for Harley...in XLCH, the CH stands for "competition hot" what does the XL stand for?

Question

If you don't know what an XLCH is, please don't bother trying to answer. thank you to all.

cool,

anyone know flh?

xlch and xlh are all over the wire diagrams in my clymer book. There were no xlhc's anywhere. some google searches pull and xlhc, but I have found no ref. material to support that. ..but thanks. just got back from the garage to check that out.

Answer 1

I worked with/for/(& sometimes in spite of,,lol) H-D Race Dept under O.B. for several years.

He took over The Dept from ol' man Syverston in '57.

1957 was also the debut of OHV Sportsters.

I'm no expert or historian on H-D's,,don't even have any particular interest in them,,,
But I figure Dick O'Brien,Resweber,Berndt,and those guys who were there at the time know at least a LITTLE.

Here's what I was told...
(If I'm WRONG,,,I'll Laff along with ya,,,,Resweber is about as good a Bullshitter as Texas ever spawned. Wouldn't surprise me if i have everything Backwards)
Anyway......

X:
Just a Random Letter pulled outa thin air.
Almost Literally.
USAF and Old NACA(Natnl Commission Aeronautics---nowdays NASA) experimental aircraft were designated "X" Craft.
X Planes are always cutting-edge,new-age,next generation technology

Cuz of that X was a very prestigous letter/designation in mid 50's era,,,and sorta in the forefront of News and such.
X-15 was the Hottie at that time,,Mid 50's----1st Plane to reach edge of Space

So "X" seemed an appropriate Letter for designating the New OHV Sportster.

L:
Back in the old days before OHV Sportsters,,
"L" was H-D's designation for VERSIONS of various MODELS with Hi-Compression Engine Upgrade.

(This gets confusing as hell,,becuase XLCH seems DOUBLE DESIGNATED as Hi CR)

Anything with an "L" prior to '57 was a sort of VERSION or OPTION Code.

EVERYTHING which was a Standard Model,,,,
and most all bikes in general,,,,, had Relatively LOW COMPRESSION RATIOS.

When '57 OHV Sportster appeared,,,
The "L" was Adopted as Part of the Base Model Name.

So result was "XL" being Standard Model.

It signified that EVERY Sportster of this New Engine Configuration had a Modern,"Hi-Compression",Overhead Valve STYLE of engine as standard,base-model equipment

Some Folks may recall back in 60's and 70's when Cars and Pickup Trucks actually had Badges on them which said "Disk Brakes" and "Fuel Injection" and such.

XL's "L" was sorta same type of Marketting Mentality.
Mfgr's Publicized Techno-advances by including mention at every opportunity.

"Solid State" is another example---it was incorporated as part of Model Name of TV's,Radios,Stereos,etc

Older "L's" >>> HAD<<<<
an "L"- Spec engine-- which was a Hi CR Option/Upgrade.

XL's >>>ARE<<<<
an "L-Type Technology" Motorcycle.

I dunno If I'm explaining that to make any sense.

But L changed from an Option Code to an actual Model Name.
From what Some H-D's HAD,,
To what This NEW Bike IS.

C:
Here's the Confusion,,,,and what seems like a Double-Dip on the Compression Designation.

1st lemme say that "C" means different crap,,,according to what ERA is in question,,,and what specific model.

In the era surrounding Late K's and Early XL's,,,
C designated "COMPETITION".
NOT actually "High Compression"

C's typically Did Indeed Have Higher Compression than "normal motors".
They also had Higher Compression than L-Designated Hi Compression Motors.

So C's came to be "misunderstood" to be "Hi Compression"

Rest of the C trim/package was overshadowed by the Extra High Compression.
So for Lottsa Folks that was the predominant distinction of the C configuration.

And "C" became synonomous with Hi Compression,,for quite a few people.

Which made XLC_ seem Odd in a way.
_OHV 55" >Hi CR>Hi CR_ is how it might be mis-translated.

Or,,at least by anyone who took C to mean extra Hi CR

Sorry to jump for another CAR example here,,,
it's easier to grasp///and more widely understood by most folks.

But,,,,Take an early Ford Mustang,for example.
It had a Bunch of engine and trim options.
Using Just the V-8 Versions,,,,you can see several STAGES.
A Mustang was a "X-Falcon",,,Falcon was a 6cyl low-perf economy car.
Platform got Modded into a New Model>Mustang.
Then,,,Mustang added Options of Power Levels.
*2bbl Low Compression V8 Base Passenger Car Engine
*4bbl Mid Compression V8 Optional PassengerCar Engine
*4bbl High CR V8 Hi-Perf Mustang Engine
*Then Various SPECIAL PERFORMANCE "Competition Engines",,, Cobra,GT-350,etc, whatever

The Different engines/trans/rear axles,etc were to a large degree part of PACKAGES and only available in certain models.
NO 6 Cyl GT350's,,
No HiPo 289's in Base Car.

Back to Sporsters,,
The C was a trim package,,,which included engine upgrades from plain XL specs.

C Officially meant COMPETITION,,but often considered to mean Hi-Compression

H:
"Hot" is another of those Nicknames which has endured thru the years,,,and has sorta become beleived to be "Official Designation".
You can even find occasional reffernce to it as "HOT" from Milwaukee theirself(But mostly in Later years)

I can't Swear to it,,,but I do not beleive H-for-HOT was ever actually an Official Designation,,,at least not Originally.

To define "H" requires knowing Both the Model and Era of particular bike in question.

H means either ;
Hi Performance,
or
Heavy Duty.

