Harley-Davidson 1957 XL Sportster
 

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The Harley-Davidson 1957 XL Sportster motorcycle was made in the U.S.A. It featured an air-cooled, 45o v-twin four stroke engine. The ignition was from a battery and coil. The engine was rated at 32 b.h.p. at 4,200 r.p.m. The displacement was 54 cu. in. based upon a bore and stroke of 3" X 3 3/16". Fuel was supplied via a single Linkert carburetor. Getting the power to the ground was by a four speed transmission. The suspension featured front telescopic forks with twin shocks at the rear. Braking was provided by drum brakes front and rear. The motorcycle weighed in at 463 pounds. Top speed for the bike was 92 m.p.h.

According to the museum's fact sheet "Harley finally fitted overhead valve cylinder heads to its smaller vee twin to create the Sportster. At last American enthusiasts could purchase a domestic product that had a performance comparable to the British 650 twins."



  Last Updated: April 06, 2007
 

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