HARLEY-DAVIDSON XLCR 1000 Café Racer (1977-1980) Specs, Performance & Photos

The Harley-Davidson XCLR was a cafe racer made by an American manufacturer from 1977 to 1979. Some said that Willie G. Davidson created the bike from an existing XLCH Sportster as his personal machine.

The bike was designed by a three people team that included an engineer from Harley named Bob Modero, an independent contractor alias Jim Haubert, and Willie G. A strong styling influence came from Dean Wixom, which was not present in the group.

Some of the styling changes included the addition of a bikini fairing, a slim fender on the front, a reshaped fuel tank, a single seat, and a twin two-into-two exhaust system. The bike was ignored by the public when it first appeared in the 1970s, but 30 years later, it became a collector's gem.

The Harley-Davidson XLCR 1000 Cafe Racer, manufactured from 1977 to 1979, was powered by a 997cc four-stroke V-twin air-cooled carburated engine, boasting 68 hp at 6,200 rpm and 81 Nm (60 lb-ft) torque at 3,500 rpm.

In 1977, the bike was manufactured in 1,923 units sold at $3,595; in 1978, 1,201 units were made for $3,623, and in 1979 around 10 units remained in stock.

Some models were sold many years later, such as a 1978 model sold in 2004 at an auction in New Zealand for $9,900. In 2010, a 1977 model was sold for about $20,000 at an auction held by Bonhams. In 2013, a 1977 model was auctioned at $12,000.