Harley Designation Letters Explained

Discussion in 'General Tips' started by glider., Jun 23, 2007.

  1. glider.

    glider. BOT Machine

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    Also take a look here too...
    Harley Model Numbers

    X- Sportsters. These descend from the K series, 1952-56
    XL - Series started in 1957. They are "unit construction" (engine & transmission share a common case)
    L- High compression (7.5:1 in 1957)
    H- Starting in 1958 came the XLH, meaning Higher-power or High-compression (9:1) or Hot .
    C- Also in 1958 was the XLCH. The C was intended to mean "Competition".
    CR - Cafe racer style, with bikini fairing.
    LT - Touring, with bigger tank, thicker seat, and hard bags.


    The first letter of the model designator reveals the engine series :
    G- Servicar three wheeler, 1932 to 1972
    E- Overhead valve 61 cubic inch "big twin" (Engine/trans separated)
    F - Overhead valve 74,80 or 88 cubic inch "big twin"
    FL - 80 to 88 cubic inches and a fat front tire.
    K- Side valve 45 and 55 cubic inch sports bike that replaced the WL in 1953 and was replaced by the Sportster in 1957. It had many design features that were carried over to the Sportster.
    U- Side valve 74 or 80 cubic inch "big twin"
    V- Side valve 74 cubic inch made prior to 1936
    W- Side valve 45 cubic inch made 1934 to 1952
    X- Sports and special construction. Applied to 1918-1922 opposed twin Sport, 1944 military opposed twin, and 1957 to present Sportster.

    The second letter of the model designator reveals the Front end (except sportsters)
    X- Narrow tire and sport forks.
    L- Wide front tire and Hydra-Glide front forks.
    (FX originally meant "Factory Experimental" The first one was the Super Glide FX)

    The third letter of the model designator reveals the frame style:
    D- "Dyna" frame (with the rubber mounted motor)
    HT - "Highway Touring" frame
    ST - "Softail®" frame

    The next letter(s) indicates the model bike within the frame family :
    A- Military (Army) version (except GA, Servicar without tow bar)
    B- Battery start (early models), Belt drive (early 80's) Black paint.(1995-6 model, the Bad Boy)
    C- Classic, Competition, Custom, various others meanings.
    D- Dyna, the newest frame and engine mount design.
    DG - Disc Glide
    E- Electric start
    F- Foot shift (when the standard was hand-shift) and now "Fat Boy®"
    H- varied between High performance and Heavy duty.
    I- Signifies Fuel Injection.
    L- Big fat front tire
    LR - Low Rider (though many Low Riders don't include LR in the model ID)
    N- Nostalgia
    P- Police version
    R- Rubber mounted engine (some models) racing version (other models)
    ST - Soft Tail, Softail®l
    S- Springer
    S- (without following T) Sports version
    T- Touring
    WG - Wide Glide
    X- Sportster or sportster-type front end and Skinny front tire.



    DYNA Glide - FX - Superglide, FXB - Sturgis Belt, FXD - Dyna Super Glide, FXDG - Dyna Glide/Sturgis, FXDL - Dyna Low Rider, FXDS-CON - Dyna Convertible, FXDWG - Dyna Wide Glide, FXDX - Dyna Super Glide Sport, FXDXT - Super Glide "T" Sport, FXE - Superglide Electric Start, FXEF - Fatbob, FXLR - FX Lower Rider - Evolution,

    FXR - Rubber Mount Super Glide - FXRC in limited numbers/Custom low rider- FXRDG - Disc Glide, FXRP - Police or pursuit, FXRS - FXR Sport, FXRS-CON - FXR Sport Convertible, FXRS-SP - Low Rider Sport Edition, FXRT - FXR Touring, FXS - Low Rider/Shovelhead, FXSB - Low Rider Belt,

    Softail - FXST - Softail Standard, FXSTB - Night Train, FXSTBI - Night Train fuel injected, FXSTC - Softail Custom, FXSTD - Softail Deuce, FXSTS - Springer Softail, FLST - Heritage Softail, FLSTC - Heritage Softail Classic, FLSTF - Fat Boy, FLSTN - Nostalgia, FLSTS - Heritage Springer Softail.

