High-Performance 1960s and ‘70s Muscle Cars Inspire
Limited-Edition Trio of Motorcycles
MILWAUKEE, WI – May 3, 2023 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Harley-Davidson celebrates muscle car culture and its racing heritage with the introduction of Fast Johnnie, the 2023 addition to the Enthusiast Motorcycle Collection of limited run bikes featuring factory-direct custom paint and graphic treatments. Executed in Celestial Blue with white racing stripes, this special Enthusiast Collection paint scheme is offered factory-installed for three 2023 Harley-Davidson models: the Low Rider® ST, the Street Glide® ST and the Road Glide® ST motorcycles, with combined production limited to no more than 2,000 models globally.
Enthusiast Motorcycle Collection models celebrate Harley-Davidson riders and are inspired by their stories and legacies. The Fast Johnnie paint scheme taps into iconic design themes featured on high-performance muscle cars and pony cars of the 1960s and 1970s – contrasting “racing” or “rally” striping over a bold base color, and a clever or symbolic character or logo incorporated into the graphics package. Both elements served to create an obvious visual difference between the high-performance version of a car and the standard version of the same model. The Fast Johnnie character applied to the left side of the fuel tank also appears on the Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory team motorcycles raced in the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers series. It was inspired by the story of a piglet named Johnnie adopted in 1920 by Harley-Davidson racer and member of the infamous “Wrecking Crew,” Ray Weishaar, which became a team mascot. The piglet often perched on a motorcycle fuel tank for a post-race victory lap and is usually cited as the source of the “Hog” moniker that to this day is often applied to anything Harley-Davidson.
“The striping graphic effect is a powerful signal to the generation that came of age during this era, and is still impactful today,” said Brad Richards, Harley-Davidson Vice President of Design and Creative Director. “The Celestial Blue base color selected for Fast Johnnie recalls a popular tone from the muscle car era. For the graphic striping, we created a custom white color formulated to authentically reflect the era, executed in a classic thin-wide-thin pattern on the sides and top of the motorcycle bodywork. The look is a nod to pure Americana.”
On the tank and front fender…
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