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Doers Builders and Positive People

Harley Davidson Snowmobiles – the Product Diversity of the AMF Years

By Paul Crowe

AMF Harley Davidson snowmobile
AMF Harley Davidson snowmobile

Our local railroad museum just had one of their weekend events, with a variety of interesting displays. About a half dozen hit and miss engines which are really cool and there was a display of vintage snowmobiles. A 1969 Mercury caught my eye, all in black with a single headlight, an orange Ski Whiz along with several others.

It wasn’t until I was leaving that I saw this one in the parking lot, still on the trailer. It was an AMF Harley Davidson snowmobile. I believe it was from the early seventies, but the owner wasn’t around to confirm the exact year. Those AMF years were quite the diversifying experience.

AMF Harley Davidson snowmobile
AMF Harley Davidson snowmobile

Posted on July 30, 2012 Filed Under: Motorcycle Business, Other motoring


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Comments

  1. B50 Jim says

    July 30, 2012 at 9:03 am

    Ah, yes… the AMF years. AMF made good bowling balls and decent snowmobiles but didn’t know diddle about motorcycles. A true black mark on H-D’s history. There’s no way to put it nicely; they built a lot of junk. The Faithful everywhere heaved a big sigh of relief when the family bought the Motor Company back.

  2. Nortley says

    July 30, 2012 at 9:25 am

    Shel Silverstein wrote and illustrated a story, I think it was called Snow’s Angels, about a pack of outlaw snowmobilers on their chopped H-D snowmobiles and their activities. Published by Penthouse back in the 70s, it’s a funny satire on biker exploitation films.

  3. mikesundrop says

    July 30, 2012 at 9:32 am

    No wonder these were such a dismal failure. Those bars are pretty high, but not ridiculous. Also, no tassels? Where are the skulls? Ugh

  4. jeff_williams says

    July 30, 2012 at 9:47 am

    It’s funny, now high bars on a sled are a huge advantage to help flick all that weight around.

  5. Hooligan says

    July 30, 2012 at 10:05 am

    I’m confused, where is the V Twin engine?
    I bet the Harley Davidson lawnmowers are colletors items now.

  6. HoughMade says

    July 30, 2012 at 10:27 am

    Agreed, but we must not forget that AMF preserved an unbroken line of corporate existence and production of bikes…unlike some American motorcycle brands I could mention. AMF may not have been the best caretaker, but it got the job done so the company was still around for a more worthy successor when the time was right.

  7. Tin Man says

    July 30, 2012 at 10:34 am

    AMF gets a bit of a bumm rap, It was their money that brought us the EVO engine. The Evo brought HD out of the dark ages and got the MoCo where it is today. Like it or not AMF made todays HD possible, still the most coveted Motorcycle in the world.

  8. Russel Caudell says

    July 30, 2012 at 11:01 am

    Could these be the only 2 stroke Harleys ever built?

    • HoughMade says

      July 30, 2012 at 12:15 pm

      No. Never heard of the Model 125, Model 165, Hummer, Super 10, Ranger, Pacer, Scat, Bobcat or the M50, I guess.

    • micky c says

      July 31, 2012 at 2:25 am

      Imports,not harley made

      • Tin Man says

        July 31, 2012 at 8:14 am

        micky c, The Aermacchi Harleys were imports that Harley Imported from Italy from the factory they owned, making them a captive import. I restore these bikes…The Hummer, Scat and the like were made by Harley right here in the USA,admittedly from designs taken from DKW in Germany after the war as reperations. The DKW 2 strokes were built by Harley, and several British Motor co.s after World War 2. Yes the spoils of War!!

        • micky c says

          August 1, 2012 at 2:59 am

          did harley own this factory or did AMF?

  9. Paulinator says

    July 30, 2012 at 12:11 pm

    I bet it smoked. (Just kidding).

  10. B says

    July 30, 2012 at 12:11 pm

    It’s too bad AMF sold back the original owners. They had vehicles in every facet of recreation. I’m sure the products would have gotten better. It would be nice to see HD competing in more than just dirt track and hill climb events.

    • Tin Man says

      July 30, 2012 at 7:01 pm

      It wasnt about the products, It was AMFs decision to invest more heavily in Industrial goods as opposed to consumer goods that led to the resale of HD and the discontinuing of the Very successfull Golf Cart and Sno Machine bussiness.

  11. ROAD TOAD says

    July 30, 2012 at 8:57 pm

    A FRIEND OF MINE WAS A HARLEY DEALER BACK IN THE AMF DAYS. IF YOU BOUGHT A SNOWMOBILE YOU GOT ANOTHER ELECTRAGLIDE TO SELL AND THE MONEY FROM THAT PAID FOR THE SNOWMOBILE. OKLA DOESN’T GET A LOT OF SNOW SO WE WAITED ABOUT A YEAR AND THEN ONE SAT NITE WE GOT ENOUGH SNOW TO GET IT OUT. WE RODE IT UNTIL THE PM WHEN THE SNOW HAD MELTED. LATER IN THE YEAR IT REALLY SNOWED AND MY FRIEND TOOK OFF AND GOT A LONG WAY OUT OF TOWN AND IT QUIT RUNNING. BUT WHAT WOULD YOU EXPECT FROM A HARLEY IN THE 70’S?

