Harley-Davidson topper
The topper was a scooter from Harley-Davidson , which was built from 1960 to 1965.
History and technology
As early as 1948, Harley-Davidson was building small motorcycles with single - cylinder two-stroke engines based on the DKW RT 125 . The 125 cm³ small engine with reverse scavenging and an output of 3 HP was subjected to a displacement increase to 165 cm³ in 1959 and installed in the Hummer motorcycle model .
In order to provide an answer to the Italian Vespa and Lambretta scooters that had become fashionable on American roads in the late 1950s , Harley-Davidson decided to build scooters. The Topper used the Hummer's horizontally installed, air-cooled engine with a displacement of 165 cm³ (bore 60.3 mm and stroke 57.9 mm), which was offered in two power versions (A and AU) (5 and 9 hp). It started with a cable pull , the power of the motor was carried out with a Variomatic belt and a chain to the rear wheel. The wheelbase of the 4.00-12-inch scooter with tires was 130.8 cm. About 3,000 copies were made of the scooter, which was sold for 430 US dollars , and of which there was also a variant with a sidecar.
Others
Topper scooters played a role in the US television series of the 1960s, 77 Sunset Strip . In the slapstick comedy Hot Shots! (1991) the name of the main character Topper Harley (played by Charlie Sheen ) refers to the Harley-Davidson scooter.
Individual evidence
- ^ David K. Wright: The Harley-Davidson Motor Company. Motorbooks International, Osceola, Wisconsin 1983, ISBN 0-87938-103-5 , p. 84.
- ^ David K. Wright: The Harley-Davidson Motor Company. Motorbooks International, Osceola, Wisconsin 1983, ISBN 0-87938-103-5 , p. 84.
- ↑ Tod Rafferty: Harley-Davidson. Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, 1st edition 1997, ISBN 3-613-01796-2 , p. 85.