1959 Harley-Davidson Police Special

The 1959 Harley-Davidson Police Special is another example of how Harley's Big Twins have always been popular with municipalities and law enforcement agencies.

The 1959 Harley-Davidson Police Special was dressed in the silver paint reserved for police bikes. See more motorcycle pictures.

This example, however, was pressed into duty as a funeral escort. Though it missed out on all the excitement enjoyed by its police-ridden siblings, it has nothing to be ashamed of, as it carries many of the same accessories-siren, red lights, and radio-as the pursuit models.

It also wears the special silver paint that was reserved for police bikes, and unlike the civilian models, is not two-toned.

Though a hand-clutch/foot-shift arrangement had been standard since 1952, many police departments opted for the old hand shifter. That way, the foot clutch could be disengaged, allowing the bike to be left in gear with the motor running.

1909 Harley-Davidson V-Twin

The 1909 Harley-Davidson V-twin was Harley's first production V-twin. By this time, gray had replaced black as the standard color, and Sager-Cushion front forks were used that allowed a small amount of front wheel travel. Cylinders were the same size as those used for the single, displacement coming out to 49.48 cubic inches. The "V" measured 45 degrees -- as have all street Harley V-twins since.

By the time the 1909 Harley-Davidson V-Twin was produced, grey had replaced black as the standard color. See more motorcycle pictures.

That first V-twin didn't fare well, however, one problem being that the drive belt lacked any means of tension adjustment other than to move the rear wheel. The V-twin was withdrawn from the market for a year, and when it returned for 1911, it had mechanical intake valves and a belt-tensioning device. The following year, displacement was increased to 61 cubic inches