of the sidecar we know today. Technically, the need for a sidecar on a motorcycle is a valid one. After all, there are so many people and things you can carry on a two-wheeler, and having extra space is at times essential. This is why, for instance, sidecars were so successful during the years of the second world war. Yet overall, sidecars are not often seen or used on the streets. That’s probably because people do not buy motorcycles as family vehicles, and they don’t usually go out on one with the wife and kids tagging along. One of the world’s biggest motorcycle makers, Harley-Davidson, offered way back sidecars as a factory option. Production of such devices was shut down in 2011, making a Harley with sidecar attached a rarer sight still. The motorcycle we have in the gallery above is a Road King Classic equipped with such a hardware, a combination so rare it deserves to sell for big bucks at auction. At it will try to do that during a RM Sotheby’s event in Indiana in May. Equipped with an 88 cubic inch V-twin engine and a five speed transmission, the bike sports a sidecar with matching fenders and complete with tonneau and windscreen. Saddlebags and passenger backrest, as well as an optional leather storage pouch are included in the package. What’s more important is the fact that the bike, despite its age, has been ridden for just 800 miles since new. Despite this, and its rarity, the bike will go under the hammer as part of the Elkhart Collection with no

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How Harley-Davidson Came to Make Beer

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by Elena Gorgan from https://www.autoevolution.com/ Throughout its 117-year history, Harley-Davidson often turned to merchandising to boost sales, expand its reach and draw in new segments of the public. Some novelty items were hits and misses, while others fared decently – but not a single one was as successful as the Harley-Davidson Beer. We’ve already discussed some of the most surprising items Harley sold that you (probably) didn’t know about, and mentioned beer as well. Indeed, one of the most iconic motorcycle makers in the world once sold beers by the four- or six-pack as an official product. In fact, it did so for many years, between 1984 and 2000, and then again in 2018, as a limited-edition for the 5-year anniversary known as the Ride Home. The association between bikes and beer isn’t surprising. After all, it’s a known fact that bikers prefer beer over wine or even hard liquor, and a can of beer seems more at home in the hand of a biker than anywhere else. As for how Harley itself came up with the idea of stamping the HD name on it, it turns out it went beyond the desire to make some extra cash. Sure, when it was first launched in 1984, at the Daytona Bike Week, it was a novelty item meant to draw on the Harley name for a boost in profit. The cans were made to resemble oil cans, painted in the colors of a chopper (silver and black), but the beer inside was of the generic type. It was a pure marketing move: take a bland, generic beverage and repackage it in order to sell it as a novelty for more money. By 1987, though, Harley bosses had understood that, even if their beer would sell either way, it would sell even

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1949 Harley-Davidson Police Servi-Car Let Officers Ride and Shoot

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Ever since before the start of the second world war, at a time when the world was fighting for its survival during what became known as the Great Depression, and well into the 1970s, the American motorcycle landscape was dominated by a three-wheeled contraption called the Servi-Car. Produced by Harley-Davidson from 1932 to 1974, the Servi-Car is the forefather of the current Tri Glide Ultra and the Freewheeler trikes, but despite being made in great numbers, they’re not so easy to come by in current times. From time to time, such machines do pop up on auction sites and elsewhere, but generally they come in the form of custom builds that kind of ruin the initial purpose of the trike. Not the same can be said about the example we have here. This 1949 Servi-Car was, like many others of its kind, used by a police department. In this case we’re talking about the one in Oakland, California. Despite having underwent a rebuild, needed because of its age, it remains fitted with pretty much all the hardware it had back when it was in the force. Aside for the mandatory red lights and a siren, it also features a 750 cc side-valve engine with large cooling fins to avoid overheating when on patrol, a left-hand throttle that allowed police officers to draw their weapons with the right hand, and a lockable box at the rear to store items needed for police work. Just as it was back during its glory days, the trike has the rear wheels spaced apart just enough to be able to ride in the tracks made in the snow by a car. Given the way it was rebuilt, and the fact that it is an original police Servi-Car, this particular one

