Unmatched Hydra-Glide was American Royalty

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America may have severed its relationship with the monarchy centuries ago, but Harley-Davidson still retains a kingly reign. The Hydra-Glide reasserted that claim in 1949, followed by the somewhat quirky 1952 advertising slogan, “Go High, Wide and Handsome on the World’s Best Motorcycle.” The Hydra-Glide also put the term 'glide' into the Motor Company lineup, one that endures to this day.

Photos courtesy of Mecum Auctions.

Telescopic Forks

Before descriptive names and more contemporary engine monikers, Big Twins were usually known by their engine capacity and letter designation. Introduced in 1949, the Hydra-Glide was the first Big Twin to get an official label. It was named for its new telescopic hydraulic front forks that replaced the longstanding springer frontend—versions of which had evolved since the Motor Company's early days.

Production Series

The Hydra-Glide was powered by the second iteration of Harley-Davidson's overhead-valve motor—otherwise known as the Panhead. Introduced the year prior, in 1948, the engine was available in 61 or 74 cubic inches, or E and F models, with EL and FL denoting the high-compression versions. Historically, the E and F series originates with the 1936 Knucklehead—Harley-Davidson's first production OHV motor.

Whammy Accounts

If Harley-Davidson has a king in exile, it is the one-year-only 1948 Panhead. Equipped with the new motor and a revised 'wishbone' frame, its chassis and running gear were almost identical to the Hydra-Glide, except for the frontend. Stories vary, but according to some accounts, the new frontend was intended to accompany the new motor in a double-whammy release.

Design Credence

Why the front end and motor were not issued together is also shrouded in some mystery. Some say simple economics—Harley-Davidson had a surplus of springers from wartime production and simply needed to use them up. Lending some credence to this theory is that hydraulic fork technology was not new, and the Hydra-Glide's fork design had already been completed a few years earlier.

Emblematic Link

The Hydra-Glide and its more powerful Panhead motor ushered in a new era of riding comfort. Produced until 1957, the Hydra-Glide earns the distinction of being the last large frame model with no rear suspension. As such, it stands as an emblematic link to the company's early history, before being superseded by the more modern, full suspension 1958 Duo-Glide.

Happier You

As Harley-Davidson's top model for 1949, the Hydra-Glide earned its crown for setting the stage to what the Motor Company now terms, 'Grand American Touring.' Advertising of the day also changed direction, associating the new Big Twin with fun and thrills. It even got personal, with a 1952 Hydra-Glide promotion stating, “For a happier you in '52, Ride the Pleasure-and-Performance Champ.”

Road Blueprint

In the shadow of the Hydra-Glide, it is easy to forget the 1948 Panhead. Considered Harley-Davidson's most attractive engine ever produced, the Panhead is synonymous with the apex of custom bike building in the 1960s. If the 1949 Hydra-Glide opened the road to touring, then its 1948 cousin, with its rigid frame and springer frontend, inadvertently gelled the blueprint for all the choppers that followed.

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