It’s full American pride here, with high-performance muscle cars inspiring a limited-edition trio of motorcycles.
What’s arguably more American than a bunch of loud, boisterous motorcycles? Well, muscle cars of course.
In a new limited-edition series, Harley-Davidson is celebrating muscle car culture and its racing heritage with the introduction of Fast Johnnie, the 2023 addition to the Enthusiast Motorcycle Collection of limited-run bikes. These bikes are decked out with factory-direct custom paint and graphic treatments, amongst other upgrades.
Executed in Celestial Blue with white racing stripes, this special Enthusiast Collection paint scheme is offered for three 2023 Harley-Davidson models - the Low Rider ST, the Street Glide ST and the Road Glide ST motorcycles, with production limited to no more than 2,000 of each model globally.
Enthusiast Motorcycle Collection models are curated to celebrate Harley-Davidson riders, inspired by their stories and legacies. The Fast Johnnie paint scheme taps into iconic design themes featured on high-performance muscle cars and pony cars of the 1960s and 1970s.
A contrasting “racing” or “rally” stripe is creased over a bold base colour, with a clever symbolic character or logo incorporated into each motorcycle. A “Harley-Davidson” script replaces one of the thin stripe elements on the tank and front fender.
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. A custom Enthusiast Motorcycle Collection logo is also located on the rear fender.
The Fast Johnnie character applied to the left side of the fuel tank also appears on the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle factory team motorcycles raced in the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers series. It was inspired by the story of a piglet named Johnnie, who was adopted in 1920 by Harley-Davidson racer and member of the infamous “Wrecking Crew,” Ray Weishaar, subsequently becoming a team mascot.
The piglet was often seen perched on a motorcycle fuel tank for a post-race victory lap, and this reference is usually cited as the source of the “Hog” moniker that to this day is often referenced 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.”
If you are a true blue-blooded American or want to be one, check out the collection viathis highlighted text here.