This super unique and rare motorcycle is held up a bit by the quality of the photos. As you can tell from this opening photo, the only one showing the whole bike, it’s cut off on both ends. Rare as heck, this one deserves a better presentation, but it is what it is, as they say in 2025. This 1966 Harley-Davidson Bobcat 175 is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Macon, Georgia, and the seller is asking $4,000. Here is the original listing, and thanks to PRA4SNW for the tip!
This is from the Harley/Aermacchi era of the 1960s, but the Bobcat is said to be an American-designed and built motorcycle, reportedly Willie Davidson’s first effort after graduating from college. That sounds like an urban legend, but it could be true. If there were only some way to look that up. Hmm… One thing we do know, the Bobcat was only made for the 1966 model year, and it was offered as either a road bike, as shown here, or a trail bike with more trail-friendly features like an upswept exhaust. Some brochures say a conversion kit was available to convert from a street bike to a trail bike in minutes.
Between 1962 and 1966, Harley-Davidson made the Ranger, Scat, and Pacer, and for 1966, the Bobcat. I love this era, when companies were trying new things rather than just falling back on what they’ve done for decades. This one-piece fiberglass “body shell” is unique, and you just don’t see these bikes come up for sale that often. They were $575 new ($5,750 in 2025 dollars), and $4,000 may be the price point here, if not a bit high. One was listed at a January 2025 Mecum auction, and it made it to $3,750, but the reserve wasn’t met.
If this were local, I’d for sure at least look at it, if not show up with 30 $100 bills in an attempt to grab it for under that asking price. Not to be “that guy,” but hey, the whole world is one big TV reality show now, isn’t it, basically? The seller says this example is in excellent condition, and it sure looks great to me.
The engine is a 175-cc two-stroke single, and it had around 6 horsepower when new. Those six horsies are sent through a 3-speed manual, and there’s no word on how it runs, but when they say it’s in “excellent original condition,” we have to assume that also means its operating condition. The Bobcat is said to be the last of Harley’s “American-made” two-stroke motorcycles, and Hagerty is at $3,200 for a #3 good-condition example and $4,900 for a #2 excellent bike. I really love this thing. Have any of you owned a non-V-Twin Harley?
Well, a shameful admission, old American pie me, out of maybe a dozen motorcycles, I’ve only had one(1) Harley, a 1985 FXRT. I know, and Asian bikes did basically to our motorcycle industry that it did to our car industry, and growing up in Milwaukee, I never really felt any kindred feelings towards Harleys. To me, they were always clumsy, loud, hard starting “Mack trucks” of bikes, when the ’69 Honda 750 blew them all away. That was for me, not some smokey ring ding scooter. I wasn’t alone, these sold poorly and God help you be seen during the day near Milw. County Stadium after a Braves loss. These were great bikes, wonderfully engineered, just not for “Hog City”.
BTW, interesting note, I can’t find much on these, as stated only made for 1 year, but many sites do say Willie G. did design this in college, and that rear suspension,,,looks an awful lot like a Softail, no? Cool find. I’m curious about the 1997 miles, though, wasn’t what the salesperson said it was? I read a ’66 Sporty was about $1500 then, so these were considerably cheaper, but as evidenced, after about 2000 smokey ring ding, “HAW-HAW” miles,,,by 1971 over 6500 Sportys were being sold, and they got the Sportster, guaranteed!
Howard wasn’t the Harley you had considered one of the best handling models they ever made ?
Thanks for the article SG got a howl from the brochure picks too.
Howard,they sold the 883 sporty for about 1500.00 in 1980, didn’t they ? HD advertised the hell out of it.I liked my 49 pan better,at 600.00 in 77
I’ve never even seen one of these. I had the Italian HD dirt bike version, round about ’76. Cool find! As to the Asian bikes that tried to put the Motor Company out of business? Those bikes were nice and reliable. But had no soul. None.
Dad bought me a 1971 Harley Davidson Sprint SX 350 single cylinder. Made by aermacchi. Modified the exhaust in vocational agriculture class ( kept the flange then engineered a straight pipe). My buddy who rode a Honda SL 350 would smoke me. But boy I sure enjoyed that bike.
Hi Stan, I was told the FXRT was Willie Gs personal favorite. I got a few “what year is the GoldWing” quips, and it was styled similarly. I loved the bike, but actually didn’t like the handling. It was too front heavy with the fairing and some funky anti-dive thing I didn’t care for. I took the fairing off( with slash pipes, couldn’t hear the radio anyway) replaced with a windshield, and made all the difference. I never cared for the belt drive either. I didn’t have any issues with it, just paranoid it would break. Give me a chain any day.
Chain ⛓️ > belt drive Howard 👍
Howard,they sold the 883 sporty for about 1500.00 in 1980, didn’t they ? HD advertised the hell out of it.I liked my 49 pan better,at 600.00 in 77
I actually had one of these. My older brother bought it new in 66, graduating to it after trading in his Harley M-50. He gave it to me a year later when he joined the Navy.
Looking at these pictures really brings back memories. Mostly of parts breaking or falling off. The kick starter was very finicky and would break your leg if you weren’t careful. Top speed was about 65 which was enough to get around town.
When I bought my first car, ( 60 Impala convert) I gave it to my younger brother in a box.