Harley-Davidson have just released another Icon model, the Electra Glide Highway King, plus three Fast Johnnie special editions, Road & Street Glide ST's, and a Low Rider ST...
Harley say the third of the Icons Collection is an exercise in unabashed nostalgia. Laced wheels, wide-whitewall tyres, a two-tone windshield, solo suspension seat and carefully curated colours are all inspired by a Harley-Davidson icon, the 1968 FLH Electra Glide.
The Icons Motorcycle Collection is an annual program for the limited release of a new model that offers a fresh interpretation of an iconic Harley-Davidson motorcycle. In 2021 we had the Electra Glide Revival and 2022 saw the Low Rider El Diablo. A limited collection, each model is individually numbered and produced only once. Global production of the Highway King model is just 1750.
Back in 1968 the Electra Glide model topped the Harley-Davidson motorcycle line-up. Riders who wanted a little extra touring comfort and convenience could order their Electra Glide with the King of the Highway accessories group, which added fibre-glass saddlebags, a windshield, a luggage rack over the rear fender, and engine guards.
“In its day this was a really deluxe motorcycle,” said Brad Richards, Harley-Davidson Vice President of Design and Creative Director. “The colours we’ve selected for the Highway King model are reminiscent of the original colour options offered in 1968. We carefully match each colour in the lower section of the windshield. In 1968, the accessory fibre-glass saddlebags were only offered in white, so we’ve done the same in 2023. The result is a thoroughly modern motorcycle that looks unapologetically old school”.
Hi-Fi Orange with white saddlebags looks fantastic. Only 1000 of these colours will be made and we will get this colour alone in Australia. Numbers will be limited, so get ready to order!
Hard-shell saddlebags are finished in Birch White, and a Black Denim panel on the tank is separated from the primary colour with a Birch White stripe. The tank badge is very similar to the one used in 1968. An Icons Motorcycle Collection graphic and serialisation badge is laser-etched into the console.
“The foundation of the Electra Glide Highway King model is the single-spar Harley-Davidson Touring frame with a rigid backbone design. The entire chassis is designed for the long haul”…
The detachable windshield features a tinted lower section colour-matched to the paint colour. A solo saddle with a black-and-white cover and a chrome rail, mounted over an adjustable coil spring and shock absorber, is another nod to the style of Harley-Davidson FL models from the 1960s. Chrome steel laced wheels and wide whitewall tyres add to the nostalgic look, say H-D, as do the brilliant chrome front fender rails and saddlebag rails, front fender skirt, and Ventilator air cleaner cover. An Electra Glide script is placed on each side of the front fender.
“A solo saddle with a black-and-white cover and a chrome rail, mounted over an adjustable coil spring and shock absorber”… a nod to the original model…
The foundation of the Electra Glide Highway King model is the single-spar Harley-Davidson Touring frame with a rigid backbone design. The entire chassis is designed for the long haul. A single knob hydraulically adjusts the preload of emulsion-technology shocks for optimal ride and control based on bike load. The 49mm forks with dual bending valve suspension technology are said to deliver linear damping characteristics for a smooth ride.
The Milwaukee-Eight 114 motor delivers the power while Brembo brakes offer stopping power. A full suite of Rider Safety Enhancements is standard, including Cornering Enhanced Anti-Lock Brake System, Cornering Enhanced Electronic Linked Braking, Cornering Enhanced Traction Control System, Cornering Drag-torque Slip Control System and Vehicle Hold Control. No dates for arrival into Australia have been announced, but we will update as soon as we know.
As well as the Icon model, Harley-Davidson have announced three racing heritage models with the introduction of Fast Johnnie, the 2023 addition to the Enthusiast Motorcycle Collection of limited run bikes featuring factory-direct custom paint and graphic treatments…
Executed in Celestial Blue with white racing stripes, this special Enthusiast Collection paint scheme is offered factory-installed for three 2023 Harley-Davidson models: the Low Rider ST, the Street Glide ST and the Road Glide ST motorcycles, with combined production limited to no more than 2000 bikes.
“The striping graphic effect is a powerful signal to the generation that came of age during this era (the late 1960s, early 1970s), and is still impactful today”…
H-D say that the Fast Johnnie paint scheme taps into iconic design themes featured on high-performance muscle cars and (USA) pony cars of the 1960s and 1970s. The Fast Johnnie character applied to the left side of the fuel tank also appears on the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle factory bikes raced in the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers series.
“The piglet often perched on a motorcycle fuel tank for a post-race victory lap and is usually cited as the source of the “Hog” moniker that to this day is often applied to anything Harley-Davidson”…
It was inspired by the story of a piglet named Johnnie adopted in 1920 by Harley-Davidson racer and member of the infamous Wrecking Crew, Ray Weishaar, which became a team mascot. The piglet often perched on a motorcycle fuel tank for a post-race victory lap and is usually cited as the source of the Hog moniker that to this day is often applied to anything Harley-Davidson.
“The striping graphic effect is a powerful signal to the generation that came of age during this era, and is still impactful today,” said Brad Richards, Harley-Davidson Vice President of Design and Creative Director. “The Celestial Blue base colour selected for Fast Johnnie recalls a popular tone from the muscle car era. For the graphic striping, we created a custom white colour formulated to authentically reflect the era, executed in a classic thin-wide-thin pattern on the sides and top of the motorcycle bodywork. The look is a nod to pure Americana”…
“The Celestial Blue base colour selected for Fast Johnnie recalls a popular tone from the muscle car era. For the graphic striping, we created a custom white colour formulated to authentically reflect the era”…
On the tank and front fender ‘Harley-Davidson’ script replaces one of the thin stripe elements. Depending on the motorcycle model, the striping is applied to the front and rear fenders, the fuel tank top and sides, the front of the fairing and the side covers and saddlebags. The Enthusiast Motorcycle Collection logo is on the rear fender.
Low Rider® ST Fast Johnnie Enthusiast Motorcycle Collection.
- Celestial Blue with custom white detailing
- Enthusiast Collection logo on rear fender
- Graphic on both sides of the fuel tank – Fast Johnnie on left, Bar & Shield on right
Road Glide ST and Street Glide ST Fast Johnnie Enthusiast Motorcycle Collection.
- Celestial Blue with custom white detailing
- Enthusiast Motorcycle Collection logo on rear fender
- Graphic on both sides of the fuel tank – Fast Johnnie on left, Bar & Shield on right
- Harley-Davidson® Genuine Motor Parts & Accessories offers colour-matched King Tour-Pak® luggage carrier, Chopped Tour-Pak® luggage carrier, and saddlebag speaker lids.
No dates for Australian arrival have been released, however we will update you as soon as we know.
You Might Also Like
