Harley-Davidson's Forgotten Experiment: The TriHawk 304 Adventure

So, when you think of Harley-Davidson, you're probably picturing those classic, thunderous motorcycles that scream Americana, right? Well, buckle up, because there was a time when Harley flirted with something completely different—imagine a vehicle that looked a bit like today’s Polaris Slingshot. Yeah, Harley-Davidson once dabbled in making a trike that looked like it came straight out of a retro sci-fi movie.

I stumbled across this nugget of history on a press trip, chilling in the Honda Collection Hall in Japan. Turns out, Harley’s wild phase included buying a company that made the TriHawk 304—a quirky ancestor to those sporty three-wheelers you see today. But like a short-lived summer fling, Harley decided it wasn’t meant to be and eventually ditched the trike. Makes you wonder, was ditching the TriHawk a blunder?

Let's talk about the Polaris Slingshot for a sec. It’s that wild, car-motorcycle hybrid that looks like it’s missing a wheel, lacks a roof, and you steer it with a wheel. It’s kind of out there, right? But despite its oddity, people dig it. It’s fun, it’s different, and honestly, it’s kind of nice to drive something that doesn’t make total sense sometimes.

Before the Slingshot became the face of modern trikes, there were several attempts by various companies to crack the three-wheeled code, and the TriHawk 304 from Hawk Vehicles was one of them. Picture this: it’s the 1980s, and here comes a vehicle that could’ve been the spiritual forefather to the Slingshot.

But why on earth did Harley, the king of two-wheelers, decide to go down this road? Well, it wasn’t just a whim. Trikes have a long history, dating back over a century. The concept isn’t new—companies like Morgan have been doing it since 1909, sticking a motorcycle engine between two wheels up front and running with a single wheel in the back.

The TriHawk was born from the mind of Lou Richards, a guy who after serving in the Navy and going to industrial design school, wanted to craft his own sports car inspired by the Lotus Super 7. But the reality of car production hit him hard—safety regulations, crash tests, you name it. His workaround? Drop a wheel. Make it a trike, and voila, no need for all those pesky car regulations.

Richards wasn’t a lone genius in his garage; he brought in some serious talent. Bob McKee, a well-known racecar builder, handled the frame, while David Stollery, who worked on the second-gen Toyota Celica, styled the body. They even sourced a quirky French engine from Citroën, because why not? The result was a lightweight, agile trike that packed a modest 64 HP but was a blast to drive.

Here’s where it gets even weirder—Harley-Davidson, in a phase where they were experimenting with anything and everything (think snowmobiles and golf carts), decided to buy Hawk Vehicles. They even planned to mass-produce the TriHawk. Can you imagine? Harley-Davidson cranking out these funky little trikes?

But alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Just a year after taking over, Harley bailed on the project. They continued to sell a few TriHawks made from the original California facilities before calling it quits in 1985. Maybe it was too much to handle with everything else they had going on, or perhaps the TriHawk was just too out there for a brand so deeply rooted in motorcycle tradition.

Only about 96 TriHawks were ever made, and they're pretty rare today. They pop up in auctions from time to time, and while they’re rare, they’re not fetching insane prices. But owning one? That’s holding onto a piece of wild automotive history—an odd experiment by Harley that shows even the most traditional brands can step out of their comfort zone. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the craziest ideas are the most fun, even if they don’t last.