The reason I feel that AMF saved HD from extinction is that at the time AMF rode onto the scene, HD was under attack from a corporate take over by Bangor Punta. HD needed to raise cash so they could update tooling and manufacturing capabilities. They'd decided to sell a bunch of stock to raise the money. Bangor Punta were just corporate raiders who would have probably killed the company had their bid succeeded. Thankfully, the board of directors chose AMF instead. But you are right, there were a lot of other factors involved too.

 

i don't know the whole story behind amf but i don't really care i ride cause it's mine and i could afford i think my uncle likes my ironhead more than his heritage softail classic he said it's something different and its gonna get lots of attention at a poker run or a ralley i guess we'll see next spring

 

I love my '72 flh and the spot of oil it leaves on my garage floor

 

I've had 4 AMF Harleys. No problems on the 3 shovels, but had a lot of trouble with a '74 Sportster that I bought new. AMF saved Harley and brought them into the 20th Century.

Here's a '75 FLH I owned in 1980.


Here it is this past Summer with the guy I sold it to in 1981. He's still ridin' it. I'm the grinnin' guy on the right.

 

Bottom line Harley likely would note have been here today if not for AMF then. The bikes AMF Harley Davidson sold were Harleys 100% from engineering and design all the way through build up. The Evo's in particular and in many ways the bikes Designed and built by Harley now owe an awful lot to the engineering that came from AMF.

The merger with AMF was a good thing and perhaps there separation even better. 25 years ago I badmouthed AMF, today I know better.


Rich

don't mean to rant, sorry

 

I had 2 AMF bikes a 74 FLH and a 76 FX super glide i bought new . Good solid bikes just needed a little more attn. than the factory
was giving them in those days. When i bought the 76 all the bike's on the show room floor had oil pans under them , i still bought it and put lots of miles on it. A harley's a harley don't matter when it was built

Thanks MIKE

 

New to the forum but have a great AMF shovel story from this past summer.

My rider is a '76 shovel that has been retro'd to look like a '62 Duo Glide pan.

When my nephew was buying his first Harley this past summer, he called for recommendations. My first comment was, "Don't buy new. Every harley rider wants to make his bike truly his. So why buy a new ride, pay for all those new parts and then start taking them off to replace with your own style."

My next comment was, "Buy an old one. Everytime I stop, no matter what new bikes I am riding with, everyone comes up to see, picture, talk about, the old one."

He finally found a couple year old Road King in my area that he was able to get for a lot less than he could find in CA. We he came to pick it up and ride it back, I went with him for a couple days on my shovel. Every, time I stopped people would come out of the woodwork to chat. In fact, we had pulled up to the curb by the Hard Rock in Nashville and while just thinking about where we were going to park, a manager ran out of the bar and yelled, "Nice shovel! Park it in our emplyee lot!" He then proceeded to unhook a chain and wave us in.

Needless to say, my nephew got off his very nice bike and said, "Ok, I've heard enough."

nineosixdave

 

I love my old Ironhead. Maybe it is not as light or fast as a newer evo sporty but it has a lot more charachter in my opinion. I also find my self drawn to older bikes at shows or events because it takes a dedicated biker to keep these bikes running and looking good. If AMF bikes were crap, why are so many still being riddin? I think that any AMF bike that is still on the road today has long since proven itself. A brand new bike has yet to prove itself. That is the way I see it.

 

I ride a '72 FLH AMF and I love it.

 

AMF and then a little more.