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Harley-Davidson WLA

1942 COLD WAR KOREAN WAR WORLD WAR 2

Harley-Davidson WLA History

The Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company started selling bicycles in 1904 and by 1920 had become the largest motorcycle company in the world. The U.S. Army purchased some Harley-Davidson motorcycles in 1940, a military version using the company's 45-cubic-inch (740 cc) engine, designated the WL model.

Motorcycles enhance mechanization by providing fast travel for reconnaissance and courier troops. When World War II broke out, the Army contacted Harley-Davidson and provided a list of specifications for the improved military motorcycle.

Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company always uses a series of letters to designate all motorcycle models it produces, and assigns the letter "WLA" to this new military model. The "W" stands for the 45-cubic-inch side-valve engine designed in 1937, the "L" hides its high compression ratio, and the "A" stands for the customer - the U.S. Army. Other motorcycles assigned to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps differ only slightly in shape.

Harley's new WLA motorcycle model design went into production from 1942 to 1945, with a total of 70,000 produced, supplemented with spare parts, essentially covering an additional 30,000 motorcycles produced.

Bicycles are used for messenger services between commands when paper communication is required. These systems have also proven useful for general security and convoy escort tasks for gendarmerie units. Their slim profile enables drivers to access areas or roads where full-size vehicles cannot.

Under Lend-Lease, tens of thousands of Allied troops were sent to Britain and the Soviet Union, the latter never really acknowledging Western support. Later in a separate production for the Canadian Army in 1943, the bikes were aptly called the "WLC".

This line differs from previous WLA designs with heavier frame components and "blackout" lights.

Almost all motorcycles built during the war had blackout lights on the front and rear. The fenders are large to minimise dirt and mud clogging of vital areas - these are the unknown "enemies" encountered on the battlefield. There's a flat rack on the rear fender that can carry two radios or a box of ammo. Attached to the handlebar front tire is a scabbard that houses an M1 Thompson submachine gun for basic defense. Some models add a tall windshield to protect the driver from oncoming wind, rain, road debris and insects.

Leg guards come standard to deflect low-lying brushes or other obstacles the bike might brush aside. Skid plates are required for on/off high rocks and heavy duty air filters are installed in dusty or sandy environments.

The WLC can wade up to 16 inches, and the fork has a Springer-based suspension system. There is no suspension on the rear of the bike, leading many riders to refer to these bikes as a "hard rear." The motorcycle can go 120 miles on base fuel and hit 65 mph on paved roads.

The bike weighs 550 pounds without carrying any extras, and is a tough machine to pick up after a crash, to say the least. The petrol powered 45 cid side valve flat head petrol engine is robust and reliable and generally proves easy to operate in the field.

Allied mechanics refer to their Harley-Davidson products as "42WLA" and Canadian models as "43WLC", each based on the start year of production. Harley-Davidson received two "E" awards for excellence in producing these winning systems, first in 1943 and second in 1945.

After the war, the remaining production orders were cancelled and the war resumed only during the upcoming Korean War (1950 - 1953) - these were manufactured from 1949 to 1952. Such high production rates ultimately mean that many of these bikes will survive their given war and end up in the hands of modern collectors around the world.

Interestingly, many of the spare parts available today are from bikes that were loaned to the Soviet Union during WWII.