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The Harley-Davidson WLA is a Harley-Davidson motorcycle that was produced to US Army specifications in the years during and around World War II. It was based on an existing civilian model, the WL, and is of the 45 solo type, so called due to its 45-cubic-inch (740 cm 3) engine displacement and single-rider design.
Harley-Davidson XA opposed-twin engine runs 100 °F (38 °C) cooler than a V-twin. [4]During WWII, the U.S. Army asked Harley-Davidson to design a specification of a motorcycle much like the BMWs used by German forces, with shaft drive, a boxer engine, and several other features that made the BMWs exceptionally reliable and low-maintenance machines.
The Type 97 motorcycle, or Rikuo, was a copy of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle produced with a sidecar from 1935 in Japan under license from Harley-Davidson by the Sankyo Company (later Rikuo Nainen Company). Some 18,000 of the machines were used by the Imperial Japanese forces during World War II.
Rikuo, a licensed copy of the Harley-Davidson, started production in 1929. In 1931 Dabittoson Harley Motorcycle Co., Ltd. was established in Japan. Dabittoson started domestic production of the Harley-Davidson Road King Motorcycle. The 4-cycle, 1200 cc, side-valve V-twin engine produces 28 horsepower for a top speed of 97 km per hour.
The WLAs produced during all four years of war production generally have 1942 serial numbers. Production of the WLA stopped at the end of World War II, but was resumed from 1949 to 1952 for use in the Korean War. The U.S. Army also asked Harley-Davidson to produce a new motorcycle with many of the features of BMW's side-valve and shaft-driven R71.
First of two H-D flat-twin motorcycle designs put into production, first H-D flathead motorcycle. The fork was a trailing link design. D-series (45 solo) 45.1 cu in (739 cc) flathead: 1929–1932 First H-D 45 cubic inch motorcycle, first H-D flathead V-twin motorcycle. R-series (45 solo: R, RL, RLD,) 45.1 cu in (739 cc) flathead 1932–1936
Flathead motorcycles are a type of bike that was a standard for pre-war motorcycles, in particular US V-twins such as Harley-Davidson and Indian, some British singles, BMW flat twins and Russian copies thereof. [1] Flathead motorcycles have side-valves contained within the engine block, instead of in the cylinder head, as in an overhead valve ...
Pages in category "Military motorcycles" The following 30 pages are in this category, out of 30 total. ... Harley-Davidson WLA; Harley-Davidson XA; Honda XL250; Honda ...