I found this kind of interesting, and it's a part Harley's history that you don't hear about all that often......


Small Harleys - Hummers and Aermacchis



[/align]Aermacchi-built AMF H-D single-cylinder bike[/align][/align][/align]
See also: Harley-Davidson Hummer
See also: Harley-Davidson Topper
As part of war reparations, Harley-Davidson acquired the design of a small German motorcycle, the DKW RT125 which they adapted, manufactured, and sold from 1947 to 1966. Various models were made, including the Hummer from 1955 to 1959, but they are all colloquially referred to as "Hummers" at present. BSA in the United Kingdom took the same design as the foundation of their BSA Bantam.

In 1960, Harley-Davidson consolidated the Model 165 and Hummer lines into the Super-10, introduced the Topper scooter, and bought fifty percent of Aeronautica Macchi's motorcycle division.[10] Importation of Aermacchi's 250 cc horizontal single began the following year. The bike bore Harley-Davidson badges and was marketed as the Harley-Davidson Sprint.[11][12]

After the Pacer and Scat models were discontinued at the end of 1965, the Bobcat became the last of Harley-Davidson's American-made two-stroke motorcycles. The Bobcat was manufactured only in the 1966 model year.[13]

Harley-Davidson's entry in the lightweight two-stroke market for 1967 was the M-65, built by Aermacchi and offered in base form with a normal tank and as the M-65S with a smaller peanut tank.
The company re-entered the 125 cc two-stroke market in 1968 with the introduction of the Aermacchi-built Rapido, a 125 cc bike to replace the American-made 2-stroke bikes.[14]

The engine of the Sprint was increased to 350 cc in 1969 and would remain that size until 1974, when it was replaced by the 250 cc two-stroke SX.[15]

Harley-Davidson purchased full control of Aermacchi's motorcycle production in 1974 and continued making two-stroke motorcycles there until 1978, when they sold the facility to Cagiva.[10]

 

This came from Cagiva web-site:

The former hobby of a keen family quickly becomes the most dynamic motorcycle industry in Europe: on October the 17th CAGIVA buys the factory in Schiranna (Varese) from AMF-Harley Davidson, Italy. An area of 8000 sq metres, the site hosts skilled technicians and keen engineers, inheriting the skills from Aermacchi aereonautics and the nearby MV Agusta. With such a rich human potential, the Castiglioni brothers ignite the next evolution by renewing the production cycles with investments in technology as well as founding a new technical office.
- 1979 The following data can sum up the importance of the investments held by CAGIVA: more than 150 employees, an annual production of 40000 motorbikes, a brochure of 8 models with two-strokes engines ranging from 125cc to 350cc sold under the HD CAGIVA brand.

 

pretty cool info

 

My second and third bikes were a 1949 125 and a 1958 165. I miss those bikes.

 

And for the HD golfer in all of us:

 

That's especially cool for me to see. My dad bought me a 125 in 1949.

 

Yup. My brother had a Sprint. Neat little bike. I do remember the Topper being in showrooms in the 60's. And for a time, I demo'd the golf carts for Dales' Modern Cycle in San Bernardino, CA. Had a 2 cycle gas engine that started and stopped with the throttle pedal.