Four decades on from its launch, Harley-Davidson’s original FXST Softail is not a bike that would stand out in most crowds. It’s a simply styled cruiser with raised handlebars, a thick dual seat, and an air-cooled V-twin engine with cylinders set at the Milwaukee marque’s traditional 45-degree angle.

But that first Softail more than justified the swirling dry-ice drama of Harley’s publicity photo. In fact, this relatively restrained 1338cc model is among the most significant in the company’s 121-year history.

Back in 1984, the Softail was one of the five models fitted with Harley’s Evolution V-twin engine. With its aluminum cylinder barrels and heads, and more importantly its increased performance, cooler running, and much improved reliability over the previous Shovelhead unit, the Evolution brought the ailing firm rumbling out of the dark ages and into the light.

The FXST offered an additional attraction with its chassis. Its Softail name highlighted the new steel frame whose hidden suspension units cleverly allowed a comfortable ride while giving the impression of an old-style “hardtail” rear end. Before long, there would be a whole family of Softails.

Most importantly of all, the Evo-engined models appeared at a pivotal time, like a cavalry division charging over the horizon just as the surrounded soldiers with their antiquated rifles were facing slaughter.

Harley-Davidson’s situation in 1984 was dire. The firm has had well-documented worries in recent years, what with an aging customer base and production falling below 200,000 units from a 2006 peak of almost 350,000. To put that into context, however, things were rough for the company at the dawn of the 1980s, too. While Harley engineers had been finalizing development of the Evolution engine in 1982, production had been less than 25,000. This was below the threshold set by its financial backers, who were entitled to foreclose at any time. The financially strapped company had recently laid off 40 percent of its workforce and cut the salaries of those who remained.

The U.S. motorcycle market had plunged in the late 1970s, unheeded by both Harley and the Japanese manufacturers, who had continued to increase production until they had warehouses full of bikes that could not be sold, even at a discount. Worse still for Harley, its owners AMF (American Machine and Foundry) had boosted production by compromising on quality. By 1984, the result was unreliable bikes, dissatisfied customers, and unhappy dealers faced with increasing warranty work. The firm’s reputation was arguably at an all-time low.

At least there were some positives. Back in 1976, Harley executives had drawn up a long-term plan based on two powertrains: an updated aircooled V-twin, which they called Evolution; and a liquid-cooled family of V-configuration engines, named Nova.

Development of both began the following year, with the Evo project in-house, and Nova contracted out to Porsche Design because Milwaukee lacked the resources to do both simultaneously. In 1981, financial constraints meant that only one project could continue, and the Evolution was chosen.

By this time, however, Harley-Davidson was a very different company. A management buyout earlier that year had seen a group of 13 senior executives, led by Vaughn Beals and including styling chief Willie G. Davidson, raise over $80 million to take control from AMF. “The Eagle Soars Alone,” ran the celebratory advertising, but the company remained in a desperate position.

The Evolution engine had been slated for introduction with the 1983 model year, but there was a distinct possibility that Harley’s banks would pull the plug first. That this didn’t happen was partly due to Beals’ successful petitioning of the International Trade Commission to put tariffs of 45 percent on Japanese motorcycles of over 700cc.

President Ronald Reagan signed the tariffs into law in April 1983, but that was far from the end of Harley’s problems. Beals and engineering chief Jeff Bleustein regarded restoring the brand’s former reputation for reliability as so vital that the Evo motor’s introduction was delayed by a year to allow further development.

“I don’t think we ever made a tougher decision,” Beals later said. “The market was terrible, which meant we needed the engine sooner rather than later… But the one vow we took, because of the reputation we had, was that when the Evolution engine came out it would be durable, oil-tight, and bulletproof. We finally decided that the 1983 introduction was too risky, because we weren’t yet confident that it was bulletproof.”

The extra time was well spent. Harley’s engineers continued their more than 5000 hours of dyno testing, redesigned some parts, and refined manufacturing processes. Development riders added to a reported total of 750,000 miles of endurance road work and high-speed laps at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.

The result justified that cautious approach. The Evo engine retained its Shovelhead predecessor’s 1340cc (80-cubic inch) capacity, its cylinder dimensions, crankshaft, and basic bottom-end layout. But almost everything else was new, including the aluminum head and barrels, smaller valves, narrower valve angle, camshaft profile, stronger connecting rods, flat instead of domed pistons, reshaped combustion chambers, and higher compression ratio.

Performance was significantly improved in every respect. Peak power output was up by ten percent, to 71.5 hp at 5000rpm. Torque improved by 15 percent and moved lower down the rev range. Fuel economy was improved, and weight was reduced by 20 pounds. A comprehensively redesigned lubrication system cured the Shovelhead’s habit of leaking as well as burning oil.

The new engine was nicknamed the Blockhead, extending the line that had begun with Flathead, Knucklehead, and Panhead, but it was more commonly called the Evolution. Either way, it came with a 12-month, unlimited-mileage warranty and was an instant success.

Some U.S. motorcycle magazines had previously been reluctant to test Shovelheads due to their many issues, but response to the Evo models was much more positive. “By now you’ve heard all the rumors and read all the speculation. Stop the presses, it’s true,” reported Cycle World about the Electra Glide Classic, which it described as a “thoughtfully conceived, carefully executed major overhaul that manages to blend the tradition of the past with the ideas of the present, to come up with something that’s both modern yet familiar.”

After riding the Electra Glide in the States, British freelancer Alan Cathcart described the Evo engine in Bike as “a quantum leap forward from the days of the iron jug Shovelhead… a successful amalgamation of traditional values and modern technology, of simple pushrod design and refined execution.”

Cycle magazine was positive about another model, the half-faired FXRT Sport Glide, describing it as a “contemporary motorcycle, albeit a very expensive one, rather than a curious alien from another era… The Evolution indicates that Harley-Davidson is making progress, and at an increasing rate.”

Motorcyclist was similarly impressed by the Sport Glide. “For those who wanted to see if Harley could build a real, honest-to-Davidson 1984 motorcycle, feast your eyes. The ’84 season is here—and Harley is right here with it.”

If the models that gained Evolution engines instead of Shovelhead units all contributed to the fight, it was the all-new FXST Softail that would make the biggest impact. Its hardtail-look rear end had originated with an independent engineer from Missouri named Bill Davis, whose modified Super Glide had caught the eye of chairman Vaughn Beals at a Harley rally.

Beals negotiated to buy the rights, and Willie G. Davidson fashioned a relatively lean and simple cruiser whose rigid-look rear end incorporated a hidden pair of shock units sitting horizontally beneath the engine. The Softail engine was held solidly rather than rubber-mounted as with the other Evo units, and for its first year only it had a four- instead of five-speed gearbox.

The Softail wasn’t the most comfortable or practical of Harley’s 1984 models, and it wasn’t the least expensive, either. But its blend of more up-to-date engineering and determinedly old-fashioned style hit the spot, and it quickly became not only very popular but—even more importantly—very profitable too.

Harley-Davidson wasn’t out of financial trouble just yet, even though the year ended with U.S. sales up by 31 percent to over 38,000 in a market that continued to fall. Domestic sales were up again in 1985, putting Harley second behind only Honda in the 850cc-plus category, but that was the year in which the company came closer than ever, before or since, to going bust.

The problem was that Citycorp, which had previously backstopped the company through the difficult times, had new people in important positions. They decided that another recession was looming—and that Harley, despite the upturn in its fortunes, would not survive it, so Citycorp’s best option was to liquidate the firm. 

In March 1985, Harley was given an extended deadline of December 31 to find a new backer or file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Beals later spoke of “hawking begging bowls round Wall Street” that summer as he and chief financial officer Richard Teerlink struggled to convince potential investors that Citycorp’s pessimism was unjustified.

Finally, with time fast running out and all alternatives exhausted, Beals, Teerlink, and colleague Tom Gelb were introduced to a Harley-riding banker named Bob Koe, of Chicago-based Heller Financial, who set up a meeting with his boss, Norm Blake, on the morning of December 23. Blake listened to their pitch… and turned them down.

Somehow, with the bankruptcy seeming almost inevitable, the Harley trio persuaded Koe to arrange another meeting with Blake that afternoon. They finally agreed a deal, more generous to Heller, which gave Citycorp $49M, and Harley $49.5M of working capital. Even then, holiday season delays meant the final transaction was completed with minutes to spare on December 31.

Harley was saved, and Heller’s confidence would be rewarded as the Milwaukee firm defied the general downturn to begin an astonishing period of growth. In 1986, it matched Honda for big-bike sales. The following year Harley was listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and also petitioned the IRC to end the tariff on Japanese bikes ahead of time. President Reagan visited the factory in York, Pennsylvania, to offer congratulations.

A succession of Evolution-engined models powered the recovery. The FLST Heritage Softail of 1986 featured a fat front end inspired by the Hydra-Glide of the 1950s. The Low Rider Custom had a skinny 21-inch front wheel, high bars, and lots of laid-back attitude. In 1988, the FXSTS Springer Softail went further back through time with its updated version of an old-style springer front suspension system.

The Sportster family was also updated with Evolution engines, starting in 1986 with an entry-level model in traditional 883cc capacity, followed soon after by a similarly styled 1100cc variant. Both were popular, the smaller model boosted by Harley’s innovative offer to repay the full $3995 price if its rider traded up to a big twin within two years.

In 1990 came the unmistakable FLSTF Fat Boy, with disc wheels, industrial look, and silver finish with yellow detailing. A year later it was followed by the Dyna Glide Sturgis, named after the South Dakota rally that had become an August fixture for a growing legion of Harley riders.

Willie G’s final Evolution-powered project was one of his finest: The FLTR Road Glide of 1998 featured a frame-mounted fairing and a long, low look that would remain popular for more than two decades. A year later, the Glide and most other Big Twins were fitted with the new Twin Cam 88 engine, a bigger, more powerful V-twin that was another step forward.

The Evo unit continued to power some Softail models for a couple more years, along with the hotted-up, limited-edition FXR Super Glide variants that began the Custom Vehicle Operations line in 1999 and 2000. By this time, Harley’s total production was nudging 200,000. Revenue was close to $3 billion, and profit almost $350 million, the company having set new records for 15 consecutive years.

The Evolution engine, it’s fair to say, had proved a considerable success.

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Ask anyone who has spent time on two wheels and they will tell you that riding a motorcycle is something special. Just sitting and staring at a bike can get most riders oh, about halfway there. This 1987 Harley Davidson FXSTC might have never cruised south Detroit, but we bet those folks would’ve embraced it with open arms.

Okay, maybe that’s enough references to give away that this mild custom comes from storied ownership. The original owner was Steve Perry, who bought the bike in 1987 following his departure from Journey after fronting the band through a decade of hits and success. The band might have made the singer famous, but the motorcycle is what kept him sane, according to an interview with 60 Minutes.

The mileage on this bike—it shows just 557 miles currently—might mean that the wind-in-the-hair experience was not as appealing as Perry initially thought it might be. Some of those were added by the second owner as well, who is the current seller. With that kind of mileage, we think the real draw of this Harley is the low mileage and fantastic condition rather than its ties to a celebrity.

The FXSTC is also known as a Softail Custom thanks to the tidy swingarm and shock that hide under the gearbox. It allows a bad-to-the-bone hardtail look without needing a kidney belt to enjoy riding. Shifting of the five gears is controlled by a set of forward-mounted foot controls that make for a stretched-out riding experience that appears to combine nicely with the raked forks and taller handlebars. The laid-back stance of the bike looks primed to eat up miles. This was right at the end of Harley Davidson’s rise to the motorcycle juggernaut of the 1980s, with dealers struggling to keep inventory and long wait lists for new models.

The powerplant is an 82 cubic-inch V-twin from Harley’s Evolution line that features popular accessories like the slash-cut exhaust pipes and a Screamin’ Eagle air cleaner. Cycle World mentioned in its first ride of the bike that the air cleaner wants to occupy the same space as the rider’s right leg, which is only one of the reasons it might not have racked up a lot of miles to date. While having suspension on both ends may make this chopper sound luxurious, the engine is solid-mounted to the frame, meaning the overall riding experience can still be quite brash.

It was never meant to be a performance machine, but this is one wheel that we think should keep on turning. As of this writing, the leading bid on Bring a Trailer is currently $5900, which is $100 shy of our #3 (Good) condition value for this bike. Perhaps after all these years, it’s time that you be good to yourself and acquire a new chariot.

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Harley-Davidson has been trying to broaden its appeal of late, with a new family of liquid-cooled V-twins including the Pan America adventure bike.

Cynics will tell you that Harley should have revamped its range decades ago, rather than sticking to its traditional V-twins for so long. What’s less well-known is that the firm did develop a promising V-4 way back in the early 1980s, only to scrap the project.

The Nova was top-secret back then but was belatedly revealed more than 25 years later, when a prototype was displayed in the factory’s new museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

At first glance, the big, grey, half-faired Nova looked like just another member of Harley’s V-twin touring family. But its engine, developed in conjunction with Porsche, was an 800-cc, liquid-cooled V-4 with twin overhead camshafts and cylinders spaced at 60 degrees rather than the familiar 45.

In 1981, when the Nova was due to be launched, it would have predated Honda’s successful VF and VFR families of V-4s, and would have been as advanced as any bike on the market. In fact, Harley planned a six-strong family of Novas, ranging from 400-cc V-twin and 1000-cc V-4 to a 1500-cc V-6. All would have featured many shared parts under a modular format similar to the one that Triumph would adopt on its rebirth a decade later.

The Nova project was hatched in secret meetings that Harley’s top management and engineers, led by vice president Jeffrey Bleustein, held in the late 1970s, to establish a plan for the following decade. They decided to invest in two directions: a family of bikes powered by an updated, air-cooled V-twin engine, eventually known as the Evolution; and an all-new, high-performance line with a more advanced, liquid-cooled powerplant—the Nova.

“At the time, we thought Harley needed a new range, to complement rather than to replace the V-twins,” recalled Mike Hillman, the English-born engineer who was chosen to lead the Nova project. “Emissions and noise regulations were getting tighter and we weren’t sure we could make the air-cooled engine meet them. The Japanese manufacturers were swamping the market with different products, and we wanted something to compete.”

Harley’s parent company AMF (American Machine and Foundry) was keen to support the ambitious project, but developing such an advanced, all-new engine alongside the updated V-twin would have stretched R&D resources too thin. “We looked at quite a few suppliers and went to three in particular: AVL in Austria, Riccardo in England, and Porsche. We chose Porsche partly because they had experience of production as well as development,” Hillman said.

A 60-degree Vee angle was chosen, partly because Hillman, who before joining Harley had designed a Formula 1 race car for Brabham in the 1960s, wanted to use the powerplant as a stressed member of the chassis. A contra-rotating balancer shaft allowed the unit to be solidly mounted to the pressed-steel backbone frame.

The engine’s modular design retained a common stroke of 58 mm and used alternative bore sizes of 66 and 74mm to produce individual cylinder capacities of 200 or 250 cc. This gave V-twins of 400 and 500 cc; V-4s of 800 and 1000 cc; and V-6s of 1200 and 1500 cc.

“We started with the 800, which might not seem the most logical choice, but we wanted to get into the 750cc class,” said Hillman. The relatively short stroke allowed a redline at 9500 rpm. Carburetors were used initially, although fuel-injected engines were also planned.

Power output was about 100 hp per liter, which would have given the 800-cc Nova 80 hp – competitive with Honda’s first V-4, the VF750S, which was launched in 1982 with a claimed 79 hp. Harley considered using shaft final drive, before opting for a toothed belt.

Following pressure from styling chief Willie G. Davidson, who wanted a clean look, there was no place in front of the V-4 unit for a conventional radiator. Instead the rad was placed almost horizontally under the seat. A fan drew cooling air through the radiator from the dummy tank, which was in fact a large airbox and was itself fed via two large scoops at its front. The fuel tank was also under the seat, straddling the radiator; its cap was in the tailpiece.

All this resulted in bulbous side panels but a low center of gravity. Even so, the naked Nova had a fairly lean, sporty look, despite its raised bars and stepped seat. Suspension was by conventional telescopic forks and twin shocks.

Development through 1979 and 1980 went well, with Hillman leading a 15-strong team in Milwaukee, and 15 more engineers working at Porsche. More than a dozen prototypes were built, all with 800 cc capacity—some naked and others with bodywork.

Testing took place both in the States and in Germany. Harley had previously used public roads for reliability testing, but the need for secrecy led the company to set up a private facility in Talladega, Alabama.

The Nova was certainly promising, combining 120-mph performance with reasonably light weight and, according to Hillman, excellent handling. “It was very nice to ride because the frame was so stiff. The chassis drove fabulously and the brakes worked very well. I rode the bike but mostly it was the test riders’ job. We had to keep the numbers down due to the project’s secrecy. There was one exposé when someone took photos in Germany, which were published by Motorrad magazine. But not much information escaped.”

The Nova project seemed to be moving steadily toward its projected launch date of mid-1981—initially in unfaired 800-cc form, to be followed soon after by the 1000-cc version. Touring, sport, and even super-sport V-4s were planned for future years, followed by the V-twin and V-6 models.

Sadly, for all those who would have loved to see high-performance Harleys emerge to take on the Japanese, it didn’t happen. The year 1981 turned out to be a landmark in Harley-Davidson history, thanks not to a dramatic new model but to the management buyout from AMF that kick-started the marque’s spectacular revival.

President Vaughn Beals and other bosses of the reborn firm, which was heavily in debt, had to choose between continuing to develop the Evolution V-twin or producing the Nova. Inevitably, the safer option of the aircooled V-twin won. The Nova project was abandoned, after several years of development, more than $10 million of investment, and tens of thousands of miles of testing.

Even then the Nova refused to die.

“In ’82, the company made its first-ever financial loss, but in spite of that the management still siphoned off a chunk of money to keep the Nova going,” recalled Hillman, who joined Beals in making presentations to firms in the United States and abroad, in a search for financial support for the project. “In fact, we found a place to build it, in Italy. But strategically it didn’t make sense. Then bike sales fell towards the late ’80s. By then it was less competitive anyway.”

Finally, Harley execs made the tough decision to abandon the Nova, and the prototypes were either scrapped or put into Harley’s warehouse. According to factory insiders at the Harley-Davidson Museum, five bikes remained, of which two were runners. The display bike is a non-runner incorporating some parts made from wood.

Hillman went on to enjoy a successful career at Harley, rising to vice president and using his Nova connections to help set up the deal that saw Porsche develop the liquid-cooled V-twin engine for Harley’s V-Rod, released in 2001.

“It was a shame Nova didn’t make it, but you have to move on,” he said. “I’d like to think it would have augmented the V-twins. But the investment Harley made in getting the factories to work properly at that time, and the focus on improved quality with the Evolution models, were vital to the company’s growth. Scrapping Nova was undoubtedly the right decision.”

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BMW’s next M5 will be all-electric

Intake: BMW’s next-generation 5 Series is ready for launch in October and, alongside mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions, there is to be a fully-electric Five for the first time. What’s more, BMW Chairman Oliver Zipse has confirmed that there’ll be an M version powered only by volts. “A fully electric Performance model from BMW M GmbH will also be included in the new BMW 5 Series lineup,” he said. The 5 Series celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022 and more than ten million have been sold worldwide since. The eighth will be the most advanced iteration ever and a major part of the “systemic expansion” of BMW’s electric-vehicle range.

Exhaust: Building another all-electric M car is an absolute no-brainer after the battery-powered, M-badged 4 Series proved to be a huge hit. “The all-electric BMW i4 M50 shows how BMW blends dynamic performance and electric mobility to perfection. It was the best-selling BMW M model worldwide in 2022,” said Zipse. —Nik Berg 

VW’s next Golf GTI will probably look like this

Intake: VW just showed the world this cute little concept, called the ID.2all. ID, in VW speak, means “all-electric.” The smaller the number that follows ID, the smaller the vehicle. This front-wheel-drive concept previews a sort of people’s EV—if those people live in Europe, that is—which VW will reveal in production form in 2025, hopefully with a roughly €25,000 price tag. The relevant bit for the U.S.? This tidy hatch previews VW’s new design language, and given that it’s “as spacious as a Golf,” it’s a pretty fair bet that the next GTI will look similar. The ID.2all was designed in what had to be a serious rush by Andreas Mindt, who stepped in as Head of Volkswagen Design only February 1 of this year, after VW CEO Thomas Schaefer decided he’d had enough of the previous design head’s retro schtick. That said, ID.2all is quite sympathetic to the traditional silhouette of the Golf: a happy, humanoid face, a dominant C-pillar, and an arrow-straight beltline.

Exhaust: The exterior may be quite handsome, but peek inside. Looks like Mindt got the memo about customers’ clamoring for real buttons, rather than haptic sensors. A real, push-it-and-it-clicks button to adjust cabin temperature? Don’t tell Schaefer, but it almost feels retro. —Grace Houghton

“Confuse onlookers” with Audi special edition

Intake: Audi of America is offering 75 copies of what’s referred to as the 2023 Audi RS e-tron GT project_513/2. “Customers now have the opportunity to drive a version of the e-tron GT that most closely resembles the prototype car. This limited edition leverages the original design used for global prototype testing with ‘e-tron’ camouflage script on both the exterior and interior, and is exclusive to the U.S. market,” says the automaker. It’s the first Audi to offer an exterior skinned and wrapped in camo from the factory. “Camouflage graphics are often used by Audi for initial testing, and are designed to create confusion for onlookers that may be looking to capture the latest glimpse into automotive exterior design and technology before it is made public.”

Exhaust: As special editions go, this one is pretty mild—and a little confusing, alright, consisting mostly of graphics inside and outside the car. Of course the EV already has 637 total horsepower, so you really don’t need a lot more performance. Price of the GT project_513/2 is $179,900, plus shipping and a $595 metallic paint charge. —Steven Cole Smith

Honda’s big seatbelt buckle recall

Intake: Honda is recalling 448,613 vehicles in the U.S. over front seatbelt buckles that may not latch properly. A manufacturing issue can cause the surface coating on the buckle to deteriorate and lead to the belt-release button to shrink at lower temperatures. The recall covers the 2017–20 Honda CR-V, 2018–9 Accord, 2018–9 Accord Hybrid, 2018–20 Odyssey and 2019 Insight, and the 2019–20 Acura RDX. No injuries have been reported as a result of the issue, but there have been 301 warranty claims.

