Along with the launch of the Electra Glide Highway King, Harley-Davidson also gives us Fast Johnnie.
Uh, what’s that? According to the PR, it is… “the 2023 addition to the Enthusiast Motorcycle Collection of limited run bikes featuring factory-direct custom paint and graphic treatments. Executed in Celestial Blue with white racing stripes, this special Enthusiast Collection paint scheme is offered factory-installed for three 2023 Harley-Davidson models: the Low Rider® ST, the Street Glide® ST and the Road Glide® ST motorcycles… .”
In other words, it’s existing models (the club bike-styled Low Rider ST, the custom bagger-styled Street Glide ST and Road Glide ST) from the lineup with special-edition paint. Of course, they’re being built in limited numbers. Harley-Davidson says no more than 2,000 examples of each individual Fast Johnnie model will be produced for global sales.
For this year’s entry in the Enthusiast collection, we get three bikes with livery inspired by the muscle cars of the ’60s and ’70s, with lots of stripes and bold colours. Those cars had logos telling you they were performance machines; in 2023, these Harley-Davidsons get the same Fast Johnnie graphic that’s applied to Harley-Davidson’s factory team bikes in MotoAmerica’s King of the Baggers series.
Where did the name come from? Harley-Davidson says “It was inspired by the story of a piglet named Johnnie adopted in 1920 by Harley-Davidson racer and member of the infamous “Wrecking Crew,” Ray Weishaar, which became a team mascot. The piglet often perched on a motorcycle fuel tank for a post-race victory lap and is usually cited as the source of the “Hog” moniker that to this day is often applied to anything Harley-Davidson.”
Oink oink! We’re not sure if we believe that last bit, but it’s cool to know Fast Johnnie is not just some random name whipped up by the marketeers, at least.
None of the bikes in this line have any mechanical differences from the standard model, unlike the pony cars of old. What you get is: Celestial Blue paint with white detailing, a Fast Johnnie logo on the left-hand side of the tank, an Enthusiast Collection graphic on the rear fender, and if you want to pay extra, you can get color-matched King Tour-Pak luggage carrier or Chopped Tour-Pak luggage carrier, and saddlebag speaker lids.
The Fast Johnnie version of the Low Rider ST has a $27,649 MSRP (more details here). The Fast Johnnie Street Glide ST has a $37,799 MSRP (more details here). The Fast Johnnie Road Glide ST has a $37,799 MSRP (more details here).
Ahh yesterdays motorcycles at tomorrow’s prices!