1955 Harley-Davidson Hummer

The Harley-Davidson Hummer was a small, lightweight two-stroke motorcycle produced by Harley-Davidson from 1955 to 1959. Today “Hummer” is often used generically, and somewhat inaccurately, for the entire series of American-made single-cylinder two-stroke Harleys built from 1948 to 1966, but the specific Hummer model existed only for those five years. It was a stripped-down, budget-oriented version of the existing lightweight line.

Total production for the Hummer itself was relatively low, at 31,793 units by some counts. These motorcycles were manufactured in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and were fully American-made lightweights.

Harley-Davidson acquired the design of the German DKW RT 125, a popular pre-war two-stroke, as World War II reparations. The blueprints were used to create an affordable entry-level motorcycle to compete with cheaper lightweight bikes from Cushman and, increasingly, Japanese imports like the early Hondas. The appeal was to beginners, young riders, and post-war veterans, expanding Harley’s market beyond its big V-twin cruisers.

The Hummer, named after Dean Hummer, the Harley dealer who suggested the budget model, was a cost-reduced version with black-painted wheels instead of chrome, a simpler magneto ignition instead of the battery-generator setup of the Model 165, and fewer features. It aimed to boost sales volume in a price-sensitive segment. The bikes struggled against more modern and cheaper foreign competition, and the American lightweight two-stroke line ended in 1966.

The engines were manufactured in-house in the Milwaukee area. Harley tooled up and built them from the DKW designs. They featured a three-speed transmission and were known for simplicity and low cost, though they were basic compared to the later Japanese two-strokes. These lightweights are now collectible classics, valued for their historical connection to post-war motorcycling.