Exhaust: Dealers will replace the driver and front passenger seatbelt release buttons or buckle assemblies. Owners who paid for repairs related to the issue will be eligible for reimbursement. Letters will begin going out April 17. —SCS

Automotive News proclaims EV startup boom “is over…”

Intake: “…and companies now are trying to avoid a bust.” The publication found that, “Of the 10 EV startups reviewed by Automotive News, only four have enough cash on hand to cover a year or more of operating expenses, and only a couple can cover more than two years of their cash burn, according to their most recently available Securities and Exchange Commission filings.” Several, including Nikola, Faraday Future, and Arrival have identified doubt about their “abilities to continue as a going concern.”

Exhaust: It’s a tough world out there for EV startups, now that major OEMs have fully embraced the electric market. “There’s definitely a sense of fatigue,” said Jeff Osborne, a senior analyst focused on the sustainability and mobility technology sectors at TD Cowen, an American investment bank owned by Canada’s Toronto-Dominion Bank. “These stocks, putting it bluntly, are dramatically out of favor. It’s very unclear who’s going to win.” —SCS

“Right to repair” lawsuits filed against Tesla

Intake: Reuters is reporting that Tesla has been sued in a pair of proposed antitrust class actions accusing the company of “unlawfully curbing competition for maintenance and replacement parts for its electric vehicles, forcing owners to pay more and wait longer for repair services.” The lawsuits, filed on Tuesday and Wednesday in federal court in San Francisco, “allege that Tesla designed its electric vehicles, warranties and repair policies to discourage owners and lessees from using independent shops outside of Tesla’s control.”

Exhaust: Tesla joins other manufacturers facing “right to repair” antitrust litigation over alleged exclusionary conduct. Cases have also been filed against Harley-Davidson and John Deere. Both those companies have denied claims, but Deere has already lost one case. Reuters reached out to Tesla for comment, and none has been forthcoming. —SCS

You can buy Paul Newman’s Volvo

Intake: Bring a Trailer is offering a 1988 Volvo 740 Turbo wagon that was acquired new by actor Paul Newman and subsequently modified with a Buick Grand National–sourced turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6, a Borg-Warner five-speed manual gearbox, and an Aero-style body kit. The car is finished in gray and features 16-inch Gemini wheels, lowering springs, a limited-slip differential, an HKS turbo timer, a power-operated sunroof, heated front seats, third-row seating, and air conditioning.

Exhaust: Connecticut dwellers like Newman and David Letterman preferred hot-rodded Volvos to help confound state troopers who might doubt their radar readings when a Volvo sped by. The auction ends Friday, and bidding, at this writing, is up to $26,000. Watch this space; we’ll be analyzing the final result in a separate article. —SCS

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While the eyes of the collector car world were fixed upon the auctions in Arizona, there was arguably even bigger news in the neighboring state of Nevada, where Mecum’s annual Las Vegas motorcycle auction set a new record for the most expensive bike ever sold publicly.

The motorcycle in question was a 1908 Harley-Davidson Strap Tank, which brought $935,000. If you’re not deep into motorcycles (and maybe even if you are) this might come as a head-scratcher. Harleys are known for being relatively accessible and, in any event, this one is hardly what comes to mind when you think “Harley.” The bike—which indeed looks like a bike—makes about four horsepower.

The reason to own this bike is not to live out some Easy Rider fantasy but rather, for its historical significance. This is an extremely old Harley-Davidson—produced just a few years after the company’s founding—and one of the earliest surviving Strap Tanks. These models were not the first Harleys but in many respects were the first to follow the basic template for what a Harley-Davidson would be forevermore—not unlike what the 1984 Macintosh computer did for Apple. It was beefy, powerful for its day, and looked the business.

The new record, and the Mecum sale as a whole, highlighted the similarities between the markets for collector cars and bikes. It’s surely no fluke that the most expensive motorcycle happened to cross the block less than a year after the most expensive automobile, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. For both motorcycles and cars, interest from top-tier collectors is at an all-time high. And just as appreciation for mainstream cars slowed in Arizona, we saw newfound caution among buyers of affordable (think, $2000–$4000) motorcycles in Las Vegas.

Yet the very age of the Harley points to a key difference. Whereas the collector car market has by and large trended toward newer vehicles of late, for motorcycles, the oldest models still reign supreme. That likely owes to their form factor—they’re small enough to be displayed as art, so the “how would you use it?” question matters less. (Indeed, don’t expect to see this Strap Tank get much riding, if any.) Another distinction: $935k is, in the high-end classic car world, kind of cheap. Someone lost that much money on a repeat sale at Barrett-Jackson.

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Nissan unveils Max-Out EV convertible

Intake: As part of Nissan Futures, an event “showcasing how Nissan is shaping the future of sustainable mobility and innovative design” at its headquarters in Japan, the company has unveiled a concept model of its Max-Out EV convertible. The model was previously shown in virtual form as part of the Nissan Ambition 2030 event in November 2021. The Max-Out—which will be on display for the duration of the event—embodies “Nissan’s ambition to support greater access to both sustainable and innovative mobility.” No details were offered regarding the car.

Exhaust: The Max-Out may be a long shot for production, but the fact that Nissan went to the trouble of building a concept nearly 17 months after the virtual model was displayed gives us hope. There has to be a market for EV convertibles, and whoever does it first and best should be rewarded with a positive reception. — Steven Cole Smith

Mercedes plans drastic lineup reduction, wagons and coupes on chopping block

Intake: In a quest to move even higher upmarket and increase profitability, Mercedes-Benz is planning to drastically reduce its product lineup in the coming years, according to a new report from Car and Driver. Just 14 of 33 existing body styles across the U.S. and European lineups will endure. A few cuts of note: C-Class and E-Class convertibles and coupes will bow out sometime between 2023 and 2024, replaced by a pair of CLE-class two-doors that straddle the middle ground between the two lines. The bulbous coupe-like SUVs are also nearing their end. There are a handful of stylish all-electric cars coming, including a new SL, a new four-door coupe, and a new AMG GT coupe. Greater emphasis will be placed on the more profitable AMG and Maybach class cars, and Mercedes’ hyper-exclusive Mythos series will also see a handful of new models in the coming years. There’s talk of a 300SL Gullwing reincarnation, a four-door G-Class pickup, and even a new speedster based on the SL.

Exhaust: The beloved E-Class, which is the only line that we can get as a wagon here in the states as either the E63 AMG or the E 450 All Terrain, will debut its new generation later this year, but that will be the final generation, set to end production in 2030. It’s sad to see so many interesting models on the chopping block, but Mercedes’ lineup was perhaps too segmented, and trying to fill this many niches eats away at profitability. From a dollars-and-cents standpoint, this all makes sense. You’ll forgive us if we’re a bit saddened by the news, however. — Nathan Petroelje

Skoda’s big skid sets new world records

Intake: A Skoda crossover has entered the record books after drifting continuously for 4.568 miles across a frozen lake in Sweden. The Skoda Enyaq iV VRS SUV can now claim to have achieved “The Longest Continuous Vehicle Drift on Ice” and “The Longest Continuous Vehicle Drift on Ice (electric vehicle).” Watched over by a representative from Guinness World Records, British journalist Dickie Meaden was able to slide the Skoda for over 15 minutes, beating a previous record set in China in 2022 by Wang Dongjang in a Subaru WRX. The only modification made to the 300-hp electric record-setter was the fitting of studded winter tires, and over five days of sub-zero testing, more than 18 hours were spent drifting.

Exhaust: Skoda still has a long way to go to achieve the overall EV drift record of 26.2 miles set by a Porsche Taycan on a German skid pad in 2022, but it’s still quite an achievement. Evo’s Meaden and Skoda previously paired up in 2011 to set a Southern Californian Timing Association (SCTA) Land Speed Record for a 2.0-liter forced induction production car at 227.080 mph at Bonneville in an Octavia vRS sedan. How times have changed. — Nik Berg

Harley riding a wave to higher shares

Intake: Harley-Davidson reported higher-than-expected quarterly profit today, said Reuters. Shares in the company rose nine percent in pre-market trade after the results were released. Harley said it expects revenue to grow in 2023. The manufacturer has either beaten or met Wall Street earnings forecasts for the previous seven quarters, “benefiting from strong demand for leisure purchases despite high inflation dampening consumer confidence.”

Exhaust: Bike manufacturers have suffered from supply chain issues and chip shortages just like auto manufacturers, but it seems the Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson is successfully riding the wave of consumer interest in outdoor recreational activities. — SCS

Radical upgrades its most popular model

Intake: Radical Motorsport, the U.K.’s largest race car manufacturer, has upgraded its popular SR10 to SR10 XXR specifications.  As a popular motorsports country club and track day car, Radical has sold over 100 SR10s since the model’s introduction in 2020, with United States-based customers making up 70 percent of all orders. The 425-hp turbocharged 2.3-liter engine by Radical Performance Engines remains, and new features include an LMP-inspired center fin, lightweight alloy wheels, and high-intensity front light clusters. For drivers looking for even more weight reduction, a new carbon splitter and diffuser package is available as an option.

Exhaust: Joe Anwyll, Radical Motorsport CEO, said: The SR10 is the “fastest-selling model in our history, and a favorite with U.S. customers in particular, so we’ve been working hard to cherry-pick the best XXR model line upgrades and adding them to our best-selling car.” — SCS

Kawasaki debuts ZX4-RR KRT, giving the U.S. small-displacement four-cylinders again

Intake: In an unexpected announcement, Kawasaki announced yesterday that it will be bringing the new ZX-4RR KRT to U.S. dealers. The heart of this little terror is a liquid-cooled, DOHC, 16-valve inline-four displacing 399cc. The bore and stroke of this new engine match the last 400cc inline-four Kawi sold back in 1990. Pricing has been announced at $9,699 and deliveries are expected to start this spring.

Exhaust: Kawasaki is really asking buyers to put their money where their mouth is by bringing the ZX-4RR KRT to the states, considering it sits just under the price point of the ZX-6R. Interestingly, some features that are missing from the ZX-6R, like a quick-shifter (something the riding community keeps asking for) appear on the ZX-4RR KRT as standard. Could this convince some buyers to downsize displacement in search of faster laps? It’s likely a tough sell, but we are happy to have the option and are excited to see and hear a modern 400cc inline-four on U.S. streets and tracks. — Kyle Smith

The post Nissan’s convertible EV, Mercedes trims its lineup, Harley shares up appeared first on Hagerty Media.

CEO declares Harley-Davidson on track to be “an all-electric brand”

Intake: In an interview with Dezeen, Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz didn’t mince words as he laid out that the American brand is on a defined, long-term plan to phase out internal-combustion engines from its lineup in lieu of electric motors. While criticism is likely to come hard and fast, Zeitz looks at Harley-Davidson‘s history as an inspiration for the move. “If you look at the past 120 years, the company has always evolved, never stood still,” he said in the interview. “Now, like the founders did at the time by trying to reinvent or invent something unique, that’s obviously something that we as a company brand need to do as well.” All signs point to this shift taking a decade or more, but Zeitz says that it’s doable if the company focuses on targeting more than just its core customer.

Exhaust: This move is initially confusing to everyone and only gets more puzzling for those in the know. Harley-Davidson developed and produced an electric motorcycle—the LiveWire— in 2018 only to spin it off to its own brand. Was the consumer base just not ready yet, or has something significant in the boardroom changed in the last year since LVWR went public via SPAC acquisition? We don’t have an answer right now, but H-D is clearly looking to court new buyers and demographics. We expect this announcement to alienate some of the brand’s core buyers, though. — Kyle Smith

General Motors hints at a mini electric pickup

Intake: GM on Wednesday showed select members of the media a design for a small, electric pickup, smaller even than the Ford Maverick, says Automotive News. “The automaker is considering a two-door pickup with a 4- to 4.5-foot-long bed and low roofline. The vehicle would be part of GM’s lineup of affordable EVs priced under $30,000,” the publication said, calling it “futuristic and sporty,” adjectives which remind us of the original Subaru Brat.

Exhaust: No name or building plans were revealed, but the trucklet would presumably be part of the Chevrolet lineup. It would certainly have minimal competition in that market niche. — Steven Cole Smith

Megarexx Trucks shows off Super-Duty-based MegaRaptor 7

Intake: Megarexx Trucks, a North Carolina shop specializing in custom Super Duty trucks, is offering a monster off-road SUV built from a Ford F-250 that picks up where the Excursion left off. Although it starts with a pickup, Megarexx integrates the bed and cab and mounts a third row of seats in the back to accommodate up to seven passengers and produce the Megarexx. The third-row seats are flanked by a rectangular tube rollbar and are covered by a removable fiberglass shell. Its solid-axle suspension rides on King shocks and lift springs which provide clearance for 46-inch tires thanks to the custom flared bodywork.

Exhaust: We’re pretty sure a heavy, solid axle and 46-inch Michelins won’t handle high-speed desert running as well as a Raptor’s fully independent suspension and 37-inch rubber, although this will easily out-pull its F-150 namesake thanks to its 6.7-liter turbodiesel powerplant. The Megarexx’s length and width will limit its trail capability, which is a shame: Those 46-inch tires would make easy work out of all but the tallest ledges and rocks. The market for these huge SUV creations is likely pretty small, but now that niche appears to be filled. — Brandan Gillogly 

Celebrity supercar sale: Toto’s F40 or Rod’s Countach?

Intake: Two red Italian thoroughbreds with famous owners are up for grabs. From the stable of the Prancing Horse is a 1990 Ferrari F40, fresh from the collection of Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff. The car has covered only 3440 miles from new, was originally delivered to a buyer in Spain, and was completely overhauled under Wolff’s care by Autofficina Bonini Carlo S.r.l. in Italy. It comes with Ferrari’s Red Book Classiche certification that confirms its originality and is being offered by British dealership Tom Hartley Junior.

Meanwhile, another seller is hoping to flip a 1977 Lamborghini Countach LP400 that was owned for many years by Sir Rod Stewart. The Scottish singer bought the rare Periscopio model new and had it delivered to Australia, where he was on tour at the time. When Stewart moved to Los Angeles, he took the car with him and decided to make some modifications. With the help of Albert Madikian Engineering, it received a widebody kit and a targa roof. Stewart returned to the U.K. in 1987 and the car stayed with him until 2002. Since then it has been converted to left-hand drive and its body returned to factory specification. A year ago, the car sold in Paris for a record $940,919, but with an estimate of €950,000 to €1,050,000 ($1.03M–$1.14M) it’s likely to set a new ceiling for an auctioned Countach when it hits the block at RM Sotheby’s in February.

Exhaust: The somewhat cynical sale of Stewart’s Countach is yet another example of classic cars as commodities. The current owner likely bought the one-of-157 Periscopio as an investment, and it looks like it will pay off. We wish owners of such exotica would be more like Toto, who kept his F40 for 15 years, or Rod, who cherished his Countach for a quarter of a century. — Nik Berg

Virginia governor turns away Ford battery plant

Intake: Glenn Youngkin, Virginia’s Republican governor, has nixed the possible construction of a battery plant in his state, a plant that may have employed 2500 people, because the Ford project would be in conjunction with CATL, the world’s largest EV battery producer, and CATL is a Chinese company. “Youngkin’s administration has previously characterized the project as a ‘front’ for the Chinese Communist Party that would raise national security concerns,” said the Associated Press. His Democratic opponents disagree. “Virginia House Democratic Leader Don Scott made the case Thursday that Youngkin should try to reverse course and salvage the project. ‘He wanted to make headlines by calling Ford—Ford—a front for China. And who’s paying the price? Twenty-five hundred hard-working Virginians,’” Scott said.

Exhaust: For Ford’s part, a spokesperson says the company continues to explore possibilities for the plant elsewhere. The rest pretty much speaks for itself. — SCS

Ford will pay you to cancel your Bronco order

Intake: Ford is experiencing such demand for the new Bronco that the company is offering a $2500 incentive for you to cancel your 2023 Bronco order and buy something else, such as an Escape, Bronco Sport, Edge, Explorer, Expedition, Ranger, or F-150. CarsDirect.com says the deal covers new orders for the replacement vehicles, not vehicles that are already in stock.

Exhaust: Ford, with the new Bronco and Maverick pickup, has a unique problem: It can’t fill all the orders. We doubt that a $2500 incentive will make many Bronco customers who are in line for the SUV to drop their order, but it’s a unique idea. — SCS

The post Harley-Davidson’s electric future, GM ponders mini electric pickup, Ford will pay you to cancel your Bronco order appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Ram’s Revolution electric truck will offer a gas-powered range extender

Intake: At a round table event during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares confirmed that the forthcoming Ram Revolution electric pickup will offer a gas-powered range extender, according to Car and Driver. Rumors of the range extender surfaced as early as last February, when EVPulse sat down with Ram CEO Mike Koval Jr. and first heard about such a plan. Not every Ram Revolution will come with the extender, but it looks like it will be an option for those who may be concerned about their truck’s overall range or what will happen to that range if they try to tow anything of substance, which substantially reduces an electric truck’s range. Information on the range extender itself was scant, but don’t expect some big Hemi V-8 to be pressed into service here; we might be talking about an engine smaller than that used in any other Stellantis product so as not to impede the available space of the Revolution EV, like the trick pass-through that extends from the frunk all the way through the cabin out the back of the bed.

Exhaust: Ram hasn’t made available any details on torque, power, or range for its new EV, but the mere fact that it’s choosing to ponder a range extender lends credence to Ram’s claim that the Revolution will be “the leader in a combination of areas customers care about the most: range, towing, payload and charge time.” The Chevy Silverado EV, the GMC Hummer, Ford’s F-150 Lightning, and Rivian’s R1T all go without a range extender, so perhaps this is Ram’s idea of a unique selling proposition. — Nathan Petroelje

Mercedes to bankroll 10,000 chargers

Intake: Mercedes-Benz announced Thursday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that it plans to roll out a global network of 10,000 high-speed battery chargers powered by green energy. The rollout will begin this year in the U.S. and Canada and expand to Europe, China, and other major markets by the decade’s end, says Automotive News. Unlike Tesla’s network of more than 40,000 Superchargers, the Mercedes chargers will be open to other automakers’ vehicles “from the outset.” Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius said, “This is about adoption. “We want to give Mercedes customers around the world yet another reason to join us on the journey towards electrification.”

Exhaust: Mercedes plans to go all-electric by 2030 and investing in chargers seems like a smart way to spend money. Mercedes and MN8 Energy will invest about $1 billion in the North American network over the next six to seven years. “We believe this is a bankable asset,” Källenius said. “This is something that you will be able to monetize when you come out of the investment phase.” — Steven Cole Smith

Dodge “Last Call” performance festival will celebrate the end of the Hemi era

Intake: A “Last Call” event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 20, 2023, will usher in the seventh and final of the brand’s “Last Call” commemorative models that signal an end of Hemi-powered muscle cars from Dodge. The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept will be on hand to symbolize the passing of the torch from Hemi to EV power. “The Dodge ‘Last Call’ event will be a celebration of Dodge performance,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand’s chief executive officer. “While the ‘Last Call’ special-edition model we will reveal at Las Vegas and the electrified Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept represent different performance eras for our brand, both are linked by a commitment to delivering the Brotherhood of Muscle a vehicle that drives like a Dodge, looks like a Dodge and sounds like a Dodge. No matter the era, Dodge will always be about muscle, attitude, and performance, and that’s what this event will celebrate.”

Exhaust: The previous six “Last Call” models—the Dodge Challenger Shakedown, Dodge Charger Super Bee, Dodge Challenger and Charger Scat Pack Swinger, Dodge Charger King Daytona, and Dodge Challenger Black Ghost—have all been noteworthy and instant collectibles. The final car is bound to be something truly special, as Mopar has not let its muscle car fans down lately. We can’t even venture a guess as to what might be in store, as Mopar has resurrected most of the greatest muscle car trims and options this side of mod tops. — Brandan Gillogly

Heat belts could be the hottest in-car tech of 2023

Intake: Auto parts supplier ZF, which makes everything from transmissions to autonomous valet parking systems, has a new way to warm drivers and passengers of electric vehicles without sapping precious range. The Heat Belt, as the name suggests, is a heated seat belt with built-in conductive wires that can warm up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s been designed to be compatible with existing restraint systems, and, when used in combination with a heated seat and steering wheel, ZF claims it could improve EV winter range by up to 15 percent. Directly warming the body instead of the cabin air is more energy efficient and it would also encourage drivers to shed bulky winter coats, making for a better and safer seatbelt fit.

Exhaust: It’s not the first time the idea has been floated, with Mercedes-Benz showing a version in 2019, but the exponential rise in EVs now makes it all the more appealing. ZF doesn’t have any confirmed customers for the Heat Belt yet but says it would cost the same as adding heat to a steering wheel. For EV drivers in cold climes, it could be a game changer. — Nik Berg

More than 2000 motorcycles up for auction at Mecum’s upcoming Las Vegas sale

Intake: Even as Mecum Auctions’ Kissimmee event is underway in Florida with over 4000 vehicles, the Wisconsin-based company announced that it’s also hard at work readying a Las Vegas auction January 24–28 with more than 2000 motorcycles consigned. The auction will take place at South Point Hotel and Casino, and will feature a number of collections, perhaps most notably one from Mike Wolfe’s “As Found” inventory. Wolfe, of the TV show American Pickers, will be selling 70 barn-find cycles at Mecum’s 32nd annual Vintage & Antique Motorcycle Auction.

Exhaust: Also up for grabs: The BMW Centennial Selection from the Black Forest Collection, and Jim’s Forever Collection from Ohio-based Harley-Davidson dealer Jim Godwin. More information is available at Mecum.com. — SCS
 

The post Ram’s EV will offer gas range extender, Mercedes bets big on chargers, heated seat belts: so hot right now appeared first on Hagerty Media.

In recent months the United States military has supplied a variety of weapons and equipment to the Ukrainian war effort. Motorbikes have not featured on the list, but things were very different 70 years ago during World War II, when the two-wheeled equivalent of the Jeep was Harley-Davidson’s WLA, a 742cc V-twin that was derived from a popular civilian model, the WL45.

The WLA military bike—and the closely related WLC, built for Canadian troops—entered production in 1942 and were also supplied to forces including those of Britain, the USSR, and even China. During the conflict Harley built an estimated 90,000 of the robust V-twins, many of which were later converted to civilian specification by removal of parts including the blackout lights and leather gun-scabbard.

