The Icons Collection is a new annual program of very limited-edition motorcycles, designed to explore and celebrate Harley-Davidson’s tradition, and inaugurated with the Revival of a 1969 classic; the Electra Glide.
Over the last several years Harley-Davidson has been going through a process of reinventing itself by expanding towards unknown territories. Its all-too-familiar cruisers are still here, but new arrivals come in all shapes and sizes; the LiveWire, the Pan America 1250 and the Serial1 electric bicycles are already in the market, and this just the beginning.
In the near future the bar & shield emblem will also grace small-capacity motorcycles, made in co-operation with Chinese manufacturer QJ Motor, as well as electric scooters.
In the meantime, Harley-Davidson wisely continues to build on its rich tradition with special model series like the newly announced Icons Collection. The plan is to introduce one or two new special models every year under its banner, in very limited one-off production runs and with all the proper certification to ascertain each bike’s authenticity.
The company says that this new collection serves to “elevate traditional forms and celebrate Americana, either by revisiting classic Harley-Davidson design themes or by exploring ideas that represent the future of motorcycle style.”
The inaugural Icons Collection model certainly ticks the first option; it’s a tribute to the 1969 Electra Glide, described by Harley-Davidson as its first motorcycle to become available with an accessory “batwing” fairing.
The 2021 Electra Glide Revival stands out by its characteristic vintage paintjob, the blue and black bodywork contrasting the white fairing and side cases. This Birch White color was selected in order to replicate the original model’s fairing and cases, which at the time were optionally available only in white molded fiberglass.
A series of graphics and vintage logos revive the original styling of the era, as do the white-walled Dunlop tires and the solo seat, complete with black-and-white cover, and chrome handrail.
Behind the looks, Harley-Davidson equipped the Revival model with the larger Milwaukee Eight 114, rather that the 107-ci version of the Electra Glide Standard, and retained all the advanced electronic safety and infotainment systems found on the mass-produced model.
These include the Harley-Davidson RDRS Safety Enhancements suite with traction control, ABS and linked braking – all three with cornering functionality – as well as drag-torque slip control, hill-hold control and cruise control.
The infotainment part centers around the Boom! Box GTS system than involves two speakers mounted on the fairing and a spacious color touch screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility.
The 2021 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Revival will be available very shortly with a price tag of US$29,199. That’s $10,200 up from the Standard model (in the US), undoubtedly reflecting on the bigger motor, special equipment and of course the fact that only 1,500 examples of this motorcycle are ever to be built.
Source: Harley-Davidson Icons Collection