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1964 Harley-Davidson FLH
Duo-Glide
Elvis Presley's Motorcycles
Elvis on what was possibly his last kick start Harley, a 1964 Harley-Davidson Duo-Glide ca.1964
Photo courtesy FECC/he funkyangel
In 2023 a photo surfaced of Elvis on a previously unseen 1964 Harley Davidson. It was quite likely his but we previously had no info on it and until now did hot have it on a page. There may be others out there of him with more unrecorded bikes but for posterity sake I created this page.
1964 Model FL
Photo courtesy Motorbooks
and Motorcycleclassics.com
In 1964, Harley-Davidson engineers were secretively putting the finishing touches on a new electric starter motor for the venerable panhead. The following year the 17-year-old engine design was updated with what soon became affectionately known as the “electric leg”–better known as the electric starter motor. With the push of a single button FL owners could sit back and enjoy as their engines fired to life. The time-honored ritual of kicking an engine through so that the proper cylinder was near top dead center for the kick-through, was a thing of the past. A flick of the thumb was all that was needed in 1965, and the new model would be called the Electra-Glide. In the meantime, customers who bought 1964 Duo-glides had to rely on the kick pedal, a strong leg, and a little savvy to know just how to wake up that slumbering engine in the morning.
1964 Advertisement
Photo courtesy ebay
Records show that an equal number of 1964 FL and FLH models were sold–2,725 each. (The 'H' in FLH stands for "High Compression")
Specifications.
Engine Displacement: 74 cubic inches.
Horsepower: 54 horsepower at 5,400 rpm.
Top speed: 100 mph.
Wheelbase: 60 inches.
page added June 12, 2023
Historical and technical info by Dain Gingerelli in
Art of The Harley Davidson Motorcycle
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