1971 Harley 350TV is a Cool Retro Cafe Racer

Most cafe bike customizers wished that their creations looked this good – and it came from the factory this way!

If you’re into classic four-wheeled iron, then there’s no doubt that you’ve heard of the enthusiast site BringATrailer. Whether you’re into American muscle, European exotics, or even Japanese sports cars, BringATrailer has the best of the best, and the rarest of the rare.

It’s not often that they sell motorcycles, but when they do, it’s always something special. Such is the case with this bike, a 1971 Harley-Davidson/Aermacchi 350TV. It may not look like a typical Harley-Davidson, but it’s a cool piece of Harley history, and a pretty handsome looking bike to boot.

Aermacchi is an Italian aircraft manufacturer that began building motorcycles after World War II in an effort to get Italy back on its feet. In 1960, Harley-Davidson bought 50% of the company, allowing them to diversify and bring fresh blood into the showroom with smaller, more affordable motorcycles.

This partnership lasted until 1978, when the business was sold off to Cagiva. Between 1960 and 1978, there were some seriously cool Harley-branded Aermacchis, such as this restored 1971 350TV.

The 350TV is powered by a 350cc overhead valve single-cylinder engine. Being a high-performance version of the 350 Sprint, the 350TV came equipped with a larger 30mm Dellorto carburetor and a free-flowing exhaust. The little single was capable of producing 27 horsepower. That’s impressive, given the small size of the engine.

Visually, the 350TV differentiated itself from the Sprint with a cafe-style sport seat and clip-on handlebars, along with aluminum wheels. In fact, with its striped tank, this very European-looking Harley gives many cafe racer bikes a run for their money in the looks department.

One could argue that Harley-Davidson was way ahead of their time selling a bike that looked like a customized cafe racer straight from the factory. While this doesn’t have typical Harley looks or the Harley sound, it’s still a winner to us. In fact, it’s one of our favorite bikes from the Harley-Davidson/Aermacchi partnership.

Most of these bikes don’t demand a high price these days. That makes them an affordable addition to any Harley-Davidson fan’s collection.

Photos: BringATrailer

Cameron Vanderhorst

Cam VanDerHorst has been a contributor to Internet Brands' Auto Group sites for over three years, with his byline appearing on Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Corvette Forum, JK Forum, and Harley-Davidson Forums, among others. In that time, he's also contributed to Autoweek, The Drive, and Scale Auto Magazine.

He bought his first car at age 14 -- a 1978 Ford Mustang II -- and since then he’s amassed an impressive and diverse collection of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, including a 1996 Ford Mustang SVT Mystic Cobra (#683) and a classic air-cooled Porsche 911.

In addition to writing about cars and wrenching on them in his spare time, he enjoys playing music (drums and ukulele), building model cars, and tending to his chickens.

You can follow Cam, his cars, his bikes, and his chickens at @camvanderhorst on Instagram.

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