The 45, named after its engine capacity in cubic inches, dated back to 1928 and was a simple “side-valve” V-twin with cylinders set at Harley’s traditional 45-degree angle. In 1937 it was revamped to create the W45, notably with a new lubrication system that replaced the crude total-loss design. Harley’s L was factory code for high performance but, despite its increased compression ratio, the WL produced only about 24 hp.

Harley recommenced production after the war with few updates, so the WL still had a simple three-speed gearbox, with a hand lever and foot-operated clutch. Its chassis was similarly old-school, featuring springer front forks and no rear suspension. The “hard-tail” Harley relied on its sprung saddle and fat rear tire to isolate its rider from bumps.

This neatly restored bike was built in 1949, the year the WL’s front suspension was updated with a new Girdraulic damping system, in place of the simple friction damper used previously. The improved control this gave was doubtless welcomed by riders at the time, but riding the WL confirms that any resemblance to the traditionally styled V-twins produced in Milwaukee these days is purely visual.

A modern Harley fires up with a touch of its starter button, clunks into gear with a tap of the left boot, and pulls away as easily as any new bike. Not so the WL. When cold, it required numerous jabs at the kick-starter, some with full choke and others with the lever half-on, before it finally came to life with a low-pitched chuffing through its single silencer.

That was the easy bit: The WL’s foot-operated clutch ensured that years of motorcycling experience gave poor preparation for riding this one. After adjusting the ignition advance-retard lever on the left handlebar, I engaged the clutch with a press of my left boot, then selected first gear by pulling back on the lever to the left of the gas tank. I dialed in a few revs with the conventionally placed twist-grip, then slowly released the clutch by pushing down with my left heel, until the Harley started creeping forward …

And suddenly I was away, clutch kicked fully home and throttle wound back further, changing into second with another shuffle of my left foot and a firm push forward of the gear lever. The revs rose slowly—I reached for the lever again to change into top. By now the WL was doing about 50 mph, I had both hands back on the wide bars and was bouncing gently up and down on the sprung saddle as the Harley chugged along, feeling smooth and stable.

Riding an old foot-clutch bike like this certainly takes some getting used to, and the learning is best done far from other vehicles. After a morning spent pottering along some deserted Hampshire lanes, I was sufficiently confident to pull away, change gear, and stop without worries. But I wouldn’t have fancied venturing into town without more practice.

The clutch was the most difficult part. Especially when I needed to pull away and turn left at the same time—for example, when leaving a T-junction. Provided I remained positive, it was okay. But if for any reason I’d changed my mind while pulling away and leaning to the left, I’d have been in trouble; simultaneously disengaging the clutch and putting my left foot on the ground would have been impossible.

Once under way, things were much more normal. The short first gear meant that the change up to second was best accomplished almost immediately, and the WL was torquey enough to pull fairly smoothly, though very gently, in third (top) from as little as 30 mph. So at that speed I could select top with another push of the lever, then forget about the clutch and enjoy the ride.

More aggression was needed to make quick progress because, despite its respectable engine capacity and abundant charisma, a Harley 45 is not a fast motorcycle. The WL cruised happily with 60 mph showing on its big, tank-mounted speedometer, feeling pleasantly smooth and relaxed, but by 65 mph was feeling breathless and approaching its limit.

That’s not surprising, because W-series bikes were never noted for their speed. Indian’s rival, 45-cubic-inch V-twins were faster and lighter. The WL’s chassis also received criticism when new, but I was relieved to find that this bike’s relatively modern tires helped give better handling than it would have had back then.

In fact the WL steered nicely, helped by its wide handlebars. Considering their age, the forks did a good job of soaking up bumps. Even the unsprung rear end coped surprisingly well. It was a strange sensation to rock gently up and down in the saddle, conscious that the Harley was bucking beneath me—though on one occasion I was jolted back to reality when the seat spring bottomed painfully on a pothole.

This bike’s brakes are not its best feature. The feeble front drum, in particular, makes even the WL’s modest performance seem plenty. The larger rear brake had more power, but the need to lift my right foot off the board to reach the lever increased stopping distance and reduced control.

One thing the WL does have going for it, which helped make its reputation, is reliability. The Harley might not have been as quick as Indian’s 45s, but it was far more robust—which of course had been a vital attribute when it was modified to become the WLA and put to the ultimate test.

Despite its ability to carry a rifle or machine gun (plus a box of ammunition on the sturdy rear rack) the WLA was generally used for courier work, scouting, and transportation, rather than in combat. But it was popular with its riders, served with distinction throughout, and earned the nickname “Liberator” during the Allied advance in 1945.

After WWII, many returning U.S. servicemen bought surplus WLAs at bargain prices. Some “bobbed” or “chopped” them with cut-down fenders or longer forks, putting the 45 at the heart of the booming biker scene. By Harley-Davidson standards the WL was not particularly large or powerful, but few Milwaukee models have been as versatile—or as widely admired.

***

1949 Harley-Davidson WL45

Highs: The challenge and V-twin character

Lows: Traffic, until you’ve mastered the clutch

Takeaway: It has style and a unique place in history

—

Price: Project, $12,400; nice ride, $16,900; showing off, $35,800

Engine: Air-cooled side-valve V-twin

Capacity: 742 cc

Maximum power: 24 hp @ 4000rpm

Weight: 573 pounds without fluids

Top speed: 65 mph

Via Hagerty UK

The post A wartime relic, Harley Davidson’s WL45 calls for a cool head appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Welcome back to the Hagerty Bull Market List, our annual deep dive into the collector cars (and bikes) climbing the value ranks. This vehicle is one of 11 chosen for the 2023 installment of the List. To see the other 10, click here. 

Among the many American motorcycle manufacturers that existed before World War II, Harley-Davidson emerged a victorious survivor. It was with its first production overhead-valve motorcycle, the 1936 E/ES/EL (later known as the Knucklehead due to the shape of the valve rocker covers) that Harley sealed that victory. With that series, the company set out to fix the problems and the dirty image of previous motorcycles, such as the side-valve models with their total-loss oil systems that dumped the black stuff on the roadway. Harley turned to overhead valves and 61 cubic inches to create a cross-country touring machine.

The Knucklehead was available in three versions from 1936 to ’38: The E, with 37 horsepower; the ES, for sidecar use; and the EL—the “hot” version—with 40 horsepower due to higher compression. When buyers saw more horsepower, they paid for it, and in 1938, Harley dropped the E model from the lineup. That makes an E Knucklehead one of the rarest and most desirable models today.

The war ended civilian production for a time, and the last of the Knuckles was produced in 1947, before the new bike, later referred to as the Panhead (the valve covers looked like pie pans) was introduced in 1948.

Throw a leg over this low and long cruiser and understand what freedom and rebellion meant when your grandfather was in knee pants. Once you get it kick-started—that can be a workout when the bike is cold or, indeed, hot—the engine does the classic potato-potato while your bottom settles into the single seat like it’s a leather diaper. A brace of springs underneath (along with the balloon tires) serves as your only real isolation from the road. It’s an iron machine for iron riders, not heavy by today’s standards or even very fast, but boy does it make an entrance. Gear selection is via a shifter next to the tank, while the clutch and brake controls all reside in unfamiliar locations. Even if you’re a veteran of the twist-and-lean, it’s best to do your first miles on this one in a parking lot, away from traffic.

The Knucklehead is a bike that bends the norms in a market that is underappreciated by younger buyers. However, the motorcycle market doesn’t act like the car market. Although 1940s cars aren’t blossoming, 1940s American bikes have strong appeal to a surprisingly youthful audience, making them sound investments. The main competitor to the Knucklehead is the 1940–53 Indian Chief, a swooping beauty whose value is nearly a third of what a Knucklehead brings. The Harley brand itself is the difference; Hagerty data shows that the brand resonates far more with the younger audience, and a Knucklehead owner is more than twice as likely to be a millennial or Gen Z than is an Indian Chief owner. And they’re actually likely to quote a Knucklehead at a value higher than a boomer four out of five times. Surprise, there’s something about that sensory experience and mechanical art that younger buyers love. Go ahead—ride one and you’ll understand.

***

1938 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead

Highs: A solid and stolid hunk of genuine Americana; quicker than just about any car you could have from 1938; consistent youth appeal means the long-term investment prospects look bright.

Lows: No push-button start; can be as cantankerous as any 80-year-old; unfamiliar controls from before everything was standardized.

Price range: #1 – $143,000  #2 – $101,000  #3 – $68,800  #4 – $46,600

HAGERTY AUTO INTELLIGENCE SAYS:

Harley-Davidson resonates with enthusiasts of all ages, and this interest propels the Knucklehead to a starring role among WWII-era motorcycles. Knucklehead owners are nearly three times more likely than Indian Chief owners to be under 45 years old. And those younger enthusiasts aren’t bottom-feeding—they are insuring Knuckleheads for 15 percent more than boomers. Young buyers clearly preferring one model over another and paying more for it? A recipe for success in a market that would be shocked to see them reaching for anything other than sport bikes and supercars.

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Vehicle enthusiasts tend to remember the ’80s as an era when manufacturers slowly found their way from the prior decade’s malaise while simultaneously striving to meet ever-stringent safety and environmental regulations. That’s painting with a bit of a broad brush, though: If you take a look at the two-wheeled world, the ’80s were some of the best times ever for cheap and powerful fun. Japanese brands began selling race bikes for the street, turbocharging engines, and seeing dramatic improvements in outright performance. Access to these thrills could be yours for about a third of the price of a contemporary Honda Accord.

Now, as back then, motorcycles from this era represent an incredible bang for the enthusiast’s buck. In contrast to the uptick in hype and valuation for Radwood-era cars, ’80s bikes, with some exceptions, have yet to see a dramatic valuation spike. Other eras of motorcycles, old and new, draw more attention. For instance, Millennials love 1940s Harleys, and retro-modern bikes from early 2000s are some of the strongest performers of late. Let’s take a look at some of the best bike offerings from the ’80s and why they’re worth your attention.

1985 Yamaha V-Max

#3 condition (“Good,” or daily rider) value: $4300

For $4300 you can get the first, most recognizable, and highly rated muscle-bike ever made. 1985 wasn’t a time when bike manufacturers were going easy. Debuting that year, the V-Max is a prime example: a 143-hp V-4 shoved in a naked bike frame with unforgettable looks to produce the most powerful cruiser made to date. Add to that a four-gallon gas tank so it only has a 100-mile range when pushing it. Unapologetic fun and character defined the V-Max. Thanks to a 35-year production run with minimal visual changes, there are tons of these personality-rich bikes available, and that plentiful supply means the V-Max is a muscle-bike bargain that can’t be beat. Go for the 1980s version, it’s that much cooler.

1986 Suzuki GSX-R1100

#3 condition value: $6300

The mid-1980s sportbike craze created some true legends, and those bikes now sit at surprisingly low values compared to chrome-adorned bikes from previous eras. The plastic fairings that helped define the aero sportbike look have longstanding appeal within the niche, but the trait has yet to gain mainstream collector love, with the exception of Japanese homologation specials, like the Yamaha OW01 and Honda RC30, and icons like the Ducati 916.

As a result, values for bikes like the more mass-produced yet still race-bred and monumentally fast GSX-R are trending upward but remain reasonable. Considering these bikes are the ’80s exotics of the bike world, $6300 will get you a lot of bike, even if it might have a couple cracked plastic pieces. On the note of plastics, you’ve found the holy grail if you come across a GSX-R with original, uncracked panels: Most have been laid down at some point.

1984 Kawasaki GPZ-900

#3 condition value: $5300

Top Gun helped make the GPZ-900 famous when Tom Cruise’s Maverick raced his alongside F-14s and, later, F-18s. You can ride the same bike for a mere $5300. That price is shocking given the GPZ’s performance, but perhaps more importantly, this was the first Ninja—the bike that put Kawasaki posters up in rooms of aspiring riders around the world. Its attractive, stripped-down look bridges the gap between the earlier, full-naked bikes and the later, fully-faired models, and it’s a joy to both cruise on and push hard. Thanks to a smooth, liquid-cooled inline four and Japanese reliability (and a strong parts supply), the GPZ can thrive in modern day riding while keeping up with modern bikes costing twice as much. With all the GPZ-900 has going for it, it’s surprisingly cheap.

1987 Ducati 851

#3 condition value: $8400

The Ducati 851 is one of the most important successes in the brand’s history. Sporting Ducati’s first water-cooled engine and first four-valve-per-cylinder head along with excellent riding dynamics, the 851 was a gem in its own right and paved the way for hits like the 916 and 998. Despite its importance, the 851 stands in the shadow of the later Ducati 916 (which can be forgiven, as the 916 is known as one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever made). If you want some Italian verve for less money—about $8400 for a daily rider—in the 851 you can have Ducati’s first modern day superbike and a visceral riding experience that is tough to match.

1982 Harley-Davidson FXRS Super Glide II

#3 condition value: $5800

Harley-Davidson had a tough time finding its way in the 1980s, but once it broke away from AMF, radical machines returned. The FXRS Super Glide II came out in 1982 to a mixed reception: Consumers thought it lacked the bad-boy Harley appeal and wouldn’t look out of place on a Japanese brand’s showroom floor. The FXRS was simply early for its time, however. It ended up being the basis for the successful, lightweight, stripped down cruiser known as the Dyna. Today values sit at $5800 for a #3 condition FXRS. That’s an appealing entry point for a bike that will stand out at Harley gatherings and command the respect today that it didn’t get in the ’80s.

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Happy weekend! We will taking a break from The Manifold on Monday, July 4, to light backyard grills, inflate inner tubes, help pets cope with fireworks, and cruise in our classics before returning to our regularly scheduled programming on Tuesday. 

FTC opens complaint against Harley-Davidson for Right to Repair violation

Intake: The FTC has put pressure on Harley-Davidson regarding its warranty language in regards to the use of independent dealers for parts or service. The concept of restricting service to authorized dealers to maintain full warranty coverage is not new, but 1975’s Magnuson Moss Warranty Act Section (110(c) (2) forbade manufacturers to write such “tie-in sales” into their warranties, along with “any other provisions that state or imply that a consumer must buy or use an item or service from a particular company to keep their warranty coverage.” Interestingly, the FTC also was vocal about Harley-Davidson failing to fully disclose all of the terms of its warranty in a single document, which required consumers to contact an authorized dealership for full details. The FTC is asking the Milwaukee brand to come clean with consumers, prohibit future offenses, and recognize the consumers’ right to repair their bikes. The FTC can also seek civil penalties of up to $46,517 per violation in federal court should another violation occur.

Exhaust: Right to Repair legislation has been hotly contested in recent years, with brands like John Deere taking very strong stances against consumers or independent dealers being able to access parts, tools, or software required to maintain their vehicles. The warranty language that put Harley-Davidson in violation of FTC regulations is an easy fix on paper, but it might take time for all consumers to understand exactly what is allowed per the warranty. — Kyle Smith

Sorry, you can’t buy Hot Wheels’ latest, raddest truck

Intake: Earlier this week, Hot Wheels debuted its 1990 Chevrolet 454 SS casting and it sold out in mere minutes. Sorry shoppers, this version of the muscle truck won’t be found on grocery store pegs, as it was only made available to Red Line Club members. Club cars are basically deluxe versions of regular edition releases, often featuring a metal body and chassis, rubber tires, and an opening hood. True to form, Mattel’s latest pickup has it all, and you can open the hood to reveal a miniature version of Chevy’s Mark IV 454 cubic-inch big block engine. The paint, which is also a cut above that of your typical dollar Hot Wheel, matches the Sport Equipment Package paint found on the real-life power pickup. Red-tipped axles and “BLK RAT” on the license plate—which alludes to the powerplant’s period nickname—complete the miniature marvel.

Exhaust: Much like the full-size Chevrolet 454 SS pickup, your opportunity to buy one from the dealer has come and gone. The 1/64th-scale truck’s rapid sellout was to be expected, though. Red Line Club offers always require a quick mouse finger. Over the past 10 years, die-cast collectors have swooned over Mattel’s Chevrolet pickup castings, including the 1967 C10 and the 1983 Silverado. Add in the fact that this particular mold has never been used before, and you have a recipe for scarcity. If you missed the boat on buying one from Mattel’s site, preorder confirmations are up for auction on eBay (since the truck hasn’t shipped yet), but be forewarned, the markup is insane. For those who wish to be a bit more patient—and maybe don’t need the luxe Red Line version—Hot Wheels has a history of using Red Line Club castings multiple times, in future club releases and/or regular editions. Happy hunting. — Cameron Neveu

Porsche, USAC to host Time Attack event in September at Indy

Intake: Porsche and the USAC sanctioning body have announced Porsche Time Attack North America, which will debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway September 2-4. Says Porsche: “Time Attack is a timed motorsport event where a single car laps the track for the quickest time. The car which sets the fastest lap time wins the event. The sport has become a popular way for drivers to focus on precision driving, maximizing performance without the risk of contact with another car or the expenses associated with GT and sports car racing.” You can enter any Porsche-built race car, in factory specifications, with the exception of current model year Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport machines. The initial Porsche Time Attack will be at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during Labor Day weekend’s Porsche Sports Car Together Fest. Competitors get two practice sessions on Saturday, followed by two timed events Sunday to determine the overall winner.

Exhaust: Time Attack has become popular in Sports Car Club of America events, as well as with other clubs, as a way to race against each other without the risk and liability of side-by-side racing. You’re competing against the clock, similar to autocross, but on a much larger, faster stage. We assume Porsche will announce future Time Attack events soon if Indianapolis goes well. — Steven Cole Smith

Chevy’s first Silverado EV prototype hits Michigan streets

Intake: Ford’s F-150 Lightning is already reaching customer driveways, and in downtown Detroit, Chevy is rushing to catch up. The bowtie’s first Silverado EV engineering prototype has begun testing on the roadways and first roads of GM’s Milford Proving Grounds. The Ultium-based pickup promises a Chevy-estimated 400 miles of range with its largest 24-module battery pack, as well as the ability to power smaller electronics that can plug into receptacles in the bed and the crew cab. Two configurations of the Silverado EV will be offered at launch—the stylish RST, and a modest WT (Work Truck) configuration. (Don’t expect that to be the commercial configuration, however; Chevrolet is promising a “fleet model” later on that can pull up to 20,000 pounds.) Chevy says that the Silverado WT will offer 8000 pounds of towing capacity (300 pounds more than the standard-range Lightning) and 1200 pounds of payload, while the RST will be able to tow 10,000 pounds and carry around 1300 on-board. The Silverado WT is scheduled to arrive to customers next spring, with the fully loaded RST version arriving fall of next year. Once those models are at dealer lots and customer driveways, Chevy plans to expand the Silverado EV line with a Trail Boss model and more.

Exhaust: GM Research recently conducted a survey of reservation holders—more than 140,000 as of this April—and found that 95 percent of those customers plan to use their Silverado EV for daily driver duties. The survey also revealed that most clients felt confident that the pickup would be sufficient for their “truck needs” such as towing/hauling (87 percent) and off-roading (72 percent). Between the neat Multi-Flex midgate folding wall at the front of the bed and the stout range estimates, we’re not surprised to learn that future Silverado EV owners aren’t just scooping this truck as driveway decoration. — Nate Petroelje

Ducati V21L bike revealed, time crunch begins to supply MotoE grid for ’23

Intake: Racing’s MotoE class is a spec affair that stocks its 18-bike grid with bikes supplied from a single manufacturer. For 2023, that OEM will be Ducati, an interesting candidate considering the MotoE racer is the first electric bike the Bologna-based brand has made. The prototype was finally revealed this week, packing 150 hp and 103 lb-ft of torque in a 496-pound package. That weight sounds porky, but it is 26.5 pounds lighter than the minimum weight imposed by MotoE organizers FIM and Dorna. Testing should begin very soon and Ducati claims this is just one more step towards a production electric motorcycle for consumers.

Exhaust: The timeline for creating this machine has been as aggressive as the riders preparing to pilot these new machines on track next year. To meet those deadlines, Ducati has had to tap into an outside knowledge base: Thankfully, it’s owned by Volkswagen Group and can utilize the experience and development the giant has invested in its “New Auto” 2030 strategy. Likely the biggest challenge Ducati faced was designing an adequate cooling system and battery management system. Right now Ducati claims that the battery can be charged immediately upon coming off track, and in just 45 minutes will be at 80 percent capacity. We like the sound of that. — KS

Drako’s 2000-hp Dragon is here to slay your Urus

Intake: Silicon Valley EV startup Drako Motors says its new Dragon electric hyper SUV will have 2000 horsepower, reach 60 mph from rest in 1.9 seconds, and max out beyond 200 mph. “Designed and built to redefine the way the world thinks about automotive performance, style, and luxury, the Dragon is an entirely new kind of hypercar—one that wasn’t possible until now,” announced the company, choosing to ignore the Lotus Eletre. “Drako needs no gimmicks for the Dragon,” say the makers of this giant SUV with gullwing doors. Powered by the firm’s DriveOS Quad Motor powertrain, which has already been proven in its $1.2M GTE coupe, the Dragon has been designed by former Ferrari and Maserati designer Lowie Vermeersch at his Italian GranStudio.

Exhaust: It might be very clever, from an engineering perspective, but does another gigantic, heavy, and ludicrously-powerful EV for a handful of billionaires really enrich the automotive world? If hyper-performance is truly the goal, then the lightweight McMurtry Speirling is proof that there’s another way forward. — Nik Berg

V-12 Z3M isn’t the only M project too crazy for production

Intake: In 2022 BMW’s M Division is celebrating 50 years of making the most sizzling sedans but some of its engineers’ ideas were simply too hot for production, as a new YouTube video reveals. Actually, the first car shown in the film was designed as a cooler version of the E34 M5—with two doors and a convertible top. Complete with clever integration of the seatbelts in the headrests to avoid spoiling the car’s lines, a cavernous trunk space, and a manual transmission, this fast four-seater would have been a credible rival for the Mercedes-AMG E-Class in its day. Next up is one of the most extreme engine swaps we’ve seen: The M guys somehow squeezed a V-12 into a Z3M Roadster. “Complete overkill” is how Hans Rahn, head of vehicle prototyping describes it. Rahn says it is rather nose-heavy and “brutal,” so it’s not so surprising that this one didn’t make it into production. For the last car on show Rahn says the M Division “really pushed the envelope” to create an M8 version of the E31 8 Series. With lightweight composite body panels and a 640-hp engine from the brand’s Le Mans racer, this one-off creation shows what happens when the M people are truly let loose. Enjoy the film.