On XL's "H" means High Performance,
On Big Twins it can mean either,,,sometimes even BOTH.

......................................
So,,,as I said in the Beginning,,I can easily be Wrong--No Expert Here,,,,

But as it was explained to me
"XL" is a CREATED New MODEL NAME,,
rather arbirarily selected based upon Marketting considerations to equate the New OHC Sportster as something Cutting-Edge MODERN,,,and Traditionally POWERFUL

Made Up by using a sorta Marketting Strategy relating "X" to Modern,High Tech,Advanced Design of the New OHV Sportster--- with the "X" being borrowed from Aviation Research Program Terminology,,,

Combined with the "L",,,
which was H-D's in-use Designation for OPTIONAL Hi-Compression versions available on various other/older models.

Harley fans Knew what L-Option was.

So it was as much about Product Familiarity>Marketting as anything.

But the point in Using the OLD Option/Version Code as part of the NEW Model Name Proper was intended to Futher distinguish the New '57 XL's as TOTALLY NEW CLASS/TYPE of Engine,,,and thus sorta Naturally Special AND Powerful.

Detroit did/does same thing.
Z-28 was an ENGINE OPTION Code for Chevy in late 60's
So was LT-1.
Eventually,,,they adopted those revered Option Codes as actual Full Model Names.

Same way Milwaukee added It's Distinguished "L" code to 1st OHV Sportsters

I dunno much about XL's,,
The only X_'s I've ever been officially/professionally responsible are all R's.

They are X's,,,but only sorta "Relatives" of Sportsters.
I was still at Yamaha when XR's were intro'd,,those actually Were "Real Sportsters".
Destroked XLR's,actually.
I never had to fool with XLR's or first XR's,fortunately

All just for what it's worth.

How to VERIFY??
OB and Berndt are dead now.
I doubt Willie Werner is worth trying to contact,but ya never know.
OB was Bill's Boss from Werner's beginnings w/ Dept 517 obviously,,,till Bill took over the reigns after O'Brien retired.
But if Bill Werner had an actual "mentor" @ H-D I'd say it was Ralph Berndt.
So in that respect,,I 'spose Werner is connected to "1957 Intro of XL's",,, and I'm sure he's heard every "Back in the Day" story a number of times.

Resweber is still alive,,last I heard,,,& back down in Texas.
No Clue how to get ahold of him,or what he's doing?
He'd know,,or at least ya'd get a Good Story 'bout it:)

............................

FLH,,,I have even less interest in Big Twins than in Sportsters

But I'll give it a shot.
Anybody's welcome to correct me,,,and please feel free to take anyone else's explanation over mine.

Okay,,,
F was simply next in Alphabetical Progression after E

E was 1st OHV Big Twin

But only the Little E's,,,61" E.
These were 1st Knuckleheads.
(Yep,H-D's 1st 1000cc OHV motor wasn't a Sportstster,,but a Big Twin....I guess everybody already knows that,,but some folks may have never thought about that way )

After WW2,,H-D made Panheads to replace Knucks,,and called the New Models "F"'s

Ever Since then the "F" name has been kept,,,,
and Means "Big Twin" from Panhead Era ,Forward

FL,,,,,goes back to Same old "L" = High Compression

FL is a Hi-Compression Big Twin

FLH...also goes back to same old "H" = Hi-Perf.
But since it's a Big Twin,,,,it can mean "Heavy Duty"
Or,,it can mean BOTH.

FLH's are the instance where it means "Both"
More Power AND Heavy Duty.
Thats regaurding the Old Original Electra Glides anyway.

Again I'll declare my Ignorance.
I do not know what a "Modern"/late model FLH would be,exactly
I know so little,,I do not even Know of a Modern FLH,,or if such a model is even made

My apologies if this has been a waste of your time

Answer 2

in the past this question has started more fights than a pool table in a beer joint. mainly because the definitions changed over the years. the first XLCH came out in 58 1 year after the XL with NO lights, muffler,or battery (magneto only) & high compression. it was made at the request or a group of dealers in California & was called the Calfornia model. it was so popular that they started making the same bike with street legal equipment.
the first FL was a 1941 74 c. i. knucklehead as opposed to the 61" EL, the H was added if you ordered the optional high compression (for solo rider only ) it was called FLH until the early 50s when they quit making the low compression FL pan for sidecar use. they also made 61 c.i. EL panheads for 3 or 4 years. if you want to stir things up some more.

Answer 3

XL never really stood for anything except model designation. Originally XLCH Sportsters came with hotter cams and magneto ignition and you are correct CH stood for competition hot. The XLH had milder cams and point coil ignition and a larger "turtle" gas tank. The H stood for highway. In later years the only difference was CH was kick only and H had electric start.

Answer 4

Beings as the XLCH is a kick start (vs the XLH, which is electric start), I always thought the CH meant Charley Horse!

Answer 5

harleyxlch ch stands competition hot xl stand

Answer 6

The Goonies! "Ba-by Ruuth?" Stand By Me is good, too. The Little Rascals

Answer 7

X is narrow glide
L is trans in motor case
so all sportsters are XL__
and fill in the blank

FLH was fluid suspension hydraulic ...as i remember it

some codes have changed over the years.
later the F stood for a big twin or full sized
like FXD big twin narrow glide dyna or swingarn frame
FXR big twin, narrow glide, rubber mounted motor

the early ones were XLCH
later ones were XLHC
so you both are correct

Answer 8

Xtra Loserish

Answer 9

first of all its XLHC not XLCH. the xlh is sportster the c is custom

Answer 10

Answers should be limited to 10 lines...........Damn.