c1975 Harley-Davidson Aermacchi SX350cc Motorcycle

Description

The history of the Aermacchi company in Varese, Italy can be traced back to 1912 when it was founded by Giulio Macchi to build aircraft for both civilian and military applications. Aermacchi's first motorcycle appeared in 1950, being a lightweight design powered by a two-stroke 125cc engine with a single horizontal cylinder. Throughout the 1950s and into the 1960s, Aermacchi was actively involved in racing and enjoyed great success thanks to riders like Renzo Pasolini and a range of race-derived production bikes was made available to the public. To combat the rising threat from Japan, Harley-Davidson stepped in to buy a 50% stake in the Aermacchi company in 1960, giving the American giant instant access to a range of well-made small capacity bikes suitable for the local market. The first model, a 250cc badged the Wisconsin, appeared on American shores in 1961 and gradually the model range was both enlarged and improved. For 1969 the new Sprint 350 appeared in two versions, the road-oriented SS with a one-into-two exhaust, and the off-road SX, with high muguards, exhaust and knobbly tyres - this was Harley's attempt at cashing in on the booming off road market of the early 1970s. An electric starter was added in 1973 but production ended in 1978 with the demise of the Aermacchi concern, with Harley-Davidson AMF putting the business in receivership that May. All Aermacchi's have something of a cult following around the world, with strong support from clubs and specialists.