Identifying Your Harley

[totalmotorcycle]

Identifying Your Harley



So you reckon you know what you’re riding? Seeing as we’ve buried the timeline, it’s only right that we should do what we set out to do with that volume of work and spill the beans on how you identify your Harley. This stuff has been on the web for years but it deserves a wider audience and we’ve taken it upon ourselves to do just that. The Motor Company have given you a number of means of identifying your bike, but unless you’ve actually looked into it, it’s just so many numbers and letters … and that’s just the model designations. We could have split this into two parts, but they are inextricably linked so let's get it laid out in one — and forget longhand for a bit, this is a job for tables to keep things simple.



VIN

We’ll start off with the Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN. Every bike should have one, and they are the source of all knowledge — or leastways, after 1970 they are. Before then, frames weren’t stamped, and the title to the vehicle passed with the motor. These early bikes were identified by a numeric year code, an alphabetical model designation and the serial number but information on that is thin on the ground so with apologies to Flathead, Knucklehead and Panhead riders we’ll skip straight to the seventies. Those with post 1970 bikes, get a pen and paper, go to the shed and write down the VIN number from your frame — generally on the right hand frame downtube beneath the headstock. Go on, we won’t start ’til you get back.

1970-1980: Format: xx12345yy where xx is the model designation and yy is the year of manufacture. You might expect the model designations to be rational, sequential or sensible, but you’d be disappointed.
Big Twins
1A FL-1200 or FLP-1200
1H FXB-80
1K FLH-80
2A FLH-1200
2C FX-1200
2F FXS-1200
3G FLH-80
3H FLH-80 Classic
5E FXEF-1200
5G FLT
5H FLHS-80
6E FXEF-80
6G FXE-80
6H FL-80
7G FXS-80
7H FLH-1200 (police edition)
8H FLH-1200 (Shrine edition)
9D FXE-1200
9G FXWG
9H FLH-80 (police edition)
Sportsters
2G XLT
3A XL (XLH)
4A XLCH
4D XLA
4E XLS
7F XLCR

Year of manufacture
The last two letters in the VIN identified the year of manufacture, and are very simple to understand:
H0 1970
H1 1971
H2 1972
H3 1973
H4 1974
H5 1975
H6 1976
H7 1977
H8 1978
H9 1979
J0 1980


Too easy to understand, perhaps, because they changed it to an alphabetic character and buried it deep within the VIN from 1981 onwards.

1981-on
Standards may be soul less, but they sure can simplify things and from 1981 things get easier. The standard format now becomes:

1 HD 1 XX E S C Y F 123456

It starts off easy enough:

1 means American (up to 2000)
1 US Domestic Market (2001-on)
5 International Market (2001-on)

HD Harley Davidson
1 Weight Class
1 Heavyweight
4 Lightweight
8 Sidecar

XX Model Designation (see table)
E Engine Type / Displacement
K 1340 Shovelhead
H 1000 Ironhead XL
L 1340 Evolution
M 883 Evolution XL
N 1100 Evolution XL
P 1200 Evolution XL
R 1340 Evo (EFI)
V Twin Cam 88 (Carburetted)
W Twin Cam 88 (EFI)
X Twin Cam 88B (Carburetted)
Y Twin Cam 88B (EFI)
Z Revolution 1130cc

S Introduction Date
1 Regular Introduction
2 Mid-Year (January)
3 California Special
4 Daytona (March) to 2000
4 Anniversary Model (2003)

1 Check Digit
Y Model Year
B 1981
C 1982
D 1983
E 1984
F 1985
G 1986
H 1987
J 1988
K 1989
L 1990
M 1991
N 1992
P 1993
R 1994
S 1995
T 1996
V 1997
W 1998
X 1999
Y 2000
1 2001
2 2002
3 2003
F Which factory built it
J Milwaukee
K Kansas
T Tomahawk
Y York

123456 Serial Number

Easy isn’t it? Oh yes, model designations. Ah!

Model Designations
Post 1980 FX 4-Speed Models

BA FXE Super Glide
BB FXEF Fat Bob
BC FXS Low Rider
BD FXB Sturgis
BE FXWG Wide Glide
BF FXSB Belt Drive Low Rider
BG FXDG Disc Glide
FxST Softail Models

