Harley-Davidson Topper

Beskrivelse

Dette er en svært sjelden scooter. Laget av Harley Davidson fra 1960 til 1965. Produsert i Milwaukee på Harley Davidsons fabrikken. Dette er den første og eneste scooteren HD noen gang her produsert. Fra 1960 til 1965 ble det kun produsert ca 5000 scootere totalt. Ny pris i 1960 var 450 Dollar.

165CC ensylindret motor med snorstart.

Det er anslått å være mindre enn 100 stk komplette sykler igjen i hele verden av denne - De fleste av disse finnes på museum. Scooteren har hatt 2 Eiere i USA siden ny. Siste eier har hatt den siden 1967. Av kjøper har jeg fått fortalt at dette skal være produksjons nummer 51. - Ramme nr er A2051

Som det fremgår av bildene er dette et restaureringsprosjekt, forgasser må renses - (den starter og går dog på startgass og har video fra selger i USA som kjører den) Men må anses som et komplett prosjekt. "Motorkassa" er i glassfiber. Front i tykt stål. Det er lite rust som bildene viser alderen tatt i betraktning. Motor har snorstart!

Pris? Scooteren blir solgt for rett pris men ingen skambud. Det finnes somsagt under 100 stk igjen av disse - og jeg har siste året ikke sett en eneste 1960 modell til salgs i USA de siste 2 årene. Det var en 1961 modell til salgt i USA ifjor for 11.000 USD. Grunnen til at den legges for salg før den blir restaurert er at dette er såpass spesiell Scooter at kjøper nok vil ha egne fargeønsker. Blir den ikke solgt - blir den restaurert og beholdt.

Det følger med original håndbok og nødvendige papirer for registrering.

VED SPØRSMÅL TA KONTAKT PÅ E-POST så kan jeg heller ringe opp:)

Harley Topper History

Harley-Davidson's first scooter was a little over 6 horse power, the Topper Model A lasted up into 1961.
Then the 5-brake horse power AU models built in 1960 to 1965 which used a small plated air intake manifold along with a few other changes to reduce the horse power, was built to meet the 5-brake horse power below class required by some state laws which allowed youngsters to ride on the main highways under the Junior licensing law program which existed in the U.S.
Then the AH Topper 9 horse power, introduced in 1961, which had a high compression engine, lasted to the end of the Topper motor scooters life span in 1965.
Harley-Davidson was in competition in the early fifties and sixties as imports were flooding the U.S. market at a fast pace. Harley-Davidson was constantly changing tactics and introducing new motorcycles and marketing the Topper Scooter at the time. It was a changing world for Harley-Davdison and the company was doing all things right. A known fact that during the early sixties to the middle sixties the company was making numerous acquisitions in the U.S. and aboard, strengthening the companies position in a new world market, getting more of a competitive bite in the motorcycle and scooter market. This was also a time Harley-Davidson was putting in place, a strategic plan, like a master chess player, moving and hiring management, positioning people in areas of the company to meet the new global demands within their organization.
Hiring managers from some of the top companies in the U.S., managers involved in the oil, automotive and power industries. Highly regarded, talented business managers chosen to keep the company on top of the manufacturing, import-export playing field during that period.
Remember a new import-export trade agreement was opened up about the same time in the sixties, which changed marketing in Europe.
The European common market and the Free Trade association opened a whole new world for U.S. companies to trade in Europe.
This period of time, from 1960 to 1965, was a very profitable time for the company. Harley-Davidson was now very diverse.
With a new business strategy for the company, producing more than just motorcycles and scooters in the early sixties, they now have to offer in their product line, Powercrafts, Golf carts and importing small displacement motorcycles from Italy, with the Harley-Davidson marquee adorning the newly imported motorcycles.
Many articles have been written about this time period from the first 1948 lightweight 125s, all the way up to dropping the Topper scooter from the Harley-Davidson model line in 1965.
Most of the articles blame the failure of the scooters popularity. But if you are importing motorcycles, meeting the young adult market demands at the time, as foreign companies were flooding the U.S., advertising in venues: television, news papers and radio with the introduction and sale of lightweight dependable motorcycles, then importing a low cost dependable line of foreign lightweights makes sense. "Supply what people want".
Harley-Davidson had several successful years in the lightweight motorcycle market. For instance, the Aermacchi line.Click to view the Aeromacchi Harley Logo
The Harley Topper was built in the U.S. at the Milwaukee, Wisconsin plant.
Most people believe the Topper was an import, NOT TRUE.
Today many Harley collectors have passed up adding the Topper to their collection not understanding that the scooter was built here in the U.S.
All the Topper parts are SAE.
The Topper has many parts that interchange with the Hummer lightweights made here in the U.S. as well.
The Topper was being introduced in the U.S. as early as June of 1959 performing road tests and advertising venues and was on the drawing board early in 1958.
When did Harley-Davidson invest in the Aeronautica Macchi civilian aircraft company? (1960).
Harley-Davidson spent two years prior to purchasing shares in Aeronautica Macchi, researching and studying overseas motorcycle and scooter companies, for foreign marketing, they purchased fifty percent of the company.Click to view the 1961 sprint at the Varese, Italy factory.
And in December of 1959 prior to Harley-Davidson's purchase, Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, CA., acquired a substantial interest in Aeronautica Macchi Aircraft company to license them to build a Lockheed designed light utility aircraft for the California-based company.
Another firm Harley-Davidson formed to beef up the companies presence in the world market about the same time was the Harley-Davidson International, S.A., in Switzerland. (This company was central control, administrative and tech support for overseas sales of the Harley-Davidson product line.)
When did the first Aermacchi Harley Sprint sell in the U.S.? (1961). Click to view the Sprint on the assembly line at the Varese, Italy factory.
Harley-Davidson, prior to April of 1962, purchased 60% of the Tomahawk Boat companyClick to view the Tomahawk boat plant to have a manufacturing facility to produce fiberglass components for the Topper Scooter and other motorcycles and pleasure craft components along with manufacturing the two new models of the Harley-Davidson Golf cart. (Electric and gas models)
The Tomahawk company was re-tooled and ready to produce fiberglass components in 1963.
Also in the early sixties, improvements were being made to the Milwaukee production facilities.

Around 1960, Harley-Davidson was able to offer insurance to the owners of a Topper Scooter also to motorcycle owners and riders by forming an insurance company named: Highland Insurance Service Inc. The 1960 newly formed insurance company also was able to offer Harley Dealers insurance on their own motorcycle dealerships. President of the company was William H. Davidson and vice president was George F. Fischer, General Manager. Secretary and treasurer was O.P. Resech, Resech was also secretary and treasurer of Harley-Davidson Motor Company at the time.

Harley-Davidson held four, two week courses, to instruct mechanics how to service and repair Harley Topper Scooter's.
Enrollment started December 1st 1959 at the Juneau Ave plant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 26 men from 21 states and 2 provinces in Canada, graduated together on December 12th, 1959. The second class was held in January 1960, at the same location. This time 24 men from 15 states graduated on January 23rd. The third class started in February 1960. 25 men from 13 states and 2 provinces of Canada, graduated February 13th, 1960. The fourth class started around February 22nd and they graduated March 5th, 1960. 22 men from 14 states attended. 97 mechanics attended these 4 classes and would put most of the men mentioned from that time period around the ages of 75 to 85 today in 2013. If anyone reads this article, who was one of the mechanics, and is or was related to someone who attended the classes at that time, please contact Harley Topper Club.
We would like to meet with you and chat about your experience during the 2 week course given by Harley-Davidson.
We have every mechanics name, city, state and photo, who attended the classes and we are planning on contacting anyone on our list if possible.