  12. Shovel Head Mike says

    July 31, 2012 at 9:58 pm

    H-D’s former reputation as leaky and unreliable in the 1970’s had three major contributors IMHO/E
    (a) any used abused clapped out bike is likely to be problematic especially if the well intentioned owner is not and ace wrench .
    (b) pushing a solid mounted pan head or shovel head bike at freeway speeds is going to loosen things as the base design predated the then fairly new freeways they were being ridden on but not designed for.
    (c)Labor troubles and new dealership service departments not intimately familiar with the product

    American Machine Foundry did more for HD than most people realize.
    H-D was effectively bankrupt when they were acquired by AMF.
    AMF replaced the clapped out machinery ( some of it dating from the 1880’s) with all new machinery and tooling. Worn out jigs and fixtures were refurbished or replaced. The Milwaukee plant was renovated and expanded.Production methods were improved and streamlined. Casting and forging with much improved metallurgy was now done for H-D by by AMF subsidiaries with considerable experience in supporting the aerospace and defense industries. Warehouses full of NOS spare parts were sold off giving a hefty boost to and resulting in growth in the aftermarket. A new Sportster factory was build in York,PA.
    Millions were pumped into R&D giving you the late cone shovel engine,the 5 speed transmission, rubber mounting and the Evolution engine.

    Facing a hostile takeover and needing to buy back as much of their stock as possible as quick as possible AMF sold H-D to a group of 13 investors. The group was headed by H-D vice president Vaugn Beals who also kept Willie G. on the payroll as Vice President of Styling, a position he held since 1963.

    • Bigshankhank says

      August 1, 2012 at 6:28 pm

      I’ve tried to have this same argument with too many HD faithful, and they all believe the same “Rescued from AMF” story line. Personally I think HD has missed a golden opportunity to branch out from the sale of small engined pseudo-industrial machines like the snowmobile and golf cart. Imagine how well an american made Harley generator would sell. Or even just a line of small engines ala Briggs and Stratton/Murray/Tecumseh. Maybe small tractors to compete with John Deere. Suggest it and watch the eyes roll and listen to some babble about diluting the brand.
      I like Harleys for what they are, but I want them to be more than JUST what they are. They have the engineers and brand recognition to do more than cobble together “different” bikes from the same parts bin.

  13. Shovel Head Mike says

    August 1, 2012 at 11:16 pm

    Unfortunately Harleys have not meet the definition of made in U.S.A. for a long time.
    Made in the U.S.A. as defined by by the Federal Trade Commission requires a minimum of 70% of the items parts have to be made in America. They are assembled here.

    I like to think AMF would have expanded into or at least dabbled in other engine powered products if they weren’t taken over. I think it unlikely that H-D would have done so after the separation from AMF as they needed to focus on their core product and market a lifestyle and license production of associated paraphernalia just to survive financially.

    I own and like H-D’s

  14. Bryan S. says

    August 20, 2012 at 4:06 pm

    Our paintball team has a 2 stroke AMF HD golf cart we use for carting things around during games. Still runs pretty darn well given the abuse and age.

  15. Frank Stogsdill says

    November 12, 2012 at 7:52 pm

    I found a harley snowmobile, they say its a early 70’s. How do i find out the year for sure? I live in Indianapolis..

  16. Frank Stogsdill says

    November 14, 2012 at 5:11 pm

    how do i tell the year of a harley davidson snowmobile? I’ve been told its a 71, how can i know for sure?

    • Buddy L says

      December 7, 2012 at 8:01 pm

      1971 was the first year for the Harley sled. Story goes somewhere between 80-100 were produced for R&D, called back and not many were ever seen again. It was a 398cc engine white hood with red white and blue decals. Steel tunnel and tub. Sleds were not sold as AMF already had their Ski-Daddler at their dealers and 1972 was targeted to release the Harley’s to AMF dealers as well as the Harley bike dealers. The 1972 sled, also a 398 was a clone of the 1971. In 1973 they introduced a 440 with a black hood with red white and blue decals. Steel tubs and steel tunnels. In 1974 a 398 and 440 again but with an ABS plastic tub and aluminum tunnel. In 1975 the last year the same with a few cosmetic changes, the cc’s of the sled was in the red of the decal on the hood on both models.

  17. Greg says

    December 7, 2012 at 10:30 pm

    If the VIN pattern used on all of the snowmobiles was the same as that used on the motorcycles for the ’70s model years, the second to last character will be an “H” and the last character will identify the year. The VIN of our’s ends in “H5” identifying it as a 1975 model and is stamped toward the front of the right side of the tunnel. It is just like Buddy L described.

  18. Cam says

    July 28, 2013 at 6:23 pm

    Cool site, I am in the process of buying a Harley sled to restore & hopefully ride one day. Found a lot of good info here as mine was said to be a 74 but may be a 75 will check VIN so I know for sure. So where can I find parts? Please & thanks in advance…. Cam.

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