Harley-Davidson engine timeline

Last updated

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

Harley-Davidson engines
Engine1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
Light engines
S1948–1952
One-cylinder engines
27.4" F-head1903–1905
26.8" F-head1906–1908
30" F-head1909–1912
35" F-head1913–1918
37" F-head1921–1923
21" OHV1926–1929
21" flathead1926–1934
30.5" flathead1929–1934
"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
XA1942
D1929–1931
R1932–1936
W (V twin)1937–1952
G (W engine)1937–1973
WR1941–1952
K1952–1953
KH1954–1956
KR1952–1969
Ironhead 1957–1985
XR1970–
Evolution1986–2022
Fluid (water)-cooled engines
Revolution2002–2017
Revolution X2013–
Revolution Max 2021–

Big Twin (Stock) Engine Sizes:

References