Harley-Davidson Servi-Car

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Harley-Davidson Servi-Car

The Harley-Davidson Servi-Car is a three-wheeled utility motorcycle that was manufactured by Harley-Davidson from 1932 to 1973.

Concept and uses[edit]

The Servi-Car was designed during the Great Depression when Harley-Davidson was desperate to expand its product base to increase sales.[1] Targeted at the automotive service industry, the vehicle was designed for assisting at roadside breakdowns and delivering cars to customers. For this reason, it was available with a tow bar at the front and a large 60 Ah battery.[2] It allowed one person to transfer a car from one location to another and drive themselves back; after driving the car to its destination, the delivery driver would unhitch the Servi-Car and ride it back to the garage.[3][4]

In addition to its intended use for car delivery and retrieval, the Servi-Car was also popular as a utility vehicle for small businesses and mobile vendors. It proved to be particularly popular with police departments, some of which still used Servi-Cars into the 1990s.[2]

Models[edit]

1939 Harley-Davidson Model G Servi-Car at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee

The models offered in 1932, the first year of production, were:

  • G - with small box and tow bar
  • GA - with small box and no tow bar
  • GD - with large box and no tow bar
  • GE - with large box and air tank

In 1933, the GDT, with large box and tow bar, was added to the line.[5]

In 1942, the small and large boxes were replaced with a standardized intermediate-sized box that was manufactured for Harley-Davidson by the Chas. Abresch Co. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A gold, red, and black water transfer decal from this company was affixed to the top inside of the box lid.[citation needed] This box continued to be installed until 1966, after which it was replaced by a fiberglass box; all preceding boxes were made from steel.[6]

Engine[edit]

The Servi-Car used variations of Harley-Davidson's 45 cubic inch flathead. From 1932 to 36, the Servi-Car used the engine from the solo R model.[1] It was changed in 1937 to the engine used in the W model, which differed mainly in having a recirculating oil system instead of the constant-loss system of the R.[2][7] The "W" flathead engine continued until the end of production in 1973, despite the "W" solo series being replaced by the "K" series in 1952.[2][8]

An electric starter became available on the Servi-Car in 1964, making it the first civilian Harley with an electric starter, one year before the debut of the Electra Glide.[2][9][10]

Transmission[edit]

When the Servi-Car was introduced in 1932, it used the same transmission as the R solo model.[2] This was replaced the next year by a constant-mesh transmission with three speeds and a reverse gear.[11]

Chassis and suspension[edit]

Early Servi-Car with springer forks

The Servi-Car was designed in the early part of the Great Depression for the conditions of its day, in which roads might be crude and unpaved. It has a rigid rear axle with a differential.[12] The rear axle has a track of 42 inches (1,100 mm), similar to the track of most cars at the time. This allowed it to follow ruts that had already been worn into the road.[4]

A prototype of the Servi-Car with rear suspension was tested but found to be unstable.[4] The production model's axle is mounted directly to the frame with no suspension at all.[13]

Servi-Car with Hydra-Glide forks and disc brake

Until 1957, the front forks of the Servi-Car were the springer-type leading-link forks used on the R-series and W-series solo motorcycles. From 1958 on, the Servi-Car's neck stem length and inner diameter were changed to fit Hydra-Glide front forks.[9]

Brakes[edit]

Early production Servi-Cars have a drum brake on the front wheel and another drum brake inside the rear axle housing, decelerating both rear wheels.[11] In 1937, the braking system was upgraded to have a drum brake on each wheel.[14] A hydraulic rear brake system was introduced in 1951.[15] The very last Servi-Cars, built late in their last model year, have disc brakes on all three wheels.[2]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Mitchel, Doug (1997). "The Flathead is Born (1928-1935)". Harley-Davidson Chronicle - An American Original. Lincolnwood, IL USA: Publications International. pp. 68–69. ISBN 0-7853-2514-X. The company also introduced the first of their three-wheeled Servi-Cars in 1932, powered by the 45-cid V-twin.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Auto Lemon - Used Car History Check - Motorcycle: Twins - Servi-Car, 1932 - 1974". Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Some suggested that it was inspired by Far East rickshaw-style machines; however, the Servi-Car was initially intended for the recovery of broken-down cars — hence the tow-bar and huge 60 amp/hour battery fitted as standard.
  3. ^ Mitchel, Doug (1997). "The Flathead is Born (1928-1935)". Harley-Davidson Chronicle - An American Original. Lincolnwood, IL USA: Publications International. p. 88. ISBN 0-7853-2514-X. A model-specific brochure was produced for the Servi-Car for 1934, in which it was described as 'the practical method for profitable pick-up and delivery of automobiles.'
  4. ^ a b c Servi-Car Homepage - History
  5. ^ Servi-Car Homepage - Yearly Statistics and Pricing
  6. ^ Mitchel, Doug (1997). "The Knucklehead Hits (1936-1947)". Harley-Davidson Chronicle. Lincolnwood, IL USA: Publications International. pp. 94–95. ISBN 0-7853-2514-X.
  7. ^ Mitchel, D. "Harley-Davidson Chronicle - An American Original" p. 150 Publications International Limited, 1997 ISBN 0-7853-2514-X
  8. ^ a b Hornsby, Andy. "A Potted History of Harley-Davidson: Part 2 1955-1978". Crewe, UK: American-V. Timeline. Archived from the original on 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2011-04-10. 1964: KRTT DROPPED, FIRST ELECTRIC START HARLEY: THE SERVICAR
  9. ^ "Harley-Davidson XA History". Archived from the original on 2007-02-03.
  10. ^ a b Servi-Car Homepage - Changes: 1932-36
  11. ^ Servi-Car Homepage - Technical Diagrams and Pictures
  12. ^ "Heavy Duty Cycles - Trike Rear Ends". Archived from the original on 2006-10-30. Retrieved 2007-03-11.
  13. ^ Conner, R. "Harley-Davidson Data Book" p. 59 Motorbooks International, 1996 ISBN 0-7603-0226-X
  14. ^ Conner, R. "Harley-Davidson Data Book" p. 84 Motorbooks International, 1996 ISBN 0-7603-0226-X
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