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Founded in 1903, Harley-Davidson is America's oldest and best accepted motorcycle marque. Throughout its 114 years of production, Harley has fabricated endless iconic bikes and consistently acquired to accommodated evolving tastes and markets while advancement its capital Harleyness. The aggregation survived assorted wars and depressions, two apple wars, annealed antagonism by both the British and the Japanese, and outlived all of its aboriginal competitors save Indian. In accomplishing so, Harley helped appearance motorcycle ability and gave bearing to a big allotment of Americana.
READ MORE: Which Bobber is best? Harley, Indian, or Triumph? | RideApart
The afterward account includes cogent motorcycles in Harley-Davidson history, those bikes that represented the abutting footfall in motorcycle change or set the accepted for an absolute bike segment. Although it's appealing exhaustive, this account excludes altered or abbreviate lived models like the Aermacci/Harley Sprints, Servi-Cars, best aggressive models, and one-off items like scooters or snowmobiles aback they're abundantly alfresco the ambit of this article. Also, honestly, anniversary of those categories deserve their own book and, aback they're so rare, weird, or exclusive, absolute advice about them is abundantly nonexistent.
So let's get bottomward to business, shall we? For the purposes of this list, I've afar the bikes into two ample eras – pre-Knucklehead and post-Knucklehead – which I've alleged "The Beginning" and "The Avant-garde Era". As you may know, the allegorical Knucklehead was Harley's aboriginal overhead-valve engine. Its addition brought Harley into the avant-garde era, and every avant-garde big accompanying – Dynas, Softails, and touring models – can trace its bearing beeline aback to the old Knuck.
We’re not perfect, so if you apperceive of annihilation we absent in our information, amuse animadversion beneath or email us. For instance, we accept we’ve bent all of the accepted archetypal codes for the models listed, but there are consistently appropriate copy or one-off models that sometimes change the code. It’s accessible we've absent a few, but to the best of our efforts, this is a complete account of every Harley-Davidson models today.
Also, if you’re attractive for added abyss in the accountable a abundant ability for true-HD enthusiasts is the Big Book.
Years: 1903-1929
Engine Offerings: 405cc, 439cc, 495cc, 800cc, 1,000cc, 565cc, 810cc
Known Suffixes: 1905, Archetypal 1; 1908, Archetypal 4; 1909, Archetypal 5, Archetypal 5A, Archetypal 5C, Archetypal 5D; 1910, Archetypal 6, Archetypal 6A, Archetypal 6B, Archetypal 6C, Archetypal 6D; 1911, Archetypal 7, Archetypal 7A, Archetypal 7B, Archetypal 7C, Archetypal 7D; 1912, Archetypal 8, Archetypal X8, Archetypal 8A, Archetypal X8A, Archetypal 8D, Archetypal X8D, Archetypal X8E; 1913, Archetypal 9A, Archetypal 9B; 1914, Archetypal 10A, Archetypal 10B, Archetypal 10C; 1915, Archetypal 11B, Archetypal 11C; 1916, Archetypal 16B, Archetypal 16C; 1917, Archetypal 17B, Archetypal 17C; 1918, Archetypal 18B. Archetypal 18C, Archetypal 18E, Archetypal 18F, Archetypal 18J; 1919, Archetypal 19F, Archetypal 19J; 1920, Archetypal 20F, Archetypal 20J; 1921, Archetypal 21F, Archetypal 21FD, Archetypal 21J, Archetypal 21JD; 1922, Archetypal 22F, Archetypal 22FD, Archetypal 22J, Archetypal 22JD; 1923, Archetypal 23F, Archetypal 23FD, Archetypal 23J, Archetypal 23JD; 1924, Archetypal 24FE, Archetypal 24FD, Archetypal 24FDCA, Archetypal FDCB, Archetypal FDCB, Archetypal 24JE, Archetypal 24JD, Archetypal 24JDCA, Archetypal 24JDCB, Archetypal 24JDCB; 1925, Archetypal 25FE, Archetypal 25FDCB, Archetypal 25JE, Archetypal 25JDCB; 1926/1927, Archetypal 26F, Archetypal 26FD, Archetypal 26J, Archetypal 26JD, Archetypal A, Archetypal AA, Archetypal B, Archetypal BA; 1927, Archetypal 27F, Archetypal 27D, Archetypal 27J, Archetypal 27JD; 1928, Archetypal 28A, Archetypal 28AA, Archetypal 28B, Archetypal 28BA, Archetypal 28F, Archetypal 28FD, Archetypal 28J, Archetypal 28JD, Archetypal 28JXL, Archetypal 28JDXL, Archetypal 28JH, Archetypal 28JDH; 1929, Archetypal 29A, Archetypal 29AA, Archetypal 29B, Archetypal 29BA, Archetypal 29D, Archetypal 29F, Archetypal 29FD, Archetypal 29J, Archetypal 29JD, Archetypal 29JXL, Archetypal 29JDXL, Archetypal 29JH, Archetypal 29JDH
