Famous scooter brands: Harley-Davidson

It's not something that you see featured prominently, if at all, in Harley-Davidson histories, but the company did at one time include a scooter in its range. And, if some nutters in the states have their way, it may happen again - albeit on a different scale.

The company itself famously began in a shed in Milwaukee in 1903, with the first machine a modest single-cylinder effort. It wasn't until the following year that Walter Davidson (one of the founders) felt confident enough to go into the business full-time and the business took off in a serious way.

World wars and some very uncertain economic times, including the Great Depression of the 1930s, failed to kill off the company. Though the rise of, and particularly savage competition between, the Japanese manufacturers very nearly succeeded during the 1970s and early eighties.

A management buyout in the early 1980s marked the turn-around point for a firm, which received some assistance from the USA government in the shape of protective tariffs on large-capacity bikes - while the company reformed its designs, manufacturing processes and the way it did business. Today, it's often held up as an example of what a company can do to pull back from the precipice.

As for scooters, we need to walk back 45 years in the firm's history to find mention of a rather odd looking device called the Topper.

Built by Italian company Aemacchi, the machine was a very simple two-stroke single with a 165cc engine. What's uncertain is how the company got two horsepower variants - five or nine hp. It was offered with optional sidecar or commercial carry box and was sold until 1965. Bodywork was fibreglass, and the advertising made much of how easy it was to handle.

There was a period when Aermacchi supplied a few H-D models, including the 250 and 350 Sprints.

Weirdly enough, we're seeing a halfway serious attempt to revive an H-D scooter by people outside the factory. Craig Vetter (www.craigvetter.com), a long-time designed in the motorcycle world, has been involved in developing an ultra-maxi based on a Sportster.

The idea is a mob called Defiance Scooter (www.defiancescooter.com) will sell you a chassis that will accept the Sporty engine/transmission, plus suspension and wheels. Vetter can supply his Torpedo bodywork, or you can find your own.

We suspect the idea is struggling to really get off the ground. If it does, you can be sure H-D will watch its progess very closely. So, a 1200cc Harley scooter? Now that would teach you the meaning of respect...