Submitted By: TCSTD

Harley Davidson Motorcycle model designator letters are explained below ..

Also another link with drop downs, great info... HERE


X- Sportsters. These descend from the K series, 1952-56
XL - Series started in 1957. They are "unit construction" (engine & transmission share a common case)
L- High compression (7.5:1 in 1957)
H- Starting in 1958 came the XLH, meaning Higher-power or High-compression (9:1) or Hot .
C- Also in 1958 was the XLCH. The C was intended to mean "Competition".
CR - Cafe racer style, with bikini fairing.
LT - Touring, with bigger tank, thicker seat, and hard bags.


The first letter of the model designator reveals the engine series :
G- Servicar three wheeler, 1932 to 1972
E- Overhead valve 61 cubic inch "big twin" (Engine/trans separated)
F - Overhead valve 74,80 or 88 cubic inch "big twin"
FL - 80 to 88 cubic inches and a fat front tire.
K- Side valve 45 and 55 cubic inch sports bike that replaced the WL in 1953 and was replaced by the Sportster in 1957. It had many design features that were carried over to the Sportster.
U- Side valve 74 or 80 cubic inch "big twin"
V- Side valve 74 cubic inch made prior to 1936
W- Side valve 45 cubic inch made 1934 to 1952
X- Sports and special construction. Applied to 1918-1922 opposed twin Sport, 1944 military opposed twin, and 1957 to present Sportster.

The second letter of the model designator reveals the Front end (except sportsters)
X- Narrow tire and sport forks.
L- Wide front tire and Hydra-Glide front forks.
(FX originally meant "Factory Experimental" The first one was the Super Glide FX)

The third letter of the model designator reveals the frame style:
D- "Dyna" frame (with the rubber mounted motor)
HT - "Highway Touring" frame
ST - "Softail®" frame

The next letter(s) indicates the model bike within the frame family :
A- Military (Army) version (except GA, Servicar without tow bar)
B- Battery start (early models), Belt drive (early 80's) Black paint.(1995-6 model, the Bad Boy)
C- Classic, Competition, Custom, various others meanings.
D- Dyna, the newest frame and engine mount design.
DG - Disc Glide
E- Electric start
F- Foot shift (when the standard was hand-shift) and now "Fat Boy®"
H- varied between High performance and Heavy duty.
I- Signifies Fuel Injection.
L- Big fat front tire
LR - Low Rider (though many Low Riders don't include LR in the model ID)
N- Nostalgia
P- Police version
R- Rubber mounted engine (some models) racing version (other models)
ST - Soft Tail, Softail®l
S- Springer
S- (without following T) Sports version
T- Touring
WG - Wide Glide
X- Sportster or sportster-type front end and Skinny front tire.



DYNA Glide - FX - Superglide, FXB - Sturgis Belt, FXD - Dyna Super Glide, FXDG - Dyna Glide/Sturgis, FXDL - Dyna Low Rider, FXDS-CON - Dyna Convertible, FXDWG - Dyna Wide Glide, FXDX - Dyna Super Glide Sport, FXDXT - Super Glide "T" Sport, FXE - Superglide Electric Start, FXEF - Fatbob, FXLR - FX Lower Rider - Evolution,

FXR - Rubber Mount Super Glide - FXRC in limited numbers/Custom low rider- FXRDG - Disc Glide, FXRP - Police or pursuit, FXRS - FXR Sport, FXRS-CON - FXR Sport Convertible, FXRS-SP - Low Rider Sport Edition, FXRT - FXR Touring, FXS - Low Rider/Shovelhead, FXSB - Low Rider Belt,

Softail - FXST - Softail Standard, FXSTB - Night Train, FXSTBI - Night Train fuel injected, FXSTC - Softail Custom, FXSTD - Softail Deuce, FXSTS - Springer Softail, FLST - Heritage Softail, FLSTC - Heritage Softail Classic, FLSTF - Fat Boy, FLSTN - Nostalgia, FLSTS - Heritage Springer Softail.

Touring FL - FLH - 4-Speed Dresser, FLHS - 4-Speed Electra Glide, FLT with windshield and less goodies S = Sport, FLHR - Road King. FLHRCI - Road King Classic, FLHS- Electra Glide Sport, FLHT - Electra G