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Harley-Davidsons From The 2019 Quail Motorcycle Gathering

The annual vintage event had some of Milwaukee’s coolest bikes on display.

May 24, 2019

Nearly three weeks later, and we're still going through our hefty pile of moto images from the 11th Quail Motorcycle Gathering. So, a quick recap: The Quail Motorcycle Gathering sets up shop every year at the Quail Lodge and Golf Club in Carmel, California, serving as ground zero for mostly vintage motorcycle aficionados. It's a concours-style shindig and, sure, you're bound to bump into big-buck collectors, but it also tends to be a pretty welcoming affair—not entirely bougie. You'll see everything from Aprilias to Zeus Bobbers on the lawn, with gobs of Hondas, Suzukis, Yamahas, Indians, Ducatis, and Triumphs scattered in between. It's an equal-opportunity droolfest with almost every kind and brand of motorcycle represented.

And of course there were Harleys—lots of them. Looking through our shot collection, we found plenty of mint, modern, and even mad examples from The Motor Company. Here are several of our faves.

1970 Aermacchi Harley-Davidson Sprint 350 SS

A Harley-Davidson thumper? Yup, Milwaukee’s first single-cylinder 250cc Sprint was actually an Aermacchi-built model brought to the States in the early 1960s to compete with the smaller bikes coming from Japan. It was rebadged, and the Italian-made single would eventually increase in size to 350cc and even become competitive in racing before Harley/AMF sold the entire Aermacchi division.Andrew Cherney

1983 XR1000 Tracker by Mule Motorcycles

This brutish XR1000 was built from a stock 1983 unit by custom maestro Richard Pollock at Mule, and it features an awesome mash-up of go-fast goods. Check out the aluminum XR750-style fuel tank, Triumph Thruxton fork (reworked by Race Tech), and Yamaha XS650 front hub holding Sun rims and Maxxis dirt-track rubber, among other one-off and custom-made bits.Andrew Cherney

2007 XR750

A couple of yards away was this race-derived XR750, complete with number plate and race livery. It’s streetable though—it even has a plate and a front brake—but also runs a genuine factory race motor, said to be used briefly by pro rider (#80) Rich King. The discreet LED lighting is there to keep this thing (barely) street legal.Andrew Cherney

1942 WLA

This classic wartime machine sets the tone for the American class section (1936–1979) at the Quail. The flathead engine, springer fork, hardtail frame, and a giant solo sprung saddle are all restored to a tee. Even the tank-mounted suicide shift on the left looks mint.Andrew Cherney

2005 Lawwill Street Tracker

AMA Flat Track legend Mert Lawwill’s known for his racing résumé, but he’s also behind more than a few motorcycle builds and innovations too. This 2005 Street Tracker from Lawwill features a Mert Lawwill Concepts multi-pivot rear suspension system.Andrew Cherney

SnoMoChop

Yep, the SnoMoChop was maybe the wildest concoction of all, only because it’s not often you get to see a two-stroke snowmobile engine nestled in a Harley frame. The SnoMoChop was entered in the Custom/Modified class.Andrew Cherney

1967 Shovelhead (generator-driven)

Harley introduced the Shovelhead motor in 1966, and in its first three years, it ran a generator before giving way to an alternator in 1970. This glittering, slammed 1967 model was entered in the American class (1936–1979).Andrew Cherney

1993 Softail Springer

This solo-seat, stretched Harley-Davidson Softail Springer was entered in the Custom/Modified class.Andrew Cherney

2020 LiveWire

Mixing the future with the past, Harley also brought its LiveWire model for customers to experience with an augmented-reality display. The demo unit was mounted on a stand with the rear wheel on a roller, and pilots wore a smart headset. There was an endless line to get on that thing all day.Andrew Cherney

Check out the video below for a closer look at the AR LiveWire experience.