Classic American Motorcycles

A 1961 Harley-Davidson KR 750 on display with other classic motorcycles at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.

Join Motorcycle Classics at the 4th Annual Road America Vintage Motorcycle Classic, June 7-9, 2013, at Road America race track in Elkhart Lake, Wis. Nicknamed “America’s National Park of Speed,” Road America has legendary status in the American racing scene, the four-mile road circuit drawing world-class racing since it was built in 1955.

The new Indian motorcycles engine, Thunder Stroke 111, debuts.

A 1922 Reading Standard on display with other classic motorcycles at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.

The story of Frank Westfall, who rode his 1924 Henderson Deluxe cross-country as part of the 2012 Motorcycle Cannonball

One-of-a-Kind Vehicle Powered by All-New Thunder Stroke 111 Engine Pays Tribute to Burt Munro’s ‘Munro Special’.

A 1962 Mustang Bronco on display with other classic motorcycles at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.

Indian Motorcycle, the first American motorcycle company, has announced the details of the all new Thunder Stroke 111 engine that will power the model year 2014 Indian Motorcycle.

A 1913 Flying Merkel Model 71 on display with other classic motorcycles at Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.

A 1912 Pierce Four on display with other classic motorcycles at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa.

A motorcycle collector discovers two vintage motorcycle frames entwined with an aging maple tree.

A 1928 Harley-Davidson JDL Sport Solo on display with other classic motorcycles at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa.

This 1942 Indian Sport Scout may have belonged to Steve McQueen, but it’s still a motorcycle, and motorcycles are meant to be ridden. 

A 1957 Harley-Davidson St 165 on display with other classic motorcycles at the Barber Vintage Motorcycle Museum in Leeds, Ala.

This 1912 Henderson four-cylinder, on display with other classic motorcycles at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa, still has its original paint and tires.

Although the focus of Motorcycle Classics is yesterday’s motorcycles, every so often we like to dip a toe in the present. Witness our coverage of bikes in the retro classics category, which includes machines like the iconic Royal Enfield Bullet, the revived Triumph Bonneville range and Moto Guzzi’s tres cool V7 models. Thanks to a long heritage, we think the retro classics fit in naturally with our focus. So how do we end up testing a 2012 Zero XU all-electric motorcycle? That takes a bit more explaining.

Painter Mike Vils brought his 1929 Harley-Davidson J along on the Motorcycle Cannonball.

Motorcycle mechanics teacher Mark Hill gives new life to old Henderson motorcycles.

Steve Seidner is hard at work making the motorcycles he believes Mustang would build today.

Following the recent news of Bonhams’ consignment of the remarkably original 1902 Rambler Model B from the Indian Motorcycle Museum, Bonhams is pleased to once again announce another headlining addition to their third annual Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction.

Uniquely American, Mustang motorcycles were the little small motorcycles that could — and still do.

A 1949 Harley-Davidson Dragon Bike replica, like the one ridden by Peter Fonda in "The Wild Angels", on display with other classic motorcycles at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa.

A 1911 Flying Merkel on display in the new board track racer display at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa.

The shaft drive, transverse V-twin Indian Model 841 was Indian’s pitch for the perfect military motorcycle.

A 1938 classic American Crocker motorcycle on display with other vintage bikes at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa.

Used to deliver booze during the Prohibiton era, this Harley-Davidson V Series with sidecar rig is a well-worn survivor.

A 1906 Curtiss V-twin on display with other classic motorcycles at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa.

Harley-Davidson’s flagship model, the 1966 FLH Electra-Glide, gained about five horsepower.

Electric start motors appeared for the first time on the 1964 Model FL.

After World War II there was a shortage of chrome parts which is why the 1946 Model EL was painted to help give the same bright effect as chrome plating.

The 1940 Model UL with its flathead Big Twin engine and a dry sump lubrication system was one of the most reliable models of its time.

1933 proved to be a watershed year for Harley-Davidson. The 1933 Model VLD offered, for the first time, a wide selection of paint and graphics options which catered to the customer’s wants and needs. 

The 1915 Model 11-F was the best-selling Harley-Davidson up to that time, mainly because of the use of inexpensive acetylene lamps.

Harley-Davidson motorcycles were innovative and stunning from the very beginning. Showcased here are stats and photos from Harley-Davidson Motor Company’s first 100 years.

A 1963 Aermacchi motorcycle, a lightweight motorcycle produced by Aermacchi and Harley-Davidson, on display with other classic motorcycles at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa.

