c1965 Harley-Davidson Bobcat 175cc Motorcycle

Description

Somewhat surprisingly, given its preference for large-capacity V-twins, Harley-Davidson's post-war history is littered with attempts at diversification and the Milwaukee Company constructed a bewildering array of scooters, commuters, mini bikes and even snowmobiles, a process culminating with the ill-fated purchase of the Italian Aermacchi company. Harley-Davidson made several forays into the smaller motorcycle market with two-stroke singles, nicknamed 'Hummers', beginning with the Model S-125 of 1948, essentially a re-hash of a pre-war DKW design that evolved through several iterations in the 1950s and into the early 1960s. The final ST-165 derivative shared its engine with another Harley-Davidson flop, the Topper scooter of 1960. For 1962 a new range of two-stroke singles appeared under the general guise of the Model BT, including the Ranger, Pacer, Scat and Bobcat. These differed only slightly in design and intent; for example the Pacer was a street bike, the Scat a dual-purpose machine and the Ranger a proper off-roader. All three were replaced by a single model, the Bobcat, in 1966 which sold in both on and off-road guises for a single year only. The Bobcat was powered by the largest (175cc) version of the two-stroke B-model engine and had a fashionable one-piece fairing made of ABS resin covering the fuel tank and rear tyre. Thanks to its lack of commercial success, the Bobcat remains a real rarity today and a curio perfect for the Harley-Davidson collector.