5 Innovative Harley-Davidson Motorcycles That Broke the Mold

Against the Grain

Like pretty much any company that's been in business for over a century, Harley-Davidson has churned out its fair share of innovative products over the years. That includes not only individual parts like engines and drivetrain bits and pieces, but also, entire motorcycles that went against the grain of the overall industry - and oftentimes, even what we've come to expect from Harley itself. 

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Model 1

Of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the very first Harley-Davidson ever to exist - the Model 1 - which quite literally changed history forever. It was the company's first in-house creation, as before, H-D sourced bicycle frames from other places and then fitted them with engines. Harley only made 38 Model 1s in total, but it set the stage for what is now a burgeoning market and one of the more iconic American companies ever to exist. 

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XR750

Nobody saw the XR750 coming, and yet, the flat track racer went on to dominate AMA competition for a long spell - even claiming 28 out of 37 Grand National Championships along the way. Perhaps more importantly, Harley used what it learned from the XR750 to develop its road-going bikes, leaning on things like lightweight materials and using aluminum to better dissipate heat.

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V4 Nova

The V4 Nova never made it to production, but it's a fascinating piece of kit that was famously developed in conjunction with sports car maker Porsche. The concept behind the V4 Nova was to create a bike that could take on stiff Japanese competition, and it aimed to do so with a liquid-cooled, 800cc, V4 engine and some unique features such as a radiator located under the seat. The V4 Nova didn't quite pan out, but it did set the stage for a shift toward liquid cooling in general, at least. 

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VRSC V-Rod

Speaking of liquid-cooled Harleys, the V-Rod was the first to utilize that now-common type of setup, rather than the air-cooled engines that had dominated for decades prior. The new Revolution V-Twin present in the V-Rod had some ties to the aforementioned V4, and it was a short-stroke powerplant, to boot, making it truly noteworthy in the halls of H-D history.

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Pan America 1250

Finally, we have the Pan America 1250, which is Harley's attempt at entering the adventure bike space. It's an impressive machine on its own accord, utilizing a bespoke suspension, a chain final drive, and the mighty Revolution Max engine - which churns out a significant 150 horsepower and utilizes cool tech such as variable valve timing for the intake and exhaust valves.

Photos: Harley-Davidson

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