Top 10 Discontinued Harley Davidson Motorcycles That Deserve a Second Chance

Established in 1903, Harley Davidson is one of the oldest motorcycle brands, known for its classic-style cruisers and Grand American Touring lineup. It has a rich history of producing stylish motorcycles with modern features and vintage looks. Over the years, Harley Davidson has improved its market position and brand image by continuously upgrading its models to meet the current performance standards. In the pursuit of improvement, certain Harley Davidson models were discontinued despite being popular among motorcycle enthusiasts. Read this article to learn about the top 10 discontinued Harley Davidson motorcycles that deserve a second chance.

The Harley Sportster Iron 883 was once the most popular model in the Sportster series. It was introduced in 2009 and instantly became a favorite among beginners and women riders due to its low-power engine and affordability. The Harley Sportster Iron 883 was lightweight, nimble, and easy to ride.

It had a slim design and offered an aggressive riding style, making it different from standard Harley cruisers. After the discontinuation of the Harley Street 500, Harley Street 750, Harley Street Rod, and Harley Super Low, the Harley Iron 883 was the only beginner-friendly motorcycle in the Harley lineup. Despite being affordable and lightweight, good-quality metal parts were used in its construction. Its simple design and readily available original aftermarket parts made the Harley Iron 883 highly customizable and popular among custom builders. You could also upgrade the Harley Iron 883’s engine to 1200 cc by installing the engine kit, making it suitable for intermediate riders. After a successful production run of 13 years, the Harley Sportster Iron 883 was discontinued in 2022. However, Harley fans would love to see this model back in production with improved horsepower and torque.

The Harley Softail Slim was a comfortable cruiser in the Harley lineup. It was well-known for its appealing bobber-style look and laidback riding ergonomics. The Harley Softail Slim immediately gained popularity after being introduced in 2012. It was one of the most nimble and stable motorcycles in the Harley cruisers lineup due to its low center of gravity. The Harley Softail Slim was fitted with a 1,753 cc Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine capable of a horsepower of 86 hp and a torque of 149.16 Nm.

The Harley Softail Slim was a versatile cruiser, ideal for daily commuting, long-distance touring, and highway cruising. It offered an upright back position and included forward-mounted floorboards for riders to rest their feet while cruising. You could install aftermarket parts, including crash bars, sissy bars, backrests, handlebars, and fairings, to transform it into an ideal touring bike. The Harley Softail Slim was also a popular choice among custom builders due to its simple design.

The Harley Softail Slim was equipped with several of the latest features, including dual counterbalancers to reduce excessive engine vibrations for a smooth riding experience. Motorcycle enthusiasts would love Harley Davidson to reintroduce the Harley Softail Slim with a few engine upgrades to ensure faster acceleration and two-up riding.

The Harley Softail Deluxe has one of the longest production runs of 37 years. It was introduced in 1983 and continued evolving over the years before its discontinuation. However, the Harley Softail Deluxe’s look remained consistent with the extra chrome, chopped fenders, and white wall tires. The Hiawatha headlamps were this motorcycle’s most prominent feature, which is now on the Harley Heritage Classic. The red paint and chrome parts were inspired by the popular 1950s vintage motorcycles.

The Harley Softail Deluxe was powered by a 1,753 cc engine capable of a horsepower of 86 hp and a torque of 147.8 Nm. It received major upgrades in 2018, including better suspensions, LED lighting, lightweight bodywork that improved acceleration, and dual counterbalancers that reduced engine vibrations. However, the air-cooled system was inadequate for maintaining the engine’s temperature while riding in hot weather.

The Harley Softail Deluxe provided relaxed riding ergonomics with forward-mounted floorboards and pulled-back handlebars. With a few upgrades, including a more powerful engine and a better cooling system, riders would be happy to welcome this motorbike back as a part of the Harley lineup.

