Photo: Mecum
For more than a century now, the motorcycle industry has been dominated by Harley-Davidson: if not in terms of sales or market success, at least in terms of notoriety the American bike builder is unparalleled.
Presently, the Milwaukee-based company is struggling to recover from a crisis that saw Matthew Levatich, Harley’s CEO for more than half a decade, get sent on his way. But despite these struggles, if you ask anyone in the world to name a motorcycle maker, that answer would probably be Harley-Davidson.
Presently, H-D’s portfolio includes a wide range of bikes, starting with the world famous Softails to the still-fighting-to catch-a-break LiveWire. Look as you might, you’ll never see a dirt bike on the official website. But that was not always the case.
Way back at the end of the 1970s there was such a thing as a Harley dirt bike. It was called the MX250 and was not assembled on American soil, but at an Italian factory and by an Italian brand called Aermacchi. Harley used to own them, and decided to experiment a bit by lending its name to a motocross machine.
Packing a two-stroke engine that cranked out just 32 hp, the motorcycle soon proved to be too much even for the more experienced competitors in motocross series, both from a financial standpoint (it was priced well above what the Japanese had on offer at that time), and also when it came to controlling the monster.
Despite having been tested by famous rider Rex Staten and marketed as a Harley-Davidson, the bike didn’t manage to impress much on the circuit, and was discontinued one year and roughly 1,000 units after it entered the market.
That makes the MX250 a rare bird among collectors, and quite a number of them flock to auction events in the hopes of landing one. And someone is in luck, as one just popped up on the lot for the Mecum Glendale auction next week.
This particular bike is in prime condition, having been restored to its former shine. It even comes with embossed Harley-Davidson logo on both front and rear fenders, as to not mistake its origins for something else.
Presently, H-D’s portfolio includes a wide range of bikes, starting with the world famous Softails to the still-fighting-to catch-a-break LiveWire. Look as you might, you’ll never see a dirt bike on the official website. But that was not always the case.
Way back at the end of the 1970s there was such a thing as a Harley dirt bike. It was called the MX250 and was not assembled on American soil, but at an Italian factory and by an Italian brand called Aermacchi. Harley used to own them, and decided to experiment a bit by lending its name to a motocross machine.
Packing a two-stroke engine that cranked out just 32 hp, the motorcycle soon proved to be too much even for the more experienced competitors in motocross series, both from a financial standpoint (it was priced well above what the Japanese had on offer at that time), and also when it came to controlling the monster.
Despite having been tested by famous rider Rex Staten and marketed as a Harley-Davidson, the bike didn’t manage to impress much on the circuit, and was discontinued one year and roughly 1,000 units after it entered the market.
That makes the MX250 a rare bird among collectors, and quite a number of them flock to auction events in the hopes of landing one. And someone is in luck, as one just popped up on the lot for the Mecum Glendale auction next week.
This particular bike is in prime condition, having been restored to its former shine. It even comes with embossed Harley-Davidson logo on both front and rear fenders, as to not mistake its origins for something else.
Google News