Reasons to Love: In the beginning, Harley-Davidson congenital motorcycles to race. The aboriginal years featured a huge array of models, from singles, V-twins, and adjoin twins in a array of frames. Engineering development was in abounding swing, and the American-made antagonism arena was a admirable drama. During these years, Harley-Davidson was in a aberration of engineering and development. New models, engines, and anatomy configurations seemed to change every year or so as new breakthroughs were fabricated and new account were tested.
Pre-Knucklehead: In 1901, William S. Harley, completed a adapt cartoon of an agent in a bike frame. He partnered with longtime acquaintance Arthur Davidson and, afterwards two years of woodshedding in alternate acquaintance Henry Melk's garage, formed out their aboriginal bike in 1903 and anon went racing. With the acrylic still wet on the 1903 bike, Mssrs. Harley and Davidson got to assignment on a new, added avant-garde motorcycle with a bigger and bigger agent single-cylinder engine.
Completed in September of 1904, this bike formed out of Melk's barn and went beeline to the clue aloof like its 1903 predecessor. The agent was a 24.74 cubic inch, inlet-over-exhaust distinct with a single-speed manual and a covering belt drive with aback pedal assist. The absolute affair advised beneath than 200 pounds and had a top acceleration of about 40 miles-per-hour. It took fourth abode with addition Ed Hildebrand in the saddle, not bad at all for what was about a one-off prototype.
In 1905, Harley-Davidson appear the aboriginal accurate Harley – the Archetypal 1. Basically a assembly archetypal of the 1904 prototype/racer, the Archetypal 1 was about identical to its predecessors.
It wasn’t until 1909 that Harley-Davidson appear its aboriginal V-twin powered motorcycle – the 49.5 cubic inch Archetypal 5-D. About this time, Harley-Davidson became America's bigger motorcycle manufacturer, eclipsing arch-rival Indian and absolutely assertive abate apparel like Thor, Henderson, Excelsior, and Pierce. The F-Head agent in the 5-D was a bomb for a cardinal of affidavit which are, already again, alfresco the ambit of this article, and was replaced a year afterwards with a bigger engine.
In 1919, the 37ci Activity archetypal was alien with an opposed-twin engine. In 1922, the 74ci V-twin agent is alien on the JD and FD models. Four years afterwards in 1926, Harley produced addition single-cylinder engine, for the aboriginal time aback 1918. Models A, AA, B, and BA are accessible in side-valve and overhead-valve agent configurations. In 1928 the aboriginal Harley-Davidson two-cam agent was fabricated accessible to the accessible on the JD alternation motorcycles.
Years: 1919-1923
Engine Offerings: 580cc/37ci
Known Suffixes: Model 19W
Reasons to Love: The Archetypal 19W alien new technology into the calendar and eventually acquired into the acclaimed Army motorcycle, the W-Series.
Model W: Additionally accepted as the Activity Twin, the Archetypal 19W was congenital as a middleweight-sized bike and an entry-level archetypal with the purpose of adorable new riders and accretion the motorcycling bazaar of the day. The Activity featured Harley's aboriginal flat-twin agent and a trailing-link advanced angle suspension.
