The Harley-Davidson X-90, commonly referred to as the Shortster, was a mini-Harley two-stroke built by an Italian company that started out making fighter aircraft during the First World War.
The Harley-Davidson X-90 was originally developed as an Aermacchi in Italy however Harley owned 50% of the Italian motorcycle manufacturer and they had been re-badging their smaller capacity motorcycles as Harleys in the US for years.
Aermacchi had started out building licensed copies of Nieuport fighter aircraft just before WWI, the company became one of Italy’s biggest aircraft manufacturers by the time of the Second World War. In the years after WWII they diversified into motorcycle production, a path also followed by MV Agusta.
Honda had released the original Monkey Bike in the mid-1960s. They were selling as many Monkey Bikes as they could build and many other manufacturers wanted to get in on the action including Aermacchi and Harley.
Two-stroke motorcycle engines were popular at the time and so the engine Harley chose was a 90cc single-cylinder two-stroke, with a bore x stroke of 48mm x 50mm and 8 hp. The model was kickstart only and power was sent to the rear wheel via a standard four-speed transmission with a wet multi-plate clutch.
Over the course of the X-90s three year production run from 1973 to 1975, it is estimated that only 7,000 to 10,000 units were ever made. Only a small number of these have survived to the modern day.
The Shortster has become a bit of a cult classic thanks to its interesting history and quirky looks. Due to its limited production, unique place in Harley-Davidson history, and rising collector interest, the X-90 Shortster has become a sought-after vintage minibike.
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This vehicle is located at Atomic Motors Classic in Henderson, NV just 20 mins from the fabulous Las Vegas Strip. Come down and see us or call 702-826-3811 ext 2 or 702-556-0888. Additional pictures and videos may be found on our site at www.atomicmotors.net
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