Harley-Davidson Topper, the first and only scooter from the American manufacturer

It was in 1946 that two of the most iconic scooter models hit the market, two models that became true icons during the 1950s and 1960s, largely due to the popularity they reached within the English Mod movement, and that also reached numerous markets around the world. As you may imagine, I am referring to the Lambretta by Innocenti and the Vespa by Piaggio and D’Ascanio.

At that time the scooter market was dominated by these two brands, so it is not surprising that the rest of the manufacturers wanted to have their own slice of the cake, especially those brands that did not have one of these popular motorcycles in their lineup. One of these brands was Harley-Davidson, which has always remained faithful to a distinctive style throughout its 115 years of history, but which in 1960 also succumbed to the scooter craze.

It was in 1960 that the Harley-Davidson factory in Milwaukee saw the birth of the brand’s first scooter, a model that did not stop at a simple prototype, but was a project that, unfortunately for the brand’s purists, lasted until 1965. That model was specifically called the Harley-Davidson Topper and, as you can see in the photos accompanying this post, its design was quite odd and peculiar, very far removed from what Harley-Davidson had accustomed its loyal fans of the time to.

When the Harley-Davidson engineers got down to work creating the Topper, they probably thought that, in order to stand out from the two dominant scooters of the moment, something different from the rest had to be done, but this perfectly valid formula is not always compatible with most people’s preferences. Its style of square lines and shapes was made of steel for the entire front section, from the start of the seat, the floor and the mudguard, while fiberglass was used to shape the engine cover. They could even be fitted with a sidecar, for transporting both people and parcels.

But despite this endearing Harley-Davidson experiment, the Topper is a motorcycle that the longer you spend looking at it, the more fond of it you become, the more attractive it seems, and, it must be said, having the Harley-Davidson logo on its sides gives it an even more special touch. Everything about the Topper could be said to be special, including the solutions adopted in its mechanical part, which we will discuss below.

Originally, when the H&D Topper began marketing in 1960, the Topper was designated as the “A” model, and it is in this one that a single-cylinder two-stroke engine of 165 CC was fitted, mounted horizontally relative to the floor of the motorcycle. This engine delivered slightly less than 6 CV power (specifically 2.26 using the N.A.C.C. index used at that time) and had no oil tank, so the mixture had to be made in the tank or the can and, to start it, all you had to do was pull a cord in a manner similar to how we start a chainsaw, a system that the Lambretta E also adopted.

The engine of the H&D Topper worked with a continuously variable transmission that they called the Scootaway Drive, consisting of a safety system that did not allow the vehicle to start moving until 1,800 rpm was exceeded, but this type of transmission caused numerous complaints among the first owners, since dirt made the belt slip, so in 1961 the transmission was improved by sealing the primary disc in an oil bath.

But unfortunately for the Topper’s first owners, this was not the only chronic problem affecting this original scooter. The Topper, unlike other scooters on the market, did not incorporate a cooling fan, since the Harley-Davidson engineers were certain that, because the engine had been placed horizontally and in a lower position, the air flowing past would cool the engine. But for some owners, this caused a few headaches when they saw their engines overheating.

Unfortunately for the Topper A, its longevity on the market did not last very long; in fact its production ceased a year later, in 1961. In parallel, production also began on the Topper AU model, slightly reduced in power, because in some US states motorcycles with a nominal power below the established limit were allowed to be ridden without a license; furthermore, young people could obtain a license to ride it without having reached the legal age to do so.

Nor can we forget the Topper AH model, which went on sale in 1961 and was also discontinued, like the rest of the range, in 1965. The Topper AH could be considered the sporty version, as its power increased up to 9 CV, thanks to certain improvements made to its engine: a new cylinder head was installed that raised its compression ratio to 8.0:1 (in the A and AU models it was 6.6:1), a larger air filter, a larger carburettor and, consequently, larger intake and transfer ports, and a new exhaust.

Although the Harley-Davidson Topper enjoyed a certain degree of popularity, it never became a direct rival to the Italian and Japanese scooters, so the American manufacturer decided to end production of the Topper in 1965, thus leaving us in history with a unique and unrepeatable model within the brand itself. To this day the Harley-Davidson Topper has its small legion of fans; in fact much of this information has been compiled thanks to people behind websites such as “Harley Topper Club“, and we can even find models for sale whose prices vary depending on their condition: from 1,500 dollars up to 4,800 and even 5,500 dollars for restored, pristine 1961 models.