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Evolution and legacy of the Manx Norton
Race bikes for sale...
Their response was to have the grandson of one
of the founders, Willie G Davidson, introduce the
XLCR 1000cc Sportster in 1977. The model had a
new lightweight, triangulated space-frame, cast
alloy spoked wheels, and a bikini fairing and wind
screen. It should have projected Harley Davidson
into a new age without losing what has always
been vital to the marque, tradition. The trusty
V-twin engine was still there 68 years after it was
first introduced. It was supposed to challenge the
European and Japanese sports bikes, but it was
not a commercial success. The café racer set didn’t
respond, leading to the conclusion ‘concentrate
on the market you know’. Strangely the XLCR has
since become a collector’s item. In spite of Harley
Davidson’s worldwide following, the company was
close to bankruptcy in 1981, but a management
buy-out secured its future. In 1993 100,000 riders
converged on Milwaukee for a 90th anniversary
parade, and again for the 100th anniversary in 2003.
Indian may have been the first major player in the
American motorcycle industry in 1902, and in 1915
Harley Davidson KR 750 over the counter race bike 1957
did the HD Super Glide ‘Night Train’ with a 1200cc
V-twin motor in the 1970’s. Reviewers praised the
engine saying that it pulled like a locomotive.
In the 1970s Harley Davidson was feeling the
heat from the massive influx of Japanese models,
which were cheaper and more sophisticated.
Harley Davidson Super Glide ‘Night Train’ 1971
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