These Iconic Harley-Davidson Models Have Been Remade For Contemporary Times

Sure, there might be an American motorcycle brand that predates Harley-Davidson, but arguments could easily be made that none bear quite as robust a legacy. After all, even if the American owned company has moved some aspects of its business overseas, it has been continuously manufacturing motorcycles Stateside for well over a century now, and there's little reason to suspect that will change anytime in the future.

Over that span, Harley-Davidson has built its reputation on the back of a celebrated lineup of motorcycles that rank among the most iconic to ever graced the various roadways of the world. The esteem bestowed on many of the manufacturer's best-loved builds has clearly not been lost on the company's leadership team. In fact, they've recently begun a campaign to celebrate arguably the best of the best from Harley-Davidson's legendary lineup — doing so via a series of limited edition builds that put a modern spin on some of its more beloved bikes.

Harley-Davidson is calling that series The Icons Motorcycle Collection, and since 2021, the company has added one classic build from its storied catalog to the mix every year. Here's a look at the iconic bikes Harley-Davidson has remade for the modern world.  

With more than 120 years worth of motorcycles to choose from, the task of selecting the first bike for Harley-Davidson's Icon collection was no doubt taxing for the company's design team. However, most longtime fans of the brand can likely agree the team chose wisely when they tabbed the Electra Glide as Icon number one.

After all, the Electra Glide is generally regarded as one of the better Harley-Davidson builds from the company's 1960s heyday. The big twin build made its official lineup debut in 1965, and did so fronting a handful of features that immediately set it apart from other Harley builds, including an electric starter and, of course, the almost instantly iconic "Batwing" fairing. The Electra Glide quickly became one of the jewels of Harley-Davidson's grand touring bike set and has remained a best-seller for the brand over the years. 

The Electra Glide has remained a bit of a fan-favorite among Harley-Davidson's various makes and models in the 50-plus years since it hit the road as well, with the manufacturer not altering much about the build over that span. The 2021 Revival is based on the 1969 Electra Glide, with the design team largely keeping the frame unchanged and even branding it with period-accurate Harley-Davidson badging. They did, however, build some decidedly modern Harley features into the Revival, including a custom paint job, a Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine, the Reflex Defensive Rider System, and the Apple CarPlay enabled Boom! Box GTS 6.5 Radio, delivering a numbered, limited run of just 1,500 units.

As anyone who has tracked the history of Harley-Davidson can tell you, the 1980s were a trying time for the company, as it narrowly avoided bankruptcy after years of financial struggles. While the manufacturer clearly made some mistakes in the early part of the decade, one could argue it scored an uncontested win when it debuted its FXRT builds in 1983.

The FXRT series of bikes hit the streets with a sportier design than virtually any Harley-Davidson build that preceded them, with bosses likely hoping that new look bikes might help attract new riders to the brand. While some longtime Harley heads bemoaned the decidedly modern look of the bikes, others celebrated the sleek lines and paired back fairing, with FXRT builds being fully embraced by fans of the customizing West Coast Style. Given its enduring appeal to both seasoned riders and newcomers, it was hardly a surprise that the FXRT found its way into the Icon Collection conversation, with Harley-Davidson brass giving the numbered, limited edition build a contemporary upgrade in 2022.

Branded the Low Rider El Diablo, that build fronted the famed frame-mounted fairing of the FXRT Sport Glide, and a custom paint job based on the Sport Glide's vintage striping, as well as a build-specific devil-horned Harley-Davidson logo. Vintage looks aside, the El Diablo also boasted Harley's potent Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine and a high-end Rockford Fosgate audio system. Perhaps most importantly, the design team lifted El Diablo's rear suspension and elevated the handlebars, moves meant to enhance both posture and performance over past FXRT models.

The Harley-Davidson design team circled back to the 1960s for the 2023 Icon Collection pick, once again treating the Electra Glide to a slew of contemporary upgrades. This time, they tricked out the 1968 Electra Glide FLH, the Shovelhead powered beast that arguably set a new standard for Harley's line of touring bikes. 

The 1968 Electra Glide was also the year that Harley-Davidson went fully electric on the starter front, completely jettisoning the kick starter as an option on the build. Interestingly, the '68 Electra Glide was also one of precious few bikes that Harley-Davidson offered with an orange on black color scheme, despite those being the signature colors of the company logo since the early days of its existence. In a nod to that, ahem, colorful bit of Harley-Davidson history, the 1,750 units the company offered as the Electra Glide Highway King in 2023 were also available in those signature colors with White Birch saddlebags, though you could also get one painted Hi-Fi Magenta and White Birch as well.

As the FLH designation on the '68 Electra Glide denotes, the Touring Softail model came equipped with a fork-mounted fairing and windshield, which is a prevalent feature on the limited-edition Highway King. Like other builds in the Icon Collection, the '23 Electra Glide also got the Milwaukee-Eight 114 upgrade, upgraded audio systems, and enhanced performance, comfort, and safety features, including Electronically Linked Brakes, Traction Control, and Vehicle Hold Control, among others. Overall, we have to say, this Highway King is a sight to behold when it's barreling down the blacktop.

It's safe to assume that Harley-Davidsons' Icon Collection experiment has so far been a success, if only because the legendary manufacturer continues to add new bikes to the lineup every year. For the 2024 selection, the design team reached all the way back to the Harley-Davidson's fruitful post World War II production era to put a fresh touch on one of its most iconic builds, the celebrated Hydra-Glide. 

Though the first Hydra-Glide technically hit the streets of America in 1949, the build really came into its own in the 1950s, boasting Panhead power and a telescoping hydraulic fork that made for a dramatically different ride than any Harley that came before. The Hydra-Glide was also the bike that found Harley-Davidson embracing more colorful paint schemes, a stark contrast from the drab greens that adorned many of their wartime builds. However, of the 1,750 units Harley-Davidson is offering for 2024, they are only available in the eye-catching Redline Red colorway.

For the Icon Collection, Harley's design team gave a refresh to the '56 FLH build, barely changing a thing from the bike's sleek frame, and even kept the build's famed two-tone windshield and "slash" paint scheme. They did, however, change the OG's hard-tail design to a Softail chassis, and adorned both the seat and saddlebag of the Revival with a vintage rivet and tassel look complete with embroidered rosettes. As for modern adornments, the '24 Hydra-Glide Revival trades the Panhead for the Milwaukee-Eight 114, and also boasts the Screamin' Eagle High-Flow air cleaner and cruise control, among others features.