The Rapido, was a nice little 125cc trail bike that a friend of mine bought new in about 1973. It looked the part but it was slow and fragile compared to the other contenders. I had Yamaha 125-175, Zundap 125 and a Hodaka 100 and all would leave it in the dust. I was also racing a 250cc Bultaco Pursang at the time, replaced by a 250 CZ in 1975!
Small Harleys: Hummers and Aermacchis[edit]
Harley-Davidson Hummer
See also:
Harley-Davidson Hummer and
Harley-Davidson Topper
As part of
war reparations, Harley-Davidson acquired the design of a small German motorcycle, the
DKW RT 125, which they adapted, manufactured, and sold from 1948 to 1966.
[41] Various models were made, including the
Hummer from 1955 to 1959, but they are all colloquially referred to as "Hummers" at present.
[42] BSA in the United Kingdom took the same design as the foundation of their
BSA Bantam.
[43]
1971 Aermacchi Harley-Davidson Turismo Veloce
In 1960, Harley-Davidson consolidated the Model 165 and Hummer lines into the Super-10, introduced the Topper scooter,
[44] and bought fifty percent of
Aermacchi's motorcycle division.
[44][45] Importation of
Aermacchi's 250 cc horizontal single began the following year.
[45][46][47] The bike bore Harley-Davidson badges and was marketed as the Harley-Davidson Sprint.
[46][47] The engine of the Sprint was increased to 350 cc in 1969
[45][48] and would remain that size until 1974, when the four-stroke Sprint was discontinued.
[48]
After the Pacer and Scat models were discontinued at the end of 1965, the Bobcat became the last of Harley-Davidson's American-made
two-stroke motorcycles. The Bobcat was manufactured only in the 1966 model year.
[49]
Harley-Davidson replaced their American-made lightweight two-stroke motorcycles with the Italian
Aermacchi-built two-stroke powered M-65, M-65S, and Rapido. The M-65 had a semi-step-through frame and tank. The M-65S was a M-65 with a larger tank that eliminated the step-through feature. The Rapido was a larger bike with a 125 cc engine.
[50] The Aermacchi-built Harley-Davidsons became entirely two-stroke powered when the 250 cc two-stroke SS-250 replaced the four-stroke 350 cc Sprint in 1974.
[51]
Harley-Davidson purchased full control of
Aermacchi's motorcycle production in 1974 and continued making two-stroke motorcycles there until 1978, when they sold the facility to
Cagiva, owned by the Castiglioni family.
[4
Sam