In 1998 I edited, and wrote a good portion of, American Iron's Harley-Davidson 95th Anniversary special issue. This story appeared in that publication.

The Landmark Harleys: Bikes That Made A Difference

To its owner, every Harley-Davidson motorcycle is special. However, when we step back and view the entire 95 year Harley-Davidson continuum, a few are clearly more special than others. Our initial inclination was to present a "top ten" list of these landmark models, but when it came to making the selection it became obvious that a double-handful wouldn't be enough. Here, then, are a dozen-and-a-half Harley-Davidsons that made a difference.

1903: The First Harley-Davidson
After a good three years of trying, Harley and the Davidsons built what they considered to be their first "real" motorcycle. Its 24.74 cubic-inch F-head single cylinder engine was mounted in a loop frame whose use was proposed by William Harley. The $200 single-seater was painted piano black, with gold lettering and pin striping applied by Aunt Janet Davidson. The bike could hit 25 miles per hour, and was successful enough to prompt the construction of a ten-by-fifteen foot factory. Sales increased to eight units in 1904, and doubled to 16 in 1905. The legend was born.

1909: Model 5D — The First V-Twin
Never mind that its atmospheric intake valves didn't work very well, and that only a couple of dozen examples were built. The bottom line is simple: the 1908 Model 5D was the first Harley-Davidson to be equipped with a V-Twin engine, establishing a precedent that has yet to be broken to this day. In 1911 the "D" was reintroduced, and its new mechanical cam-operated inlet valves eliminated the low-speed misfiring inherent in the earlier design. By the end of that year, the company's original roster of four (part time) employees had grown to 481. The size of the factory had increased as well, from 150 to 80,000 square feet.

1929: Model D Flathead Twin and Model JDH Two-Cam
A seemingly simple engineering change—from the old Inlet Over Exhaust (F-Head) configuration to a side valve design—yielded an excellent combination of dependability and low-end torque. The flathead's virtues were such that the F-Head engine was discontinued the next year. Before that happened, however, it would make a final appearance in a bike whose performance was such that it dominated its class in AMA racing for a decade after production had ceased. In 1930, the AMA established a semi-pro class that limited the size of F-Head engines to 80 cubic inches, and that of overhead valve and IOE engines to 61 cubic inches. Despite its size handicap, the JDH (which differed from the standard JD by its use of "Dow-metal" pistons) ruled the tracks until 1939, when the AMA banned IOE engines.

1936: Model E Overhead Valve V-Twin
Take a good look at the 1936 Model E and you'll see the rough prototype for today's big twin. Sure, only a few current models have springer front ends, and none offer a hand shifter, but the key element—the engine—is there. The "E" engine's basic architecture—a 45-degree cylinder angle and pushrod-actuated overhead valves—is unchanged to this day. The unique shape of the new engine's cylinder head caps was similar to the back of a fist, inspiring the evocative nickname "Knucklehead." The 61 cubic inch Model E produced a claimed 37 horsepower; the EL, with a higher compression ratio of 7:1, upped the ante to 40 horsepower. Over the course of the 1936 model run, the E and EL underwent at least 100 running changes intended to solve problems with the bike's design. Despite first-year growing pains, the 1936 E models were a sales success, and the die was cast.

1937: Series W
The Series W borrowed its styling cues from the art-deco E models, but its true appeal lay deep inside its redesigned 45 cubic inch flathead engine. Featuring a recirculating oil system and roller bearings throughout, it was an exceptionally sturdy and reliable power plant. The engine found its way into Harley's commercial Servi-Car trikes, and would eventually power the 88,000 workhorse WLAs supplied to the military during World War Two.

1949: Hydra-Glide
Where today's Springer models stand apart from virtually all other contemporary motorcycles, before 1949 the opposite was the case. A springer front end was, for better or worse, fitted to all of Harley's big twin motorcycles. Then, a year after the Knucklehead engine gave way to the Panhead, the Motor Company introduced the Hydra-Glide. The new model's hydraulic forks look very much like those fitted to today's FL models.

