HD Scooter content. Who knew? 1960 Topper

[chuck peterson]

That's damn cool.. 1960. Is that an adjustable lever?

https://westernmass.craigslist.org/mcy/d/wilbraham-harley-davidson-topper/7010359224.html

[Adk.IBO]

Parking brake?

[Lannis]

Those of us just a few years ahead of you used to drool over those Topper ads in Popular Science showing how much fun you could have on the road for how little money ....





Lannis

[Groover]

Nice one to have, if I had one.. 

[PhilB]

Scooters were HUGE in that period.  There were dozens of brands.  Vespa and Lambretta were the biggest, but most of the major motorcycle companies had scooters.  Not just Harley, but there were scooters from Triumph, BSA, Velocette, Ducati, Moto Guzzi, Zundapp, Maico, and on and on.  Most scooters were 2-strokes, but not all.

The Harley Topper was a 165cc, 2-stroke, with a rope-pull starter.

PhilB

[pehayes]

I owned one when I was 13!  Someone in town was moving away and didn't want it any more.  Gave it to me and my brother.  We rode it hard and rode it into the ground before the junk yard.  Wish I had it now.  Hard to see in the first picture, but this was PULL START like a lawnmower.  I think 160cc two stroke.  Weighed a ton!  Huge belt drive with variable pulleys.  We mostly drove it with a binary on/off throttle.  Held one rpm like a big old bus while it gradually accelerated as the pulleys altered.  Hard to damage in a crash.  Ask me how I know.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[Chuck in Indiana]

Hard to damage in a crash.

[Cam3512]

VERY cool, but not $11K cool!

[Lannis]

  We mostly drove it with a binary on/off throttle.  Held one rpm like a big old bus while it gradually accelerated as the pulleys altered.  ...

Just like a Convert then!

[Groover]

Variator I think

[Yeahoo Whoyah]

I've still got the family Cushman Scooter.  B$W photo is my Grandmother and me Summer of 1950