Teach me little Harleys

I was wondering about the Harley Davidson SS250 or SX250. I know some used Yamaha engines (is it a RD250 engine?). Basically does anyone know anything about these bikes?

Nope. When "You Meet The Nicest People on a Honda" campaign came around H-D made an unholy alliance with Aermacchi, an Italian company that made 250 & 350 one lungers. SS is the low pipe street bike, SX is the high pipe dirt version.

Make note that as an Italian bike made before 1976 when things weren't standardized; the shifter is on the right.

Head into a big event at speed and you may find yourself downshifting into a Buick.

Dan

Is that a bowling ball? I don't have my glasses on.

That sure is a funny looking shifter.

I knew they went to a vertical cylinder in the 1970s, as opposed to the Aermacchis of the 1960s, but this site say it was indeed based on a Yamaha engine: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1975-harley-davidson-ss-250.htm I don't recall ever hearing that before.

Josh wrote: That sure is a funny looking shifter.

Depends on the year. Like I said, nothing was standard until 1976.

Dan

If those pictures are accurate those aren't RD series motors from Yamaha.

RD250 cycle. Bikini girl is a bonus.

Compare and contrast the square headed look of the RD series as opposed to the "finned dong hanging out your pants" look of the Aeri-whatever. My two cents typed from the vantage point that I learned to ride on an RD350 and kept one in a shed for 4 yrs.

I think it would be fun to confuse the hell out of other Harley riders.

Good find Woody! That could be an RD series. It's definitely block headed.

I remember seeing these run the support class at a 125 world championship, around 1976/77 They had front forks mounted as shocks for the rear suspension.

I can't believe I found these pics. I must've looked for these 20 times over the years (to prove that it actually happened).

The SS250 was a single cylinder two stroke, so it wasn't the older Aermacchi engine and it wasn't an RD engine. If you look at the link I posted earlier, it does resemble a Yamaha DT engine.

Does anyone know if it's controls are normal or like the earlier Aermacchi bikes?

Xceler8x wrote: Good find Woody! That could be an RD series. It's definitely block headed.

That's Kelly Leak.

They have a ton of those old Italian Harleys at the Barber museum. I enjoyed looking at them but I am not sure I'd put down my own money for one.

There are 2 RD models that are single cylinder, the 50 and the 125.

Speaking of little Harleys, I came across one of these in a supermarket parking lot recently.

bludroptop wrote: Speaking of little Harleys, I came across one of these in a supermarket parking lot recently.

Neat bike.

It's a H-D Hummer 125.