Harley-Davidson is many issues to many individuals, whether or not they’re riders or not. As some of the well-known manufacturers on this planet, there is a sure picture of motorcycling that it initiatives.
Whilst you may consider Electra Glides, CVOs, Sportsters, and maybe even V-Rods if you happen to really feel like being controversial, one factor that most likely would not instantly come to thoughts is motocross bikes.
But for a blink-and-you’d-miss-it period of time within the Nineteen Seventies, Harley-Davidson momentarily caught motocross fever and dove into growth headfirst. It happened through the AMF Harley-Davidson years, whereas the corporate nonetheless owned Italian agency Aermacchi. For those who’ve already guessed that Aermacchi constructed the bike in query, please get your self just a little bar and protect cookie as a deal with.
To be fully correct, Harley truly constructed two motocross machines, however solely 65 of the primary model have been reportedly ever constructed by hand in Milwaukee. That first bike by no means truly made it into manufacturing.
The one MX bike that did discover its option to dealerships was the 1978 Harley-Davidson MX250. It was bought in dealerships for about one total 12 months earlier than disappearing. Since then, it is solely sometimes been introduced up by motocross historians and worldwide collectors as one thing of an historic curiosity.
Right here at RideApart, unusual tales like this are form of like our catnip, so let’s dive proper in.
Setting The Stage
In 1960, Harley-Davidson bought 50 p.c of Aermacchi, an Italian bike firm that initially received its begin making seaplanes earlier than ultimately transferring on to different plane and eventually, to motorbikes. The identify is brief for “Aeronautica Macchi,” or “Air Machine.” Its founder in 1912, by the way, was a person by the identify of Giulio Macchi.
In 1965, Harley had gone public. However by 1968, it was hurting financially because it fought to stave off new competitors from the rise of Japan’s Large 4. Going through severe market stress, an enormous conglomerate of the time known as Bangor Punta Company tried to take over the Motor Firm initially of October 1968.
However Harley president William H. Davidson wasn’t having it, and stated that the corporate was not on the market. As a substitute, firm executives labored behind the scenes to search out their very own resolution. By Halloween 1968, the Motor Firm formally introduced a deal to be acquired by American Machine and Foundry, extra generally often known as AMF. It, too, was a conglomerate. Because the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel famous, “Harley did not touch upon why it had chosen AMF as its white knight.”
By 1973, AMF Harley-Davidson took management of the remaining 50 p.c of Aermacchi, taking full possession of the Italian bike producer however sustaining its manufacturing facility in Varese, Italy.
Since Aermacchi primarily made small-displacement bikes for its residence market, AMF Harley-Davidson noticed the chance to rebadge a number of of those bikes as Harleys, in an try to compete with the big selection of smaller-displacement Japanese bikes now available on the market. This method did not go over terribly nicely on the time, although you’ll nonetheless discover some Harley Aermacchis at traditional bike meets within the twenty first century.
Why Make A Motocross Bike In The First Place?
To place it merely, motocross was cool AF within the Nineteen Seventies. Seemingly everybody was doing it, from dominant forces like Maico to comparative upstarts like Suzuki.
In that context, AMF Harley wished what bike producers have been chasing for many years: Love from the ever-elusive youth market. Supporting the riders of tomorrow right now. You get the concept. It was additionally a time when “race on Sunday, promote on Monday” nonetheless had some which means, and hadn’t but been relegated to cliché standing.
Looking for each growth assist and a leg up in establishing its legitimacy as a power to be reckoned with, Harley employed Southern California legendary professional MX racer Rex Staten. Additionally known as Rocket Rex (probably one of many coolest nicknames ever), AMF Harley and Aermacchi set to work growing what would ultimately turn into the MX250.
The 1978 Harley-Davidson MX250
Sourcing parts for this bike was seemingly its personal Motocross of Nations-level worldwide effort. The Aermacchi manufacturing facility made the bike in Varese, and it additionally constructed the 242.6cc two-stroke single-cylinder engine that powered it.
The carburetor got here from Dell’Orto. The ignition got here from the Italian (not Japanese, because it’s generally mislabeled) agency Dansi. The cast levers got here from Tommaselli. The shoulderless rims got here from the Spanish agency Akront. The bodywork got here from Harley, and the Kayaba suspension got here from Japan.
Listed here are the specs, in case you are curious:
How Was It To Journey?
Few journalists of the time have been reportedly invited to trip the bike. People who did reported that the engine had a really slim energy band, coupled with extraordinarily sluggish torque down low down within the rev vary. The mid-range was barely higher, however nonetheless not nice. For finest outcomes, they stated, you needed to maintain it pinned or face disappointment.
The Kayaba suspension, seemingly chosen after trying over Suzuki’s shoulder and copying its homework on the RM250, received excessive marks. Nevertheless, the comparatively hefty weight of the MX250 was not less than 25 kilos heavier than its competitors.
As you possibly can most likely work out, a suspension that labored nicely on a lighter bike won’t work as nicely on a heavier one, and that is reportedly what occurred right here. Pulp MX wrote, “with the Harley [MX250], you had the suspension of a path bike, mated to a motor solely a MX professional might make work. Not an incredible mixture.”
What About Gross sales?
When all was stated and achieved, fewer than 1,000 of those bikes have been ever made. AMF-Harley required dealerships to hold them of their stock, which in hindsight looks like an apparent misstep.
From the viewpoint of Harley sellers, they have been there to promote Harley’s street bikes, not this unusual filth bike. Totally different sorts of riders like what they like, and will like a number of disciplines, however street using and MX using are worlds aside. Would present Harley riders have an interest within the new MX bike? Possibly a few of them would, however most likely not sufficient to make it worthwhile.
Equally, individuals excited about filth bikes most likely would not have a Harley dealership on their listing of locations to search out their subsequent bike. For a number of causes, this positioning resulted within the reverse of gross sales success.
As for racing, Rocket Rex and fellow Harley Manufacturing facility MX racers Marty Tripes and Wealthy Eierstedt did fairly nicely for being a model new workforce, as 999Lazer illustrates on this video. Given time and assist to develop the bike additional, they could have achieved even higher.
Sadly, although, they weren’t racking up the wins proper out of the gate. This lack of prompt blockbuster success on each the skilled racing circuit and on the dealerships finally sealed the MX250’s destiny. It was unceremoniously dumped as a failed experiment after only one 12 months.
As for Aermacchi, AMF bought the agency to Gianfranco and Claudio Castiglioni shortly after this failed MX experiment. The 2 brothers proceeded to show Aermacchi into Cagiva (quick for Castiglioni Giovanni Varese, named for his or her father).
The paths of Aermacchi, Cagiva, MV Agusta (which presently exists in the identical spot the place Cagiva and Aermacchi as soon as stood in Schiranna, Varese, Italy) and Harley-Davidson would converge as soon as extra within the 2000s, however that is one other story for one more day.
In 2023, it isn’t clear what number of MX250s nonetheless survive. That is why it is further cool that you simply get to see and listen to the one on this video begin up, so you should definitely give it a watch if you happen to get pleasure from bizarre bike historical past as a lot as we do.