Exhaust: It’s great that BMW is giving us a look behind the M curtain, but it just makes us yearn for what might have been. Adding salt to the wound is the fact that the latest cars to come out of this German skunkworks are completely inaccessible. The upcoming M3 Touring won’t be available in the U.S.A. at all, while the 3.0 CSL Hommage will be limited to just 50 units worldwide and priced beyond sense. — NB

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Harley-Davidson suspends production, shipping of all models except Livewire

Intake: According to a statement on Harley Davidson’s website Thursday, the Milwaukee company is suspending production and shipping of all combustion-powered motorcycles due to a “regulatory compliance matter” with a part from third-party supplier. Production of its sub-brand’s electric offering, the Livewire One, continues unaffected.

Exhaust: While the short statement is vague, we’re guessing that the halt that this is tied to emissions compliance. With the lack of a recall or stop-sale announcement, and the continuation of Livewire production, we don’t expect that the combustion-powered models are suddenly failing to run, drive, turn, or stop. If its bikes are suddenly failing to comply with emissions regulations, calling a halt wouldn’t be an overreaction: No company wants to suffer the next version of Dieselgate, especially one like Harley-Davidson, which is working hard to reconcile the desires of traditional buyers with its desperate need to attract a new audience.

Russell Built’s Safari Sportsman is a measured, reversible approach to an off-road 911

Intake: Russell Built Fabrication, the small but mighty shop behind one of the original Safari 911s, has unveiled a new package for customers interested in hoisting the skirt of Stuttgart’s inimitable 964-generation coupe. The Safari Sportsman kit is based around the same NORRA Baja 500 class-winning off-road suspension setup from the shop’s original Baja 911 (see below). Whereas that car required total sacrifice of its 964 chassis, the Safari Sportsman kit is a bolt-on affair that Russell Built says will allow customers to return their 964 to stock, should they choose. Opt for the Safari Sportsman kit, and you’ll get a thoroughly reworked suspension system with billet aluminum uprights, heavy-duty hubs, billet tie-rods and strut mounts, custom struts front and rear, skid plates to protect the underbody, and much, much more. All told, the kit will run you $135,000 including installation, a full paint job, and commission-specific tuning.

Exhaust: One of the dirty secrets about many of these wildly modified safari builds is that they lose much of the original form factor during the upfitting process. One look at the white Baja 911 makes it clear that committing to that sort of desert-demolishing excellence is a permanent decision. Kudos to T.J. Russell and his team, then, for designing a package like the Safari Sportsman that allows clients the option to get their dirt on while still offering a way out if it’s not quite their style. That said, we don’t expect too many reversion work orders to arrive; this kit looks fantastic and we’re sure those who spring for it will be too busy getting sideways in the desert to ponder what once was.

Prodrive previews P25 Impreza resto

Intake: British race and rally firm Prodrive is set to celebrate 25 years since it built its first Subaru Impreza World Rally car. The WRC97 won the manufacturers’ championship in 1997, although flying Scotsman Colin McRae missed the drivers’ title by a single point. The rally good relationship with Subaru lasted until 2008 with Prodrive taking a total of three manufacturers’ championships and three drivers titles thanks to the talents of McRae and Richard Burns. The P25, teased by Prodrive on social media, is described as “an icon redefined” with the silhouette image suggesting it’ll be a three-door like the prodigal P1 of 2000. All will be revealed next week.

Exhaust: “Redefined” is the key word here. Will it be a luxurious Singer-style restomod or a rally recreation like the Kimera Evo37? Tune in on May 25 to find out.

F1 rejects New York as future grand prix site

Intake: Sorry, New York: It looks as though Formula 1 won’t be visiting anytime soon. Liberty Media boss Greg Maffei revealed yesterday, during a financial event in New York City, that Big Apple mayor Eric Adams offered Formula 1 the city as a potential grand prix site. Adams, who was sworn in earlier this year, proposed the use of Randalls and Wards Islands—520 acres of conjoined parkland. Since Liberty Media purchased the Formula 1 Group in 2017, the business has added Miami (2022) and Las Vegas (2023) to the season slate. And under the stewardship of Bernie Ecclestone, the world’s premier open wheel series came close to racing in New Jersey back in 2013 before plans imploded. Still, the response from Maffei was rather resolute: “I think the reality is street races in a place like New York are just very, very, very hard. Las Vegas is one of the few places in the United States you could probably get a street race done, it has a different mentality.” The boss went on to say that there were likely groups that didn’t want Formula 1 in the city and convincing those people is “probably a fight we don’t need to have.”

Exhaust: Formula 1’s rejection of New York could mean one of two things: One, we may have found the series’ ceiling for US grand prix. Any more than three stateside romps may not make financial or logistical sense for the group. Two: Remember when you tried to sit at the cool kids’ lunch table, and you could fit, if they slid over—but they simply didn’t want to? There may still be space on F1’s schedule for more U.S. dates, but not for New York’s. Given F1’s recent hot spell in the U.S., we would guess the second scenario is more likely. New York City presents some nightmarish logistics, including a requisite shut-down of Central Park, according to Maffei. Sure, Formula E has raced around the city, but those crowds are a fraction of typical F1 attendance. There’s also a chance we’re making a bigger deal of this news than we should be. It was difficult to imagine F1 coming back to the states, after the Indy GP debacle during the Aughts, but now the group is back three-fold. Stranger things have happened, but don’t hold your breath, NYC.

Bentley’s first EV will be nauseatingly quick … literally

Intake: The first pure-electric car from Bentley will pack more than twice the power of the brand’s most potent combustion engine, but the luxury brand’s boss doesn’t expect buyers to exploit its extreme performance. “You can have 0–60 mph in 2.7 seconds. Or it can be switched to 1.5 seconds,” CEO Adrian Hallmark tells Automotive News Europe. However, Hallmark adds that: “The thrill of 2.4 seconds to 60 mph is great about 10 times. Then it just becomes nauseous.” So although the new EV will be the fastest Bentley ever built, Hallmark doesn’t want that to be the car’s calling card. “For us it would not be the brutality of acceleration that can define us,” he adds. Hallmark didn’t reveal any further details on the car’s body style, but suggested pricing would be close to that of the Mulsanne, which starts above $300K. Production is due to begin in 2025.

Exhaust: Hallmark’s comments prove that, bragging rights aside, the ongoing escalation in the electric horsepower war is essentially futile. Customers are paying for a performance that’s so extreme it actually makes them sick. Hopefully the world will wise up.

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Did Honda just tease an electric NSX?

Intake: Last night, Honda unveiled a grand plan to allocate more than $40 billion towards the electrification of its entire lineup. The big H plans to launch 30 EV models globally by 2030 with annual production reaching 2 million units. Among that slew of BEVs, Honda noted that two sports models are in the works—one “specialty” model and one “flagship” vehicle. Check out that silk-covered model on the right in the teaser image above—that sure looks like an NSX to us. The company hasn’t confirmed anything officially with regards to what that swoopy creation will be called, but Acura vice president and brand officer Jon Ikeda did allude to what the NSX nameplate does for Honda/Acura in an interview with The Drive last August. “If you notice, we make an NSX when there’s something we want to say,” said Ikeda. “The first generation was gas. Second-gen was hybrid. There’s gonna be another one.”

Exhaust: Honda surely has, as Ikeda put it, “something to say” in this far-reaching announcement. The second-gen 2021 NSX features a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 aided by three electric motors—one on each of the front wheels and one for the rear wheels—with a total system output of 573 hp and 476 lb-ft of torque. The second-gen 2022 NSX Type S, meanwhile, cranks the power up to 600 hp and 492 lb-ft of torque. Naturally, we’d expect the performance numbers of an all-electric NSX to handily outclass the figures mentioned above, while perhaps leaving room for a Type S variant down the road. There’s no timeline on when an electric NSX would grace our presence, but we’re hoping it’s sooner rather than later. Now about that other shadowy figure … revamped S2000, anyone?

Harley-Davidson’s new, smaller Sportster is dubbed Nightster

Intake: Harley-Davidson revealed the Nightster today, adding to its “sport” lineup of motorcycles. The bike borrows heavily from the design of the Sportster S but packs a new, smaller version of the Revolution Max V-twin. Displacing 975cc, the new engine is liquid-cooled and features variable valve timing along with a downdraft air-intake system that improves flow through the engine. This equates to 90 horsepower and 70 pound feet of torque thrumming from a bike with a seat height of just 27.8 inches and a very narrow profile, a formula that works well for a very wide range of riders. With the gas tank now becoming the air box, fuel storage moves under the seat. That brings weight even lower in the chassis and likely will make Nightster a very nimble machine. Expect the Nightster to appear in dealer showrooms this month and be priced $2000 under the Sportster S at $13,499.

Exhaust: The Sportster S was a delight to ride, so this model has us excited for an approachable version that also appears to have lots of potential for customization.

This 850-mile Lexus LFA is poised to make a million

Intake: A 2012 Lexus LFA with just 850 miles on the odometer is rapidly racking up bids on Bring a Trailer. The car is number 235 of 500 and, despite spending time in California, Arizona, Ohio, and Florida it has covered less than 100 miles a year. Finished in Starfire Pearl with a white leather interior, featuring red and black accents, it sits on 20-inch BBS alloys, behind which you can see red Brembo calipers and carbon-ceramic rotors. The 4.8-liter V-10 engine, developed in partnership with Yamaha, is barely run-in and probably has never been stretched to its epic 9000 rpm redline. We suspect that the Aisin six-speed single-clutch automated sequential gearbox has never been asked to fire through its fastest 200-millisecond shifts and that the 552-hp car’s 3.7-second 0-to-62 mph time and 202-mph top speed have never been put to the test, either.

Exhaust: An LFA in #1 (Concours) condition, such as this almost-undriven example, is worth $988,000 right now. However, prices for Lexus’ supercar have been rocketing upward in 2022. As early as mid-2021, values for all conditions of the limited-run Nürburgring Edition cleared six figures. This base LFA is poised to tip over the million-dollar mark.

Lalique glass car mascots join National Motor Museum’s collection

Intake: A stunning collection of 28 exquisite Lalique glass car mascots has been purchased by the U.K.’s National Motor Museum Trust. With the support of grant funding from four donors, the stunning assortment becomes the first publicly owned collection of Lalique Car Mascots in the world. The mascots were previously on loan from a private owner as the centerpiece of the National Motor Museum’s “The Luxury of Motoring” exhibition. In 1928, master glassmaker René Lalique chose to celebrate the 10th anniversary of end of World War I with a car mascot called Victoire, intended to adorn the bonnets of the finest luxury motorcars of the era. Also called Spirit of the Wind, the hair of an androgynous figure is blown back by the wind. Many more followed, but for safety reasons, glass car mascots were gradually phased out through the 1930s, and Lalique transformed these figureheads into statuettes with a base so they could serve as paper weights or bookends. According to the museum, the seller was an avid fisherman and began his Lalique collection with the figure of the perch, and it took six years for him to acquire all 28 pieces.

Exhaust: Lalique’s stunning work represents an era when car mascots were the ultimate luxury, capturing the grace and power of the cars they adorned and advertising the personality and taste of their owners. We’re happy to see this amazing collection now on public display, so that museum-goers can enjoy the mascots in person.

It took 2000 hours to “tune” the Pininfarina Battista

Intake: How do you replace the sensual sounds of internal combustion with an emotive audio track for an electric hypercar? That’s the conundrum that engineers at Pininfarina, Novo Sonic, and Naim Audio faced when designing the soundtrack for the Battista. Electing to exaggerate the noise of the car’s four electric motors, the team came up with a concept they call Sono Puro (pure sound). It’s built around a specific frequency of 432 Hertz, which is said to have been used by Verdi and Mozart to create an uplifting feeling. “According to music theory, A=432 Hz is mathematically consistent with the universe. This is known as Verdi’s ‘A’. Music tuned to 432 Hz is softer and brighter and is said to provide greater clarity and is more pleasant to listen to,” explains Tom Huber, CEO of Novo Sonic. At “idle” the car emits a more bassy, 54 Hz sound, which is exactly three octaves down from that 432-Hz target. The synthesized sounds are sent out by 12 speakers and are tuned according to each of the car’s five different driving modes. Appropriately, when the Battista’s full 1900 hp is unleashed in Furiosa mode the sound is at its loudest and most intense, making full use of the Naim Audio system’s 1300 watts of sonic power.

Exhaust: There’s an undeniable amount of time and energy spent on the sonic aesthetics here, but we’d wager that a first-time passenger’s most lingering sensation of this 1877-hp EV will be whiplash, not synth tunes. 

2023 HR-V flaunts improved storage space

Intake: Thanks to a new architecture derived from the 11th-gen Civic, the new HR-V will improve on power (158 hp, most likely, versus 141) and fuel economy (26/31 vs. 33/42) compared to the current vehicle. It looks quite a bit more handsome, and now we know the mini SUV will be more spacious to boot. This couple and their vinyl-weave bench demonstrate that folding rear seats (“Magic Seat,” in Honda parlance) remain. Expect cargo room to improve above the ’22 model’s 58.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats down, even if the 24.3 cubic-feet stat with them up remains about the same. Honda’s also offered a sexy gray-scale photo (below) of the front cabin, whose center console includes a rubber-lined, pass-through nook. Handy.

Exhaust: Enthusiasts know Honda for the Civic Si and giant-slaying Type R, but it is ho-hum cars like the HR-V—meticulously tailored to current trends and economical customers—that pay the bills. The 2023 HR-V looks set for success.

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The best way to understand the new-for-2022 Sportster S is like so: It’s not what it was, but it’s also not quite what it was. Alright, that’s not helpful. I’ll explain. Most of us know the Sportster as the “cheap Harley”, or the “little Harley”, or several other derogatory names that can’t be repeated on these (digital) pages. With a few notable exceptions, such as the iconic XLCR1000 from 1977 or the remarkably exhilarating XR1200 from a decade ago, that’s basically how Harley-Davidson has positioned the Sportster for the last fifty years. It’s the “hog” you buy when you can’t afford, or can’t physically manage, a full-sized motorcycle.

Ah, but that was not always the case. A quick read through Hunter S. Thompson’s Hell’s Angels book shows that the Sportster, and the Angels themselves, were very different in the Sixties. Back then, the Sportster was a racing-influenced performance machine and the Angels who rode it were obsessed with developing advanced riding skills. HST goes on at length about all the astounding things he saw done on those bikes, often by WWII or Korean War veterans who had spent a long time getting to know their Sportsters. Back then, the Sportster wasn’t the cheap Harley; it was the fast Harley.

The definition of “fast” was rudely rewritten in the Seventies and Eighties by Japanese manufacturers as the Angels transitioned from simple heck-raising and motorcycle stunting to organized criminal activity. The stunt gangs that followed them, like Akron, Ohio’s infamous Starboyz, rode superbikes from Suzuki and Kawasaki, not porky and poky fifty-horsepower Sportsters with lackluster brakes and raked-out handling. At the same time, Harley-Davidson was going all-in on the massive profits provided by its touring bikes, the upscale CVO products, and gangster-chic Big Twins like the Breakout. Their customer base aged and greyed, eventually coming to consist largely of men who came to motorcycling as part of a mid-life crisis or empty-nesting.

The bike you see above is The Motor Company’s attempt to change all of that. It starts with what will likely become one of motorcycling’s best-loved engines, the water-cooled Revolution Max 1250T. It’s tuned for a livable 121 horsepower rather than the 150 it makes in H-D’s Pan American adventure bike, and I wouldn’t mind having those missing twenty-nine horses back, but the first time you crank the throttle all the way open and feel the authentic might of the RevMax all possible complaints feel a little churlish. Early performance figures suggest a low eleven-second quarter-mile, and my inner-ear dyno says it’s somewhere between my Honda CB1100 and my Yamaha FZ1 in terms of raw straight-line power.

At some point, H-D will likely put a full-strength variant in a Sportster and at that point you’ll have the effective power-to-weight ratio of a Nineties Kawasaki ZX-10. For the moment, however, this will do. More impressive than the on-paper power figures is the idle-to-redline strength of the engine, what racers call “the area below the curve”. At any speed, in any gear, the Sportster S will pull, and pull hard. This matters in the real world, where you don’t always have time to drop three gears and reach for a five-figure redline to take advantage of a gap in traffic or avoid a distracted Escalade wandering into your lane.

Of course, Harley has done powerful engines before, most recently with the V-Rod series, but the Sportster is no one-trick drag-strip pony. It’s all of one piece. The chassis surrounding the 1250T is as supple and friendly as anything with two inches! of rear suspension travel can be. In the canyon roads, it proved not quite capable of keeping up with a Ducati Monster and Aprilia Tuono, but let’s view that in context: any traditional Harley wouldn’t even be in the chase. The primary limitation is the short travel of the rear suspension; once you hit the bump stop, it’s time to cool off and let the Italians steal a fifty-foot gap while you recover full control. Luckily you have enough motor to get some of that back before the next turn.

Our little group of Hagerty test riders, including young James Hewitt for the first time, was flummoxed by the Sportster’s 160-mm front tire and single disc brake. On paper, the combination is terrible; on the road it was fine. Brake fade is non-existent, and stopping power is reasonable. You approach corners with a little more respect than you would on a proper sportbike, but all of us felt pretty good getting the Sportster over to the pegs almost immediately.

About those pegs: We asked for, and received, a Sportster S with the optional “mid-control” peg setup, which relocates the foot controls from the front of the bike to about where they’d be on a Japanese standard or “naked” motorcycle. The handlebars, meanwhile, are a long way from the seat. If you have long legs and short arms, you’re not going to like it. Your humble author, whose inseam is a non-robust thirty-one inches courtesy of some trauma surgery, had no issue with it—and my 37-inch sleeves were very happy with the top of the bike. Riders whose proportions do not mimic those of a lowland gorilla may not be as happy. Make sure you sit on the Sportster for a while before you stroke a check.

The Sportster’s riding position has one more surprise in store for those of us used to Japanese sportbikes and standards; the whole bike is very low to the ground and you have a really good view of the front tire. This can be a bit worrisome at first but we all adapted very quickly to it. The whole vibe of the bike is kind of “World War II despatch rider”; it also reminded my of my Trek Session 9.9 downhill MTB with the seat all the way down.

If you’ve ridden a Harley touring bike lately, it won’t surprise you that the Sportster’s instrumentation and electronics are as modern as tomorrow, with a wide range of information and controls available via the amazingly-readable-in-full-daylight single LCD panel. You will be surprised by the proportions and operations of the throttle, brake, and turn signals, which are sized and arranged the way they would be on a Honda or Yamaha. The push-to-cancel turn signal doesn’t have the same positivity of operation you’d get on a Japanese bike. That’s the (beginning and) end of the complaints, right there.

Are there other complaints? Well, not everyone liked the massive pair of high side pipes. All of us felt that the bike could stand to be a bit louder and more aggressive-sounding. It’s a Harley, after all, not a polite Honda. The L-shaped arm that holds the taillight and license plate isn’t very cool; expect most owners to ditch it immediately for aftermarket equipment, the way they would on a sportbike. The range of colors and customization options isn’t very broad at the moment, although it will surely improve as time goes on.

All of this amounts to praising with faint damns. The 2022 Harley-Davidson Sportster S is the most modern, most appealing, most youth-focused bike the firm has made since Elvis got cut off from the waist down. If you’re in the market for something like a Yamaha XSR900, strongly consider this bike instead. It’s fast, stylish, comfortable (within the limits imposed by the short suspension travel) and exceptionally easy to live with. Just as importantly to some of us, it’s a true all-American effort. At $14,999 plus options and colors, it’s even a half-decent value.

Offhand, I can think of two legitimate competitors to the Sportster S. The first is Indian’s excellent Scout, which is significantly cheaper. It’s also significantly less powerful and it offers up more of a traditional cruise-night riding position. The second would be the Suzuki M109, which is just as fast (and expensive) as the Sportster but doesn’t have its maneuverability or electronic feature set. Neither has the Harley’s raw mojo. As a young (at heart) rider I really dig the idea of showing up at my favorite sportbike spots on this unapologetically Milwaukee sledgehammer.

And we could end the test right there, except for one thing: During our Sportster test, I had the chance to ride a Harley-made “LiveWire” electric bike. The riding position of the Livewire could best be described as “Yamaha FZ-09”, and I felt more comfortable going fast on it than I did on the Sportster. If Harley wants to separate me from eighteen thousand or so of my favorite dollars, here’s how they could do it: build a 150-horse RevMax bike with the LiveWire riding position. With such a steed in my garage, do you think I could make it into the Hell’s Angels? Nah. I probably couldn’t pass the background check. In the meantime, this Sportster isn’t what it was—but what it is, is great.

2022 Harley Davidson Sportster S

Price: $15,499/$16,657 (base/as tested)

Highs: The engine, the electronics, the look, the handling.

Lows: Could stand to be a bit louder, a bit roomier. A second disc up front would be lovely.

Summary: Harley hasn’t made a bike with this much legitimate youth appeal since the Tet Offensive; it’s a bigger American victory than the battle of Midway.

The post Review: 2022 Harley-Davidson Sportster S (Mid Control) appeared first on Hagerty Media.

One of America’s greatest business leaders, Theranos impresario Elizabeth Holmes, was fond of saying, “First they think you’re crazy, then they fight you, then you change the world.”

Alright. Maybe she wasn’t a great business leader—who saw that coming?—but the slightly ridiculous 1800cc, two-cylinder, leather-saddlebag, CHiPs-windshielded cruiser I’m trying to force through six stopped lanes of Los Angeles traffic can’t be taken as anything but an admission on the part of the Bayerische Motoren Werke that Harley-Davidson knows

a) what boys like;
b) what guys want …

… here in America, anyway. The press release says that the BMW R18 is a throwback/retro take on the company’s pre-WWII R5, and if you just look at the photos it almost seems plausible, but five minutes behind the bars of the new one will put the lie to any claims about mining BMW’s own past for inspiration. This massive motorcycle channels Milwaukee the same way the last few steroidal and ridiculous generations of BMW’s M3 resemble a Pontiac Trans Am far more than they do any svelte four-cylinder touring-sedan racer of the Eighties.