The Activity Accompanying set acceleration annal on runs beyond the country. Although, like abounding models of the time, poor American sales led to the end of assembly afterwards alone four years. Not to be abashed with the afterwards W-Series, which featured the now acclaimed 45ci flathead.
Years: 1929-1932
Engine Offerings: 45ci
Known Suffixes: DL, D, Archetypal 29D, Archetypal 29FD, Archetypal 30D, Archetypal 30DL, Archetypal 30DLD, Archetypal 31D, Archetypal 31DL, Archetypal 31DLD, Archetypal 32D, Archetypal 32DL, Archetypal 32DLD, Archetypal 32D, Archetypal 32DLD, Archetypal 32DL, Archetypal 33D, Archetypal 33DL, Archetypal 33DLD,
Reasons to Love: Congenital as the access level, failing archetypal to attack with the Indian Scout.
The year afterwards Harley alien the two-cam engine, Harley congenital the D-Series to attack with the Indian Scout. The motorcycle alien the ancillary valve 45ci V-twin accepted as the “45” and afterwards nicknamed the flathead. Alien in the WR antagonism bike, it accepted to be solid and reliable and Harley acclimatized into constant assembly and models. Flathead v-twins were additionally accessible in 61ci and 74ci displacements throughout the aforementioned archetypal years. The 45ci bikes looked actual agnate to their beyond displacement siblings, but the easiest way to acquaint them afar is that the “45” has the final drive alternation on the appropriate instead of the larboard like a avant-garde Sportster.
READ MORE: Tennessee, a '33 Harley, and Me| RideApart
Years: 1932-1936
Engine Offerings: 45ci
Known Suffixes: R, RL, RLD; Archetypal 34RL, Archetypal 34R, Archetypal 34RLD, Archetypal 35RL, Archetypal 35R, Archetypal 35RS, Archetypal 35RLD, Archetypal 36R, Archetypal 36RLDE, Archetypal 36RS, Archetypal 36R
Reasons to Love: New administration that fabricated Harley a basic of Americana. Perseverance through the Abundant Depression.
A backup for the D-Series, the R alternation was a footfall in the change from the D to the W. No above abstruse changes were alien for the R, but it was a cogent motorcycle for Harley as it helped the aggregation survive the Abundant Depression. Administration changes like Art Deco appearance badging and acrylic helped sales.
Years: 1929-1973 (according to Harley, variations of the agent were awash until 1973, primarily in the Servi-Car trike).
Engine Offerings: 45ci
Known Suffixes: Model W “45” solo, Archetypal WL activity solo, Archetypal WLD “45” solo, WR, Archetypal 37WL, Archetypal 37WLD, Modwl 37WLDR, Archetypal 37W, Archetypal 37WS, Archetypal 38WLD, Archetypal 38WL, Archetypal 38WLDR.
Reasons to Love: Afterwards the war, bags of WLAs were awash off in surplus, which helped alpha the chopper movement aback they were abounding and cheap.
This was the final archetypal to accept the 45 (minus the H-D Servi-Car which we're not talking about here). A aerial compression advantage was accessible at the time. During war production, the WLA was congenital for aggressive use and was about the alone adaptation built. Close to 60,000 units were produced for U.S. aggressive use and for consign through the Lend-Lease affairs during the War.
Years: 1937-1941
Engine Offerings: 74ci, 80ci
Model Suffix: U, UL, ULH, UH, UHS, US,
Reasons to Love: While these ancillary valve/flathead engines were still actuality acclimated in the UL for a while after the introduction of the Kucklehead, they did bring with them some updated technology like a recirculating oiling system.
In 1937 Harley alien the UL archetypal with accessible in 74ci and 80ci V-twins. The antecedent models featured total-loss oiling systems, ran hot, and mostly afflicted and unreliable. The 45ci alien a smoother active agent and added reliability, but it wasn’t until the big-twins of the UL, which acclimated a dry sump lubrication system, that absolute believability and acknowledgment operating temps were now common.
The new UL additionally featured a four-speed manual and artificial aluminum active with added cooling fins. Brass atom bung inserts were added to abode the above engines' problems of stripping threads. Customers could additionally opt for alternative silicon aluminum heads. These big twins were popular, but aback the war bankrupt out assembly chock-full on noncombatant models and focused instead on WLA models for the aggressive efforts.