To major motorcycle enthusiast Steve McQueen, biking was second only to breathing. Discover the details of his lifelong love of bikes and his motorcycle collection. 

A man brings his grandfather’s 1949 Harley-Davidson Panhead to the Wheels Through Time Museum, and gets it running again after 40 years.

A 1950 Indian Warrior equipped with winter skis and on display with other classic motorcycles at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.

Dale Axelrod’s restored Curtiss motorcycle is both a personal treasure and a valuable antique.

George Protopapas shares his experiences making cross country motorcycle trips on a 1948 Indian Chief in a time before freeways, fiberglass helmets or all-weather gear.

A 1916 Thor motorcyle, on display with other classic motorcycles at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa.

A 1920 Militor designed for the US Army on display with other vintage and antique motorcycles at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.

Legend has it that the Harley-Davidson XLCR was Willie G. Davidson’s baby, a bike he designed for himself.

An American-made 1915 Iver Johnson motorcycle displayed with other classic bikes at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.

Greg Hays shares the details on the restoration of his 1978 Harley-Davidson XLCR "Café Racer."

A 1940 Indian Four on display with a wide array of other classic motorcycles at the Barber Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.

This 1921 Indian Powerplus was a truly modern motorcycle in its day. Riding one now is a different story.

A 1938 Crocker at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.

Strictly Hodaka, the #1 supplier of new and used Hodaka parts in the world, sent us the following appeal to Hodaka owners to pre-order clutch plates so they can meet their order minimum. Seems like a good opportunity for Hodaka owners to ensure they can keep their – and other Hodaka owners’ – bikes on the road. Read on:

Los Angeles ABC affiliate KABC-TV reports that a vintage motorcycle collector was robbed of his 1914 overhead cam Cyclone and a Honda CR110 racer when a pair of intruders broke into the man’s house, tied him up and made off with the two race bikes, which are valued at approximately $1 million and $60,000, respectively.

Franklin’s Indians looks at the life of Irish motorcycle racer and Indian Motocycle designer Charles B. Franklin

Steve McQueen's 1947 Indian Chief Chopper on display at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa.

1946 Indian Chief on display at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.

1909 Shaw on display at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.

Vintage road racer David Roper tries a 1911 Indian Racer Replica at the 2011 Isle of Man TT.

A historic 1894 Roper Steam Motorcycle is expected to establish a new world record for a motorcycle sold at auction when it crosses the podium at Auctions America by RM’s debut Las Vegas sale, January 12 – 14, 2012.  The multi-day auction will feature an impressive docket of over 400 collector motorcycles. 

Adrian Van Anz’ Derringer Cycle is a classic low cost, low speed, gas-powered and classically styled California bicycle.

1913 Thor motorcycle on display at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa.

The Indian Four was built by the Springfield, Mass., company from 1927 to 1942. This particular example is a 1933 Indian Four, commonly known as a Model 403, and it currently resides with Gary Phelps in Ventura, Calif.

What it was like to go on a cross-country motorcycle road trip with a 1948 Indian Chief 60 years ago.

In spite of their shortcomings, Aermacchi Harley-Davidson 350 Sprint singles are actually quite well made.

With a mix of British and Italian engineering, Floyd Clymer’s Indian Enfield Interceptor 750 was the last gasp of the once famous Indian brand.

Launched in 1957, the roots of the Harley-Davidson Sportster go back to the days immediately after World War II.

When I was growing up in suburbia, most of the kids on my block had a plastic toy called a Big Wheel. You could call the Indian Dispatch-Tow an adult Big Wheel.

Tony Long readily admits to a love-hate relationship with his Harley Café Racer.

Alan Cathcart rides a 1936 Indian Sport Scout Racer - a bike he considers America's first Superbike.

Bevo Bowen shares some vintage photos from the 1940s of the U.S. Army Harleys his father used to ride.

If this antique motorcycle isn't a 1911 Harley-Davidson Model 7D, what is it?

Dutchman Mads Bartholin's custom motorcycle was built to look like a late 1928 Indian Four.

A peak at the classic Indian motorcycle collection on display at the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History in Springfield, Mass.

The Harley-Davidson XR1000 had an XLX Sportster body with the soul of an XR750.

The “Munro Special,” the 1920 Indian Scout piloted by New Zealander Burt Munro to 183.586mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967, won top honors for prewar American racing motorcycles at the Aug. 15, 2010, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. A car-only show since its founding in 1950, the prestigious Pebble Beach event opened its doors to motorcycles for the first time in 2009. The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum won top honors in 2009 for its 1954 AJS E95. One of four claimed built, that machine is featured in the September/October 2010 issue of Motorcycle Classics.

