Harley-Davidson may have been born in the early 1900s,
but it was not until the Second World War that the name
became synonymous with the near perfect two-wheeled
machines. And it was all due to a war-fighting motorcycle
called the WLA.
Derived from the civilian pre-war WL, the WLA was made
in vast quantities (some 90,000 units were produced) and
1946 Harley-Davidson WL
Puts
On
Red
and
Black
Warpaint!
By Daniel Patrascu
was seen in action on battlefields across the world. The
machine was so suited for the task that G.I.s simply fell in
love with it, and their love lasted for years.
Such an impact the WLA had on the American soldier
that in the years that followed the end of the war
these bikes became the most customized motorcycle
in America, often at the hands of the people who
