Pig on a bike...
Three models, limited numbers
In 2023 Harley-Davidson celebrated their racing heritage. Amongst other things, they have introduced a range of bikes to mark their enthusiasm for racing. This limited edition collection is called the ‘Fast Johnnie’ collection.
A carefully chosen selection of motorcycles from the Motor Companies existing line are now offered with a cool new paint scheme. This finish is applied in the companies own paint shop and not by any third party. So these machines are Harley through and through all the way to the lacquer. The bikes that this treatment is applied to are the Road Glide, the Street Glide and the Low Rider, all of which are the higher specced ST models.
A very cool tank decal
Only 2,000 of each of these ‘Fast Johnnie’ models will be made for the global market. If you have one, then you’ve almost certainly got an accumulating asset on your hands.
In the meantime we’ve the whole ‘Fast Johnnie’ thing to explain. Each store has a Harley Owners Group. These are, as is we all know, known as a HOG chapter. Harley Davidson motorcycles are also referred to as ‘Hogs’ in some quarters. It is widely held that the Hog moniker hails from a time when the American giant raced in back in the US of A to huge success.
Gold wheels and detailing bring out the colour
Back in the 1920s a guy called Ray Weishaar, was a racer and member of the infamous “Wrecker Crew’. He adopted a pig, this is a true story, as a team mascot. Take a pause just here, it gets even better. When he won he’d do a victory lap as everyone did. But he did one with a little pig sitting on the bikes tank. I’ve no idea why they did this, but the pigs name was Johnnie and as the team won more and more races it, or they, earned the nickname ‘Fast Johnnie’.
This one will only go up in value
These days carrying a domesticated farm animal on the tank of your race bike, even just for a victory lap, is no longer permitted thanks to new FIM regulations. Spoilsports. Instead, it’s now remembered as a decal on the tanks of the bikes in the King of the Baggers race series in America.
Now the Fast Johnnie character now also appears on the three bikes in the new collection, hence the name. I have a theory that each time Weishaar did a victory lap he did so with a new pig since each outings beast was later killed and roasted to feed the pit lane staff. Afterall there’s nothing quite like a decent sausage and brown sauce toastie at the end of a long few days in the paddock.
To find out more about the collection, and getting your hands on something as rare one of these, see either Waterford or Dublin Harley Davidson.
In the meantime let’s start lobbying the MCUI to add doing a victory lap with a farm animal of the teams choice on the tank of the winners bike. That should really help with the insurance issue.
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