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3 Surprising Items Harley-Davidson Sold That You Didn’t Know About

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by Elena Gorgan from https://www.autoevolution.com Harley-Davidson may arguably not be the best or most affordable motorcycle maker in the world, but it is a strong contender for the title of most recognizable brand out there. Throughout its 117-year history, it is not without hit and misses, though. Today, Harley sells a wide array of bike-related merchandise, from clothes and footwear, to accessories and other assorted riding gear. It also puts its name on other, perhaps more surprising stuff, like home decorations, holiday décor, garden gnomes (biker style!), and the usual range of cups, mugs and drinkware. This is nothing compared to some efforts the company has made in the past to become more relatable, more popular and to effectively shake off that bad biker boy image and / or association with Hells Angels criminal activity. Here are three of the most surprising and strangest items Harley sold under the Harley-Davidson name, of which you may or may not have known about. You think of Harleys and you immediately see a leather-clad biker. Whether that biker is male or female isn’t even of relevance, because he or she will be wearing black leather from head to toe, perhaps with studs, fringes or the occasional chain. Yes, this is an over-generalization of the image of the Harley rider, but it’s meant to serve a point. The last thing on your mind when you think of a Harley biker is the image of a man in a suit with a necktie. Back in the ‘90s, HD was struggling, both financially and image-wise. In an appeal to expand its reach to include new segments of the market, it started selling ties. These sold until the early 2000s and were discontinued following tepid response. You can still find them on eBay, though: they sell for

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Harley-Davidson faces proxy fight with investor Impala

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by Svea Herbst-Bayliss from https://www.reuters.com The $2.8 billion hedge fund run by Robert Bishop, which owns 1.9 million Harley shares, or 1.2% of the company, has nominated former auto industry executive Brent Dewar and Leo Hindery, Jr., who has public board experience, as directors to Harley’s nine-member board. BOSTON: Harley-Davidson Inc faces a battle with one of its investors after Impala Asset Management said on Wednesday it will try to install two directors at America’s oldest and best-known motorcycle maker. The $2.8 billion hedge fund run by Robert Bishop, which owns 1.9 million Harley shares, or 1.2% of the company, has nominated former auto industry executive Brent Dewar and Leo Hindery, Jr., who has public board experience, as directors to Harley’s nine member board. Harley has rejected the two men, saying in a filing that they would not bring fresh skills and declining to settle with Impala when the hedge fund first approached the company about new nominations to the board. Impala has criticized the company for losing market share and the board for being slow fixing poor returns. It also pushed for the ouster of former CEO Matt Levatich in January. “Impala approached the Board and advocated for the removal of then-CEO Levatich and a modest refresh of the Board itself. We believed then, and still believe, that the Company underperformed its potential under Mr. Levatich and that the Board should have taken action on its own,” the hedge fund said in a filing. Harley tapped long-time board member Jochen Zeitz as interim CEO on Feb. 28. A German passport holder, Zeitz’s appointment came just days before U.S. President Donald Trump banned some travel from Europe amid the spread of the coronavirus that has sent markets reeling and killed more than 8,700 people so far. The motorcycle maker said

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Restored 1st Gen Harley-Davidson Sportster Up for Grabs

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com In the entire history of Harley-Davidson, which is over a century, the longest-running nameplate has been the Sportster. It was introduced back in 1957 as a successor to the Model K, and it is presently one of the most appreciate bikes in the world. When they first hit the market, these bikes were a sight to behold, despite the fact they shared much with the Ks that preceded them, from frame to fenders, and the large gas tank and front suspension in between. Powered by a flat-head engine fitted directly on the frame, it proved to be quite a challenge for riders in terms of vibration. This doesn’t seem to have been such an issue, though, as the bikes were made in this configuration for years, well until 2003 when rubber isolation mounts and tie links were fitted to reduce the vibration felt by the riders. Because there were so many of them made for so long, finding a Sportster on the open market is a breeze. It might not be so easy finding a Sportster from the very first production year, though, especially one in what seems to be very good condition. Exactly such a bike popped up on the list of vehicles that went under the hammer last week during the Mecum Glendale auction in Arizona. For reasons unknown, it failed to sell, so it is still up for grabs. The seller of the bike claims this is a complete restoration of a 1957 Sportster, but provides no actual details on the work that has been done to it. With the gas tank and fenders painted red, chrome on the handlebars, parts of the engine and exhaust, and skim tires, this Sportster sure is a sight to behold, especially for those with a