A closer look at the Then Came Bronson Sporster and Don Collins' custom replica built from a 1974 Harley-Davidson Sportster.

Two AHRMA racers talk about their passion for hand-shift motorcycles.

1947 Indian Chief Roadmaster American dream March April 2010 By Phillip Tooth When it comes to American style, few bikes match the Indian Chief, which continues to influence motorcycle styling decades on witness Kawasaki’s 1999 2005 skirted fender V

With an unbroken production run of 53 years, the overhead valve Harley-Davidson X-series Sportster has outlived all of its early rivals, and is still able to raise its middle finger to the vagaries of the motorcycle marketplace.

The 1986 Buell RR1000 Battle Twin, which was originally built as a one-off show bike, ended up launching a new era in American sport bikes.

A chance sighting turns up a legendary 1939 Indian Scout racer, the Kretz Indian.

The Old Indians Never Die Rally was the brain-child of Indian motorcycle enthusiast and Edinburgh resident Alan Forbes, who also happens to own the U.K. rights to the Indian name.

Great Uncle John Lystul’s Indian motorcycle shop in Eugene, Oregon before World War I.

The latest attempt to bring the well-known Indian name back to life comes courtesy of the 2009 Indian Chief built by born-again Indian Motorcycle Co., headquartered in Kings Mountain, N.C.

The Harley-Davidson XLCR was Willie G. Davidson's one and only brush with the cafe racer set, and it created a classic for all time

Wrecked and retired, a 1977 Harley-David FLHS thunders back to life

How do you like your old Indian motorcycles – restored to concours condition or in their work clothes showing the wear and tear of a hard life?

Forget everything you thought you knew about Harley-Davidson motorcycles, because the XR1200 is like nothing H-D’s ever made, including Harley’s 1970-1980 XR750 flat tracker that inspired it. Although everything about the XR1200 screams yesterday, it’s a thoroughly modern machine.

Back to the beach on the 1955 Daytona-winning Harley Davidson KRTT

 Found hidden in a bricked-up wall in a Chicago suburb 40 years ago, the 1916 Traub motorcycle is still a mystery today

Add one more bike to the growing list of new retro-themed bikes — this time from right here in the good old U.S. of A. Harley-Davidson has released the new XR1200, a Sportster-based hot rod whose styling draws heavily from Harley history, mimicking H-D’s iconic and race winning XR750 of 1970-1980.

American muscle and British style come together for a modern take on a classic theme

A classic motorcycle scene from the early 1960s.

There are conflicting stories on how Bob Steig's 1934 Harley-Davidson VLD came to be named Annie.

One part Harley, one part Norton, lightly shaken: Nick Roskelley's Harleyton combines a Norton featherbed frame and Harley flathead engine.

Late 1970s "Southern Rock" music inspires Harley-Davidson.

True rarities, Crocker motorcycles have culled a dedicated following.

The last few months of 2007 were rough for motorcycle legends. After losing Bud Ekins, 77, in October, Evel Knievel, a stuntman of a different kind, passed away Nov. 30, 2007.

When Carl Fronk returned from his tour of duty in Vietnam in June 1968, the first thing on his mind wasn’t finding a job — it was finding a new Harley Davidson Sportster.

Interest in Crocker motorcycles surpassed availability some time ago, but now you have the option of buying a replica from the New Crocker Motorcycle Company.

Sammy Pierce was perhaps the greatest enthusiast of Indian motorcycles. And, along the way, he designed his own motorcycle — the P-61 American Rocket.

Ross Puleo is a man with a mission. A lover and restorer of Aermacchis, the little Italian imports that Harley-Davidson sold in the Sixties and Seventies, he wants to spread the word about the Italian-American classic known as the Harley-Davidson Sprint H.

Dale Walksler traces the route that Alan T. Bedell took from Los Angeles to New York aboard his 1917 Special Model G Henderson motorcycle.

Director Roger Donaldson pays tribute to Burt Munro's Indian Scout in The World's Fastest Indian

Restoring a 1959 Harley-Davdson XLH Sportster proves to be the perfect cure for one man's blues.

Larry Feese, Sr. and his team of original Indian Sport Scout racers.

The Buell RS1200, the company's first streetbike, was expensive, low production, and unusual for its time