Rare ‘Moo Glide’ Softail Offers Cowboy Style

Limited-production, one-year-only bike has unique upholstery.

We’re certainly used to seeing rare and desirable Harley-Davidson colors and options. It’s less often that we find a numbered-limited production bike. It’s just not something that the gang in Milwaukee does very often.

Back in 1993, though, Harley-Davidson did just that. It’s called the Heritage Softail Nostalgia, but most fans just call it the “Moo Glide.” That’s because what made the Nostalgia special was its cowhide upholstery.

The Harley-Davidson enthusiast community is split when it comes to the Moo Glide. Some think that the cowhide seats are tacky, while other think they’re cool. Count us as being in the latter camp. We love the Moo Glide and we just can’t get enough.

We’re not alone, either. With a limited production of just 2,700, there are more folks that want a Moo Glide than there are Moo Glides. That helps to keep their resale values high.

We found this Moo Glide on CycleTrader in McGaheysville, Virginia. With just 4,256 pampered miles on the odometer, this Harley still looks showroom fresh. It probably still has that new-cow smell. At $13,990, it’s a lot of money for a quarter century-old Softail, but not necessarily a lot of money for a Moo Glide.

The seller states that this one is number 1,586 out of 2,700. The milky white and black two-tone paint is set off by the brown and white Holstein cowhide. The theme continues onto the tank protector and the saddlebags, a nice touch not seen on most Moo Glides.

At some point, the seller added an S&S Super E carburetor. However, the original is included with the sale. The bike presents very well and, if you’re in the market for a Moo Glide, it’s probably worth every penny.

When new, the Heritage Softail Nostalgia was popular enough for Harley-Davidson to continue production in 1994. However, in an effort to protect the investment of limited-production Nostalgia owners, it received a name change to Heritage Softail Special.

Besides the lack of a numbered plaque, the Special was missing something else: the cowhide seat inserts. While the Moo Glide may be a one-year wonder, it’s one of our favorite Harleys of all time.

Photos: CycleTrader

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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