1980s special edition harley

An American icon that is also one of the most recognized brands in the world, the name Harley-Davidson which is automatically associated with motorcycles is on the same level as other power brands - Coke is to soda and Xerox is to photocopy.

This name and associated prestige have allowed Harley-Davidson to maintain its position as a leader in the motorcycle industry. From its humble beginnings in , Harley-Davidson has been at the forefront in the continuing development and evolution of the motorcycle and has, for over a hundred years created some of the best two-wheeled machinery on the planet in terms of design and performance.

Having produced some of the most expensive and sought after motorcycles in history, Harley-Davidson, despite its recent organizational troubles is a resilient brand that has successfully adapted to the challenges it has faced through its many eras, and with their newest foray into E-bikes, their company has again changed with the times.

In this article, we look at some of the most amazing special edition models that this legendary brand has produced. By taking an already popular model, in this case, the Hot Rod Bagger and tweaking its engine and internals, and updating its looks by giving it a fresh paint job, Harley-Davidson created a modern classic. Limited to just 3, units, this Screamin' Eagle Twin Cam powered Harley is also a future collector bike. A looker back when it was introduced in , the FX Super Glide has an air-cooled, 4-stroke, 2-cylinder, cc Shovelhead engine that gave it a top speed of Mph.

With the distinction as Harley's first factory custom motorcycle, it was essentially a result of bolting together the Sportster and bigger twin cam bikes components, resulting in it's modded appearance. Unique for the time was its 74 cubic inch V-twin engine was equipped with twin cams with two lobes on each, versus the standard single cam with 4 lobes, which when tuned properly could give the bike 19HP and a top speed of Mph, which, in the same era as Ford Model T's, was indeed fast.

Made as a limited edition model 2, units only in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the original Fatboy, the Harley-Davidson is a mean and fast machine that showcases some of the most recent technology developments of the company. While visually different from most Harleys, the Cosmic Starship certainly earned its place in Harley-Davidson history as one of their most expensive bikes sold.

With the honor as the last motorcycle that the Davidson brothers and William Harley designed and built, the EL Knucklehead has a special place among fans of the brand. Having made only 1, examples for the EL model, this rare bike featured the overhead valve cubic-inch V-twin with the side valve improvements that helped Harley-Davidson perfect its engine designs for the succeeding decades.

Derived from the Super Glide series, the Harley-Davidson Fat Bob, was a large and heavy bike plus Lbs that can lumber or speed through the courtesy of its throaty Twin Cam 96 engine. Positioned as a midway model, the Fat Bob series has continued to be a favorite and even had an updated version made in It was an excellent choice if you wanted a road racer that could also be ridden on the roads without the threat of penalty. This was just the beginning and it went on to win multiple high stakes races.

This iconic bike was dubbed with the nickname the Willie G. There were only that rolled off production lines. This Harley-Davidson example follows their habit of highly customizing bikes to make them extra special and this Wide Glide variant is indeed a gem. It features a totally blacked out engine and transmission and a inch disc rear wheel made of solid aluminum. Garrett by trade is a personal finance freelance writer and journalist. With over 10 years experience he's covered businesses, CEOs, and investments.

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