Hospitality_Recreation

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Runners head northward past the Paris Hotel and Casino on Las Vegas Boulevard during the Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas Marathon on Dec. 4, 2011. (Associated Press)

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Good Ship Hillary in Peril Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

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Good Ship Hillary in Peril Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

The Harley-Davidson XR-750 is a racing motorcycle made by Harley-Davidson since 1970, primarily for dirt track racing, but also for road racing in the XRTT variant. The XR-750 was designed in response to a 1969 change in AMA Grand National Championship rules that leveled the playing field for makes other than Harley-Davidson, allowing Japanese and British motorcycles to outperform the previously dominant Harley-Davidson KR race bike. The XR-750 went on to become the winningest race bike in the history of American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) racing. The XR-750 is associated with the careers of racers Mark Brelsford, Cal Rayborn, and Jay Springsteen, and was the favorite motorcycle of stunt performer Evel Knievel. Knievel used the bike from December 1970 until his final jump in January 1977. An XR-750 was included in the 1998 The Art of the Motorcycle exhibition, and one of Knievel's bikes is in the Smithsonian'sNational Museum of American History America on the Move exhibit. Riders on XR-750s have won 29 of the 37 AMA Grand National Championships from 1972 to 2008 inclusive. Besides having more wins than any other bike in AMA racing, it has been called the "most successful race bike of all time", and has a claim to have more wins than any other racing motorcycle in history.

XL1200N

Ever since its introduction in 2007, the Nightster model has prowled the streets with a deep, menacing growl. Its low, dark, and aggressive, and its styling has brought back some serious attitude to Harley’s Sportster family. With chopped front and rear fenders, a side-mounted license plate, a low 25.3" seat height, old-school front fork gaiters, and raw-boned graphics, the Sportster Nightster has become the ideal no-nonsense cruiser bike Harley-Davidson fans have come to love.

Panhead

The panhead was a Harley-Davidson motorcycle engine, so nicknamed because of the distinct shape of the rocker covers. The engine is a two-cylinder, two-valve-per-cylinder, pushrod V-twin. The engine replaced the Knucklehead engine in 1948 and was manufactured until 1965 when it was replaced by the Shovelhead. As the design of Harley-Davidson engines evolved through the years, the distinctive shape of the valve covers has allowed Harley enthusiasts to classify an engine simply by looking at the shape of the covers, and the panhead has covers resembling an upside-down pan. The "Captain America" chopper used by Peter Fonda in the movie Easy Rider (1969) had a panhead engine, as did the "Billy Bike" ridden by Dennis Hopper's character.

KR750

Harley's next great race bike after the WR was the KR-750. It too was a side-valve design, the last side-valve design Harley would use in a race bike. It attracted the likes of tuning legends Tom Sifton and Gary Nixon, and it won many, many races in its day. Like the WR, the great thing about it was you could go to a dealer and buy one yourself.

Harley_Davidson_11F

1915 Model 11-F -Like the Model 11-J, the Model 11-F used the upgraded 11-horsepower V-twin engine that Harley-Davidson improved for 1915. The engine had a mechanically driven oil pump for more positive lubrication, a major improvement because it eliminated the need for the rider to work the hand pump that had been required to maintain pressure in the oil tank while riding. The mechanically driven pump did all the work, and did it in a more reliable way. Even though the 11-Fs engine had this new feature, the bike qualified as the poor mans Harley of the time because it lacked the new electrical system found on the 11-J. Using the old acetylene-burning lights saved 11-F owners $35 compared to the 11-Js MSRP, a hefty sum in 1915. Obviously the savings was worth it to customers, because the 11-F topped all other Harley models for the year, making it the best-selling Harley up to that time. The new engine also proved popular for racing, and Harley-Davidson offered a race model with the new engine for customers wanting to compete on dirt ovals and board tracks that were popular at the time.

Harley

Harley Davidson motorcycle.

FXB_Sturgis

FXB-80 STURGIS powered by an 80 cubic inch engine with a 4-speed transmission. The FXB features the first modern belt drive and uses both primary and secondary drive belts in lieu of chains. The styling of the Sturgis features all black engine, transmission, battery cover, air cleaner, instrument panel and cast wheels with orange stripe. It has an electric start and a kickstart. The name of this new vehicle recalled its beginnings. It was named after the famous Black Hills Classic, which began as a gypsy tour and dirt-track race in 1938. Originally sponsored by the Jack Pine Gypsies motorcycle club, the event has grown into a popular multi-day festival of scenic touring, racing and entertainment. Today, “Sturgis” is the largest motorcycle rally in the world, and a rite of passage for  many riders.

FL

FL is a model designation used on motorcycles manufactured by Harley-Davidson from 1941 to present. Mostly applied to Harley's large-framed bikes, including the current Touring series, the FL designation is also used with their Softail series, especially on Softails with traditional styling, 16-inch front wheels, and either Springer forks or large-diameter telescopic front forks. The FL was introduced to the Harley-Davidson model line in 1941. It used a 74 cu in (1,210 cc) version of the "Knucklehead" OHV engine that powered the EL in 61 cu in (1,000 cc) form. The FL shared its frame with the EL and with the U and UL, which used a 74 cubic inch flathead engine. The FL replaced the UH and ULH, which used the same frame with 80 cu in (1,300 cc) flathead engines. The FL continued relatively unchanged until 1948, when it and the EL were given redesigned "Panhead" engines of the same capacities as before. These engines had several improvements over the earlier "Knuckleheads", including self-adjusting hydraulic lifters and aluminum cylinder heads to reduce weight and improve cooling. The U and UL flathead twins were discontinued in 1948, leaving the OHV EL and FL models as Harley-Davidson's large-frame motorcycles.

EL

In 1936 Harley-Davidson introduced the EL, an overhead valve, 61 cubic inch powered bike. With increased horsepower and bold styling changes, the motorcycle quickly earns the nickname of "Knucklehead," due to the shape of its rocker boxes.