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This Harley-Davidson That Fits Inside a Car Is Perfect for a Batman Villain

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by Elena Gorgan from https://www.autoevolution.com Why choose between riding a Hog or driving a classic (-looking) car when you can actually do both? Add looking like a retro Batman villain, and this might just be an offer you could not refuse. If only it were still on the table. In December 2010, the 1939 Lincoln Sedan Delivery Deco Liner and Harley Davidson Sportster Deco Scoot (this is the official name and what a mouthful it is!) was sold at a Bonhams auction to the Louwman Museum, The Hague, Netherlands. The Louwman is one of the top automotive museums in Europe, home to some of the rarest and weirdest items ever made. It fits right in. Completed in June 2008, it is the work of artist Frank Nicholas and Terry Cook of New Jersey-based Deco Rides. The Deco Liner project represents the culmination of 3 years of hard work for the team. It’s a one-off custom 1939 Lincoln Zephyr built from scratch into a delivery sedan, with a matching, modified Harley-Davidson Sportster in the back. Not only is the Harley-Davidson removable and fully-working, but when stored inside the car, it becomes an integral part of it. The Deco Liner project isn’t about functionality, with the bright purple paint job and ornate bodywork on both vehicles being the biggest giveway. Deco Rides describes it as a way of presenting “two new concepts to the rodding world:” the “concept of the bike in the car” (duh) and the decorative metal trim, inspired by mid-30s Paris coach cars. No one would hold it against you if you thought it was inspired by retro Batman villain cars, though. It would make the perfect 2-in-1 getaway vehicle for one such baddie, too. Bonhams describes it a “virtual Fabergé egg on wheels,” which seems to make light

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A Hubless Harley-Davidson Chopper Is One Sure Way to Get Attention

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For most riders, a Harley-Davidson is beautiful on its own and, if you add the growl of the engine, there’s enough happening to get attention. But there are other ways you can stand out even more, should you be interested. Hubless choppers are one such option. They are futuristic, almost alien-looking custom bikes built by hand around a Harley-Davidson frame, with wild-looking paintwork and at least one spoke-less wheel. Invented by Franco Sbarro and most famously used on the 1989 Sbarro Osmos, the center-less wheel is difficult to make, difficult to maintain and has many practical disadvantages. But it’s bound to get you noticed. Perhaps the first, most famous chopper to get international media attention is the Hubless Custom by New Jersey-based Howard’s Killer Custom, which was unveiled in late 2007 and is believed to have cost no less than $155,000. It is usually included on lists of most expensive motorcycles in the world. It partially started out as a classic 1969 FL Harley-Davidson, which, in the hands of Howard Sofield, became the most famous hubless chopper in the world. Weighing about 700 pounds and able to reach speeds of 100 mph, the Hubless Custom took 4,000 hours to make and two full years of research and design. According to Sofield, the Hubless Custom started out with a 1974 swing arm frame and a 21-inch front wheel, the 1969 Harley-Davidson Pan Shovel 80ci engine, 1969 & 1974 Harley-Davidson engine cases, and 1982 Harley-Davidson cylinders. The goal was to make the hubless wheel more practical and to create a fully functional bike in-house. “Using my experience in drafting and automotive industries I was able to come up with a different way to make the hubless wheel work in a more practical way,” Sofield said upon the bike’s introduction. “Combining that with

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