The Harley Davidson V-Rod had an attractive design and futuristic look. Unfortunately, because the company failed to design this two-wheeler so that it would meet the Euro 4 emission regulations, it was discontinued in 2017. The Harley V-Rod attracted a lot of young Harley riders in the beginning. However, the sales dropped over time due to being too revolutionary for experienced Harley riders.

The Harley V-Rod was a performance cruiser with a low seat height, compact design, fat rear tire, and raked-out front end. Despite the fuel tank being fitted under the seat, it still had a low center of gravity and a low seat height that ensured better handling and maneuverability. The Harley V-Rod was fitted with a 1,247 cc liquid-cooled, Revolution 60° V-Twin engine capable of a horsepower of 123 hp and a torque of 117.95 Nm. Harley Davidson collaborated with Porsche to design the Revolution 60° V-Twin engine.

Even in 2023, the Harley V-Rod remains one of the best-looking Harley motorcycles ever, deserving to be included again in the Harley lineup with several design and engine upgrades.

The Harley Sportster Iron 1200 was another prominent model in the Sportster series that was popular among beginners due to its sporty style and nimble handling. It had mid-mounted foot controls and mini-ape handlebars that gave it a unique riding style from classic Harley cruisers. The Harley Sportster Iron 1200 had a slightly taller and raked-out front end, ensuring an upright back and comfortable arm position. This motorcycle had a matte black finish, a blacked-out fairing, and a fuel tank paint job inspired by a motorcycle from the 1970s.

Harley Davidson discontinued the Harley Sportster Iron 1200 in 2021 to focus on upgrading the whole Sportster lineup by introducing more powerful and sporty muscle cruisers, including the Harley Sportster Nightster and the Harley Sportster S. The Sportster series has always remained the fans’ favorite as it innovated the classic Harley cruiser concepts into more performance-oriented motorcycles. Besides the small front fairing and tall handlebars, the Harley Sportster Iron 1200 was a simple motorcycle, ideal for customization.

Despite being fitted with a 1,202 cc Evolution V-Twin engine, the Harley Sportster Iron 1200 was a beginner-friendly motorcycle capable of producing a horsepower of 60 hp and a torque of 98.97 Nm. It was also one of the cheapest models in the Harley lineup, costing only $10,249. Being a popular entry-level motorcycle, the Harley Sportster Iron 1200 deserves to be relaunched. However, the fans would expect some upgrades, including a more powerful engine and modern features.

The Harley Street 750 is another popular entry-level motorbike in the Harley lineup. It was an ideal motorcycle for riders with even minimal riding experience. The Harley Street 500 and the Harley Street 750 were used for training at motorcycle riding schools due to being highly user-friendly motorcycles.

The Harley Street 750 was powered by a 750 cc liquid-cooled, V-Twin engine capable of horsepower of 53 hp and a torque of 58.98 Nm. It had a matte black finish, a slightly raked-out front end, and a small nose fairing for aesthetics. The Harley Street 750 was ideal for city travel and light cruising. However, the engine would produce excessive vibrations at high speeds of over 80 mph. It was also one of the cheapest Harley motorcycles, costing only $7,599. The Harley Street 750 also deserves to be relaunched with a few engine upgrades to attract beginners.

The Harley Dyna Wide Glide was a chopper-style cruiser with a raked-out front end, a slim front tire, and a fat rear tire. It was a simple motorcycle with a stripped-down cruiser style. Being a chopper, it had a long wheelbase of 67.5 inches that ensured better linear stability. The Harley Dyna Wide Glide was introduced in 1999 and received several upgrades over time. Harley Davidson stopped manufacturing the Harley Wide Glide in 2008 and 2009. However, it was relaunched in 2010, and in 2012, it was installed with an upgraded 1,690 cc Twin Cam 103 engine capable of a horsepower of 77 hp and a torque of 125 Nm.

The Harley Dyna Wide Glide had an electronic fuel injection system, a stylish chopper-style look, and a powerful engine. Despite having several attractive features, the chances of the Harley Dyna Wide Glide being relaunched are minimal as the company would have to invest in an upgraded engine, reduce excessive vibrations, and install better suspensions.

