Harley-Davidson
Glossary of Terms
- Ape
Hangers - Elevated handlebars raising
the rider's hands above the shoulders.
- Big-Twin
- A designation used for the larger
sized Harley-Davidson engines. Sportster models range from 883
( see the
XL883 Sportster
here ) to the 1200
cubic centimetres. Almost all other Harleys have 1340, 1450, or
1584 cc engines.
- Bobber
- All extras and non-essentials are
removed to increase the power to weight ratio. Increased performance
and better styling was the result. Probably one of the first customised
motorcycles from about in the early 50's. The first customs came
about with the return of war vets looking to rekindle the thrill
of flying fighter planes. Also known as a Bobtail.
- Blockhead
- Harley-Davidson's innovative Evolution
V-Twin engine.
- Chopper
- 1960's and 70's era custom bikes.
Noted for extended and raked forks, tweaking done to the suspension
and the introduction of thinner Japanese wheels for the front
end.
- Duo-Glide
- A big twin with
rear suspension introduced from 1958 to the mid sixties.
- Dyna
Glide - The
term glide refer to the effect of the effective rubber engine
mountings used on the frames of this model. Check
out a Dyna Glide here
- Electra
Glide - An
electric starter was introduced to this model
- Evolution
- The engine that
replaced the Shovelhead. Featuring an overhead valve and is commonly
found on post 1980 models of the big-twins and Sportsters.
- F-Head
- Pertains to
inlet over exhaust valve engines.
- Fathead-
A Twin-Cam engine introduced from 1999 and is still
featured till this day!
- Fat
Boy - The
bike seen in the movie Terminator. Characterised by a solid front
disc wheel and engine mounted gauges. One of Harley-Davidson's
top selling motorcycles. See
an example of a Fat Boy here.
- Flathead
- An older engine
featuring side valves. Noted for its durability.
- Hardtail
- Basically, a
frame with no suspension. A rigid!
- Hydra
Glide - An
hydraulic suspension system used in the front forks.
- Knucklehead
- A v-twin engine
built from 1936 – 1947.
- Low
Rider - A
custom with low riding position and low seat. Typical custom version
of the Super Glide which appeared in the 1970's. Check out this
pic of a Dyna
Lowrider.
- Panhead
- The series of
engines that replaced the Nucklehead.
- Shovelhead-
The series of engines that replaced the Panhead
from 1966 onwards.
- Super
Glide - A
hybrid between the Sportster front end an the frame of the big-twin
engine Harley-Davidson's. The first factory custom ever made.
See a Super
Glide here
- Tour
Glide- Designed for touring and packed
with all the features required for long distance cruising.
- Twin
Cam - The largest Harley engine that
is now featured on most of the later models developed.
- Wide
Glide - Features
wider forks and is the featured bike in the movie Easy Rider.
Popularised on the customisation seen for its versatility it sports
a 1450cc engine pushing out a noted 79bhp. Also includes some
of the latest Harley technology. Here's an example
of the Wide Glide here.
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