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As Harley-Davidson motorcycles changed, so did their tank logos. See the evolution of Harley's tank logos and find out which ones Harley fans loved and hated.
Above, the early logos show the trademark colors -- they were altered occasionally, but the same basic lettering was used on Harley tanks for over three decades.
The first change to the Harley-Davidson logo appeared in 1933, when a bird-like scroll surrounded the usual lettering.
The "bird" motif lasted only a year and was replaced by the "flying diamond" design in 1934.
With the new Knucklehead engine came a new tank logo in 1936. Though it lasted only through 1939, a similar design has appeared on some recent models.
In 1940, Harley introduced its first metal logo, which was used until 1946. Because World War II interrupted its tenure, relatively few motorcycles carried this logo. However, a near-copy is worn by the current 1940s-retro Old Boy.
Used from 1947-1950, this simple design ushered out the Knucklehead and ushered in the Panhead -- and the Hydra-Glide
1951-1954: Arguably among the best of Harley's tank logos, this classic script design was introduced in 1951. In 1954 the same script was used but the underline vanished.
The 1955 design added a background to the script along with a large "V" to capitalize on Harley's famous V-twin motor. It's another classic.
Introduced in 1957, this circular logo was fitted to the first Sportster and the first Duo-Glide. Two-toned paint was used on fuel tanks in 1956, but the schemes were more definitive for 1957-1958.
The 1959-60 arrowhead logo was larger and more colorful that the previous one, and seemed to play off the 1947-1950 design.
The 1961-62 "gun sight" logo was arguably less attractive than its arrowhead predecessor, and certainly less colorful.
Above, the early logos show the trademark colors -- they were altered occasionally, but the same basic lettering was used on Harley tanks for over three decades.
The first change to the Harley-Davidson logo appeared in 1933, when a bird-like scroll surrounded the usual lettering.
The "bird" motif lasted only a year and was replaced by the "flying diamond" design in 1934.
With the new Knucklehead engine came a new tank logo in 1936. Though it lasted only through 1939, a similar design has appeared on some recent models.
In 1940, Harley introduced its first metal logo, which was used until 1946. Because World War II interrupted its tenure, relatively few motorcycles carried this logo. However, a near-copy is worn by the current 1940s-retro Old Boy.
Used from 1947-1950, this simple design ushered out the Knucklehead and ushered in the Panhead -- and the Hydra-Glide
1951-1954: Arguably among the best of Harley's tank logos, this classic script design was introduced in 1951. In 1954 the same script was used but the underline vanished.
The 1955 design added a background to the script along with a large "V" to capitalize on Harley's famous V-twin motor. It's another classic.
Introduced in 1957, this circular logo was fitted to the first Sportster and the first Duo-Glide. Two-toned paint was used on fuel tanks in 1956, but the schemes were more definitive for 1957-1958.
The 1959-60 arrowhead logo was larger and more colorful that the previous one, and seemed to play off the 1947-1950 design.
The 1961-62 "gun sight" logo was arguably less attractive than its arrowhead predecessor, and certainly less colorful.
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