Harley-Davidson XLCR

The Harley-Davidson XLCR was an American café racer motorcycle manufactured by Harley-Davidson between 1977 and 1979. It is said to have been created by Willie G. Davidson from the XLCH Sportster, though the bike was in fact designed by a committee of three: Harley engineer Bob Modero, independent contractor Jim Haubert, and Davidson, with a strong styling influence from Dean Wixom, whose enlarged XR750 dirt track fuel tank was a starting point. Changes included a bikini fairing, a slim front fender, a reshaped tank, a solo saddle and a siamesed two-into-two exhaust. Consumers largely ignored it at launch, and it is remembered as a sales flop with a long wheelbase and cruiser-like steering geometry, but about thirty years later it had become a collector's item. Production was 1,923 in 1977 and 1,201 in 1978.