Does the paint Atomic Blue make your heart rate faster? Does Pepper Red thrill your senses? Does Anniversary Yellow invite you to rise up and sing? How about Gypsy Green; does that cause you to choose to get on your bike and choose a very long ride with the dreams of finding journey and romance at the other end?
These are just among the numerous colors and shades applied to old H-Ds that not only taken care of the corrosion away your stock metal sheet, but also had been the stuff of wishes for a kid like me in the 50's. Every single day, before my high school, a '62 H-D Servi-Car was parked; it was colored with Police Silver, an in-depth impressive shade that got to signify authority and power to me all those years in the past. Brilliant Black Harley-Davidsons were the bike of outlaws in the 60s, and it constantly felt so sinister and dark to me back then. Hollywood Green became a relaxing and mild color that sensed like the walls of the nearby medical center or psych ward continually stay away from that shade of madness, I say!
Paint was applied to the earliest Harley, and also the readily available color palette expanded over the many decades to become a virtual rainbow of choices. Color can define your style and supplied the best way to personalize your motorcycle. This makes a proclamation of your personality and helps you to stand out from the pack.
The year 1903 ushered in the first age bracket of coated Harleys in the form of Piano Black. Combined with nickel sheeting of the cylinder heads and various components, the bike was an eye-catcher from Day One. Realizing the demand for alternative, these motorcycles followed with Carmine pinstripes on Renault Gray, a classy and refined combination, and the name Silent Gray Fellow was born. Silent mainly because H-D prided themselves on being silent so as not to bother the horses and nearby neighbors of the time, gray because that was its full color, and fellow because Harley riders were gentlemen!
Years change, and thus do things like style of tone. The 20th century's later teenagers saw the application of olive green as being the regular color. Folks seemed to like this rather a lot. That survived through the early '30s, when folks started to be restless once more for more selections. Probably it was the truth that Indian was now owned by the Du Pont clan and simply because of its chemical business and paint products association, you can get your motorcycle coated from the factory in almost any full color Du Pont offered. This became a game changer. Or depth of the depression fueled the demand for full color and sparkle in a time of stress and hardship. Whatever the response, paint exploded onto the motorcycle scene and there was no turning back.
1930s observed the creation of colors like Bronze Brown and Delphine Blue and also Teak Red and Venetian Blue. These paint would likely carry on to define the age, and when machines from this vintage display at an AMCA events, men and women pay attention.
Cruiser Green and Skyway Blue, Flight Red, and Azure Blue were launched in the 1940s. Postwar riders were more concerned about getting a bike than what color it was.
The 1950s was really a decade for colorations! How about Metallic Congo Green, Persian Red, Rio Blue, and Tropical Green, with Birch White used for side panel positions and emphasizing. So cool, so fresh, so exciting to watch!
Fast-forward to present times when H-D uses color much more serious than ever. In addition to the stock colors a number of tailor made colors in small quantities are for sale to make your bike special. On my previous trip of the York factory, I noticed a rack of gasoline tanks that had been rejected as a result of paint imperfections, and I was amazed! The littlest of imperfections rejected them from being added on a bike. How's that for a testament to the degree of standard the new models incorporate.
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