    Touring FL - FLH - 4-Speed Dresser, FLHS - 4-Speed Electra Glide, FLT with windshield and less goodies S = Sport, FLHR - Road King. FLHRCI - Road King Classic, FLHS- Electra Glide Sport, FLHT - Electra Glide Standard, FLHTC - Electra Glide Classic, FLHTCUI - Electra Glide Ultra Classic, FLT- Rubber Mount Dresser , FLTC - Rubber Mount Dresser Classic, FLTCU - Rubber Mount Dresser Classic Ultra, FLTR - Road Glide, FLTRI - Road Glide w/ Genuine Access, FLTRSEI - Screamin Eagle Road Glide,

    VRSC - (V-TWIN Racing Street Custom) , VRSCA: 1st model of the V-ROD family.

    Sportsters - XL - 4-Speed Sportster, XL883 - Sportster Hugger, XL883C - Sportster 883 Custom, XL1100 - Sportster 1100, XL1200 - Sportster 1200, XL1200C - Sportster 1200 Custom, XL1200S - Sportster 1200 Sport, XLCH - 4-Speed Sportster, Kick start, XLCR - Cafe Racer 1000, XLH - 4-Speed Sportster, Electric Start, XLH883 - 883 Hugger, XLH1200 - 1200, XLH1200S - Sport, XLS - 4-Speed Sportster Roadster, XLX - 4-Speed 1000cc Ironhead, XR1000 - XLH with XLR Heads.

    =======================================================================================
    HERE'S A DIFFERENT VIEW OF THE ABOVE.

    FL 4-Speed Dresser
    FLH 4-Speed Electra Glide
    FLHR Road King
    FLHRCI Road King Classic
    FLHS Electra Glide Sport
    FLHT Electra Glide Standard
    FLHTC Electra Glide Classic
    FLHTCUI Electra Glide Ultra Classic
    FLST Heritage Softail
    FLSTC Heritage Softail Classic
    FLSTF Fat Boy
    FLSTN Nostalgia
    FLSTS Heritage Springer Softail
    FLT Rubber Mount Dresser
    FLTC Rubber Mount Dresser Classic
    FLTCU Rubber Mount Dresser Classic Ultra
    FLTR Road Glide
    FLTRI Road Glide w/ Genuine Access
    FLTRSEI Screamin Eagle Road Glide

    FX Superglide, Kickstart
    FXB Sturgis Belt
    FXD Dyna Super Glide
    FXDG Dyna Glide/Sturgis
    FXDL Dyna Low Rider
    FXDS-CON Dyna Convertible
    FXDWG Dyna Wide Glide
    FXDX Dyna Super Glide Sport
    FXDXT Super Glide "T" Sport
    FXE Superglide Electric Start
    FXEF Fatbob
    FXLR FX Lower Rider/Evolution
    FXR Rubber Mount Super Glide
    FXRS FXR Sport
    FXRS-CON FXR Sport Convertible
    FXRS-SP Low Rider Sport Edition
    FXRT FXR Touring
    FXS Low Rider/Shovelhead
    FXSB Lowrider Belt
    FXST Softail
    FXSTB Night Train
    FXSTC Softail Custom
    FXSTD Softail Deuce
    FXSTS Springer Softail
    FXWG Wide Glide

    XL 4-Speed Sportster
    XL883 Sportster Hugger
    XL883C Sportster 883 Custom
    XL1100 Sportster 1100
    XL1200 Sportster 1200
    XL1200C Sportster 1200 Custom
    XL1200S Sportster 1200 Sport
    XLCH 4-Speed Sportster, Kickstart
    XLH 4-Speed Sportster, Electric Start
    XLH883 883 Hugger
    XLH1200 1200
    XLH1200S Sport
    XLS 4-Speed Sportster Roadster
    XLX 4-Speed 1000cc Ironhead
    XR1000 XLH with XLR Heads


    Also take a look here too...

    Harley-Davidson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
     
  2. snake

    snake Member

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    cool, thanks Mr. Data. I reckon my idea of making up your own for different models is a good time waster, and migt start some interesting posting (model meaning quiz - Harley Davidson Community.) Crwadaddy's was pretty funny, exactly what I was after.
     
  3. glider.

    glider. BOT Machine

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    :Banane44:Some pretty good ideas in that link too.