Years: 1936-1952
Model Suffix: E, EL
Engine: 61ci, 74ci
Reasons to Love: The EL-series is not alone beautiful, but it apparent the bearing of Harley's avant-garde era with the addition of the Knucklehead, the company’s aboriginal overhead-valve V-twin.
Introduction of the aboriginal overhead-valve (ohv) V-twin from Harley-Davidson brought Harley-Davidson into the avant-garde era of motorcycle architecture and engineering. While the aboriginal EL was good, Harley consistently tinkered with it over the years to advance ability and performance. According to some historians, about every allotment on the EL-series was afflicted amid its aboriginal year to its last.
In 1941, the EL got bigger with the addition of a 74ci adaptation of the Knucklehead forth with added engineering improvements beyond the line. Like added models, the alpha of WWII meant new noncombatant EL models became actual scarce.
Years Built: 1952-1956
Engine Offerings: 45ci, 750cc, 888cc
Known Suffixes: K, KK, KR, KH, KGK, KRTT, KHRTT,
Reasons to Love: Aloof like the actual aboriginal Harley-Davidson, the aboriginal K-Model was congenital with the aspect of a chase bike. Also, Elvis.
In an accomplishment to break aggressive in the face of annealed antagonism from the Brits, Harley-Davidson bare article lighter and sportier than their abundant 45ci flatheads and alike added EL-models. Starting with the basal end of a 45ci flathead engine, Harley engineers advised a case to abode the manual for a lighter weight and added abridged package. This was agnate to the assemblage architecture ability plants of the Triumphs and BSAs that were all the acerbity with the kids. (Remember, Marlon Brando's Johnny rode a Triumph in The Agrarian One -Ed.) The aggregation added aluminum active with fins for cooling to their new engine, afresh congenital a lightweight, attenuated anatomy about it all. The agent performed able-bodied and the bike was lightweight, narrow, and accessible to ride. It was additionally the aboriginal Harley-Davidson to affection abeyance on both auto – Hydraulic forks on the advanced and apparent shocks on a swingarm in the rear.
With all this engineering, Harley-Davidson birthed not aloof a adventurous artery cruiser but its abutting chase bike as well. The K-model became the belvedere for collapsed tracker and alley racers of the era, and acquired into the XR bikes of afterwards years.
Years Built: 1957-current
Engine Offerings: 750cc, 883cc, 1000cc, 1200cc
Known Suffixes: XL, XL883, XL883C, XL 883L, XL883R, XL1100, XL1200, XL1200C, XL1200R, XL1200S, XLCH, XLCR, XLH, XLH883, XLH883R, XLH1200, XLH1200S. XLS, XLX, XR1000, XLRTT,
Reasons to Love: Economical, accessible to activity (for a Harley), and the abject for abounding branch congenital chase bikes like XR collapsed trackers, alley racers and the air-conditioned bistro archetypal (XLCR).
If you've anytime heard, “Oh yeah, my acquaintance aloof bought a Harley, way cool, it’s a… I can’t remember,” affairs are it’s a Sportster. Considered Harley-Davidson's access akin bike, the Sportster band has consistently been affectionate of in its own apple aural the Harley family. A abstracted agent band that’s visually agnate to that of its bigger brothers, but a altered deeply packaged drivetrain nonetheless. The XL Sportster has put endless new riders on Harley's, and has produced some of the coolest, best clear community the aggregation anytime produced.
Years Built: 1971-2017
Engine Offerings: 1200cc, 80ci, 1310cc, 1,340cc, 1,450cc, 1,584cc, 1,690cc,
Known Suffixes: FX, FXE, FXD, FXD35, FXS, FXDL, FXEF, FXDF, FXWG, FXDWG, FXDWGI, FXB, FXDC, FXDG, FXDS-CON, FXDX, FXDXT, FXLR, FXS, FXSB, FXR, FXRT, FXRP
Reasons to Love: Marketed as Harley's aboriginal branch custom to abduction the growing Chopper movement. A solid mid-range band with the ability of a big accompanying and the administration of a Sportster. (Also, a cool candied boattail rear end and swingin' red, white, and dejected acrylic job -Ed.)
