Summary

• The WLA Liberator, based mostly on the WL mannequin, was the primary army bike produced by Harley-Davidson for WWII and Korean War use.
• With excessive sturdiness and a strong engine, the Liberator earned its nickname whereas serving the Allied Forces in liberating cities from German occupation.
• After the struggle, many ex-service Liberators have been bought to the general public, resulting in the rise of customizations and bike golf equipment within the post-war period.

These days, it is regular to view Harley-Davidson bikes as among the top-shelf bikes available on the market, as they have been for the reason that firm’s inception in 1903. But one explicit mannequin that has secured itself a really particular place in historical past, not simply with Harley-Davidson, however with the twentieth century, is the WLA “Liberator.” Based on the 1939 WL mannequin, the WLA was the primary bike produced primarily for army use.

Designed and constructed throughout WWII, Harley-Davidson produced approximately 70,000 WLA and WLC military motorcycles for the U.S. Army and Allied forces to repel the Axis powers. These bikes have been ridden by US troops to ship messages and transport cargo, in addition to to satisfy duties by the Military Police. They had additionally acquired the suitable nickname “Liberator” as they have been ridden by Allied Forces who have been liberating cities and international locations from German occupation all through Europe. Thanks to its stripped-down design, highly effective engine, nimble dealing with, and excessive sturdiness, the Liberator was in a position to shortly journey from Point A to Point B with out making itself too massive of a goal for enemy forces.

In order to provide the latest and correct info doable, the information used to compile this text was sourced from varied producer web sites and different authoritative sources, together with Harley-Davidson, Mecum Auctions, the National Motorcycle Museum, The Liberator, and Silodrome.

The Liberator Was The First Military Motorcycle

As the world continued to plunge into chaos, it was clear by the late Nineteen Thirties {that a} second world struggle was on the horizon. In response, Harley-Davidson started the event of motorcycles designed strictly for military use, famously often known as the WLA. “W” for the sports activities household of bikes, “L” for being high-compression, and “A” clearly stands for military. At first, the U.S. Army used the 1937 WL Model instead of the RL Model that was getting used on the time. But it wasn’t till 1939 that the bike was changed by the WLA. While solely a handful of WLAs have been outfitted with a Thompson machine gun scabbard, they have been seldom utilized in battle.

The Harley-Davidson Liberator Employed A forty five-inch Flathead V-Twin Engine

For a motorbike designed to deal with the rugged and chaotic nature of the battlefield, it solely made sense the Liberator was powered by the reliable Flathead V-Twin engine. This high-compression engine effectively ran on 74-octane fuel–a low-quality possibility accessible throughout. With provides at all times essential throughout the struggle, having bikes that would run on low-cost gas was important. Thanks to its well-rounded DNA, this bike fulfilled its duties starting from escorts, mail couriers, transportation, army police, and radio work.

1942 Harley-Davidson WLA Liberator Engine Specs

Production During War Time

Because the WLA Liberator was an adaptation based mostly on the civilian WL mannequin, Harley-Davidson made some modifications to make it higher fitted to service. That included a skid/bash plate beneath the Flathead V-Twin engine for cover, saddle luggage, baggage rack, leg shields, crash bars, blackout lights, and wider fenders to assist shake off the mud. Also current have been 2.5-inch longer forks, an ammunition field, an oil tub air cleaner, and an Army inexperienced or black paint job.

With these bikes being utilized by Allied forces beneath a Lend-Lease program (in Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and the Soviet Union), it’s believed Harley-Davidson produced roughly 100,000 WLAs all through WW2. The USSR alone acquired over 30,000 models. But when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, H-D had cranked up manufacturing of a extra rugged model of the WLA Liberator for use by the U.S. army. While the WLA remained the most well-liked army bike, the corporate had additionally experimented with some different variations of the bike, together with the XA which featured a BMW-sourced flat-twin boxer engine, in addition to the very uncommon TA Knucklehead.

Life After The War

The Harley-Davidson WLA Liberator remained in manufacturing from 1940 to 1952, taking part in a serious position in each World War 2 and the Korean War, after which later as privately-owned civilian fashions. With struggle lastly over and everybody returning house, a major majority of WLA Liberators used as service bikes have been bought to the general public. Many troopers who rode the Liberator had an affinity for the wartime bike, so quite a few WLAs made their manner again into veterans’ palms.

Many of those bikes have been “civilianized”, which finally gave approach to the primary wave of do-it-yourself customized bobbers, after which the very popular trend of custom choppers. The elevated variety of Liberators on U.S. streets finally led to the formation of bike golf equipment and gangs, a lot of which have been composed of dissatisfied GIs getting back from service aboard custom-made WLAs. Modifying WLAs was so fashionable within the post-war period that this can be very troublesome to search out an authentic Liberator as we speak.

1942 Harley-Davidson WLA Liberator Specs

The WLA Liberator Was Technically Harley-Davidson’s First Adventure Bike

Today, the adventure bike market is so big that nearly each producer desires in on the motion. Even Harley-Davidson’s Pan America 1250 is one of the biggest contenders to tear up occasional grime tracks. However, given the Liberator’s army and off-roading background, it could possibly be argued that the WLA was unofficially Harley-Davidson’s first journey bike. Considering it was designed to be as highly effective and sturdy as doable whereas working by way of all terrains, the Liberator definitely had some acquainted DNA that one would discover in a contemporary journey bike. Perhaps it could possibly be narrowed right down to the truth that the WLA was meant extra for service and obligation, whereas your common ADV bike is for enjoyable and pleasure.

Harley-Davidson’s Tribute Models to the Liberator

In current years, Harley-Davidson has launched many special limited-edition models paying tribute to the legendary bike. The first was the 2016 Softail Slim S, which featured a Mineral Green Denim paint scheme with military font, a big military star graphic on the gas tank, and a blacked-out cockpit. Next was the 2022 Harley-Davidson G.I. Enthusiast collection, immediately impressed by the WLA Liberator, that includes the Tri Glide Ultra and the Pan America 1250 Special.

Brad Richards, Harley-Davidson Vice President of Design mentioned in a press release:

The new Mineral Green Denim Deluxe paint pays homage to the Olive Drab paint, used on Harley-Davidson WLA fashions. This coloration incorporates a metallic impact leading to a refined gold spotlight, permitting the colour journey to be extra dramatic and showcase the form of the surfacing. The tank graphic celebrates the long-lasting white five-point star, which was used throughout WWII on army automobiles. The tank graphic additionally incorporates a stenciled ‘H-D’ and a location of Milwaukee, Wisconsin abbreviated, impressed from the spec tags discovered on government-issued army gear. The stenciled strategy is a therapy typically discovered on army automobiles as lettering was continuously carried out within the subject. Here we’re calling out the birthplace of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company and the unique WLA mannequin.

Harley-Davidson WLA Liberator Key Features

• 45-inch Flathead V-Twin Engine
• Skid/Bash Plate beneath engine
• Wider, mud-resistant fenders
• Leg shields
• Crash bars
• 2.5-inch longer forks than the usual WL mannequin
• Ammunition field
• Thompson machine gun scabbard
• Olive/Army Green paint scheme