H-D Design Vice President talks Icons Collection

Flagship Future

As VP of Design, Brad Richards is tasked with balancing heritage with innovation. It is a challenge that keeps one foot in the past, and the other in the future. More than just a conceptual negotiation, the past has now been fully materialized with the neo-retro Electra Glide Revival, the flagship in Harley-Davidson's new Icons Collection.

Photos courtesy of Jeff Allen.

Extraordinary Series

Along with the retro-styled Revival, the entire touring lineup has been rebranded with the more prestigious title of 'Grand American Touring.' When Richards dreamed up the Icons Collection, he applied a number of 'rules,' along with a central tenant. That ideal was to create, “An extraordinary series of motorcycles inspired by some of Harley-Davidson's most recognizable and sought-after models.”

>>Join the conversation about the Icons Collection right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!

Pivotal Approach

In an ever-changing world, Harley-Davidson is considered a touchstone—a mainstay of predictability. Over the last century, the Motor Company's steadfast adherence to its own design principles has played a pivotal role in its anchor-like success. Yet, far from an insular approach, Harley-Davidson is plugged into the culture that supports them and is keenly aware of trends and innovations.

>>Join the conversation about the Icons Collection right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!

Bike Pull

Richards elaborated on the design process in a 2016 Motorcycle.com interview. He reflected, “One of the unfortunate things about being Director of Design, is I don’t really pen the bikes myself. We have a team of guys in Milwaukee who are really talented, and those guys do the work. They’re ingrained in the culture, they see what’s going on, and they pull a bike together.”

>>Join the conversation about the Icons Collection right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!

Launch Plan

With a shift in executive leadership at Harley-Davidson, the primary focus reverted back to its core products—heavyweight cruisers and touring motorcycles. One of the first actions of the new Hardwire plan was to launch the Icons Collection—something Richards interestingly summarized as a “limited-production line of motorcycles celebrating both iconic past designs and future icons.”

>>Join the conversation about the Icons Collection right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!

Issued Once

What exactly constitutes a 'future icon' is yet to be revealed. Richards continued, “We realized that if we created some kind of family of bikes that had very limited numbers, serialized, that we could do more of these super-niche design ideas.” Each bike in the Icons Collection will only be issued once, with production capped at 1,500 motorcycles per design.

>>Join the conversation about the Icons Collection right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!

Different Generation

Another 'rule' of the Icons Collection is that they must celebrate a specific important moment in Harley-Davidson’s history. In a June 2021, interview with Cycle World, Richards was reticent about the next release. Referring to the Revival, he stated, “I can tell you that it’s going to be as dramatic as this motorcycle, but it’s going to speak to a different generation.”

>>Join the conversation about the Icons Collection right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!

Timeless Brand

Speculation abounds as to the next move. Some are suggesting it might be the FX Super Glide and its hated boat tail fender, or a version of the once-loathed, now sought after FXR. Whatever the case, the Icons Collection is a clear representation of Harley-Davidson’s timeless message and a return to its favored brand identity.

>>Join the conversation about the Icons Collection right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!

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