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Designed for Sportster enthusiasts seeking enhanced performance, the 1959 Harley-Davidson XLCH Sportster delivers. Check out more photos of this iconic motorcycle.The 1959 Harley-Davidson XLCH Sportster offered a more powerful and dynamic take on the classic Harley Sportster model.
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Built as a high-performance machine for both on and off-road use (with speculation that the "C" denoted "Competition," though Harley never confirmed this), it stood apart from the tamer XLH model. Key features included magneto ignition, a raised exhaust pipe, a compact "peanut" fuel tank, a shortened rear fender, and semi-knobby tires.
The 1959 Harley-Davidson XLCH Sportster featured a uniquely positioned high-mounted exhaust pipe.Distinctive tank badges, resembling those on Harley's racing bikes of the era, set the XLCH apart. It also introduced the iconic "eyebrow" headlight cover, a design element still synonymous with Sportsters today.
In comparison, the XLH, designed for touring, was bulkier and heavier. It boasted wider fenders, a sizable headlight nacelle, bigger fuel and oil tanks, and a low-slung exhaust. Harley-Davidson continued producing both Sportster models throughout the 1960s, achieving significant success in both racing and sales.
To learn more about Harley-Davidson and other classic motorcycles, see:
- Harley-Davidson Motorcycles
- How Harley-Davidson Works
- How Choppers Work
- Chopper Profiles
- Classic Motorcycles
- How Motorcycles Work
