One Year Only – 1962 Harley-Davidson Ranger

After World War II, Harley got blueprints for the DKW RT125 as war reparations from Germany. With those designs, Harley built the Hummer, also known as the Model 125. The Hummer had many variations between 1948 and 1966, but one of the rarest was the off-road Ranger, only built in 1962.

In 1953, Harley bumped up displacement to 165cc, and in 1962 they increased it again to 175. Some people suggest the Ranger was built solely for Harley to use up their remaining inventory of 165cc engines. Whether that’s true or not, the Ranger was geared very low to assist with off-road exploration, and it varied from other similar models by adding a high exhaust and omitting a lighting system and front fender. According to Harley-Davidson: The Good, the Bad, and the Legendary, the Ranger was developed by Harley district sales manager Ray Wesser, who asked his corporate office for a lightweight trail bike to offer in his territory of California, Oregon, and Washington.

This example has been completely restored in Tango Red and the seller says it’s ready for a museum. The seller also says that just 186 were produced and only 7 are still accounted for, neither of which I’ve been able to verify.