1971 'Sparkling America' FX Super Glide is a Patriotic Blast From the Past

Sparkling Freedom

The Harley-Davidson 1971 FX Super Glide was promoted as the 'Great American Freedom Machine,' and with good reason. As the Motor Company's first factory-custom, it established the 'cruiser' class of motorcycles — a standard to this day. The introductory FX with its Sparkling America paint job was a one-year offering, and a patriotic acknowledgment at a time America needed it the most.   

Photos courtesy of Cycle Connections.

Extreme Survey

Built as a prototype by Willie G. Davidson in 1968, the Motor Company executives were skeptical of the new design. Davidson explained their reluctance in a 1970 Cycle magazine interview, “As a company we're leery of the chopper image and any kind of extremism.” In 1969, Harley-Davidson employed marketing consultants Frank N. Magid and Associates to run a survey and gauge public reaction. 

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Private Machine

Company brass was also worried that the FX Super Glide would cut into sales of Sportsters and Electra Glides. Davidson expanded on the results, “The survey showed that the Super Glide wasn't too radical, nor was it too close to our other bikes.” The Motor Company then attempted a bit of deception by surreptitiously releasing images of the prototype “as a private custom, not a factory machine.” 

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Smokescreen Nerve

The ploy backfired. Harley-Davidson had sent pictures to Bob Greene, motorcycle editor of Hot Rod magazine. The prototype was to be included in Greene's forthcoming Motorcycle Sport Book. Davidson elaborated, “We wanted to judge public response and create a little excitement.” Despite the effort, many Harley-Davidson dealers saw through the smokescreen and the inquires poured in — a nerve had been struck. 

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Touring Performance

Acceptance of the new design was immediate and overwhelming. The FX Super Glide went into production with very few changes to the original prototype. Willie G. Davidson credits his inspiration to an abandoned Motor Company FL build from the 1950s that focused on performance rather touring. External sources of inspiration also cite 'bob jobs' or Bobbers prevalent in California during that era. 

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Factory Ne'er-do-wells

Davidson's source of inspiration for the FX might have been a bit of media manipulation. The FX had already been unofficially created by custom builders using the FL platform in the late-1960s. These custom builders were often members of outlaw motorcycle clubs seeking fast, nimble machines beyond what the factory had to offer. Understandably, the Motor Company wanted no association with these ne'er-do-wells.  

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Super Marriage

Like the biker's machines, the FX was intentionally built for performance and handling. Recognized as the world's first super bike, the FX married a Sportster Ceriani-type frontend with a touring chassis that housed the biggest motor of the day. According to some, FX stood for 'factory experimental,' while others claim it is the 'F' from FL and the 'X' from XL — the Sportster letter designation.

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Loathed Seat

Hybrid bikes were not unusual back in the 1960s. The most well-known was the Triton, a British backyard special that combined the refined Triumph engine with the Norton Featherbed frame. Unlike the FX, the Triton was never adopted at a factory level and remained the one-off product of small shops. If the FX had any European-styling influence, it was the much-loathed boat-tail seat and integrated fender combination.

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Bowling Boat

Originating with the 1970 Sportster, the boat-tail seat was often discarded. Original FX boat-tail seats are now a sought-after collector item. Some claim that the three-tiered seat, with its frenched-in taillight, resembles a bowling ball return chute and equate this to the AMF's reputation as a 'bowling company.' It is more likely that seat was inspired by sleek European café racing machines.

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Patriot Thing

The FX Super Glide was pivotal and helped fend off the import motorcycle 'invasion' that began in 1969. The FX's Sparkling America livery has been viewed as a reflection of Middle America's visible patriotism in reaction to pressures against U.S. involvement in Vietnam, but Davidson was much more chill in his response as he stated, “The red, white, and blue thing just sort of floated into the picture.”

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