BB FXSTDI Softail Deuce (EFI)
BH FXST Softail
BJ FLST/FLSTC Heritage Softail
BK FXSTC Softail Custom
BL FXSTS Springer Softail
BM FLSTF Fat Boy
BN FLSTN Nostalgia
BP FXSTSB Bad Boy
BR FLSTS Heritage Springer Softail
BT FXSTB Night Train
BV FXSTI Softail (EFI)
BW FLSTCI Heritage Softail (EFI)
BX FLSTFI Fat Boy (EFI)
BY FLSTSI Heritage Springer (EFI)
BZ FXSTSI Springer Softail (EFI)
JA FXSTBI Night Train (EFI)
JB FXSTDI Softail Deuce (EFI)
PF FXSTDSE Screamin’ Eagle Deuce
FXR 5-Speed Models
EA FXR Super Glide
EB FXRS Low Rider
EC FXRT Sport Glide
ED FXRP Pursuit Glide (Police)
EE FXRDG Disc Glide
EF FXRP Pursuit Glide (Police)
EG FXRS-SP Low Rider Sport
EH FXRD Sport Glide
EJ FXRC Low Glide
EK FXRP C.H.P (Police)
EL FXLR Low Rider Custom
EM FXRS-Conv Low Rider Convertible

FXD Dyna Models
GA FXDB Sturgis (1991)
GB FXDB Daytona (1992)
GC FXDC Dyna Custom
GD FXDL Dyna Low Rider
GE FXDWG Dyna Wide Glide
GG FXDS-CONV Dyna Convertible
GH FXD Dyna Super Glide
GJ FXDX Dyna Super Glide Sport
GL FXDXT Dyna Super Glide T-Sport

VR Based Models
HA VRSCA V-Rod
Post 1980 FL 4-Speed Models
AA FLH Electra Glide
AB FLHP Electra Glide Police (chain)
AC FLH Electra Glide Shrine (chain)
AD FLH Electra Glide Classic
AG FLH Electra Glide Classic (s/car)
AH FLHP Electra Glide Deluxe (belt)
AJ FLH Electra Glide Heritage
AK FLHS Electra Glide Sport
AL FLH Electra Glide Shrine (belt)
5-speed FL Models
AE FLT Tour Glide
AF FLTC Tour Glide Classic
DA FLT 1982/83 only Tour Glide
DA FLHTP ’84-on Electra Glide Police
DB FLTC Road Glide Classic
DC FLHT Electra Glide Standard
DD FLHTC Electra Glide Classic
DE FLHTC (s/car)
DF FLHTP Electra Glide Police
DG FLHTC Electra Glide Classic Shrine
DH FLTC Tour Glide Classic (s/car)
DJ FLHTC ’86-on Electra Glide Classic
DK FLTC Road Glide Classic Shrine
DM FLTCU Road Glide Ultra
DN FLTCU Road Glide Ultra w/Sidecar
DP FLHTCU Electra Glide Ultra
DR FLHTCU Electra Glide Ultra (s/car)
DS FLTCU Road Glide Ultra Shrine
DT FLHTCU Electra Glide Ultra Shrine
FA FLHS Electra Glide Sport
FB FLHRI Road King EFI
FC FLHTCUI Electra Glide Ultra EFI
FD FLHR Road King
FE FLTCUI Road Glide Ultra EFI
FF FLHTCI Electra Glide Classic EFI
FL FLHTCUI Shrine Electra Ultra EFI
FP FLTR Road Glide
FR FLHRCI Road King Classic
FS FLTRI Road Glide EFI

Post 1980 Sportsters
CA XLH standard model
CB XLS Roadster
CC XLX
CD XR-1000
CE XLH 883 Hugger
CF XLH 883 Deluxe
CG XLH 1200 Custom
CH XLH 1200 Sport
CJ XLH 883 Custom (XL53C)
CK XLH 883R


There will be those of you who, seeing the listing above, would have been able to put a name to every single model listed. I had to show off and write the names next to them because there’s nobody else here to prove I didn’t cheat — but I didn’t need to cheat because for all their apparent complexity, they follow a very well established pattern — which is what the timeline was trying to demonstrate before it got complicated.

If the truth is told, I did need to look up the FXRD to be sure, because the one I thought it was turned out to be the FXRDG.

The alphabet soup of the first half of the 20th Century settled down with the arrival of the Sportster and with the notable exception of the two-strokes, Aermacchi’s and Servicars, it all comes down to knowing what an F-series and an X-series bike is. And you do know if you think about it.

Hurtling through the early years, and in no way attempting to be detailed because we’ve already done that elsewhere, A, B and C models are singles, Ds were the first V-twins and Es came to represent a 1000cc V-twin in the modern age. When the litre engine grew to 1200cc it became the F-series because it ran alongside the E for a number of years. So anything beginning with an F is a big twin and has been since the 1200 Panhead was launched. It can trace its ancestry back to the 1936 Knucklehead E-series, and there is more than a passing resemblance today.

A second series of model designations came to represent the ‘lightweights’, which is weird because the sequence started with the letter U, and the U-series was anything but lightweight: the first 1340cc model was a U and it was a big, solid sidevalve. What it was, was a new sequence for the flatheads when they came out — putting clear blue water between them and the F-head Js. The U begat the V, which begat the W, the ubiquitous 45, which became the baby of the v-twin range by the time it was replaced by the … X?

No, the K.