During its first production run from 1983 to 1993, the Harley Sport Glide was a complete touring bike fitted with a large front fairing and adequate wind protection. It also came with saddlebags and a rear trunk that offered improved storage capacity. However, when the Harley Softail Sport Glide was relaunched in 2018, it was completely redesigned and its design drew inspiration from the Harley Dyna Switchback. The Harley Sport Glide was designed to easily convert to a cruiser.

The saddlebags and fairing installed were easily detachable in case riders preferred a stripped-down cruising experience. The Harley Sport Glide was a simple, stylish, and powerful motorcycle fitted with a 1,753 cc Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine capable of a horsepower of 92.5 hp and a torque of 146.45 Nm. If you owned a Harley Sport Glide, you could improve its touring capability by installing sissy bars, crash bars, a large windscreen, backrests, and pulled-back handlebars.

There were several reasons why the Harley Sport Glide was discontinued, including the motorcycle being too expensive compared to what it offered. At a price tag of $18,599, motorcycle riders expected modern features to be included, rather than installing only stock saddlebags and a mini batwing fairing.

The Harley Sportster Forty-Eight is an intermediate-level motorcycle suited for highway cruising and weekend rides. It shared a close resemblance with the Harley Sportster Iron 883, having a slim design, a solo rider seat, a small fuel tank, and fat front and rear tires. However, unlike the Harley Iron 883, it was fitted with forward-mounted foot controls. The Harley Sportster Forty-Eight had bobber-style fenders and separate two-into-two stylish slash-cut exhaust pipes. Like all Sportster models, it offered an aggressive riding style as the rider had to lean forward to reach the low-mounted handlebars. There was still some space between the small 2.1-gal fuel tank and the solo tuck and roll seat, giving it a distinguished look. The 1,200 cc V-Twin engine was capable of producing adequate horsepower and good low-end torque.

Several reasons why Harley Davidson discontinued the Harley Sportster Forty-Eight included power loss, faulty ECU, and hard gear shifting. It was first discontinued in Europe in 2020, two years before they were discontinued in the U.S. due to not meeting emission regulations. There are fewer chances of the Harley Sportster Forty-Eight making a comeback as Harley Davidson is more focused on producing high-speed performance cruisers in the Sportster lineup.

The Harley Davidson Blackline was a rare Harley model produced in limited numbers. It was one of the few models in the Harley Dark Custom series. This motorcycle was well-known for its attractive look and appealing paint job with metal flakes. The Harley Blackline is a Softail model with its rear suspension hidden under the seat. It had a bobber-style front fender, a slim and large front tire, a fat rear tire, a slightly raked-out front end, split drag handlebars, and a combination of blacked-out and chrome parts.

The 1,690 cc Twin Cam 103 engine was capable of producing a horsepower of 63 hp and a torque of 133.84 Nm. The Harley Blackline’s poor performance was a major factor that resulted in its failure and being discontinued in 2013 after a production run of only 3 years. However, it became an inspiration for custom builders to paint their motorcycles in stylish ways.

Also Read: WHY EVERYONE LOVES HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLES

Despite being popular, Harley Davidson has had to discontinue several models due to various reasons. Most of them were removed from production due to not meeting emission standards. Some Harley motorcycles also required major performance upgrades but due to the lack of resources, the company decided to discontinue them. If Harley Davidson ever plans to relaunch some of their popular beginner and intermediate-level motorcycles, hopefully, the company will include some or all of the Harley models listed above that deserve a second chance.

If you own a Harley Davidson motorcycle and want to transform it into a better touring bike, Viking Bags has various aftermarket parts available at their online store, including saddlebags, sissy bars, backrests, crash bars, fairings, and handlebars. You can visit this link, select your Harley model, and find the motorcycle parts specially designed for your model.