Harley Sportsters - Paying Tribute To A Hot Rod Legend

Harley began manufacturing motorcycles in 1903 and introduced the Sportster in 1957. Since then, the Sportster has been in production without a break for the last 50 years, making it the record holder for a continually produced vehicle in America. It even beats out the iconic Chevy Corvette for top honors, since the Vette missed a year of production in the early '80s. Within a year of its debut, the Sportster became known as the first of the "Superbikes" and one of the company's most enduring models.

Looking back 50 years, the launch of the first Russian Sputnik was on the horizon, '57 Chevys were "in," and Elvis and rock 'n' roll music were cool. But the origins of the Sportster go back way beyond that, all the way to the 1929 model, a 45-cubic inch middleweight that would later become known as the Flathead. During the '30s and early '40s, the Factory had enormous success racing various models of the 45-cubic inch flathead. In 1946, Harley-Davidson introduced the 45-cubic inch Flathead WR racing motorcycle, which proved to be one of the best racing motorcycles ever built. In 1952, the W models were replaced with the revered 45-cubic inch side-valve K series. The new K-models included an integrated four-cam engine and four-speed transmission design, along with foot shift, swingarm rear suspension, and telescopic front forks to compete with smaller, sportier motorcycles coming mainly from Great Britain.

Over the next several years, Harley-Davidson improved upon the 45-inch K-model, including stroking the Flathead engine and increasing displacement to 53.9 cubic inches (883cc). Harley sold the hopped-up new model as the 55-cubic inch KH (H for Hot), believing that 55 cubic inches carried greater marketing cache than either 53.9 cubic inches or 883cc. However, the modestly powered K was still being out-powered by cheaper, high-revving 40-inch British imports, so the Factory knew it needed a more powerful middleweight engine.