Restored Harley-Davidson Sprint Is a Nod to the Old Days

Italian Harley

It might not make much sense today. But when Harley-Davidson began building the Sprint in 1961, it made perfect sense. Japanese motorcycle makers were taking over with a host of small bike offerings, and H-D had nothing to counter with.

Instead of starting from scratch, they took a massive shortcut and just purchased an entire company - Aermacchi of Varese, Italy. And then they started cranking out Harley motorcycles with Italian flair, like this stunning Sprint up for grabs at Mecum Auctions.

Perfect Fit

The match between Aermacchi and Harley was seemingly one made in heaven. The Italian company was already producing sturdy 250cc bikes that performed well and had loads of potential. And the company's parent outfit, Aeronautica Macchi, was more interested in pursuing its airplane business at the time.

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Familiar Design

Thus, Harley purchased 50% of the company and instantly got into the small bike game. Their first offering, the Aermacchi Ala d’Oro, was a nice fit for existing H-D dealers thanks to its familiar overhead-valve four-stroke engine design.

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Instant Popularity

When the Harley-Davidson Sprint came about in 1961, it gained instant popularity among the production racing set. It was lightweight, speedy, and nimble around corners. Through the years, H-D made a number of improvements that only enhanced those characteristics.

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Racing Success

In 1969, H-D introduced a 350cc version of the Sprint. It proved to be an even tougher competitor in GP Racing. In fact, the updated Sprint nabbed four of the top ten spots at the Isle of Man Junior TT in the 1968-1970 seasons.

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Race Only

Unfortunately, those race bike upgrades didn't trickle down to the 350cc Sprint street bike. That meant no beefed up 5-speed transmission, short-stroke cylinders, or anything else. But it was still a capable performer, despite those differences.

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Light and Fast

The larger displacement engine now produced 25 hp at 7,000 rpm. Which doesn't seem like much, but the Sprint also weighed only 323 pounds with a half-tank of fuel. Thus, it was capable of reaching a top speed of 92 miles per hour.

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Curious Case

Regardless of its popularity back in the heydays of small sporty bikes, the Sprint isn't a highly sought-after collectible today. But we're interested to see what this gorgeous example brings when it crosses the block.

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Nearly Perfect

With just 7,300 miles showing on the odometer, this particular Sprint hasn't been used very much over the years. And it's received a full restoration, so it presents as nearly perfect.

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Piece of History

Like vintage Sportsters, the Sprint just hasn't enjoyed the popularity among collectors that larger framed bikes have in recent years. But this little Italian ride is no less important to the history of Harley than any of them!

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 For help with service and maintenance of your Harley, check out the how to section of HDForums.com.