The flathead K soldiered on for half a dozen years from 1952, introduced the bottom-end for the Sportster that is immediately recognisable today and that became the X. Anything beginning with an X is a Sportster and has been since 1957.

In both those cases the L can be assumed, although it first came along to identify the high-compression option.

Bringing us up to date, anything post-war that begins with a V will be a waterhog, born from the VR race bike though it remains to be seen whether its racing "R" will stay in place. That R as a second letter is from a rich heritage stretching back beyond the KR that most of us have heard of, and most associate with the XR — a racing X-series … well, nearly: the details are different but there is an obvious common ancestry. As far as I know there hasn’t been a factory FR.

So you’ve got an FL and an XL. The former a big twin with separate gearbox and destined to cover miles with ease, and the latter a livelier, sportier, unit-construction lightweight to keep the post-WW2 British parallel twins at bay.

And then Willie G happens along and puts a pair of XL forks into an FL and creates an FX, because FXL would have been cumbersome.

Intentionally or otherwise, an FL is now deemed to be a big twin with traditional big twin forks — ie heavy heavyweight — and an FX is a big twin with XL forks and is a custom — ie light heavyweight. The XL continues as the lightweight.

Having adopted the L as an integral part of the series moniker, a new letter was needed to denote the sportier option, and H for high-compression (or highway, depending on who you believe) was added for the flagships, before eventually also becoming absorbed when low-compression options dropped out of popularity. Big twins went from Fs to FL/FXs to FLHs — the FX wasn’t given a choice of compressions so it never got the H — while Sportsters went from XLs to XLHs with a C dropped in to denote a more competition-oriented version: the XLCH.

After that you can add letters to identify models. An FXE was an FX with an electric leg, an FXS was the first Low Rider. An FXE/F was an electric start FX with Fat Bob tanks, called the Fat Bob, the all-black and belted Sturgis was an FXB — although whether B was for belt or black is a moot point — and the FXWG was the first Wide Glide.

Next up, throw a frame into the equation. This was first done with the touring frame, the rubberglide 5-speed FLT, which served to differentiate it from the 4-speed FLH.

It wasn’t immediately seen as such because FLT also identified the Tour Glide model with its frame-mounted fairing. It got a bit messy with the FLHT, which was an Electra in a Tour Glide chassis, but we’re used to that now. An Electra is still an FLH though.

Having already used R for racing models, we can only speculate that Harley were trying to move up a gear in creating the FXR — the 5-speed street/custom range, which are still held in the highest esteem for their European handling traits, but of course it is just as feasible that they readapted R to mean Road. The FXST was next, with ST denoting Softail and as if to prove an earlier point, when the Heritage Softail was introduced off the back of the Softail Custom, complete with heavyweight forks, it became the FLST. Latterly we have the FXD, with the D denoting the Dyna chassis.

There are a few exceptions to the rules. The Dyna chassis was introduced in 1991 but there was an FXDG in the early eighties, but rather than being an FXDG it was an FXDG: the Disc Glide. A Low Rider, originally an FXS, is now an FXDL rather than an FXDS but that’s probably because S denotes sport to most people today, while the original factory custom was probably using S to denote special. They are generally straightforward though, and having identified the model from the VIN, you can take an educated guess at the rest — and even make them up.

Personally I want an FLDR, which I reckon would be a Dyna Road King, and I’ve seen something approaching an FLSTD which looked absolutely stunning but you’ll have to guess at that until we can get pictures. In Sportster terms, an XRCR would keep me on the streets for hours at a time, picking on poor defenseless Sportsbikes.

I’ll leave you with a quick final table to give a rough idea — and it isn’t meant to be definitive — of the logic behind it:

A Army (WLA)
B Black, Belt (FXB/FXDB Sturgis) or Beige and Blue (FXDB Daytona)
C Canadian Army (WLC), Competition (XLCH) or Custom (FXDC) Classic (FLSTC)
D Disk (FXDG/FXRDG)
E Electric Start (FXE)
F Fat (FLSTF)
G Glide
H High Compression
I Injection
L High compression (FL)
N Notalgia (FLSTN)
P Police (FLHP/FXRP)
R Racing (KR/XR/VR), Road (FXR, FLHR)
S Special (FXS), Sport (FXRS), Springer (FXSTS/FLSTS), Street (XLS/VRSCA)
T Tour Glide (FLT), Touring Frame (FLHT), Touring (XLT)
U Ultra (FLHTCUI)
X Sport (FXDX), Basic (XLX)
Y Aeroplane (FLY)
Z Bored yet? (FLZZZZzzzzzz)


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Thanks to Andy Hornsby at american-v.co.uk
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[old-n-slow]

Wow! I think you have gone to a lot of work with this for little gain.. There are very few Harley owners here. And I KNOW what models my bikes are. But very INTERESTING for the H....enthusiast.