1952: Series K
The K is significant for several reasons, not the least of which is that it served as the basis for the Sportster. The K was, even by today's standards, a contemporary motorcycle: it featured a unitized engine/transmission assembly, a foot-shifted four-speed transmission, and—six years before the big twins—front and rear suspensions. Only the K's engine, a 45 cubic inch flathead, seemed outmoded, but there was a reason for sticking to the older valve configuration: The AMA's racing rules placed 45-inch flatheads in the same class as 30.5-inch OHV bikes. The K's racing success was such that while the street version was replaced in 1957, when the Sportster made its debut, racing models continued to campaign successfully until the 1969 season, when industry-prompted AMA rules changes allowed for 45-inch OHV engines.

1957: Sportster
Based in large part on the Series K, the Sportster's main calling card was its new and thoroughly modern overhead-valve hemi-head engine. Despite the new engine's high performance credentials the first year Sportster—which was the only year the model name was cast into the primary cover—wasn't targeted towards the sporting rider. Indeed, it was more of a smaller touring-style motorcycle. (The base FL was only $64 more than the $1,103 being asked for the new Sportster.) It took the efforts of certain California dealers to convince the factory to build an initial run of special high performance racing models. In short order, the Sportster's performance credentials were established, and for several years thereafter it was the hottest bike on the street. The role of the Sportster in Harley-Davidson's line has changed in the forty years since its introduction, but the basic premise has remained the same: it's a smaller, lighter, more responsive motorcycle, but one which has retained the essence of Harley-Davidson throughout its long life. Today, four decades after its introduction, the Sportster is the best selling motorcycle in America.

1958: Duo-Glide
While the smaller models in the Harley-Davidson line had been able to boast of front and rear suspension for several years, the big twin remained a hardtail through 1957. Then, in otherwise uneventful 1958, the Motor Company unveiled the wonderfully-named Duo-Glide. The name signified a brand new frame, and was intended to call attention to the fact that both the front and rear wheels could move in response to road irregularities. What a concept! The Duo-Glide was built on a new frame, with the rear swingarm's motion damped by a pair of chrome-clad hydraulic spring/shock absorber units.

1965: Electra Glide
The third in Harley-Davidson's "Glide" series derived its name from its revolutionary starting system. Instead of jumping up and down on a kick-start lever, the Electra Glide owner could sit on the saddle, press a button, and hear his big twin roar to life. At least, that was the theory, but it took several more years of production before the just-in-case kick-start lever would be removed for all time. The Electra Glide was, in essence, a Duo-Glide equipped with 12-volt electrics, a great big battery, and a starter motor. For 1965, the Electra Glide soldiered on under the power of the Panhead engine, in service since 1948. The following year saw the introduction of the Shovelhead.

1970: XR-750
The XR-750 was built in response to AMA racing rules changes that had rendered the KR obsolete. (In truth it was obsolete long before the rule changes, but the pesky thing kept on winning, so nobody said anything.) Since its introduction, the XR-750 has ruled flat track racing with an iron hand. It made short work of the English bikes—Triumph, Norton, BSA, et al—that were still competing early in the XR-750's life, and since then it's walloped all comers. The only real competition for the XR-750 came from Honda, which simply bought an XR-750 and built a higher-tech version. But still, the XR-750 continues to win. Although the XR-750 hasn't influenced production bikes, its quarter-century of track domination has special significance for anyone who's sat in a rickety bleacher seat and watched what is surely the most exciting form of racing in the world.

1971: FX Super Glide
Up until 1971 Harley-Davidson built standard motorcycles, and individuals or custom shops turned some of them into choppers, customs, or other personal statement. But starting in 1971, the custom shops had to contend with competition from a surprising source: the factory. That was the year that Willie G. Davidson took an FL frame and engine, grafted a Sportster front end on it, and clad the package with a full-on custom body-and-paint package. The result was part motorcycle, part fashion statement, and all Super Glide. While the optional fiberglass boat-tail rear end (also available on the Sportster) didn't last long, the bike set the precedent for all of the factory's subsequent adventures in styling.

