Harley-Davidson RL 45

The Harley-Davidson RL 45 is a model of the R-series range that Harley-Davidson produced from 1932 to 1936, following the DL range of 1929 to 1931 and followed in 1937 by the WL. The R series included the 45 solo, R, RL and RLD. The RL, like the DL before it, used a total-loss oiling system, whereas the WL had a recirculating one. It stayed in production despite arriving in the middle of the Great Depression, helping Harley-Davidson become one of only two American motorcycle makers to survive it, and its fuel tank carried Art Deco styling. Before the Second World War the RL Sports model was built under license in Japan by Rikuo.