1948 was the first year for the PanHead motor which featured alloy heads and hydraulic valve adjustment. In 1949 Harley Davidson introduced hydraulic telescopic fork front suspension to their big twins. The combination put a dagger in Indian’s heart. Harley had become the technology leader by a large margin.
Hydra Glide. Doesn’t seem like much today, but the Hydra Glide was the first Harley that didn’t just have a letter/number designation. It was the first officially named model, a trend that continues today. According to Rider Magazine, Harley had the front suspension ready to go for introduction with the Panhead in ‘48 but decided to use up their girder suspension parts prior to the Hydra introduction.
The 1949 Harley Davidson FL Hydra Glide used a 74 CID air cooled four stroke overhead valve V-Twin motor that made 55 HP with toe clutch and hand shift four speed that was capable of a top speed of 100 MPH. Hydraulic front suspension gave the FL 4 inches of travel while rear suspension remained rigid.
This particular 1949 Harley Davidson FL Hydra Glide (VIN # 49FL-10874) is in Paynesville, Minnesota and is listed as well running excellent original. The listing has a list of original parts and includes parts and owners manual. The bike has a Buy It Now price of $29,999 (with make an offer)
Sources:
Wikipedia FL
Wikipedia Panhead
Rider Mag
Cycle World
Hydra Glide
Bikez