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The Italians do things like this better, more easily, with much more power, and have been doing so since ancient times...
Mike
"Ducati 900SS" (The Wikipedia article is only available in two languages, French and Italian; that says it all...)
That wasn't a motorcycle, that was art on two wheels...
A simple V-Twin engine, and so much more...
I think HD did real good with that concept bike. Carries over the look of the original with some actual performance. Am I the guy that would buy one, probably not but I think HD should have it as an option to a younger or more sporting rider that wants the Bar and Shield.
I think HD did real good with that concept bike. Carries over the look of the original with some actual performance. Am I the guy that would buy one, probably not but I think HD should have it as an option to a younger or more sporting rider that wants the Bar and Shield.
I think I might be that guy.
Ive thought about buying another sport bike, but having the controls all different kept me guessing . If they were all the same, that would be a huge bonus for me. IMHO
After 1977, the XLCR models, like the later XR 1000, simply sat unsold at German Harley dealers, becoming unsellable.
A brand new XR 1000 would have cost me less than a basic Sportster, if I had paid in cash.
Nobody was interested, it was simply the way things were...
From today's perspective, it was certainly a mistake, but who could have foreseen that?
I remember the salesman at the time, Robert, a good man, he remarked:
"Mike, an XR 1000 is the best investment for the future; this thing will become incredibly valuable and expensive in the future. You can't invest your money better!"
The seller Robert was right, it was a mistake not to put an XR 1000 on ice and bring it back to light decades later.
It was very similar with the XLCR in 1979, a flop at the time, sold off cheaply, now a rarity...
https://www.yesterdays.nl/product/ha...-cyl-ohv-2811/
It also makes no sense to write about the XLCR or a later XLX at all; that was a different league of motorcycles, something like that unfortunately doesn't exist anymore today.
Mike
PS I was never a fan of the "Sportster" models; that certainly always kept me from buying one.
And I had more than enough expenses for the old 1954 FL; I couldn't afford a third Harley.
Last edited by Mike1956G; Mar 14, 2026 at 03:29 PM.
I raced against a guy with an XR-1000... back when...That thing was the Bomb.. Sure wish I had even Seen one back when they were available...Tho, on a Sailors salary...I doubt I could have sprung for one!!!
I raced against a guy with an XR-1000... back when...That thing was the Bomb.. Sure wish I had even Seen one back when they were available...Tho, on a Sailors salary...I doubt I could have sprung for one!!!
25 years ago you could get one for regular Sportster money, should have bought everyone I could find. Now they are big money, for good reason.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
Racers...