Now here’s the problem: Germans love Harley-Davidson, to the point that the “Eaglerider” bike-rental operations in Las Vegas and elsewhere often have bilingual employees whose second tongue is Deutsch, not Spanish. Formula One champion Michael Schumacher spent a dozen summers riding the American West on Harleys, owned a vintage Indian Chief, and even designed his own “bobber” around a Harley-Davidson engine. Every year more than thirty thousand bar-and-shield bikes are sold in Europe, the vast majority of those to Germany. BMW’s last attempt at building a “cruiser”-style bike, the funky R1200C seen beneath Pierce Brosnan and Michelle Yeoh in Tomorrow Never Dies, was a flop both here and and in Europe. So what makes BMW think that American buyers will ride a Bavarian pretzel, when even the German riders clearly prefer the real deal from Wisconsin?

Let’s return to that Elizabeth Holmes quote for a moment. When Bruce Brown released On Any Sunday in 1971, just in time to coincide with the arrival of the “Universal Japanese Motorcycle” on these shores in force, it seemed obvious that the future of motorcycling in the United States was Japanese, with a little bit of European snobbery thrown in to season the high end of the market. And so it was for more than two decades. Even a controversial tariff on large-displacement bikes, meant to save Harley-Davidson from unbeatable competition, simply resulted in American-made Gold Wings. There was no stopping the Japanese juggernaut …

… or so we thought. Any motorcyclist who crashed his bike in 1985, fell into a coma, and just woke up this year would be astounded at what happened to the market. In 2022, the “cruiser” is far and away the most popular motorcycle form factor, and Harley-Davidson is the market leader, selling bikes at Honda prices—only the Honda in question is the Odyssey minivan, not the CBR600 sportbike. The way people use motorcycles has changed, as well. The era of meeting “the nicest people” on two weeks as they make their way to work or shopping is long past. Today’s big-selling bikes are weekend toys and garage queens, used for short trips and brand-specific events.

The market for American-style cruisers is so massive nowadays that it supports a second large-scale American manufacturer. After years of trying to make their house-brand bikes resonate with customers, Polaris has finally decided to go all-in on the Indian marque, and the results have been impressive. Not only are the modern Indians very good, they’ve also forced Harley to drastically accelerate the pace of innovation in their own lineup.

“Serious” motorcyclists laughed at the cruiser market for a solid four decades, but in the end Harley and the potato-potato won, just like Elizabeth Holmes predicted. (I think.) If you want to make money in the American motorcycle game, you need something that competes directly with Harley. But it can’t be just a metric-scale copy of a Harley; the Japanese tried that and failed. Your Harley competitor needs to have some kind of independent “hook” on which to hang its raison-d’etre hat.

Which leads us back to the BMW R18, which is, not to put too fine a point on it, a cruiser for people who think they are too sophisticated, too nuanced, too good to ride a Harley-Davidson. One imagines the typical R18 buyer as someone whose friends are all on Harleys. He wants to go riding with those friends, and he wants to do all the “poker rallies” and whatnot, but he knows he’ll be a fish out of water on a traditional Beemer or Japanese bike. At the same time, he can’t stomach the idea of being a Harley guy. Think of the typical PCA/BMWCCA type. Someone whose identity is tied up in being Euro-adjacent, as they say.

Owning an R18 will let him do all the cruiser stuff while still feeling superior to his Harley buddies. And here’s the best part: the BMW is actually cheaper than its American equivalent. (Nobody has to know that.) It’s hard to option an R18 up to $20,000. And it’s ten grand cheaper to start than the $28,499 Indian Challenger Dark Horse that we’ve also taken on this Palm Desert motorcycle adventure, another alt-universe cruiser that uses an oddly-shaped fairing and a truly magnificent powertrain to stake out a different kind of difference from the Harleys, so to speak.

Since it would be a bit churlish to ride a couple of Harley substitutes without including the real thing, we’ve brought The Motor Company’s own alt-Harley along. The Heritage Classic splits the price difference between the Beemer and Indian, at just under twenty-three grand plus accessories, and it’s powered by a slightly heretical Harley engine: the 114-ci “Milwaukee-Eight” V-Twin, which drives four valves per cylinder with a single cam and pushrod valvetrain.

Alright. Let’s ride.

BMW R18

“This thing rides like fake patina looks.” Leave it to young Kyle Smith to sum up the R18 in a single cutting simile. He’s not wrong; although our test took place in the mountains above Palm Desert, CA, it was my job to shuttle the big Beemer to and from Los Angeles for said test and I never warmed up to it. Not even a little bit. There was never a moment of the ride when I would not have rather been on the Indian, or possibly on my old 2014 Honda CB1100. Our other Smith, yclept Sam, is similarly unsympathetic: “Reminds me of the McDonald’s in the Frankfurt airport.”

Alright, so the R18 isn’t charming, and there’s a slightly unpleasant air of what pro wrestlers call “kayfabe,” meaning fake, about the whole thing. Even the real-deal mechanical aspects of the motorcycle, such as the violent right-side rock that accompanies every start and every quick rev of the massive Boxer twin, feel contrived somehow. But it’s not a bad bike. Some parts of it are very well thought out. “The gearbox is a brainless delight,” Sam noted, dialing back the snark a little. “Fit and finish put the other bikes on the trailer, especially in plating and plastics/switchgear. Handling and damping easily outclass the others; it’s far more adjustable in the midcorner, and far more confidence-inspiring over lumpy stuff. Also far more fun to ride fast, if you give it the right ingredients. But you have to work at it. It rewards and seems to want a trained rider, where the other two make you feel good no matter what you do.”

Kyle is similarly complimentary about the engine software: “The rider modes, named Rock-Roll-Rain in decreasing order of throttle sensitivity, are effective, and rain mode neuters the big twins torque significantly.” All three of us agreed that the riding position was just plain odd; it’s close-coupled, knees-up, heavy on the back strain, and seemingly designed for a rider well south of six feet tall.

As the slowest and least graceful rider of our trio, I was always trailing Kyle and Sam by some distance in the mountains, but the R18 extended that gap significantly. Bereft of both the Indian’s massive power and the Harley’s comfortingly flexible chassis, I always felt that I was about to drag the cylinder heads on the ground in the corners, and when the road straightened out I had no ability to catch back up. The ride back to Los Angeles was miserable, with freezing rain and vicious crosswinds as we passed the famous Cabazon Dinosaurs, and I found myself unable to maintain highway speed in the worst of it. More than four hours’ worth of lane-splitting on the approach to LA pointed out another R18 drawback: that wide engine is a nightmare for getting between Cayennes and Suburbans on the 405. Time and time again I would make a move that felt absolutely death-defying, watching the running boards of a pickup truck pass the cylinder heads with a Bible-page’s worth of gap, only to look up and see Kyle impatiently tailgating me on the far narrower, and much more traffic-adept, Harley.

Let’s be cynical for a moment: if you want to attend cruiser-bike events in your neighborhood but despise the idea of riding an American anything, the R18 is just the ticket. It’s not expensive, it’s built well, and it looks the part. But there’s a sad irony in the way BMW imitates Harley-Davidson here. They started with their existing boxer-twin product, the world’s most comfortable and competent bike for Aerostitch-wearing grownups, then punished the thing until it felt crude and dopey enough to match their idea of what a cruiser was. Harley-Davidson, meanwhile, entered the modern bike market with a swap-meet budget and technology from the Twenties but have busted their humps since then to improve their products in every aspect from peak horsepower to iPhone connectivity.

Riding the R18 tells you a lot about how the people who built it view cruisers; it also suggests quite a bit about how the people who buy it will view cruisers. If those worldviews line up with yours, this is the cruiser for you—but we’d rather ride something that views the segment as a sum of positive qualities, not an assemblage of deliberately negative ones.

Indian Challenger Dark Horse

“So well-sorted, it makes the other two look and feel like comic-book answers.” Hard to disagree with Sam Smith here. If the R18 is defined by what it subtracts from the experience, the Challenger is a creature of addition. Take the stereotypical cruiser—and add:

• An astoundingly stout-hearted engine that can summon warp speed at any place on the tach or speedo;
• A goofy space-age fairing that nevertheless works perfectly at isolating the rider from the unpleasantries of the open road while effortlessly allowing the joy of it;
• Good-enough brakes;
• All the technology/nav/phone-integration you could want;
• An ethereal combination of soft springs and road grip, kind of like the best Caterham road cars;
• Good, solid luggage that is just a missing quick-release feature away from perfection.

Indian has a particular control language, for lack of a better phrase; everything you touch is big, sturdy, high-effort, unbreakable-feeling. For short rides, it’s an annoyance. After five hundred tired miles, you appreciate being able to stomp and punch the bike along like a strong-willed but eventually-obedient mule. Like its Roadmaster and Chieftain stablemates, this is a massive and unconscionably heavy motorcycle, and feels far more droppable than either the Beemer or the Harley, but that same unapologetic mass lets it run at triple digits on the cruise control in absolute S-Class-on-the-Autobahn confidence.

This is the most expensive bike in our test, and you never forget that, not for a single moment. Because it’s worth it. The most fascinating part of the new-generation Indians, for your humble author at least, is how fragile and insubstantial a Harley feels in comparison. Like BMW, the nice people at Polaris have leaned-in on an interpretation of “cruiser” that isn’t strictly drawn from reality. The difference is that the Challenger feels designed to exceed the Harley, not dumb down to it.

Both of our Smiths called the Challenger Dark Horse a “beast,” and that’s accurate. It’s big, strong, confident in its virtues, and absolutely adequate to the task of running flat-out across the American West. What it is not: just a Harley clone. It wants to be better than that. In some ways, it is. There’s just one little problem: The new Harleys are a lot better than the old ones.

Harley Heritage Classic

Could this be the worst gearbox in modern motorcycling? If it isn’t, I can’t imagine what could beat it for the title. Sam Smith: “Neutral is nonexistent. Next to impossible to find when hot, and simply not in the gearbox when cold. Every one of us sat there going 2-1-2-1-2-1 over and over again, trying to find it.”

Kyle Smith: “The throw of the shifter is long even into first, and the thwack of the gears gnashing together … cracks. It’s not the sound of cracking off a home run, or even line drive. It’s not an intentional sound. It’s … haphazard.” Our experience with the Harley’s transmission was so bad that I’m going to find another Heritage Classic as soon as I can, just to see if “they all do that.” Regardless, this is one motorcycle that requires a test ride before purchase, just to see if you can live with the powertrain.

The rest of it, happily, requires no such resigned accommodation. The Milwaukee-Eight didn’t impress my young Smiths very much but as a veteran of many long miles on previous-generation Harley engines I found it charming, particularly in its eagerness to rev. There’s no engineered-in drama like you have with the R18 or Challenger, both of which have pixelated “character” added by some multi-million-dollar CAD-aided crankshaft calculations. This is just a classic V-twin doing its best to offer adequate power down low and an extended redline up top. It’s not the Honda S2000 of cruisers; that was probably the old Harley V-Rod. It’s like the Integra GS-R of cruisers. More space at the top of the tach than you’d expect, and cheerful about getting there.

Which is nice, given how unpleasant the transmission is to use.

Sam notes that “It somehow manages to feel more calculated than the Indian and less cynical than the BMW. It’s just a company doing one thing, the way it has always done it, and trying to maintain that idea against the winds of progress.” I disagree; to me this is an ambitious effort, from the powertrain to the electronics. But if you’re not in the culture, I can see how it doesn’t look particularly progressive.

Where Sam and I agree, however, is regarding the friendly and (literally) flexible road demeanor of the thing. “The bars are awfully flexible—they visibly bend without a lot of effort. It’s noticeable while pushing the bike around in a lot, or lifting yourself out of the seat at speed for a moment to relieve spine pain. Have to assume this impacts how the steering feels and reacts, and yet the thing tracks arrow-straight under most conditions, and bends into a corner consistently.” I personally felt most comfortable in the mountains on the Harley. It reminded me of a titanium-framed road bicycle; you see a fast bend, you start pressing down on the bars, and the frame conforms to the maximum safe speed. How odd, for a Harley to be the corner-carver of the group!

Some of the traditional Harley aesthetics rubbed all of us the wrong way; in particular, the turn signals and instrumentation seem designed for nothing more serious than a cruise-in at the local Sonic. This is so clearly a modern engineering effort that it seems incongruous to have it behave like a 1995 Softail in this regard. Oh well. If you want something that wears its modernity on its sleeve, try the Indian Challenger.

A quick glance through the Harley site shows that the Heritage Classic amounts to a value play of sorts, and the changes for 2022, including making the 114ci engine standard across all color schemes, reinforce that. That being said, one of the reasons that Harley-Davidson owns the bike market in this country is their astounding variety of models and options within those models. So while the BMW R18 is very much an this-or-nothing proposition, customers who don’t like the Heritage Classic might find their needs met elsewhere in the Harley dealership.

The conclusion, in which nothing is concluded

It’s difficult to imagine these three bikes being cross-shopped to any extent—not the way someone might look at a Mustang and a Camaro, or even an M3 and a 1LE-package Camaro. In particular, the R18 seems more of a customer-retention tool for BMW than a foundation for a future product strategy. One thing is for certain, however: For the next ten years at least, the cruiser market is the only market that matters for the manufacturers. They’ll need to take it seriously. In the words of another borrowed Elizabeth Holmes quote: When it comes to selling cruisers, you can’t just “try.” You have to do it. Right now, Harley and Indian do it better than anyone else.

The post Alt-Rock Cruisers: BMW R18 meets Indian Challenger and Harley Heritage Classic appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Ford’s taking the Mustang GT3 racing in 2024

Intake: Ahead of this weekend’s 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race, the Blue Oval dropped some of the best news we’ve heard in a hot minute (well, since Monday, anyways): Ford will return to factory-backed GT3 racing with a new Mustang GT3 IMSA race car. The car will be a joint program between Ford Performance and long-time Canadian partner Multimatic Motorsports, which has experience running the current Mustang GT4 race cars. Power will come from a 5.0-liter Coyote V-8-based engine. Ford will ready a two-car factory-backed IMSA program in the GTD Pro category but will also offer customer teams the chance to campaign the car in the GTD class. Recall that Corvette Racing is also working on a customer program to take the C8 Corvette racing in the 2024 GT3 class as well. The new Mustang GT3 will make its race debut at the 2024 24 Hours of Daytona.

Exhaust: It goes without saying, but: Hell to the yes. We love seeing the modern Mustang take to the race track, whether it be in NASCAR, Australian Supercars, or the beloved IMSA endurance series. Mark Rushbrook, Ford Performance Motorsports global director, puts it perfectly: “Mustang was born to race from the start and we’re thrilled to introduce the GT3 version to compete head-to-head against some of the greatest manufacturers in the world.” 2024 is gonna be fun.

Design your own Ducati

Intake: Ducati has announced a new program for customers to create one-off two-wheelers. The Ducati Unica scheme opens the doors to the Italian firm’s Centro Stile design studio for buyers to work with Ducati’s ateliers to define the materials, finishes colors and performance parts to make their bespoke bike. Ducati will document every stage of the process from the first sketches to final delivery, and each bike will be supplied with a certificate of uniqueness.

Exhaust: Looking at how successful Ducati’s four-wheeled neighbors at Ferrari and Lamborghini have been with their personalization programs, this move looks certain to be a smash hit among the Ducatisti–and a big earner for the brand.

A Buick GNX reborn as an SUV? 

Intake: Did the Buick GNX actually die in 1987? There’s a modified 2004 Buick Rainier SUV for sale that begs to differ. Sporting a twin-screw supercharger atop an aluminum 5.3-liter V-8 (LM4) paired to GM’s all-wheel-drive system, this reborn GNX is how you make the GMT-360 platform move like a modern-day GMC Typhoon. This one-off Rainier GNX sports blacked-out trim, GNX graphics on the gauges and doors, 20-inch chrome wheels, and a Borla exhaust. The seller claims this is a “Prototype Show Vehicle” that “has no title and cannot be driven on public roads” yet the listing suggests it has 24,000 miles.

Exhaust: Some might be concerned by the Buick’s relatively high mileage, and the fact that GM isn’t in the habit of letting third-party vendors promote themselves on its concepts (peep the Classic Soft Trim leather seats, Magnacharger-branded blower). Fear not, as we ran this GNX’s unique VIN through CARFAX to get a clearer picture. The vehicle history report says this is a Buick Rainier CXL that never received its mandatory “pre-delivery inspection” by the selling Buick dealership. No inspection means there was no formal delivery with a legit title. While that’s a dangerous red flag for a regular car, it makes for an even more credible story behind this very cool SUV. Consider us intrigued and very impressed.

IMSA acquires HSR

Intake: New school buys old school. The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), North America’s premier road racing sanctioning body, announced yesterday that it has acquired Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR), one of the nation’s largest vintage motorsports organizations. HSR, which held its first event in 1991, has organized over 250 vintage racing events in the past three decades, and is now the designated sanctioning body for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. The purchase brings HSR into IMSA’s booming portfolio, which includes seven other endurance and road racing series. No extreme schedule revamps or format changes have been announced yet, as HSR kicks off its nine-event calendar at the annual Spring Fling in Sebring, April 6 through 8.

Exhaust: Currently, HSR is most known for its “HSR Classics,” weekend romps in vintage sports cars around southeastern tracks like Daytona, Sebring, and Road Atlanta. (The eldest of the event trio, the annual Mitty at Road Atlanta,dates back to 1977.) Prior to the purchase, these meets were typically held separate from professional race dates. As enthusiasts of all things left-n-right, we hope this acquisition increases the potential for companion events between modern and vintage racing series. Imagine, a crowded paddock filled with Cadillac prototypes and Porsche 962s. If anything, the purchase will bolster the vintage series by bringing new partners and more exposure to the table, which will hopefully ensure HSR at least three more successful decades.

2022 brings new Harley-Davidson models with custom style and features

Intake: When you think touring, Harley-Davidson is likely one of the first names that comes to mind. For 2022 the brand is looking to branch out with its ST line. The ST is short for sport touring, and the Low Rider, Street Glide, and Road Glide all get the ST treatment which includes unique colorways and detail options, along with the Milwaukee-Eight 117-cubic-inch V-twin engine with its 125 pound-feet of torque.

Exhaust: When it comes to sport touring, the most machines lean to the sport side. H-D’s moves seems nicely calculated to capture a buyer that wants the power and cool of a custom with the convenience of buying ready-to-ride from the dealer. The power of the Milwaukee-Eight is a bonus when the new models have a certified mean look.

Lotus gives us a glimpse of its next EV

Intake: The first “affordable” Lotus EV sports car is to be powered by a new battery-cell pack developed with Britishvolt with special attention paid to its ability to rapid charge, save weight, and optimize energy density. Lotus used the announcement to tease a sketch of the car’s silhouette, and, maybe it’s just us, but there’s something of the Esprit in the angle of the windscreen and rear end. The fenders look more pronounced and there’s some additional complexity in the surfacing. And who wouldn’t want to see a return of the wonderful wedge?

Exhaust: Lotus is shortly to reveal its all-electric Type 132 SUV, which many may see as the antithesis of Colin Chapman’s philosophy, even if it will likely be the brand’s biggest-seller. However, with a focus on saving weight, the sports car that’s set to follow should mark a return to form—and if it looks like an Esprit, then all the better!

24 Hours of Le Mans winners will be featured at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion

Intake: The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion always features some of the greatest classic race cars to ever compete on the track, but the 2022 event will be extra special for fans of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In addition to the four Le Mans-specific race groups, a Le Mans Legends Heritage display will feature a century of winners and significant cars that have competed in the French classic. Among the confirmed cars is 1929 Bentley Old Number One chassis #LB2332, which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright in both 1929 and ’30; 1966 Ford GT40 chassis P/1046, which gave Ford Motor Company its first Le Mans victory; and 1979 Porsche 935 K3 chassis #009 00015, the first rear-engine winner. The Reunion is scheduled for August 17–20 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Individual tickets are available online at www.WeatherTechRaceway.com or can be purchased by calling (831) 242-8200.

Exhaust: Depending on how many 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning cars show up at the Reunion, this year’s event could become the largest-ever American gathering of 24 Hours winners. If you’ve always wanted to go to Le Mans but have never made it, this may be your chance to at least see some of the race’s greatest champions.

The post Mustang goes GT3 racing in ’24, mysterious Buick “GNX” Rainier SUV surfaces, an electric Esprit? appeared first on Hagerty Media.

LFA successor spearheads Toyota’s 30-vehicle electric onslaught, due by 2030

Intake: He may be a little late to the EV party, but Akio Toyoda is making a big entrance. The Toyota and Lexus boss has just announced a flagship successor to the extraordinary LFA sports car that will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in two seconds, have a driving range of over 430 miles, and may use solid-state batteries. “The endless pursuit of the Lexus Driving Signature will move to the next stage through development of the new Sports Battery EV. With bold proportions and low ride height essential to a sports car, it will showcase the unique driving performance of a Lexus and become a model that symbolizes the future of the brand. Lexus will develop a next-generation battery EV sports car that inherits the driving taste, or the secret sauce, of the performance cultivated via the development of the LFA,” he says at a special event to mark a 30-vehicle attack on the EV market.

Toyoda revealed half of these new EVs in concept form (see gallery below) and, alongside the expected assortment of SUVs in varying shapes and sizes, were some additional surprises. Highlights include a rugged Compact Cruiser, a Hilux-like pick-up, a small MR2-style sports car, a Lexus sports sedan, and a pair of quirky Micro Box and Mid Box commercial vehicles. Toyoda said all 30 cars will be on sale by 2030.

Exhaust: Though it had paved the way with hybrids and hydrogen, Toyota has seemed reluctant to embrace battery-electric vehicles—until now. These concepts show the both the seriousness of the company’s entry and, thankfully, its fun side as well.

Construct your own superbike with Lego’s latest Technic release

Intake: Lego gives both young and old the chance to build literally anything their hearts desire, especially with the ever-expanding reach of its highly technical “Technic” kits, which often use gears, pegs, rods, bars, and curved body panels rather than the bricks that we often associate first with the brand. The latest Technic kit announced is the BMW M 1000 RR, which goes on sale January 1, 2022. Featuring a clear engine block and a functional three-speed shiftable transmission, this model is mechanically realistic and also has the look thanks to the winglets and very comprehensive sticker package.

Exhaust: The real M 1000 RR is quite the piece of machinery, especially when equipped with the M Competition package, but all that awesome comes with a big, $36,995 price tag. The Lego version is much more manageable, and one only needs to part with $230 to get their hands on it. You’ll have to wait until after the holidays, so if you don’t find your perfect indoor project under the tree in two week’s time, make sure your credit card is ready come January 1.