1980: FLT Tour Glide
In 1979, and for decades before that, all Harley-Davidson V-Twin motorcycles shared one common characteristic: their engines vibrated like paint shakers. Dyed-in-the-wool Harley riders accepted this, but beyond the hard-core was a vast untapped market that wasn't as forgiving. One choice, to design a new engine, was clearly out of the question. The only alternative was to accept that the existing engine vibrated, and find a way to keep those vibrations from reaching the rider. Theory became practice with the introduction of the FLT chassis, which cradled the engine in vibration-taming rubber mounts. The new model, with frame-mounted fairing and lockable side bags and "Tour-Pak" trunk, was targeted directly at the long-distance touring rider. Thus, it was also equipped with a five-speed transmission (for relaxed high-speed cruising) and a fully-enclosed oil-bath final drive chain.

1984: FXR EVO
The 1984 big twins all received a much-needed boost in performance and reliability: the venerable Shovelhead, which had debuted in 1966, was replaced by the new Evolution V2. The new engine was—and is to this day—lighter, cooler running, more powerful, and far less prone to oil leaks than its predecessor. The FXR chassis had been introduced two years earlier. The second Harley-Davidson frame to isolate the engine's vibration from the rider, it was the first to be used for what we now call cruisers. Thus, in 1984 all of the ingredients required for success were in place: The FXR Evolution was a smooth, highly-styled, reliable motorcycle.

1984: Softail
The hardtail frame, gone since 1957, wasn't terribly practical but it sure looked cool. In 1984, Harley-Davidson brought back the hardtail look, in a bike that had a working rear suspension. Called the Softail, it featured a rear end whose motions were kept in check by two spring/shock assemblies that were hidden beneath the chassis. The original Softail's huge success led to a series of models that includes the Heritage Softail Classic, the Fat Boy, and the Heritage Springer. The "retro" styling themes that the Softail models echoed also set the stage for the Duo Glide-inspired Road King, itself a landmark.

1986: Evolution Sportster
Nearly thirty years into its production run, the venerable Sportster was given a new lease on life. Replacing the oft-troublesome "iron" engine with the new EVO powerplant transformed the Sporty from a bike suited to the true aficionado into one that almost anyone could ride and enjoy. The Sportster's reliability and tractability were coupled with attractive pricing and, in the following year, a trade-in program that offered full value against a big twin. The theory was, of course, that the Sportster would serve as a springboard to a "real" Harley. In some instances this was, indeed, the sequence of events. But beyond that, the evergreen Sportster developed a loyal and well-deserved following of its own, and contributes mightily to the Motor Company's oh-so-gratifying bottom line.

1991: FXDB Dyna
The FXDB Dyna marks the first appearance of the new CAD-created Dyna Glide frame. Intended as the FXR's eventual replacement, the Dyna is notable for two reasons. First, it places the battery on the right side of the frame, under a thinly-disguised, just where it was on the original FX. More important, given the Motor Company's ambitious production plans, is the frame's ability to accept a completed engine/transmission package. The design of the FXR frame requires that the engine and transmission be installed separately, and then mated and aligned. Before-the-fact assembly is faster and more precise, and reduces the time it takes to manufacture a complete motorcycle.

1994: FLHR Road King
It didn't take a great deal of styling effort to convert the FLHS Electra Glide Sport—a modestly successful minimalist variation on the touring platform—into the enormously popular and influential Road King. The FLHS' big handlebar-mounted instrument pod was the first to go, replaced by a traditional tank-mounted panel. The headlight got a massive chrome nacelle, and the rest was little more than paint and trim. But the result, which fairly screamed Duo-Glide to Harley cognoscenti, sent a shockwave through the motorcyling world, the message being "baggers are cool." Riders who wouldn't be caught dead on a full dresser snapped up the Road King in droves. The notion of a stylish motorcycle that could be ridden in comfort for hundreds of miles was irresistible.