The Harley Topper Scooter - The Most Unlikely Hog (photos)
The cute little Harley-Davidson Topper Scooter was an extreme departure from the big touring motorcycles long synonymous with the Milwaukee brand. Nonetheless, the Topper is a brief, but intriguing part of Harley-Davidson's storied history.
1. The Specialty Scooter
Believe it or not, Harley-Davidson dabbled in the scooter market from 1960 till 1965 with the Topper scooter, aimed at teenage Baby Boomers. The 1960's were an especially profitable time for Harley as they were expanding into different markets with the help of Aermacchi ,despite competition from overseas manufacturers. Harley put quite an effort into the compact scooter as they studied the popular products of other scooter companies in the late 1950's and leveraged their 50% of the Aermacchi (Aeronautica Macchi) company for small displacement engine and scooter expertise. The Topper scooters were built alongside other Harley models at the Milwaukee, Wisconsin assembly plant, including the related small displacement Hummer motorcycle.
2. A Family Affair
The Harley Topper was developed to attract young adults and families into the two-wheeled motorcycling world. As can be seen by the various original advertisements, the scooter was marketed to be a comfortable, economical, simple, and fun means of transportation. The scooter featured a 10 cubic-inch (165cc) air-cooled, single-cylinder 2-stroke engine with a "Scootaway Drive" CVT (continuously variable transmission), automatic clutch, and no shifting, to allow individuals with little to no motorcycling experience to quickly come to terms with its simple operation.
3. Three Trim Levels
The original Model "A" Topper sold during 1960 & 1961 produced a touch over 6 horsepower and was good for a reported 45 miles per hours, but could only muster 85 miles per gallon, not the advertised 100 mpg. The Model "AU" aka the "restricted" model was produced throughout the lifespan of the Topper (1960-1965) to meet certain state requirements that allowed underage and unlicensed riders on scooters of 5 horsepower or less. The star of the Topper lineup would appear in 1961 as the high-performance "Style-Master." This scooter featured a 9 horsepower engine capable of 60 mph by way of a high compression alloy cylinder head, larger carburetor, cylinder port matching, and a tuned exhaust pipe. No mater which one you wanted, they retailed for less than $500, which was more than a Honda Cub, but still reasonable.
4. Tech Specs
A 165cc single cylinder 2-stoke engine was mounted horizontally between the floorboards of the scooter and required premix fuel (oil & gasoline blend) as the Topper did not feature oil injection. Placement of the engine allowed for a low center of gravity, and with 42 percent of the weight placed on the front wheel, provided excellent maneuverability. The little engine was started by a simple lawn mower type rope-pull starter. The front-end incorporated a leading link-type suspension system while the rear used a traditional swingarm, but did not have the motor pivoting with it like most scooters. Tire sizes were 4" wide x 12" diameter, big for a scooter, and each wheel used a 5" expanding drum brake setup operated by a hand lever (front brake) and foot pedal (rear brake). The CVT used a v-belt and set of pulleys to alter the drive ratio from 18:1 (low speed) to 6:1 (high speed) and the automatic clutsch would only begin driving the rear wheel once engine revs reached 1800 rpm. The body featured a mixture of stamped steel (floorboards, front splash shield, & fender) and fiberglass (engine cover and remainder of body) to allow the scooter to sneak in just under 250 pounds. The wheelbase measured 51.5" with the overall length stretching to 75", which gave it better stability at speed than most imported scooters, like the Vespa. What many do not realize is that the Topper was actually not an import built by Aermacchi, but was 100% American made and shared parts with the long running small bore Hummers.
5. Built with Versatility in Mind
A rare option for the Topper scooters were the attachable utility cargo box or sidecar. Harley took a page right out of their own history book by allowing the Topper scooters to be used in similar fashion to their Servi-car vehicles as employed by fire departments, police units, and various delivery services. The utility box option was not only marketed as a cost-cutting delivery vehicle capable of handling up to 200 pounds of cargo in its 5 cubic-feet box, but also allowed businesses over 1,100 square inches of rolling advertisement space. The sidecar was meant to attract all members of the family, from moms, to kids, to the pets. More so, Harley pushed the sidecar as a daily vehicle that could deliver children to school, haul groceries, or even carry your golf clubs for a day at the greens. The utility box assembly was an additional $119.00 option, whereas the sidecar cost $128.00.
6. Lackluster Sales
Despite great projections and high hopes, Harley's venture into the scooter boom never quite took off as anticipated and production of the Topper was suspended after the 1965 model year. Actual Topper production numbers have been lost over time, but most sources guess between 3,500 and 8,000 units were produced. To date, the Topper is the only scooter ever produced by Harley-Davidson. These scooters have become quite collectible in recent years, and with many of them having been parted out, experts estimate there may be as few as 100 complete Topper scooters that still remain in running condition.
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