Laguna Seca scheduled for paving and improvements starting late in 2022

Intake: The racing surface at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is set to be repaved after the Monterey County Board of Supervisors got the ball rolling on a five-year Capital Improvement Program earlier this month. This marks the track’s first repaving since 2007. Other track improvements include upgrades to the Turn 3 paddock pavilion and a new start/finish bridge that will accommodate golf-cart crossings in addition to increased pedestrian traffic flow. There is currently no specific timetable for the upgrades, but the preliminary schedule is set from November 2022 through April 2023.

Exhaust: It’s always good to see an investment in an iconic track like Laguna Seca. We just hope the improvements can be made with as little impact on events as possible. As spectators and photographers at the events, we selfishly hope that some of the track improvement includes some new retaining walls or photography locations along the historic track to make up for those that have been lost due to erosion.

Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire to become first publicly traded EV motorbike company

Intake: LiveWire, Harley-Davidson’s electric subbrand, recently announced its plans to go public via SPAC and trade under the ticker “LVW” on the NYSE. Branching out into battery-powered bike tech began over a decade ago at Milwaukee. The LiveWire arm pursued further validity and independence by becoming its own separate division in 2019, then brand in 2021. Roughly three years later, the public move positions LiveWire for a valuation of $1.77 billion. The arrangement will bring in Taiwanese powersports player KYMCO, which brings both logistical expertise and a 100-million-dollar investment. The Harley brass is already buzzing about the maneuver.

“By building on Harley-Davidson’s 118-year lineage, LiveWire’s mission is to be the most desirable electric motorcycle brand in the world, leading the electrification of the sport,” said CEO Jochen Zeitz. “This transaction will give LiveWire the freedom to fund new product development and accelerate its go-to-market model. LiveWire will be able to operate as an agile and innovative public company while benefitting from the at-scale manufacturing and distribution capabilities of its strategic partners, Harley-Davidson and KYMCO.” LiveWire One ($19,799 after incentives, 146 miles of range) remains the company’s only offering heading into the new year.

Exhaust: If 2021 is the year of the SPAC, 2022 may be setting us up for an encore. The blank-check strategy is a popular one for EV companies in particular as they race for relevancy in an electrified future. LiveWire allows Harley-Davidson to explore a new, untapped customer base and helps the nostalgic, V-twin-powered brand put a futuristic foot forward. Differentiating Harley-Davidson and LiveWire so prominently, however, serves to stave off the dilution of Harley’s century-old brand identity.

Genesis G90 refines traditional styling, loses V-8 motivation

Intake: The redesigned Genesis G90 boasts a turbocharged V-6 engine plus technological and styling upgrades for its second generation. Available in two different wheelbases, this flagship product sports radically thin headlights and a C4 Corvette–worthy clamshell hood that sets it apart from all of its competition. Ample side glass from a low DLO (Day Light Opening) should provide more visibility for occupants, while a relatively thick C-pillar gives way for a modest opera window on long-wheelbase models. Rear-wheel steering and a four-corner air suspension shall provide effortless wafting, while the G90 features an interior “that perfectly harmonizes new technologies with analog sensitivities.” That cabin (shown in gallery below) looks suitably upscale, especially in long-wheelbase form, and sports unique trims and garnishes in five color combinations.

Exhaust:When reviewing the V-6-powered flagship Lexus LS, Jack Baruth recently said: “You can get a V-6 in the G90 if you’re the sort of person who doesn’t care. Genesis salespeople tell me that nobody ever asks for it.” Too bad that world is now coming to an end, as would-be Genesis customers have no say in the matter. While the craftsmanship inside and high-dollar parts like a clamshell hood are beyond admirable for the young luxury brand, losing the V-8 at this price point feels like an abandonment of Genesis’ raison d’être, and only gives buyers more reason to gravitate to the bi-turbo V-8 found in the stately Mercedes S-Class.

Hyundai’s funky Ioniq 5 starts just north of $40K

Intake: Hyundai has announced pricing for the new Ioniq 5 EV. The lowest price you’ll pay for this highly stylized electric crossover is $40,925 for a 168-hp, single-motor, rear-drive Ioniq 5 SE with 220 miles of range. For roughly $4K more, however, you can have a humbly appointed Ioniq 5 SE with a single RWD motor and 303 miles of range. Beyond the base RWD and the all-wheel-drive SE models, there are similarly optioned versions of the SEL and the Limited, with rear-drive configurations offering 303 miles of range and all-wheel-drive versions offering 256. The high-zoot AWD Limited will start at $55,725. AWD SEL models will start at $47,125. Hyundai says the RWD SE with 220 miles of range will be available in the spring of 2022, but there’s no mention of when the meat-and-potatoes of the lineup will be available.

Exhaust: The Ioniq 5 undercuts the Model Y by a tad—the Tesla starts around $60,190. Ford’s Mustang Mach E starts around $44,995, placing it squarely in the Ioniq 5’s price bracket. The Hyundai seems poised to be competitive in the broader EV landscape, but also in the ICE landscape as well—for the price of an Ioniq 5 SE AWD, you could just as easily wind up in a modestly optioned Audi Q5. For our money, we dig the Ioniq’s styling and would pick it over the pill-shaped Tesla, range differences notwithstanding.

Maserati Classiche program goes live

Intake: Maserati owners can now apply for an official certification of authenticity and access more spare parts and restoration services direct from the factory. The Maserati Classiche scheme covers cars 20 years old or more, plus more modern, limited editions including the MC12 and selected Quattroportes. Certification is done by a panel of experts and, once approved, owners can take advantage of service and minor repairs, and detailing services. The first car to be certified is a 1969 Mistral 3700 and it received its official recognition after going through more than 300 checks and being matched against the company’s archive.

Exhaust: Maserati joins its neighbor Ferrari—plus the likes of Alfa Romeo, Porsche, and Peugeot—by offering a factory-backed program to keep its classics on the road. Of course, we can’t overlook the chronology: Cynics will clamor that Maserati once again trails its competitors. The more idealist take? The Classiche program is a wise investment in Maserati’s heritage as the trident forges ahead, away from its roots and into the electric age. 

The post Toyota plots electric LFA, MR2 successors, Harley’s EV brand wants to go public, Maserati keeps it Classiche appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Museums are great. They really are. However, there is a subset of enthusiasts who feel that no matter the monetary value of an object it does no one any good to let it just sit and rot. There is no greater visual explanation of that type of person than Motorcycle Cannonball participants.

Old motorcycles are a particular mania, contraptions that require focused coordination just to ride and unflinching dedication to keep roadworthy. No matter for the interpid souls that undertake the Motorcycle Cannonball event. This hardened group is currently traversing the U.S. from border to border and made a stop at the Hagerty office, so of course I had to go check out the story.

These hearty riders are tracing a route from Sault Saint Marie, Michigan, to Padre Island, Texas, over the course of 19 days. Akin to the automotive Great Race time-speed-distance rally, the Motorcycle Cannonball is more than just a road rally. The riders get the day’s directions first thing each morning before leaving in groups. Once on the route, it is up to the rider to get their machine to the day’s finish line. No external support can be had without a penalty. Of course, some riders take it very seriously, while others are not scared of the penalty that comes with being scooped up by the sweep truck that follows the route.

All the motorcycles on this year’s rally are 1929 and older, meaning there is little in the way of luxury for the riders. Simple paper rollers serve as navigations while computers adapted from dual-sport motorcycles and bicycles serve as trip meters. The rules try to keep the motorcycles as faithful to their production year as possible, but sharp eyes will notice a carb swap here or modern tires there. There were a few bikes running “modern” Honda hubs and brakes that were cleverly disguised. Most riders built their own machines in the lead-up to this year’s event.

Dana Lasher is one such example. I started talking with her after I noticed her Indian Scout was not nearly as loaded with luggage and gear as other competitors. “Well, I realized that it took me a very long time to demount and mount a tire at home in my shop, you know, perfect conditions. The thought of doing it on the side of the road in the hot sun with minimal tools is not something I’m interested in.” That kind of attitude is absolutely justified. Everyone has their line in the sand of what is still considered DIY.

She is also a Cannonball rookie, who built the dark blue Indian up from a mangled mess. She told me about how one particular Jay Leno’s Garage episode made her fall in love with the Scout, and then the search was on to find one. “I also don’t own anything that doesn’t go and do things. It was either Cannonball or The Race of Gentleman, and I didn’t get into that so here I am.” Hers was just one motorcycle in the parking lot full of machines with artfully positioned squares of cardboard to catch the leaking oil.

Bill Kitchen had a similar story, though he didn’t build his bike from the ground up. Rather, he purchased a bike at auction that appeared to be ready to go. “It wasn’t though. They tell us rookies to go out and ride a lot of test miles, and I am happy I did.” He went on to describe that the engine had been in and out of the frame at least three times, and the engine currently in the bike is the “back-up” motor after the primary had a failure. Old metal tends to do that.

The repairs that happen on the road pale in comparison to the overnight antics some of the hardcore competitors pull off. Entire engines will be scattered across a parking space, with three mechanics doing three different tasks in the hope of having it all back together in time to catch a few winks of sleep before departing for another day of riding. Days can feature nearly 300 miles of riding, which is tough on both rider and machine. Keeping both in workable shape for 19 days is not for the faint of heart.

In all, it was really interesting to go down and chat with these riders and their support crews. I’ll be following along with the adventure via the Motorcycle Cannonball Instagram and Facebook pages, and so should you. These folks are crazy in all the right ways to take on this kind of mileage on these machines, so if the route is anywhere close you should make time to check them out in person.

The post You have to be a certain kind of crazy to tackle the Motorcycle Cannonball appeared first on Hagerty Media.

In 1957, the USSR launched both the first intercontinental ballistic missile and the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1. These actions would ultimately lead to the Space Race, but meanwhile on Earth, that same year, America’s Harley-Davidson released its own history-making machine into the world. It was a new lightweight overhead valve (OHV) twin motorcycle that allowed the U.S. to compete with its British competition, and in doing so birthed one of the longest running models in motorcycle history: The XL Sportster.

Harley’s business survived World War II by providing 90,000 WLA motorcycles to the military. But just a few years after the war’s end, the British were off to a hot start producing lightweight sporty motorcycles, such as the Triumph Thunderbird and the Norton Dominator, which were attracting the attention of the American motorcycle community. Soldiers stationed overseas had acquired a taste for these Brit-style twins, and Harley feared the loss of domestic sales should the Brit bikes make headway in the U.S. market. To attract a wider audience, Harley-Davidson invested resources into two machines. One was the short-lived Hummer, a small-capacity 125-cc targeted at younger city-dwelling riders. The other was a new twin-cylinder side-valve machine called the K Model.

Introduced in 1952, the K Model was Harley’s first attempt to compete head-on with the two-wheeled machines from across the pond. The new lighter and more compact V-twin side-valve had its unit construction with an integrated gearbox—a move away from the traditional big twins Harley were known for. Having previously used predominantly hand gear change, Harley made a notable left turn by introducing a foot gear change on the right side of the engine. With this switch the controls were now in line with the British machines, wearing a configuration that was intended to be ridden on the left side of the road. While it may seem strange for an American company to this route, it’s a reflection of the degree to which Harley was trying to compete with the British. Controls that were designed to make a customer—ostensibly a convert familiar with the British style—feel at home on this sportier machine were also a perfect arrangement for dirt track racing on an oval circuit. For the riders who lean left to negotiate the counter-clockwise track, having the gears on the right side to stop them from digging into the dirt was vital to success in this booming sport.

The K Model was the birth of Harley-Davidson’s lightweight twins, and the KR (racing) model would dominate the AMA races from the mid 1950s through to the 1960s. But by the late 1950s Harley Davidson had spent four years trying to get more power out of the side-valve for the touring customer, and their last attempt was increasing the capacity in the KH model to 883 cc, but this strategy proved counter-productive due to the increase in weight. Instead, Harley-Davidson went on to develop an OHV version of the K Model engine, which became the XL commonly known as the Sportster.

Retaining the same bottom end as the K Model, the XL used the same four-cam configuration to drive the overhead valves—often considered the best valvetrain Harley has ever made. Harley had used aluminum in the heads of its Panhead engines, but customer experience indicated that these engines weren’t yet reliable enough, so Harley opted for cast iron heads on the XL, which weighed in at 495 pounds. The OHV did increase in power, to 40 horses, and in tandem with the four-speed transmission the XL proved itself a real contender within the American motorcycling community. It even built a reputation as an American “sports bike”; the combination of American-made V-twin power and lighter weight meant that the XL was ridable by all.

The everyday and touring rider required more power and sporty attributes than the British machines were providing, which left a window for the XL to claw back some sales. The market share war continued, however, with British 500-cc parallel twins soon importing at a reduced tax rate. (As a slight side note for context, back in 1952 Harley-Davidson fought to protect its brand from foreign imports by requesting that the U.S. government assess a 40 percent tariff to all imported motorcycles. Unfortunately this had a negative impact on the company’s reputation, and the effort was abandoned.)

The original 1957 XL was only produced for a year, and 1983 examples were built. It was a popular machine but it wasn’t long before the X series evolved in accordance with market demand. The 1958 version of the Sportster, the XLC (Competition) came with domed pistons, larger ports, and larger valves. The more serious competition buyer could opt for the XLCH, a high-compression variant often referred to as the “Competition Hot”. As well as performance enhancements, the XLC and XLCH came with shortened or “bobbed” rear fenders and a “peanut” tank—indicators that Harley-Davidson was fully aware of the interest not only in competition-ready motorcycles, but also the fact that people were buying XL models and customizing them. The sporty and compact nature of the engine and frame made the Sportster popular from the start within the custom motorcycle scene. Easily modified into a chopper or bobber, the Ironhead engine has been the showpiece of many a custom motorcycle since its introduction.

While the XL became a popular touring machine, the original Ironhead engine was no good for serious competition due to overheating issues in race conditions; the side-valve KR model, a dedicated race machine, was still favored at the time. The first race version of the XL was the XLR, released in 1962. Designed and built to compete in TT scrambles, the XLR weighed in at 300 pounds and had the potential to produce 80 horsepower if tuned well. At the time of release, the side-valve KR was still dominating the dirt ovals, capable of running up to 750 cc while OHV machines could only run up to 500 cc, and at 883 cc the XLR couldn’t legally compete. In 1968, the American Motorcyclist Association decided to change the ruling for the 1969 dirt season, making a general limit of 750 cc for any valve configuration. Harley-Davidson had already been working on an OHV replacement for the KR but lacked the funds to develop it properly. The company started working on an interim solution but, after failing to produce enough OHV machines to satisfy homologation rules, were unable to enter them into the national championship until 1970.

At the same time, Bill Werner was working in the H-D race department as an engineer. During off hours, Werner began working on his own OHV racer project, making his own tweaks to factory standards. Starting with parts from the Harley XLR and the XL road bike, he modified the pistons and was building his own cams, plus working on the valves and cylinder head, which included locating the plug centrally for better combustion. Breathers, vents, and drains helped to suck air into the crankcase, which in turn pushed through oil, helping cool the typically hot Sportster engine. When completed, this prototype machine wasn’t raced under the Harley-Davidson name but it did provide the HD race department with a hell of a head start to develop a competitor of its own. It was this Werner-bred variant of the XL that evolved into the in famous XR750 racing machine; what started off as an engine for a lightweight touring machine went on to win the most races in the history of the AMA 13 years later.

Not only did the Sportster make an impact on the dirt tracks in 1970, that year’s Bonneville Nationals in August had a number of Sportster-engined machines in attendance. That roster included Leo Payne and his Turnip Eater, which achieved 202.379 mph on average. Every Harley-Davidson machine entered that year in competition set new records in their class, proving that the Sportster engine was a formidable engine indeed. At the same meeting, a Sportster-powered streamliner built by Dennis Manning, Bruce Miller, and Craig Rivera made attempts on the world-speed streamliner record. Even though no records were set during that speed week, their attempts still caught the attention of Harley-Davidson, which wanted to support them in their efforts. Motivation only increased after Speed Week, as the world record was broken by a twin-engine Yamaha machine ridden by Don Vesco at 251.924 mph. In order to bring the record back to American soil, Harley-Davidson supported a return to the salt flats, where the Sportster Streamliner was fettled and tested for nine days before record runs were attempted. Ridden by Cal Rayborn, in a reclined feet first position, the Streamliner achieved a world record of 255.380 mph on October 15. The team was not happy with breaking the record by just under 4 mph, returning the following day and pushing the record up to 265.492 mph—a winning margin of nearly 14 mph.

While the humble XL Sportster had made an impact of sorts upon its initial release in 1957, it was the continual evolution of this lighter-weight V-twin engine that cemented it as a staple in the Harley-Davidson range. It is still produced in America today, and due to its successes in various sports and record attempts, it has truly helped instill the Harley-Davidson name in motorcycle history.

The post Stock Stories: 1957 Harley-Davidson XL Sportster appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Welcome to The Manifold, our fresh daily digest of news and what’s happening in the car world.

Mercedes-AMG reveals new SL interior

Intake: Mercedes-AMG is working up to the launch of the new SL by giving us a good look at the car’s cabin. Clearly inspired by the AMG GT and GT 4-Door Coupe, there’s no denying that it looks like a delightful place to cruise down the PCH or make a desert dash to Las Vegas. The center console is dominated by a giant 11.9-inch touchscreen which can be tilted towards the driver to reduce glare from the sun when you’re driving with the roof down. The instrument panel is a 12.3-inch screen that can be customized to display whatever information you fancy, and an optional head-up display will show not only speed and navigation but also project the car’s surroundings in three dimensions. As you can see from the photos the next SL is s 2+2 again, so there’s room in the back for small kids or trophy dogs. If you’re carrying either you may well want to throw a blanket over those lovely quilted leather seats.

Exhaust: So the SL has gone fully digital, which may not please some fans. However, the return of rear seats, a quick-folding fabric roof, and the use of aluminum, magnesium and composites to add a bit of Sports Leicht again can only be good news.

Meet Marsien, the off-road 911 Turbo S that evokes the Porsche 959

Intake: Marc Philipp Gemballa has taken a Porsche 911 Turbo S and turned it into a desert storming supercar. Gemballa, whose father Uwe was a legendary Porsche tuner, named the car Marsien (French for Martian) and is apparently inspired by the dunes of the United Arab Emirates where it was developed. Gemballa brought in the boffins at RUF to uprate the engine to 750 hp, with a Stage 2 tune of 830 hp also offered. The car’s lifted suspension is by KW automotive, featuring double wishbones at the front and solid piston dampers with intelligent control. In road mode the car hunkers down to 4.7-inches above the ground, but can be raised to almost ten inches for off-roading. Pre-set driving modes for snow, gravel, mud and, of course, sand are added to Porsche’s regular road driving settings. If the standard car isn’t enough for customers’ off-road antics then Gemballa will fit Reiger rally suspension which adds even more travel and ground clearance. A carbon-fiber body is also available at extra cost. The cabin can be fully tailored to customer desires, with full leather or Alcantara trim as a starting point. Just 40 Marsiens are to built and they’ll be homologated for Europe, the Middle East and the U.S. You’ll need to find around $580,000, plus the $207,000 price of a new Porsche 911 Turbo S, to get started.

Exhaust: Lifted Safari-style 911s are on the rise, and even Porsche is believed to be getting in on the game, but nothing we’ve seen compares to this 959-echoing dune-basher. Mars, Earth, wherever—this looks like a blast.

2022 VW GTI and Golf R see price creep to match added performance and equipment

Intake: The all-new 2022 VW Gold GTI and Golf R both come with more potent 2.0-liter engines, more standard equipment, and bigger price tags. The GTI, identified by its red-trimmed grille, packs 241 horsepower and starts at $30,540 including destination for the manual S model, about $1000 more than its predecessor, but comes standard with goodies like heated cloth seats, Digital Cockpit, and wireless phone charging. The GTI SE ($35,290) adds premium sound, LED front lighting, voice control, and an optional leather interior package with a power driver’s seat. The Autobahn trim ($38,990) loads up the GTI with heated rear seats, ventilated leather front seats, summer tires on 19-inch wheels, and adaptive dampers. The 315-hp, AWD Golf R, identified by its quad exhaust tips and blue-trimmed grille and calipers, starts at $44,640 for the six-speed manual and $45,440 for the dual-clutch seven-speed.

Exhaust: Both the GTI and Golf R seem to be giving buyers more of what they already love. The Golf R is seriously pricey, although it does come in just one fully-loaded trim. Buyers looking for a hot hatch with VW levels of refinement and performance won’t have much to cross-shop.

Harley-Davidson packs Sportster S with Revolution Max 1250T engine

Intake: Harley Davidson went aggressive with the all-new 2021 Sportster S. The styling is a departure from HD tradition while also giving nods to the brand’s history. The exhaust and tail section, for example, recall XR750 vibes quite vividly. But it’s the powerplant that represents the most radical change. The Revolution Max 1250T is a V-twin first seen in the Pan America adventure bike. The compression ratio is 12:1, down from the Pan’s 13:1 which likely explains why the Sportster is down 29 horsepower from the ADV machine. Even “tuned down” the Sportster packs 121 horsepower and Harley is claiming a very handling-focused chassis.

Exhaust: The Sportster has been a staple of the Harley lineup for over 60 years, but this new direction leaves a lot of the heritage angle behind. Buyers of the Sportster seemed to be chasing the nostalgia of an air-cooled simple lump, but that will soon be history. Leaving what has previously defined Sportster put this new S model into more direct competition with bikes like the Honda Rebel 1100 and Indian Scout. While the Sporty packs more power, it might be tough to get buyers from the competition to swing their legs over a Harley.

Ram adds BackCountry Edition option package to 1500 Big Horn and Lone Star 4x4s

Intake: Ram is giving 1500 Big Horn and Lone Star 4×4 buyers the option to add off-road prowess as well as some aesthetic upgrades. The new BackCountry Edition includes hardware from the 4×4 Off-Road Group: shocks tailored to off-road driving, all-terrain tires on 18-inch wheels, skid plates, and an electronic locking rear differential. It pairs those off-road tools with the useful features of the Bed Utility Group like tie-downs and a spray-in bedliner. Black two-tone paint, black mirrors, black headlight bezels, black “BackCountry” badging, a tonneau cover, and body-colored grille surround help differentiate the BackCountry from other Rams. The package will be available on 4×4 Quad and Crew Cab models with the 5.7-liter Hemi as well as the 5.7-liter Hemi eTorque mild-hybrid. Production begins in the third quarter of 2021 with a starting MSRP of $41,780.

