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Harley Davidson: World's Fastest Hogs

People love the Harley Davidson motorcycles for their look, their sound, and the feeling they get riding them, but even many fans think they are slow. Well, sure a Road Sofa isn't going to give a sport bike a run for its money, but you'd be surprised at how fast some Harleys can go.

By Bryan Wood - February 10, 2016

This article applies to Harley Davidson Touring, Dyna Glide, Softail and Sportster.

Harley Davidson bikes are good at a lot of things, but they have long since abdicated the thrown of the fastest and most powerful bikes on the road to various Japanese or European sport bikes. Harley has the engineering and displacement to make tons of power out of their big twins, but meeting EPA smog and noise rules with an air cooled bike as well as giving you a factory warranty, limit how much power they leave the factory with. Some hard core Harley types will never say die though, and insist on building the only brand they would be caught dead on into rip, snorting racing machines capable of taking on any and all challengers.

Note: There are many bikes in various drag racing classes competing under the Harley Davidson flag with V-twin motors, but they have as much in common with a street Harley as a NASCAR Camry has with the Toyota parked in your driveway.

Land Speed Racing Harley Davidsons

Streamliners

The ultimate top speed bikes out at Bonneville and the like are always the bullet shaped streamliners, and built Harley motors have powered a few very successful examples. Back in 1970, when the Japanese were just beginning to chip away at the big bike market with the revolutionary Honda CB750, the Motor Company took to the salt with a bright orange rocket, ridden by their ace road racer Cal Rayborn. Just in warm ups, using a stock Sportster drive train, they managed to get it up to nearly 170 mph, but that was no where near what they were shooting for. With a tuned, 89 cubic inch Sportster motor, burning 70% nitro-methane, Cal went out and did a 2-way run, averaging 265+ mph, and set a record that stood for five years as the fastest motorcycle on the planet.

Even fully factory backed race teams were tiny in 1970
Figure 1. Even fully factory backed race teams were tiny in 1970.

In 1990, another streamliner with Harley power, now sponsored by Easyriders Magazine, built with $25 contributions from magazine readers and no factory backing, set a much faster record. Dave Campos was the rider, controlling the throttles of twin nitro burning 91 cubic inch big twin motors tuned by Keith Ruxton, and managed to go 322+ mph in back to back runs went back and set records that would stand for another 15 years.

The Easyriders Streamliner as run in 1990
Figure 2. The Easyriders Streamliner as run in 1990.

Bagger

When you think fast bikes, you certainly don't think of baggers, but that fairing actually makes them much better at going really really fast than a naked bobber would be. Down in Australia, there is a 2015 Road Glide Special with a 120ci Screamin' Eagle V-twin that races on the dry lakes with stock bodywork. At its first meet, "Pepper" managed to set a record of over 165 mph, running gasoline via a modified Harley ECM, not nitro-methane and without a blower or turbo. The plan is to develop it until they can better the 175 mph on it. The amazing thing is it looks like you could still ride it across the country tomorrow.

There is one racing bagger faster than Pepper (over 200 mph actually), but it is all hand-built, using S&S drag race parts, modified body work, and an aftermarket chassis. Chris Rivas deserves credit for being as fast as he is on his purpose built bike, but it is worth noting that he only managed 159+ mph on it with the stock body work in 2009.

Not your father's bagger
Figure 3. Not your father's bagger.

Featured Video: Land Speed Record on a Bagger

Naked Bike

If you have ridden a bike fast without a windshield or fairing, then you can appreciate how hard it is to hang on as the speed builds. Having seen triple digits on a naked bike, I can hardly imagine how much effort is involved to keep accelerating as the clock approaches 200 mph.

Hiro Koiso on his way to 198mph
Figure 4. Hiro Koiso on his way to 198 mph.

Common Questions

How can I make my Harley faster? Is there a cheaper way?

Speed costs—How fast do you want to go? Screamin' Eagle offers 117 ci motor kits for about $2,000, which will upgrade your current twin cam motor to over 110 hp and nearly 115 lb-ft of torque.

Streamlining makes a huge difference in ultimate terminal velocity, so you could fit a fairing of some sort to your bike, even the Sons of Anarchy style quarter fairing helps. Acceleration is greatly affected by weight, so go on a diet, and start unbolting some of the unnecessary chrome parts on your bike.

Where can I go really fast without getting a ticket?

Plenty of drag strips have street legal nights where you can ride anything down the 1/4 or 1/8 mile at full speed. Land speed racing takes place at various places around the country, including the Texas Mile, Mohave Mile, El Mirage, and others, though mostly out west. There is Loring in Maine, as well as Wilmington Ohio where there are former air strips being used.

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