Designed by Willie G. Davidson, the abstraction abaft the FX-series seems so simple in retrospect: booty the ablaze administration advanced end from a Sportster and arise it on a abounding admeasurement touring bike frame. Enter the Superglide. FX was abbreviate for Branch Experimental, as the bike was a acknowledgment to the agrarian late-60s custom scene. Alien alone a few years afterwards Billy and Captain America stormed on to the big awning in Easy Rider, the FX Superglide was a huge and burning success.
If the Sportster is a Miata in agreement of accidental achievement in the H-D realm, afresh the Superglide was a Corvette. This simple activity of stripping bottomward a touring bike alien a new class of motorcycle, and apparently admiring as abounding new riders as the Sportster. The FX belvedere acquired consistently over three decades until it was axed for 2018, and was arguably one of the best consistently adapted models in the Harley-Davidson lineup. The Superglide assuredly brought Harley into the acceptable graces of new motorcycle reviewers and meant absolute antagonism adjoin the Japanese brands.
The Superglide name came and went over the years, but the FX prefix for the band remained. The FX Superglide was eventually replaced by the FXR, the one-percenter club member’s bike of choice. The Superglide remained alongside the FXR for a few years, accepting a small, distinct catchbasin and bottomward the two-piece catchbasin and birr combo.
The Superglide was eventually discontinued with the addition of the Change agent in 1984. The Dyna belvedere afresh replaced the FXR, in 1991, and while all three motorcycles accept actual altered engineering and designing features, they all allotment the FX prefix and DNA.
Years: 1984 to current.
Engines: 1200cc, 80ci, 1310cc, 1,340cc, 1,450cc, 1,584cc, 1,690cc,
Known Suffixes: FXCW, FXCWC, FXST, FXSTB, FXSTBI, FXSTC, FXSTD, FXSTS, FXWG, FLST, FLSTC, FLSTF, FLSTFI, FLSTN, FLSTS, FLSTSB, FLSTSC
Reasons to Love: Comfortable, classically styled, and offered in a huge array of styles. Hardtail looks with avant-garde performance.
The looks of a hardtail with the ride and abundance of a avant-garde motorcycle, the Softail belvedere was a adumbration in 1984. Congenital to attending like Harleys from the 40s and 50s, the Softails' rear abeyance featured hidden shocks beneath the bike army to a triangular-shaped swingarm and fat hydraulic forks up front. Softail engines were adamantine army to the anatomy – clashing the FX/Dyna alternation area the agent was abandoned from the anatomy by elastic beating dampers – and the bikes had a acceptability of actuality apathetic and rattly.
Despite this rough-riding reputation, Softails steadily grew into one of the best accepted and assorted of Harley's lines. They inhabited a average arena in the big accompanying ancestors amid the performance-minded FX/Dyna band and the adequate roadgoing couches of the FL touring line. Throughout the Softail's aboriginal 32-year run, the band produced some of Harley's best iconic avant-garde bikes such as the Fat Boy, the Heritage Softail Clasic, and the Deuce.
2018 Harley-Davidson Alley Glide.
Years: 1941-present
Engines: 1200cc, 80ci, 1310cc, 1,340cc, 1,450cc, 1,584cc, 1,690cc, 61ci, 74ci,
Known Suffixes: FL, FLH, FLHX, FLHRS, FLHPI, FLHR, FLHRCI, FLHS, FLHT, FLHTC, FLHTK, FLHTCSE, FLHTPI, FLHTCUI, FLHTCUSE, FLHXXX, FLT, FLTC, FLTCU, FLHTCUTG, FLTR, FLTRI, FLTRX, FLTRSEI
Reasons to Love: The Harley-Davidson FL Touring models accept been adequate touring cruisers and the best quintessential Harley of the avant-garde era.
Harley-Davidson has acclimated the FL name aback 1941. FL's were abundant the aforementioned as their EL, U, and UL siblings, and were powered by the Knucklehead ohv v-twin. The FL alternation remained abundantly banausic until 1948 aback the Panhead agent was released. In 1949, aloof a year afterwards accepting the Panhead upgrade, the FL series' old-timey arch articulation advocate advanced end was replaced by a set of avant-garde hydraulic forks, appropriately giving bearing to the acclaimed Hydra Glide.
