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I got this t-shirt as a gift from a family member. I thought it was interesting, but I can't believe this was an approved design. What do YOU think?
(I blurred the logo to avoid infringement issues)
Yup, a Harley XA from 1942. Seems the WLA ate up its chains running in desert sand in North Africa, so the army wanted a bike like the German BMW, with a shaft drive. Harley built 1,000 of these, but the campaign in Africa was over before they could be deployed.
Some years back back I knew an elderly gent who rode cycles in the army in WWII. He said he did some of the test riding on the XA.
They've got a few of them at Wheels Through Time. Best known for their forks that were 2" over length, very popular when people were trying to get a little extra ground clearance.
Well, the stripes on the flags are purple, not red.
The motorcycle appears to be an opposed twin, like a BMW, not a V-twin.
Ray
That's a Harley Davidson XA. Harley based the design on a BMW engine to meet the Army's request that the bike be shaft driven for reduced maintenance and greater reliability.
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.
What's Wrong with this Picture?
