Harley Davidson Xa Model
By the end of the war even those motorcycles were being phased out as the army turned to jeeps.
Harley davidson xa model. Harley davidson provided motorcycles to the army during world war i and for earlier excursions against mexican rebels like pancho villa. Instead the primary motorcycle used by american forces was the 750cc v twin harley wla augmented by indian s 500cc v twin 741 and the 750cc 640b basically a military version of the sport scout. Between 1942 and 1943 harley davidson assembled just over 1 000 xa models for testing but by then the jeep was in full production. In any situation where we are found guilty then surely we ll be helping you out.
During world war ii the army produced a specification for a motorcycle much like the bmws used by german forces. History of the 1941 1945 harley davidson wla xa with the second world war well under way and with the american entry into the hostilities at the end of 1941 the u s. Suitable for harley davidson xa 750 military model 1942. Borrowing heavily from the r71 harley davidson produced the experimental army xa model.
Harley copied the bmw r71 to produce its xa model. Harley based the design of the xa which stands for experimental army on the venerable bmw r71 a motorcycle that would also become the platform for the imz ural the kmz dnepr m72 and the chiang jiang cj750. This shared no dimensions no parts or no design concepts with. This 1942 harley davidson xa model in full military trim sports the flat olive drab paint black engine cases and leather saddlebags rifle holder and seat.
As a multi role battlefield vehicle the jeep could carry more equipment and personnel required far less training to operate and arguably could take even more punishment than military motorcycles. Harley davidson largely copied the bmw engine and drive train and produced the shaft driven 750 cc 1942 harley davidson xa. The same was true of harley s bmw like xa.