The History of Harley-Davidson® Trike Motorcycles

As far back as the early 1900s, motorcycles were beloved by those who sought thrills and speed on a compact and powerful machine. Harley-Davidson motorcycles were at the forefront of that push, but they saw a problem. As fun as their machines were, they weren’t practical for many commercial uses. The limited cargo space and relative instability of their machines caused them to lag behind automobiles in many markets. Harley-Davidson’s solution? Throw on another wheel!

We here at Willamette Valley Harley-Davidson want to share with you the fascinating history of Harley-Davidson trikes. If you want to know more about these powerhouses, or if you’d like to see the trike motorcycles we have for sale, contact our store in Eugene, Oregon. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff will make sure you find what you need at the prices you want.

The Motorcycle Truck

A prototype that was finished around 1912, the Harley-Davidson “Motorcycle Truck” was a unique design with two wheels on the front and one in the rear. Between the front tires, they nestled a cargo container that enabled the machine to be used for courier work, cargo-heavy errands, and other utility purposes that required a bit of trunk space. These machines relied on the newly redesigned V-Twin engine that, with some tweaks, allowed the motorcycle truck to haul up to 600 pounds of cargo as well as the operator. 

To test the machine out in the field, Harley gave the prototype to the Milwaukee branch of the US Postal Service. With Harley motorcycles already in use by many post offices and rural mail carriers, the addition to the fleet was a welcome one. When the motorcycle truck worked throughout the harsh Milwaukee winter, it was brought into full production for the 1913 model year. With easy handling and high maneuverability, the motorcycle truck was manufactured for two years before being replaced.

The Package Truck

Harley-Davidson’s next foray into three-wheeled motorcycles was the package truck, which wasn’t a true trike at all. The name “package truck” really only refers to an attachment that consumers could put onto their existing motorcycle like they might with a sidecar. The design was actually built on a 1914 sidecar frame with a cargo container in place of an extra seat, allowing Harley-Davidson to manufacture something with a similar payload to their successful motorcycle truck, but which was much easier to build and allowed owners some flexibility in how the product was used. Harley advertisers played up this versatility, pushing the idea of using the package truck for your job during the week and detaching it for weekend adventures. 

With its easy manufacturing and usage, as well as its low price point, the package truck was in production until 1957.

The Servi-Car

Finally, Harley-Davidson produced a new and highly successful trike precursor called the “Servi-Car,” with the first model released in 1932. Like its predecessors, the Servi-Car was built to combine the open-air freedom of a motorcycle with the carrying capacity of a commercial vehicle. It was immediately popular with police departments, service stations, and various delivery companies thanks to its ease-of-use and affordability. The third wheel made it much more stable than a two-wheeled bike, and the lack of any core muscle workouts made it easier to learn to use for folks more used to automobiles. It could also easily be towed by larger vehicles, making it a great return vehicle when delivering a newly-fixed automobile. This machine was continually produced until 1973. 

Modern Trikes

Throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s, trikes became less common, though many companies sold aftermarket trike kits for Harley bikes to add a third wheel. In 2009, Harley-Davidson entered a deal with the largest of these companies, Lehman Trikes. Lehman provided components, paint, and conversion services for the release of Harley’s first official trike in decades, the Tri Glide® Ultra Classic. Final assembly for these machines was done in Spearfish, South Dakota at Lehman’s facility until its founder, John Lehman, died in 2012. Since then, the Tri Glide and Freewheeler® trikes that Harley-Davidson produces have been made in its own facility, and they’re still at the cutting edge of the trike market to this day!

We hope you found the history of the Harley trike as fascinating as we did. If you want to know more, or you’d like to write your own chapter in this history by purchasing one of these incredible machines, contact us at Willamette Valley Harley-Davidson. We proudly serve the people of Albany and Corvallis, Oregon—let us serve you today!