US Army Harley-Davidson WLA
The Harley-Davidson WLA is a 45 cubic inch (740 cubic
centimeter) motorcycle built to US Army specifications for World War II. The “W” family evolved from an earlier “R”
family of flathead motorcycles produced between 1932 and 1936. The “L” was Harley-Davidson’s designation for
their high compression engine. “A”
indicated the motorcycle was built for the US Army. Harley also produced a similar motorcycle for
the Canadian Army designated WLC.
Additional variants were built for other US Allied forces including the
United Kingdom, and South Africa.
US Army Manual diagram of HD WLA
The Army required several modifications to the W family for
military use. They were to be painted
olive drab or black. They needed to be
outfitted with blackout lights. The
sides of the fenders needed to be removed in order to reduce mud build-up. They were often equipped with a heavy-duty
luggage rack for radios, an ammunition box, a leather scabbard for a Thompson submachine
gun, and a skid plate. A windshield and
leg protectors could also be added. Mechanical
modifications included an oil bath air cleaner which required only the addition
of motor oil rather than a replaceable filter.
The crankcase breather was modified to reduce the intake of water into
the crankcase.
While a few WLAs were produced starting in 1940, by far the
majority of these motorcycles was produced after the Japanese bombing of Pearl
Harbor. As a consequence all of the
serial numbers of WLAs produced after that event were given 1942 serial
numbers. Similarly, all of the WLCs were
given 1943 serial numbers. A significant
number of WLAs were shipped to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease program. Production was halted at the end of World War
II but resumed from 1949-1952 during the Korean War.
Army servicemen on their HD WLAs
The WLA was not used for combat or troop movement. Instead the military used motorcycles for
courier service, scouting, escorts.
Because the WLA was frequently seen as the first vehicles arriving in a
convoy it was nicknamed the “Liberator” for its role in freeing occupied
territories. While the front wheel
featured a springer suspension there was no suspension on the rear wheel. Consequently it has frequently been referred
to as a “hard tail”.
Peter Fonda on a "Captain America" chopper replica
There was a large surplus of WLAs after WWII. The low cost and broad availability gave rise
to the post-war biker culture.
Consequently, the chopper and other modifications became very
popular. This popularity gave
Harley-Davidson to capture the lead in the US motorcycle marketplace. (While the Indian motorcycle saw some use
during WWII it never recovered from confusing market of the 1930s.) Modification
was so popular that few WLAs in near original condition survived. Due to
limited access during the Cold War and virtually no biker culture, the
Soviet Union is today’s most significant source of original parts and WLAs.
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