In 1958, the FL Hydra Glide got a abolitionist redesign that alien a rear abeyance consisting of a swingarm and accompanying shocks. The name was afflicted from Hydra Glide to Duo Glide (Duo, two, two suspensions...get it?) and a fable was born. A few years afterwards in 1965, the Duo Glide was replaced with the Electra Glide, which featured the aboriginal electric amateur (again, get it? Eh?) on a Harley-Davidson big accompanying bike. Harley's iconic batwing allowance was alien as an advantage for the Electra Glide in 1969, and was initially calmly disposable clashing today's assuredly added fairings. FLs got a advanced disc anchor in 1972, and over the abutting few decades went through a cardinal of transmission, engine, and electrical arrangement upgrades.
Today, the FL calendar consists of Harley's big time baggers and touring models. From the beautiful Alley King bagger to the altered Alley Glide (My claimed admired Harley tourer -JM) to the high-end, eye-wateringly big-ticket Ultra Limited, Harley's touring bikes backpack on the appreciative attitude of able and adequate FL tourers.
Years: 2002-2017
Engine Offerings: 69ci water-cooled Revolution v-twin, 76ci water-cooled Revolution v-twin.
Known Suffixes: VRSC1 VRSCA, VRSCAW, VRSCB, VRSCD, VRSCDX, VRSCF, VRSCSE, VRSCSE2, VRSCR, VRSCX, VRXSE
Reasons to Love: Harley fabricated a abundant attack at bearing a modern, well-engineered V-twin. The V-Rod is evocative of the alpha days, aback Harley anticipation of antagonism first. Also, Porsche DNA.
Ah, the V-Rod. Developed in the late-90s/early-aughts to attack adjoin anytime faster beef bikes like Yamaha's aboriginal V-Max, the V-Rod was consistently an anomaly in the Harley-Davidson family. Developed about the anew built, Porsche-designed Revolution engine, the V-Rod was initially a above success and accustomed aerial marks from the motorcycling press. The Revolution was a 60-degree, water-cooled v-twin that performed clashing annihilation Harley had anytime produced. The architecture included a hydro-formed anatomy and underseat ammunition catchbasin for a low centermost of gravity. It performed well, but it was acutely discontinued (along with its Dyna cousins) with the addition of Harley's new 2018 models.
READ MORE: Harley-Davidson Rolls Out 17 Stunning New Models | RideApart
Years: 2014-present
Engine Offerings: 500cc, 750cc
Known Suffixes: XG, XG750R, XG750G, XG750
Reasons to Love: The XG is Harley-Davidson’s avant-garde attack at capturing the adolescence bazaar with a sporty, baby displacement bike. The XG harkens aback to the K-model in that it's an inexpensive, nimble, and fun motorcycle that exists abundantly alfresco of Harley's accustomed lines. Like the K-model, it’s additionally the abject for the company’s avant-garde collapsed clue chase bike.
Harley's new collapsed tracker, the XG750R
When it was released, the XG was Harley-Davidson’s aboriginal all new archetypal in 13 years, the aboriginal sub-1000cc assembly agent in decades, and the atomic big-ticket alms in the lineup. Originally the Artery was congenital for the Indian and European markets, area the 500cc or 750cc motorcycle sales accept been booming for over a decade. Eventually, the 500cc archetypal was brought to The States and was aboriginal alien as the go-to bike for Harley's centralized benumbed school. Already accustomed in the Learn to Ride program, the XG was afresh fabricated accessible to moto journalists and the public. Soon thereafter, the 750 archetypal appeared in American showrooms and the blow is history.
Whew, that's a lot of bikes. As you can see, Harley's archetypal history is affectionate of convoluted. That's to be accepted in a aggregation with such a continued history and so abounding absurd bikes in its portfolio. If we absent annihilation or you anticipate we larboard out a cardinal or important model, go advanced and @ us actuality or on Facebook.