Exhaust: Ram buyers normally have to add a convenience package in order to equip the 4×4 Off-Road Group and Bed Utility Group. As it stands, a Ram 1500 Longhorn Quad Cab 4×4 has an MSRP of $42,485 without any additional options. By pairing some useful groupings of hardware with the popular 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, Ram has created a serious value proposition for those looking to hit the trail in style.

35 years ago, we said goodbye to Avanti designer Raymond Loewy

Intake: Raymond Loewy was a multi-faceted industrial designer of everything from streamlined locomotives and Greyhound buses to the Shell logo and USPS emblem. At age 86, he even took a stab at creating a Soviet “world car” called the Moskvich XRL. Loewy was perhaps best known, however, for the Studebaker Avanti, his 1960s jet-inspired creation with the long nose and no grille. On this date in 1986, the legendary Loewy died at the age of 92.

Exhaust: Although born in France, Raymond Loewy had a profound influence on American life, and his legacy lives on in familiar brands and products throughout the world.

The post Mercedes SL goes 2+2, Marsien is a modern-day 959, Harley Sportster breaks cover appeared first on Hagerty Media.

The newest exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum, titled “ADV: Overland” celebrates adventurous vehicles, both real and imagined. The 23-vehicle exhibit was co-produced by the Motorcycle Arts Foundation, so plenty of pioneering two- and three-wheelers are present, but the exhibit also includes some prominent exploring vehicles with four or more wheels. In that latter camp are models on loan from NASA’s nearby Jet Propulsion Laboratory of both Sojourner and Opportunity rovers, which landed on Mars on July 4, 1997, and January 25, 2004, respectively.

Exhibit curator Paul d’Orléans explains, “This exciting, first-ever collection of Round-the-World, overland racing, and off-world overland vehicles is the perfect pandemic escape hatch. Most of these extraordinary machines have never been publicly displayed and absolutely radiate the spirit of adventure; some even retain their original accessories, 90 years later.  These are must-see vehicles, on display in the best motoring museum on the planet.”

This 1903 California motorcycle was the first motorized vehicle to travel coast-to-coast.

Harley-Davidson also helped put the exhibit together. A 2019 H-D Livewire from the Long Way Up television series is next to a 2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America adventure bike and a 1962 Harley-Davidson Panhead Chopper that was ridden around the world by Doug Wothke.

Representing fictional space exploration are two vehicles from Lost in Space. A recreation of the tracked Chariot from the 1965 television show is parked back-to-back with its modern four-wheeled equivalent from the 2018 Netflix series of the same name.

Dave Ekins and his stuntman brother “Bud” helped popularize desert endurance racing in Baja California. This 1964 Honda CL72 Baja Scrambler is an homage to the motorcycle Dave rode on his first timed trip down the peninsula.

The exhibit includes plenty more vehicles; these are just a sampling of some of our favorites. To see this collection of go-anywhere vehicles,and the rest of the Petersen’s exciting exhibits, you must visit the Petersen Museum’s website and purchase tickets in advance.

The post The Petersen Museum salutes adventure with newest exhibit, “ADV: Overland” appeared first on Hagerty Media.

A Navy veteran, who was forced to sell his beloved motorcycle during tough times, has received a 2017 Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited bike from Hogs for Heroes. Shannon Flynn is the 17th veteran to receive a motorcycle from the Wisconsin nonprofit organization, which supports military veterans.

According to FOX television affiliate WLUK, Flynn received his new hog during a ceremony at American Legion Post 283 in Suring, Wisconsin, on May 8. Dozens of veterans were on hand, many of the them riding in on motorcycles.

“It’s my passion,” says Flynn, who began riding after he left the military two decades ago. “Just the community. The people. Ever since I got off active duty, all my buddies have bikes. So, I got a bike and started riding.”

Flynn, who served one tour in Iraq and two in Afghanistan, began fixing motorcycles after returning to Wisconsin and even owned his own business for a while. But he struggled financially, sold his motorcycle, and changed careers.

Hogs for Heroes decided to put him back in the saddle. Flynn just had to decide which bike he wanted.

“They kept saying, ‘You’ll know the one,’” he says, “and once I saw it, and test rode it, I knew that was the one.”

As is tradition, former Hogs for Heroes recipients lined up and passed Flynn’s key down the line until it reached the bike’s new owner. Flynn climbed aboard, started the engine, and took his first ride on his new wheels.

“I just want to thank everybody for everything,” Flynn says. “Friends, family, the organization …”

We wish him many, many miles of happy riding ahead.

The post Wisconsin Navy vet receives 2017 Harley from Hogs for Heroes appeared first on Hagerty Media.

James Hewitt is the Hagerty Valuation team’s resident motorcycle maven, having owned more than a hundred classic bikes. He finds zen in analyzing motorcycle valuation data for Insider.

To ride a motorcycle is to feel freedom. It’s a feeling many people seem to be chasing at the moment. Superbike maker Ducati, for instance, reported record Q3 and Q4 sales after taking a beating early in the pandemic. We observed the same with classic bikes: 34 percent more motorcycles were added to Hagerty policies in the summer of 2020 than in the summer of 2019.

That much increased interest is bound to shake up the market. By studying our insurance data, along with the bikes people viewed on the new Hagerty Motorcycle Price Guide, we’ve been able to identify nine motorcycles from five market segments that we’ll be keeping an eye on throughout 2021.

Homologation sportbikes: Plastic is now classic

As is the case with cars, motorcycle manufacturers often have to build a limited-production, road-going version of their racing models in order to satisfy competition requirements. Proximity to motorsports has always been a factor in motorcycle collecting, but until somewhat recently, the homologation specials of the 1980s and ’90s, recognizable for their plastic fairings, appealed only to a small crowd. Now, like 1980s homologation rally cars, the rare, high-performance motorcycles of that era are getting more attention.

1984–1986 Yamaha RZ500

#2-condition (Excellent) value: $20,500

The RZ500, never sold in the United States, was a road-going replica of the Yamaha YZR500 GP. Emphasis here on “GP,” rather than road-going. A two-stroke engine defines motorcycles for a certain generation—the smell of premix, the distinctive ring ding of the pistons firing, and the whack of its powerband—and a 500cc V4 two-stroke GP bike is the absolute pinnacle of this sensory experience.

At $20k for a nice example the RZ500 already isn’t cheap, but think of it like renting a Ferrari in Tuscany and then falling in love with it. It’s an experience, and people will pay to be able to have that experience whenever they want.

Riders who came of age when two-stroke bikes were new (70 percent of Hagerty members who own an RZ500 were in their teens or twenties when the bike came out) are in the prime of their buying activity now. We’re watching the V4 two-strokes such as the RZ500 and Suzuki RG500 to see whether prices climb even higher or if buyers pass them over for later four-strokes.

2003–2006 Ducati 999R

#2-condition (Excellent) value: $18,100

The Pierre Terblanche-designed Ducati 999 lasted only four years before a complete redesign. The 916, 996, and 998 that preceded it together lasted nine years. Why the quick turnaround? Well, the 999 wasn’t lovingly embraced when it came out. It was a massive departure from previous Ducati styling, and the stacked headlights looked more train than motorcycle.

Over the past couple of years, though, the 999 has gained a following and its values have started to pitch upwards (from a low of $5k two years ago for a base model 999 rider to $6k–$7k now.) At the top of the range is the 999R, a limited-production homologation superbike that had an MSRP of over $30k (a first at the time). These have never been cheap bikes, and most have long been with riders who appreciate their machines. We suspect that as the appreciation for the styling grows, collectors will start paying a premium to pry the rare 999R (especially limited-build Fila- and Xerox-liveried models), out of owners’ hands.

1980s Dirt Bikes: Vintage off-roading thrills on a four-figure budget

With 1980s nostalgia in vogue and enthusiasm for off-road collector vehicles on the rise, there’s a neat opening for 1980s dirt bikes, which are fun, affordable, and simple to maintain—and take up less space in a garage than a vintage SUV. They also make a good, relatively cheap prospect for thrill-seekers hoping to relive the “good ol’ days” after being shut inside for quarantine. Because so many of these motorcycles were used as intended, relatively few survive in clean condition.

1979–89* Kawasaki KX60, KX80

#2-condition (Excellent) value: $1,200

You may not have expected to see this bike on the list (we certainly didn’t), but Hagerty Motorcycle Price Guide traffic to the Kawasaki KX60 and KX80 in 2020 was over 3x higher than in 2019. That got our attention.

The KX80 launched in 1979 to a growing mini-bike segment—by 1980 all four major Japanese bike manufacturers were competing. The competition from the Honda CR80R, Suzuki RM80, and Yamaha YZ80 (the latter of which had been the segment’s go-to racer) was fierce against the lagging Kawasaki, but every year Kawasaki improved. By 1983 the KX80 had gained water cooling and a mono-shock, and the new KX60 was introduced. These two bikes would go on to launch the careers of many professional motocross racers and eventually inspired the success of Kawasaki Team Green, the most successful youth motocross development program in history.

With riders wanting to relive their youth and finding themselves willing to spend extra for something fun, the early motocross racers are primed to see an uptick. The acceptance of plastic in the collectible mainstream also helps the case.

*We know this bike was made well beyond the ’80s, but we’re focusing on this decade.

1979–1984 Honda XR500

#2-condition (Excellent) value: $3,700

“Ridden hard, put away wet” describes many a Honda XR series. The XR500 was a cheap dirt bike for so many years that there aren’t many nice examples left. The combination of attrition and nostalgia is leading buyers to pay a premium for XRs in the best condition.

Last week, for example, a pair of XR80s sold for $13,650. It’s not uncommon for one huge sale of a particular vehicle to light a fire, bringing more examples to market and leading to more big sales. We’ve seen it happen with cars several times. Just look at the current Dodge Viper market. Now, we’re waiting to see how these big XR thumpers perform and whether any pristine original examples pop up at auction. They could spark the ’80s enduro market.

Niche Italians: Riding the Japanese superbike wave?

1975–1980 MV Agusta 750 S America

Average #2-condition (Excellent) value: $81,000

The MV Agusta 750 S is one of the most stunning motorcycles of the early ’70s, and perfect examples demand over $100k, like the 1973 model that sold for $137,500 in Las Vegas last year. After the 750S came the 750S America, which lasted from 1975 to 1980 and came in a few different forms. It lost the classic styling but maintained the hand-built exotica and evolved to focus more on a grand prix-racing experience.

When new, the 750 S America cost three times more than the the Honda CB750s and Kawasaki Z1 of the day. Today, Japanese superbike values are climbing higher every year, having nearly doubled over the past five years. It remains to be seen if late ’70s Italian superbikes from niche manufacturers like MV Agusta can ride the wave of Japanese value gains. We certainly see more interest: 32 percent more 750S Americas were added to Hagerty clients’ collections in 2020 than in 2019. But increased demand doesn’t always translate to higher prices, as the market can get flooded with examples for sale. That seems to be happening to the Ducati 750SS round case: In 2019 one sold for $247,500 sale at Mecum Vegas, but when Mecum brought twice as many to auction in 2020, prices stalled.

British Icons: Will classic cool appeal to a new generation?

British motorcycles have an unparalleled tradition, offer visceral sensations, and distinct style. The enduring design of bikes like the Triumph Bonneville, for example, are proof positive that their appeal transcends generations. But are buyers always going to be willing to pay a premium for the early greats?

1948–55 Vincent Black Shadow

#2-condition (Excellent) value: $94,500

The Vincent Black Shadow is one of the best known motorcycles outside of the bike world. When car collectors step into the motorcycle market, they tend to bring a lot of money with them, and many of them eye a Vincent as a decorative element for their pristine garages. The Black Shadow isn’t just art, though. Considered one of the world’s first superbikes, it kept the top-speed record for a production motorcycle all the way to the debut of the 1973 Kawasaki Z1.

Values for these venerable bikes have been sliding from their peak in 2016. The number added to insurance policies with Hagerty slowed some 57 percent 2020 even as other bikes gained ground. The increase in Vincents insured in large collections (five vehicles or more) similarly slowed last year and trails what we’re seeing for other bikes. In other words, deep-pocketed car collectors seem to be turning their gaze elsewhere.

As values drop, this could go one of two ways for Black Shadows: Buyers may decide Vincents are suddenly deals and snap them up, or the perception could be that the ship has sailed.

1959–1962 Triumph Pre-unit Bonneville

#2-condition (Excellent) value: $15,500

The Triumph Bonneville is more than just a motorcycle. It represents an entire era of British bikes and a certain bad-boy lifestyle.

To many Baby Boomers, this is the bike. A modern remake, which came out in 2001, has been a large factor in reviving the Triumph brand and proves there’s multi-generational appeal, but the jury is still out on whether younger buyers will prize the originals.

We’ll thus be watching the most expensive of these bikes, known as “pre-unit” Bonnevilles because the crankcase, primary case, and gearbox were separate items bolted together externally. In 1963 the bike was improved with “unit” construction that combined the crankcase, primary, and gearbox into one. This reduced the weight and set the style for all Bonneville engines to come. Nevertheless, the early pre-unit bikes are rarer and lead the way for Bonneville values.

Those values have plateaued recently at less than $20k. If younger collectors show interest, expect prices to stay there, but if they shift toward Japanese bikes, they might fall.

Harleys vs. Indians: The rivalry continues

We can’t examine the classic motorcycle market without talking about Harleys—and we can’t talk about Harleys without also mentioning Indians. Starting in the early 1900s, the two battled on the race track and showroom in a war that lasted five decades before Harley ultimately prevailed, but in the classic motorcycle market, the two brands have long performed similarly. As time goes on, and the demographics of the collector bike market change, will Indians and Harleys remain in lockstep, or will their values diverge?

1936–47 Harley-Davidson EL/FL Knucklehead

Average #2-condition (Excellent) value: $70,800

We recently looked at this question from the Harley standpoint. Those worried about their old Harleys sitting unwanted by the younger collectors will be pleased to know the data shows millennials are willing to pay a premium. In the last two years, Millennials have quoted prewar Harleys at values 19 percent higher than Boomers, 12 percent higher than Gen–X and equal to preboomers. The sample size is small, but the evidence that millennials will pay real money for collectible Harleys holds all the way through the ’60s, where the sample sizes become significant.

We thus expect prices will continue to appreciate for the Knucklehead (named for the way its cylinder head makes a fist shape). The bike helped shape a distinctive style for Harley, and even today its iconic large fenders and wide tires can be found throughout the brand’s lineup.

2020 saw a new record for a Knucklehead when the “Greenie” bike sold for $220k. Will a Knuckle selling for $50K–$70K continue to entice, or is the ceiling within sight? For now, it looks like Millennials and Gen-Xers value them just as much as the older generations.

1940–1953 Indian Chief

Average #2-condition (Excellent) value: $32,300

Values for Harleys and Indians have always been closely linked. When looking at average quote values of 1953 and older Harleys and Indians, they track similar trajectories. If one is up, the other is up. If one goes down, the other is down, too.

A major (if obvious) difference between the brands, though, is that one ceased to exist for nearly six decades. We wondered if that long absence might cool interest among younger collectors.

Indian fans will be pleased to know it hasn’t in the slightest. Gen–X and Millennial collectors quote Indians at higher values than both Baby Boomers and Preboomers.

The Indian Chief, one of the brand’s most famous and longest-running models, debuted in 1922 and left the market in 1953, but it is the 1940–53 models, with their swooping skirt fenders and sprung rear ends, that are the most famous. In 1950 the Chief gained telescopic forks (Harley gained these on the Panhead in 1949) and a larger 80cid engine. By 1953 the factory closed for good until revitalization efforts by companies in the late ’90s and a successful revival by Polaris in 2011.

Tracking sales in 2021 of the elegant 1940 and later Chief, and comparing them to those of contemporary Harleys, should shed more light on whether these brands transcend generations. We’ll also get to see whether these iconic American motorcycle brands continue to share a destiny in the collector bike market, or if their fates will begin to diverge.

***

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As money moves around in the motorcycle world, there are models that get skipped over. With more buyers jumping into the collector motorcycle world and investors and speculators snagging up anything they think will be worth more tomorrow, it’s easy to think that all the good buys are gone. As a Hagerty valuation analyst and resident motorcycle collector, I don’t think so. There remain segments of all markets that present relative affordability and value for the dollar. In the collector car world, the motorcycle stands out.

Let’s look at four that have us wondering why they’ve lagged behind.

1948 Harley Davidson Panhead

The Harley Knucklehead gets all of the hype of the ’40s Harleys and sits near the top of the “I want one” lists of most enthusiasts, whether they’re motorcycle collectors or not. The fat tires, lopey idle, and beefy powerplant would set the style and character for every Harley that followed. Knuckleheads have seen big increases in value as buyers have moved in from all areas of the collector world, with the first-year Knucklehead’s 1936 #1 value approaching $200K and the last 1947 model’s #1 value nearing $100K. The model that superseded the Knucklehead, the Panhead, has seen less of a spike, but buyers are still shelling out handsome sums for Panheads.

The Panhead, built from 1948–65, also defined an era of Harley. The model saw the introduction of telescopic forks in the Hydra-Glide, rear suspension in the Duo-Glide, electric starting, and hydraulic brakes, and all of these developments set it apart visually from the iconic Knuckle look—all but the first year of the Panhead, which was visually similar to the iconic Knucklehead. It sits in a rare middle ground between the 1949 Panhead Hydra-Glide that got telescopic forks and the 1947 Knucklehead with the springer front end. Having the same aesthetics of the Knuckle—largely the reason why so many non-motorcycle collectors want Knuckle art for their collection—and being a one-year-only model, one would expect the ’48 Panhead value to sit fairly evenly between the Knuckle and later Panhead. This is not the case, and buyers seem to overlook the ’48 for what it offers. Hagerty sees nearly half as many quotes for the ’48 Panhead as the ’47 Knucklehead.

Despite losing the quintessential early Harley look, the 1949 Hydra-Glide maintains a #2 value of $37,100 versus the 1948 FL Panhead’s #2 value of $42,000. This is only 12 percent less than the first-year Panhead. On the other hand, the ’48 is 31 percent less than a  1947 Knucklehead with a #2 value of $61,000. I wouldn’t be surprised if the first-year Panhead enters the mainstream collector world and soon sees more eyes outside of devoted Harley fans.

1996–99 Moto Guzzi Daytona RS

Name a sporty red Italian motorcycle that makes a thundery exhaust note and has a slightly concerning rattle coming from the engine … and it isn’t a Ducati. That might leave you a bit stumped, but Moto Guzzi is the brand I’m looking for. It’s the Ducati brand recognition that does a lot for values on those bikes, and as people hear that sportbikes are heating up (literally, a Ducati will burn your bum), they gravitate towards brands they know as desirable. Most people aren’t going to think of Moto Guzzi, let alone the Daytona RS from the late ’90s. This helps keep values reasonable to the point where you can get a rare model that is the pinnacle of Moto Guzzi’s sportbike technology for the price of a base Ducati 916.

Italian bikes have always had a loyal following, good or bad, and generated feelings in riders that other bikes do not. This is where the Daytona shines. It is not the fastest. It does not handle the best. It does not have the most modern technology. What it does give you is one of the most enjoyable and vocal riding experiences you will ever experience. Compared to performance Ducati bikes of the era, such as the Ducati 916, the Daytona provides a bargain. Compared to lesser loved Ducatis of the era, such as the 888 and 900 Super Sport, it is an absolute steal.

A 1996 Ducati 916 base model has a #2 value close to $10K, and a rare homologation 916 SPS model has a #2 value close to $20K. A standard 1993 Ducati 900 Super Sport’s #2 value of $8200 puts it alarmingly close to far more rare and sporty bikes, like the Daytona RS. The Daytona RS engine features upgrades such as forged pistons, Carrillo rods, and lightened fly wheel, and it puts more focus on the engine than other Guzzi 1100s that are already a bike built around an engine. With nice examples to be had for $10K—the price of a base Ducati 916 and 50 percent less than a 916SPS—it’s hard to see why the Daytona RS does not get the love that the Ducati does. Maybe it will soon?

1976–77 Honda GL1000 Gold Wing

When the words Gold Wing are mentioned in the motorcycle world, people immediately think of massive touring bikes with large fairings and radios ready to cross the country. Twice. In one week. The first, short-lived generation of the Gold Wing from 1975–77 had no fairing and no radio, and big touring bikes didn’t exist, but in order for the big-fairing touring bike segment to exist, someone had to build it. Honda set off to win this category with a bike for “America,” and the first Gold Wing was born.

There was nothing like it at the time. It featured a flat-four engine, last produced in the ’30s by Zundapp, that was extremely smooth and could run for hours and hours at speed. It was certainly a heavy bike at close to 600 pounds—over 100 pounds heavier than a CB750 and 125 pounds heavier than a BMW r90/6—but it wore its weight low and had over 30 horsepower more than both bikes. The GL1000 quickly proved to be extremely reliable and riders took them all over the country, and it is one of the only bikes of the era where it is common to find for sale with over 50,000 miles and ready for 50,000 more. It can cruise at modern highway speeds reliably 45 years later, and do it with a lot more style than later touring bikes.

There was no segment for it at the time, and once owners started putting large Vetter fairings, radios, and luggage racks to tour the country, it quickly spawned the full fairing touring bikes that were to come. Honda had a hit and knew what the future was. This “confused” demeanor at the time meant it was not a superbike and it was not a cruiser Harley, and this holds it back in a collector world that focuses heavily of CBs in the mid-’70s. Collectors have started to look towards the early GL1000s more and more in recent years, though, with bikes like the first-year 1975 GL1000 and ’76 GL1000 Limited seeing huge appreciation, but the ’76 and ’77 GL1000s have escaped large value increases for all but the finest bikes. This means one can still pick up a running model for near $1000, or a good example for around $3000, and that entry point for such a reliable and usable motorcycle is hard to find from that era anymore. You won’t get the same deal when buying a CB750, which has a #2 value 41 percent higher than the Gold Wing or the BMW R90/6. A good condition example will cost you 45 percent more.

