Harley Davidson Launches ‘Enthusiast’ Models With Historic Military Colors
Pan America and Tri Glide Ultra get the ‘G.I.’ treatment; new color choices from Harley Davidson honor U.S. Veterans.
Russia had its Urals, England had its Nortons and Royal Enfield Flying Fleas and the good old USA Army had its Harley Davidson Liberators.
All of these iconic motorcycle were used in World War II, and now you can have a little bit of US Army history as part of Harley’s new Enthusiast Collection.
The Motor Company just announced the launch of the program, with plans to introduce new, special-edition paint schemes every year inspired by “Harley-Davidson riders and their unique stories,” according to Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, President and CEO of Harley-Davidson.
Mineral Green Denim Deluxe
This year’s G.I. Enthusiast Collection pays tribute to Harley-Davidson riders who have served or are currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
The launch features two 2022 models, the Pan America 1250 Special G.I. and the Tri Glide Ultra G.I. The Motor Company loves fancy names for its distinctive colors and this one is no different: mineral green denim deluxe. Or, as the average person might put it: olive drab green.
Both models have the five-point star on the tank, which was used during WWII on military vehicles.
Made for War
The tank graphic also has H-D stenciled on it, and an abbreviated Milwaukee, Wisconsin. That was the method generally used on spec tags found on government-issued military equipment, because lettering was frequently done in or near combat conditions.
The colors were taken from the old Harley WLA models. Harley made about 90,000 of the motorcycles that were ultimately used by American soldiers during the war and later, briefly, during the Korean War.
Though similar, the new colors stand out a little bit more than the old olive green, said Harley-Davidson Vice President of Design Brad Richards.
“This color features a metallic effect resulting in a subtle gold highlight, allowing the color travel to be more dramatic and show off the shape of the surfacing,” Richards said.
Machine Gun Ready
Quite a few of those original WLAs were simply abandoned after the war, mainly in Russia. Russia and a handful of other Soviet-era countries are still a source of spare parts for them.
The old WLA models were built for combat and some extra added accessories were added on for the rigors of war: Blackout lights, heavy-duty luggage racks for radios, ammunition boxes and don’t forget the leather scabbards for Thompson machine guns.
Sorry, none of those add-ons are available on the Enthusiastic Collection motorcycles. This year at least.
Free Bikes for Vets
Fittingly, Harley Davidson dedicated the new program to two U.S. veterans, Gary Wetzel and Brian Critton, by giving them motorcycles from the collection.
Wetzel won the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam war when his helicopter was shot down and he continued to fight back even after he was seriously wounded.
Critton served a decade in the army, including a tour of duty in Iraq. He is currently active in veterans service organizations like Wounded Warrior Project.
Customize That Ride
The idea isn’t exactly new, for this year’s colors anyway. You might remember the military paint scheme on the 2016 Softail Slim. And some veterans have customized their rides in similar fashion.
HD offers three versions of the Pan America 1250. The stock version costs $17,319, the “Special” version starts at $20,000 and the Special G.I. model comes in at $20,799.
The Tri Glide Ultra has an MSRP of $35,699 and the Tri Glide Ultra G.I. will set you back $38,099.
Photos: Harley Davidson
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