1978 Harley-Davidson XLCR 1000cc Motorcycle

Description

Unveiled at the Daytona bike week held in March 1977, the XLCR café racer was a radical departure from anything Harley fans had seen before.  A collaboration between chief designer Willie G Davidson, engineer Bob Modero and independent contractor Jim Haubert, the XLCR was initially met with enthusiasm although sales were something of a disaster.  Sporting an elongated angular tank inspired by the dirt track XR750, bikini fairing, cast alloy wheels and Kelsey-Hayes brakes with twin discs up front, the 1000cc Sportster V-twin was mounted in a XR frame with a performance Siamese cross over two-into-two exhaust, and suspension by Showa of Japan.  With a compression ratio of 9.0:1, power output was a healthy 61 horsepower at 6000rpm, the XLCR was a strong performer and the sinister all-black appearance certainly added to the Harley’s appeal.  Sadly the buying public didn’t agree and the XLCR was only produced in limited numbers until 1978 before being discontinued and around 3200 were built in total.  This rarity, combined with the unique nature of the XLCR, has seen it become a genuine collector’s item in recent years, finally getting the attention it always deserved.