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Harley-Davidson engine timeline

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Harley-Davidson engines are a line of engines manufactured since 1903 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin by the Harley-Davidson company for use in its motorcycles. Harley-Davidson engines are now made at Harley-Davidson Motor Company's Pilgrim Road Powertrain Operations facility in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.

The company's founders started making smaller flathead motorcycle engines individually by hand and fitted to bicycles in the 10 ft x 15 ft wooden barn in Milwaukee that was the Harley-Davidson workshop of the time, prior to that in 1901.

That first engine was a single cylinder model, based on the French developed De Dion-Bouton internal combustion engine.

The company was soon fully committed to producing its own proprietary engine designs, and by 1909 the first Harley-Davidson V-Twin engine had been designed and made, setting a template for engine design that continues today.

Engine timeline

[edit]
Harley-Davidson engines
Engine 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
Light engines
S 1948–1952
One-cylinder engines
27.4" F-head 1903–1905
26.8" F-head 1906–1908
30" F-head 1909–1912
35" F-head 1913–1918
37" F-head 1921–1923
21" OHV 1926–1929
21" flathead 1926–1934
30.5" flathead 1929–1934
"Hummers" 1948–1966
Topper 1960–1965
Baja 100 1969–1972
Big twin engines
F-head (IOE) 1914–1929
Flathead 1930–1948 (until 1973 in the servicar models)
Knucklehead 1936–1947
Panhead 1948–1965
Shovelhead 1966–1984
Evolution 1984–1999
Twin Cam 1999–2017
Milwaukee-Eight 2017-
Sport engines
W (opposed) 1919–1923
XA 1942
D 1929–1931
R 1932–1936
W (V twin) 1937–1952
G (W engine) 1937–1973
WR 1941–1952
K 1952–1953
KH 1954–1956
KR 1952–1969
Ironhead 1957–1985
XR 1970–
Evolution 1986–
Fluid (water)-cooled engines
Revolution 2002–2017
Revolution X 2013–
Revolution Max 2021–

Big Twin  (Stock) Engine Sizes:

  • Flathead 45ci (737cc)
  • Knucklehead 60ci (983cc) & 74ci (1212cc)
  • Panhead 60ci (983cc) & 74ci (1212cc)
  • Shovelhead 74ci (1212cc) & 80ci (1310cc)
  • Evolution 82ci (1343cc)
  • Twincam 88ci (1442cc) & 95ci (1556cc) (88/96ci bore 3.75in (95.25mm) & 4.00in stroke on 88ci (101.6 mm)
  • Twincam 96ci (1584cc) & 103ci (1690cc)(96/103ci bore 3.875in (98.40mm) & 4.38in stroke on 96ci (111.25 mm)
  • 2017-Milwaukee-Eight 107ci (1746cc) & 114ci (1868cc) & 117ci (1923cc)
  • 2016-Milwaukee-Eight 114ci (1868cc)


References
  • Hornsby, Andy. "A Potted History of Harley-Davidson: Part 1 1903-1954". Crewe, UK: American-V. Archived from the original on 2011-02-11. Retrieved 2011-04-04.
  • Mitchell, D., ed. (1997). Harley-Davidson Chronicle - An American Original. Publications International Limited. ISBN 0-7853-2514-X.
  • Henshaw, Peter, Kerr, Ian, "The Encyclopedia of the Harley-Davidson", 2001, Chartwell Books, Inc., ISBN 0-7858-1274-1
  • Flatheads, Knuckleheads, Panheads, Shovelheads | A Guide to Harley-Davidson Engines, Devitt Insurance, 2021.