50 Years Of The Harley-Davidson Boat Tail
For the Love of Harley-Davidson and the Boat Tail...
Since Harley-Davidson was founded in 1903 it has been embedded in America's culture. The brand is woven into the fabric of our country and represents what we love: freedom, individualism, pride, adventure, and camaraderie. These characteristics are just a few things that make the Harley-Davidson brand so special to my brother Jimmy and me, our families, and our business.
Recent trips and rides
Growing up around the Harley-Davidson brand and Harley-Davidson motorcycles, Jimmy and I have experienced and seen many things, a lot of which I can't mention because they may be rated"R"...
Since Harley-Davidson was such a big part of our lives, we ended up getting our motorcycle licenses before we had our automobile driver's licenses. I was the only 7th grader riding a motorcycle to middle school... and boy was that awesome. Our love for Harley-Davidson motorcycles continues to grow more and more as new models, paint schemes, and accessories continue to grow and expand. And one thing that will NEVER change is my love for motorcycles, my love for riding them, being around them, and just looking at them!
Joe over the years
2020 has brought many changes to many people's lives. My brother and I sat down midway through the year and talked about our passion for the brand, Harley-Davidson, and our passion and love for motorcycles. In our lives, when thinking about the style and love of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, Willie G Davidson is always involved in the conversation. His classic and modern designs steered Harley-Davidson over the past 50+ years.
Willie G Davidson joined the design department at the Harley-Davidson Motor Company in 1963. By 1969 he was promoted to Vice President of Styling. His designs and art have been incorporated in may different aspects of Harley-Davidson including logos, riding gear, parts and accessories, and of course the motorcycles.
Willie G. Davidson. Photo courtesy of the Harley-Davidson Museum.
From 1935 to 1970, except for the Servi-Car, there have been two distinct lines of V-Twin Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The small twins and the big twins. However, individual bikers would sometimes customize motorcycles by changing and re-welding frames and other components to suit their tastes.
Willie G was aware of the custom styling and re-welding and decided to design a motorcycle for production that would have the look of the custom motorcycles. To accomplish this, he started with the frame and rear suspension, but not the electric starter, from the FLH Electra Glide, to which he then mated the smaller telescopic forms from the XLH Sportster. This combination was referred to as the FX chassis, where 'FX' meant "Factory Experimental'.
The drivetrain and engine accessories were from the FLH and the front headlights and brakes were from the XLH (the use of a mixture of FL and XLH parts has also been used to explain the FX designation). To complete the Super Glide, he added buckhorn handlebars and a "boattail" tail/fender unit like those that were being used on the XLH Sportster.
1971 Harley-Davidson FX Super Glide
This all brings us to the year 2021, 50 years since Willie G released the FX family and the Boat Tail. To honor Willie G. Davidson and to commemorate the FX Boat Tail, we have decided to build a 2021 Softail Super Glide, which we can also call a 2021 Boat Tail.
Old vs. New - Left: 1971 FX Super Glide | Right: 2021 Softail Standard which will eventually turn into a 2021 Boat Tail.
We have the best motorcycle technicians working for us at J&L Harley-Davidson but creating fenders from scratch requires expertise that we do not have in-house. Our friend Joe Mielke, owner of Snap Fabrications at the Buffalo Chip in Sturgis, was more than happy to join forces on this project!
The project was launched at the beginning of 2021 and has been progressing quickly. Follow along on our social channels to see the progress with this tribute to Willie G. Davidson.
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