1980–83 Suzuki GS1100E

Suzuki was one of the last to hang on to the hope that two-strokes would remain competitive in the street-bike market, with the GT750, but in 1977 it came around and hit a home run with the GS750 (its first four-stroke, more than 20 years after Honda). Being the last to market meant it was the most modern, though. It had all the updates the CB750 was yearning for and handled better than the Yamaha XS750 and Kawasaki Z1. Then Suzuki one-upped it and released the GS1000 in 1978. Yoshimura, the famed racing team and tuning company, quickly switched from Kawasaki to Suzuki for 1978, and Wes Cooley would go on to win the 1979 and ’80 AMA Superbike Championship on the GS1000S.

With all Suzuki learned from the GS1000 it released the GS1100, and the hottest of them all was the GS1100E that features a 16-valve head. It would go on to win the acclaimed superbike of the year Cycle World award from 1981–83. The Honda CBX or CB1100F were comparable in magazines at the time and are two bikes that get huge accolades in the collector bike world today. When compared to the CBX, the GS is faster (it was the fastest bike to complete Cycle World‘s quarter-mile test at the time). It has more horsepower than the CBX throughout the rev range. It is more than 50 pounds lighter, and it handled better—fun fact though, the CBX has more cornering clearance than the GS1100 despite two more cylinders sticking out either side (Thanks, engineers). The GS1100E is called one of the first modern supersports, and the updated 1983 GS1100ES model was faster and lighter than the CB1100f. All of those benefits for … 61 percent less than a #2 value CBX and  23 percent less than a #2 value CB1100F.

Honda and Kawasaki are kings of the inline-four (and six) naked bikes of the era, and Suzuki seems to only come into its own in the collector world with the faired sportbikes era. That leaves the early GS bikes, groundbreaking in their time, as providing incredible value, especially when looking for a bike to ride. We can all admit that a CBX engine is the best to look at and take to redline, but no one wants to sync six carbs or adjust 24 shimmed valves.

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Summer is prime time to sell off some of the junk in your garage. Or basement. That way, when winter arrives you can buy a project motorcycle or three (it happens) to store in that newfound space. We don’t all have heated garages, but rolling a two-wheeled machine right into your basement puts everyone on a level playing field. Let’s look at what options are out there now, so you can spend the dark months ahead working instead of shopping.

1965–68 BSA A65 Lightning

Average #4-condition (Fair) value: $4500

British motorcycles are in a league of their own when it comes to looks and image (Steve McQueen still holds some sway, after all). There’s a reason British bikes even in project condition still sell for a lot, and many buyers seek them out simply for the opportunity to rebuild them. Full-size British bikes will take more work in plating, polishing, and tinkering to get just right than, say, a simple Honda CB350 will, and the entry point might be prohibitive for many. However, the joy of participating in a rich tradition of English motorcycle maintenance can’t be beaten. BSA, Triumph, or Norton will all present similar experiences in this regard, but we chose the BSA for this list because of its lower entry point. A true project can be had for $3000, but prices go up quickly from there.

1969–75 Suzuki TS250

Average #4-condition (Fair) value: $1500

Slightly less common than the Yamaha and Honda variants of the day, the Suzuki TS250 is a great option if your focus is usability and utility. Especially if your buddy with a Hodaka wants to race. At around $1000 for a true project, the entry point is accessible. Two-strokes are inherently easier to rebuild than a four-stroke, and with parts readily available for most of the Japanese enduros, your winter won’t be spent hunting for parts. They’re also built to take a beating, and many survivors have already endured such treatment. You’ll likely be doing more bodywork and cosmetic repair than mechanical work on these unless you get lucky with the prior owners whose kids never got the bike bug.

1973–75 Hodaka 125 Wombat

Average #4-condition (Fair) value: $1600

You don’t need a big engine to have fun, and if you are a summertime camper or spend time in the woods then the Hodaka Wombat (or any other of its incredibly named models—think “Road Toad”) is your ticket. Hodaka only lasted through the ’60s and ’70s but has one of the most loyal and nostalgic followings among bike enthusiasts today.

The smaller, single-cylinder engine means fewer parts to buy (often at a lower cost) and a powerplant that can be removed with four bolts and two hands. Hodakas are harder to find than more mainstream bikes of the era but there are enough parts sources out there to get by. Nice ones have been bringing big money for a few years now, so restorations are common as the economics of doing them make more sense. If you are looking for a unique project that you can ride out of the basement before the winter even starts, pick up a small Hodaka. Just make sure the major parts are there.

1975–77 Honda GL1000 Goldwing

Average #4-condition (Fair) value: $1100

The first-generation Honda Goldwing has charming looks, plenty of power, and a growing collector following (someone paid $33K for a 1976 Honda GL1000 Limited at Mecum’s Vegas 2020 motorcycle auction).

One might think that means prices are out of reach, but the GL1000 remains one of the lowest-priced bikes from the ’70s. Nice, running examples can be had for under $2000 and projects can be had for $800 on a good day. Parts are easily available, despite a short production run. Beware, though, because this is a heavy beast; at nearly 600 pounds, getting a Goldwing into your basement will be far easier than getting it out. Watch out for bikes needing piston or internal engine work. The cylinders were cast into the block, so, in such cases, the whole engine must come out; cases will require splitting just to be able to change the piston rings.

1980–85 Harley-Davidson XLH Sportster

Average #4-condition (Fair) value: $2000

Harley-Davidson and Sportster are two of the most recognizable names in American motorcycling history. (Harley has had a Sportster in the lineup for more than half of the company’s lifetime.) The Sportster will never be the smoothest, fastest, or comfiest bike, but it will always be one of the rawest, noisiest, and most intoxicating, and that’s what you want after a winter of working and waiting until the day you can fire it up.

The 1980–85 Sportster is the last of the Iron Heads and is known as one of the most visceral V-twins ever made. A running bike can be had for $2500 or a rebuild project for under $1500. Parts are readily available and there are videos online showing you how to fix just about anything on them. If you rebuild one of these over the winter, you will feel every bit of your labor in the way of 3000 vibrations per minute.

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If you wanted to be among the top 10 motorcycles at Mecum Indy, you could have bought or sold anything from rare turn-of-the-century American bikes to Japanese and British ’70s superbikes, to 2000s American iron. Whatever your taste, let’s look at the top 10 motorcycles at Mecum Indy 2020.

1947 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead Chopper

Sold for $14,300

Knuckleheads are all about the engine. The stampings must be correct and looked over with a fine-tooth comb and every part verified it is original from the model year. Any deviations detract greatly from the value. When one of these valuable engines is in a chopper, you get an interesting combination of a valuable engine in a custom and chopped package. Love it or hate it, these have a cult following and some riders love ’em. To some it’s a lifestyle play, to others it’s an art play.

1979 Honda CBX

Sold for: $14,850

Combine one of the best-sounding motorcycle engines ever made with classic ’70s naked-bike styling and you get one of Honda’s most recognizable models. With #1 values north of $23K, collectors are buying up clean CBXs and paying top dollar for them. Just make sure the exhausts are original and don’t have rust at the welds to the headers, as this is a big sticking point for CBXs. This one looks to be in 2- (Excellent minus) condition and sold for 3.5 percent over condition appropriate HPG value.

1952 Harley-Davidson Servi-Car

Sold for: $15,400

To  some, a classic Harley covered in grime and rust (or patina, as some call it) looks better than a perfectly restored bike. The Servi-car here fits the bill. These Servi-cars were built by Harley to serve utilitarian purposes and often got put into police duty, but nowadays they are mostly admired at parades or shows rather than pulling over Al Capone’s luxury sedan or serving parking tickets in New York. This one has a patina that can only come from years of service wear and tear, followed by being tucked away in a barn for years, and the buyers paid up for it. It sold for just above 3+ (Good plus) values.

2007 Ridley Autoglide Classic Trike

Sold for: $18,700

If the buyer of the Servi-car wanted something a little more modern, then this is the ticket. Ridley is a small manufacturer that I’d never heard of until today, but it appears that its main product is an automatic-transmission trike. At a time when drivers and riders are valuing usability over collecting dust, an automatic trike will appeal to many as a way to get out and explore.

2001 Harley-Davidson Dyna Super Glide

Sold for: $19,800

From old Knuckleheads to new Sportsters, Harleys are synonymous with being customized in a minor or major way to fit a rider’s personal style. This Dyna Super Glide is not one of them, and it likely will remain untouched and on display for many years to come. It was previously owned by Jay Leno, displayed on The Tonight Show stage for 30 days, and was signed by each guest. Then Leno auctioned it on eBay to benefit the Twin Towers Fund. The price then was $360,200—that’s about 1719 percent more than it went for this time around.

1975 Kawasaki Z1

Sold for $20,350

The Z1 was Kawasaki’s answer to Honda’s first superbike, the CB750, and it was a better bike in many ways. As Japanese superbikes are finally getting the respect they deserve in the collector market, due to their historical significance, style, and power (collectors want to ride their bikes nowadays). Don’t expect to see these disappear from the road though; owners are still out there using them as reliable transportation. The first-year 1973 Z1 is worth the most, but the later Z1A and Z1B are creeping closer. This one sold for 9 percent over #1 values.

1975 Norton Commando 850

Sold for: $24,200

It shook. It leaked. It rattled. It flexed. Then it got bored-out 100cc, two disc brakes, and an electric start, and it became the bike it always should have been.  In the late ’60s and ’70s, the Brits were always playing catch up with their Japanese rivals who always seemed to provide the customer more for less in a more reliable package. No one was able to provide the soul and character of the British bikes, though, and they defined an era of motorcycling for the Boomer generation. This Commando brought an extremely high price, selling for nearly 80 percent above the #1 value.

1973 Triumph X75 Hurricane

Sold for $27,500

The Triumph Hurricane takes the prize of one of the most “70s” 1970s bikes. The Hurricane had a psychedelic style with bright orange paint and swooping bodywork designed by Craig Vetter, made famous by creating fiberglass touring fairings at a time when manufacturers weren’t attaching them stock. The Hurricane was limited to 1200 units and launched at a time when BSA went bankrupt and the British market struggled to touch the heels of the technologically advanced Japanese bikes coming in fast. Nowadays, the limited production and unique styling bring top dollar, and this one sold for 4 percent over #1 values.

1918 Indian Board Track Racer

Sold for: $40,700

Indian board track racers strike a chord with most any racing enthusiast, and they bring back an era of racers risking their lives far beyond any risk seen today. Values for these fluctuate vastly, based on what reproduction parts are present, their known history, and overall condition. Like with the Servi-car above, however, patina, rust, and grime only add to the appeal, and board track racers are often seen with faked patina. This one looks like a solid example that isn’t missing anything major.

1911 Pierce-Arrow Four

Sold for $225,500

Four cylinders and about 700ccs weren’t just for the CB750. The Pierce Four was introduced 60 years earlier, in 1909, as the first four-cylinder American motorcycle. It could only muster a max speed of 60 mph, but that was fast for the day, especially when it was able to do it with minimal vibration from its smooth engine. Early models had fixed gears and no clutch, but this 1911 model brought in more usability with a clutch and two-speed transmission. The bike is likely destined for a personal collection or museum, but with the popularity of events like the Motorcycle Cannonball, it just might happen to be out on the road one day.

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You hang around folks who love vintage cars enough and you’ll inevitably meet vintage motorcycle guy or gal. They mean well, love all things with oil pumps (and some without) but will take every opportunity to espouse the virtues of the under-appreciated vintage motorcycle world.

“You can store a dozen in the space of a single Cadillac!” he or she will exclaim before shifting to extolling the virtues of the fun-per-dollar that few four-wheel contraptions can rival. Allow them to ramble. Contemplate their points. Come to your own conclusions. You now want to buy a motorcycle. I thought so. Good for you. Now what do you buy?

Just like the car world, there are endless options. Since you’re new to the motorcycle world, it can be tough to narrow down what you might like or be interested in without digging through a mountain of research. If the research part is fun for you, go for it. If it’s not, we’re here to offer some guidance. Here are six motorcycles that, based on the cars you like, will likely capture your interest.

If you like: Chevrolet Camaro

Our motorcycle suggestion: Harley-Davidson Sportster

During my formative years, I was pretty convinced Hugger Orange was just two or three signatures on a petition from becoming an official color of the United States. The Camaro is uniquely American, and if a loping big-block 396 under the hood of a ’69 RS/SS gets your ignition timed just right, the Harley Davidson Sportster is right up your alley. The first Sportster pre-dated the Camaro by a decade, but the formula is similar—relatively stripped-down models packing the rider’s choice of two displacement V-twins. While some poo-poo the smaller 883cc engine and say everyone needs the 1000-cc (or later 1200) option, it is very much like the big-block 396 versus small-block 350 Camaro, in that both are fun to drive.

If you like: Land Rover

Our motorcycle suggestion: Royal Enfield

This one isn’t a performance comparison, but rather a heritage comparison. Both Land Rover and Royal Enfield have new cars or bikes on dealer lots that are English by way of India. These two brands are rooted in the simple robust way of building things and lean heavy on classic design. Each has interesting quirks and seems to pull off the intended feel, but to call either an English creation would be a misnomer.

If you like: Ford F1

Our motorcycle suggestion: Harley Davidson Knucklehead

Built to withstand the test of time would be an accurate description of this pairing. The Ford F1 is a truck’s truck, especially the early generations with flathead V-8s. Plenty of style and hardworking to boot. The Knucklehead is not actually a model of bike so much as a nickname for the overhead-valve engine that went into Harley models from 1936–47. If you picture a chopper from the ’60s, it is likely sporting a Knucklehead engine in a modified frame. Easy to build, reliable, hardworking, and plentiful are words to describe either the Ford or the Harley here.

If you like: Spyker C8

Our motorcycle suggestion: Confederate Hellcat

If over-the-top futuristic style and power is your thing, this is the pair to park together. There is a certain air of form over function here, but both still function beautifully. The Spyker is powered by a tuned-up, 400-hp Audi V-8 and is best known for its ludicrously over-designed shifter. The Hellcat packs a thumping S&S-sourced V-twin putting 140 pound-feet of torque to the back tire. Goes like stink and has polarizing styling. Spyker has been in constant production since 2000, but if you are looking for Confederate, you are actually looking for Curtiss. The name change was completed in 2017 and also reflected a change in direction for the company, which now produces bespoke electric bikes.

If you like: Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing

Our motorcycle suggestion: BMW R69S

Fast, elegant, German, grand touring machines, that both look stunning in black. Each machine here has a tubular steel frame at its core, though it is not the focal or defining point of either. The 300SL is known for its racing heritage, as it was born from the racetrack and went on to a successful racing career. The R69S is less of a track machine with just 35 horsepower from its 594cc boxer-twin, but the fit, finish, capability, and reputation is the shared between the two.

If you like: Lamborghini Countach

Our motorcycle suggestion: Ducati 916

You want to buy the poster car tat so many people had in the late-1980s, but you missed the bottom of that upswing in Countach prices? Look over at the Ducati 916. Much like the Bertone-penned angles of the iconic Lamborghini, the 916 is best known as Massimo Tamburini’s finest work. That design was a bit of form over function for the average user, as the riding position is best for riders on the small side, both in waist diameter and overall height, much like the fit for driving the Countach. If a sexy Italian is what you want in your garage, look no further.

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Using the words innovation and iconically consistent Harley-Davidson in the same sentence usually means you’re listening to a joke or some type of jab at the 117-year-old company. However, recent patent filings from the Milwaukee V-twin king show that Harley has a new idea for keeping its brand on the straight and narrow—but could it really work?

Harley’s idea is to bolt on a gyroscope that would assist a rider in balancing a motorcycle at slow speeds. Gyroscopes have been around for centuries, but Harley is looking to package a compact unit roughly the size of standard motorcycle top case. Properly set up, this would allow the gyroscope to act as a balancing force on the entire machine. The patents filed cite an engagement point right around 3 mph, meaning riders would be on their own at velocities above walking pace.

Gyroscopes are pretty basic. The core is a spinning mass—in this case we don’t know the weight of that mass, but Harley’s patent filing cites rotation speeds in the 10,000–20,000 rpm range. That weight is hung in a gimbal, which—depending on how force is imparted on the gimbal—gives a significant balancing effect. The ability to lock and unlock the gimbal to the chassis of the motorcycle means that when the gyro is “disconnected” the motorcycle should ride normally, and when locked and spinning the gyroscope will handle all the balancing for the machine.

With the potential of the entire system tidily packaged in faux luggage, this means the tech could be something more than a new bike gadget. Harley could easily market the kit as a retrofit to make any large cruiser more user-friendly. After all, once your 835-pound Road King starts to tip, there isn’t much that most riders can do to muscle it back upright. Slow and no-speed drops stink. It’s a 1-2 punch of embarrassment and damage to your machine. I’ve been there. I’ve dropped my machine in a slow-speed tip over.

The thought of never having that feeling of slow motion as I try my darnedest to not fall makes this system sound pretty sweet. However, let’s see this for what it is—a crutch. If a system like this is required for someone to be able to safely operate a motorcycle, maybe they shouldn’t be captaining that motorcycle. Harley-Davidson has been doing a lot of forward thinking lately, possibly only because it thinks it has no other option.

I’m taking a bit of a purist stance, I recognize that. So how could I possibly embrace anti-lock braking or traction control but not this gyro luggage? I see it this way: this gyroscope is a tool that can prop up a bad or lazy rider, whereas traction control and ABS elevate a good rider beyond their typical capabilities. All three are something of a safety net, but one removes all skill from a task while the other two operate to keep a rider safe should something unexpected happen in the road ahead.

What do you think? Sound off in the Hagerty Community below.

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Just like cars, motorcycles are treasured collectibles. Despite their desirability, however, they trade hands on average at far lower values than cars. The car auction record, too, is nearly 50 times that of the motorcycle auction record. Generally, the lower end of the bike market is full of nostalgia-driven purchases; the top is littered with historical significance and racing pedigree.

Based on digital views of our newly-released Hagerty Motorcycle Price Guide, here are the 10 bikes in which Hagerty is seeing the most interest, arranged by price from low to high.

1968–73 Honda CB, CL and SL 350

Average #2-condition (Excellent) value: $4900

The 350 Hondas improved upon the CA/CB/CL77 models to create what was to become one of the most loved Honda models. It seems like everyone in the late ’60s had one or at least knew someone who did, and that’s because the CB350 was the best-selling motorcycle in the world the very first year it was introduced, for 1968. The electrics were more reliable with a strong 12-volt system, the styling was updated and modern, and the five-speed gearbox meant 90 mph was attainable.

1959–69 Honda CA77 Dream Touring

Average #2-condition (Excellent) value: $6000

The CA77 was the touring version of the CB/CL77, and it featured styling that was distinctive from any other motorcycles on the road. The affordable price and excellent reliability that Honda was quickly becoming known for was cemented with the Dream, and in the ’60s it became a youth favorite. The pressed steel frame and forks, plus features like an enclosed chain, meant that it was a great bike for a variety of weather and road conditions. That also, however, led to many Dreams being used heavily in the elements. Nice, original ones are hard to come by today.

1965–68 Honda CL77

Average #2-condition (Excellent) value: $6700

The Honda CL77 was the off-road cousin of the CB77 Superhawk and CA77 Dream models; a whole line of bikes that shared massive success. The CL77 featured high scrambler pipes, tall bars, and 19-inch wheels that allowed it to easily go from town to the desert; so much so that many racers adopted the bike as their go-to desert racer, and it helped set the scene for the light-weight scramblers to come.

1969–78 Honda CB 750

Average #2-condition (Excellent) value: $9100

More Honda! The Honda CB750 is the motorcycle that completely changed America’s motorcycle market. At a time when a buyer could have reliability, speed, and affordability but only choose two, the CB750 allowed them to choose all three. Honda was so unsure of the success coming that it didn’t want to invest in diecast molds, instead opting for sandcasting, and the first 7414 bikes produced in 1969 had sandcast engine cases. By the end of 750’s production run, Honda had made almost 450,000 examples and solidified the CB750 as the first superbike attainable by common folk.

1979–82 Honda CBX

Average #2-condition (Excellent) value: $15,150

The CBX is not the first production motorcycle with six cylinders—that honor goes to the Benelli Sei—but it perhaps is the most memorable. Honda produced the bike for only four years and made it more touring-oriented in the last two years. Despite the short production run, it proved that Honda was still willing to invest in radical motorcycles at a time when the company was becoming, according to some, too predictable.

1972–75 Kawasaki Z1

Average #2-condition (Excellent) value: $15,900

Not a Honda, you say? The Kawasaki Z1 was Kawasaki’s response to being beat to the punch by Honda’s CB750. That response became the new world’s fastest production motorcycle and Cycle World’s New Motorcycle of the Year during the whole production run. The Z1 took the CB750’s formula of bringing speed and reliability to the masses, and then one-upped it with 15 more horsepower—a big bump, in the ’70s. That set the tone for the horsepower wars to come.

1961–69 BMW R60/2 and R69S

Average #2-condition (Excellent) value: $16,300

The BMW R60/2 and R69S, the latter being the more powerful version, were built as rugged and reliable workhorses but quickly became the go-to touring motorcycles of the ’60s. Instantly recognizable by the Earles fork suspension that reduced front-end dive under braking, the R60/2 and R69S were known for their strong reliability and extremely high quality. These motorcycles are some of the only models from the era that are regularly found showing more than 30,000 miles.

1946–53 Indian Chief

Average #2-condition (Excellent) value: $32,900

With some of the most distinctive colors adorning their swooping fenders—thanks to a merger with DuPont Motors—the Chief is one of the only famous American motorcycles that is not a Harley-Davidson. The Chief was built as a competitor to Harley’s big twins, and the model remained in production from 1922–53. If looking for something more modern, a buyer can get a brand new take on the Chief from the revived Indian Motorcycle company today, swooping fenders and all.

1936–47 Harley-Davidson EL/FL Knucklehead

Average #2-condition (Excellent) value: $70,800

The Harley-Davidson Knucklehead, known by that name because of the way the head makes a fist shape, is one of the most recognizable and prized motorcycles in American history. It was introduced before WWII and then ended production soon after. Since then the style has become iconic, and the model set the stage for Harleys today. The Knucklehead served as both a pleasure bike for soldiers returning from war and a workhorse for government employees. To this day it remains one of the most desirable Harley models.

1948–55 Vincent Black Shadow

Average #2-condition (Excellent) value: $94,500

Considered one of the world’s first superbikes, the Black Shadow maintained a production top-speed record all the way until the 1973 Kawasaki Z1. With its iconic black paint, gold pinstriping, and brushed aluminum pieces, the Black Shadow is a staple of any automotive collection, whether you’re a full-on bike nut or not.

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