FIRST LETTER--ENGINE DESIGNATIONS:
G: Servicar three wheeler, 1937 to 1972
E: Overhead valve 61 cubic inch Big Twin (separate motor and transmission)
F: Overhead valve 74, 80 or 88 cubic inch Big Twin
FL: 80 to 88 cubic inches and a fat front tire (a.k.a. 74" 1941 to ‘82)
K: Side valve 45 and 55 cubic inch sports bike that replaced the WL in 1953, and was replaced by the Sportster in 1957
U: Side valve 74 or 80 cubic inch Big Twin
V : Side valve 74 cubic inch 1930 to ‘36. (Also 1935 to ‘36 VLH; VHS in 1980)
W : Side valve 45 cubic inch from 1937 to 1952
X: Sports and special construction. Applied to 1918-1922 opposed twin
Sport, 1944 military opposed twin, and Sportsters 1957 to present
SECOND LETTER--FRONT END DESIGNATIONS (except XL Sportsters):
X: Narrow tire and sport fork
L: Wide front tire and Hydra Glide fork
THIRD LETTER--FRAME STYLE DESIGNATION:
D: Dyna frame with the rubber mounted motor
HT: Highway Touring frame
ST: Softail
REMAINING LETTERS--SPECIFIC MODEL WITHIN FRAME CATEGORY:
A: Army (military) version, except GA (Servicar without tow bar)
B: Battery start (early models); Belt drive (early ‘80s); Black paint (‘95-’96 model, the Bad Boy)
C: Classic, Competition, Custom and various other meanings
Dyna: newest current Big Twin frame and engine mount design
DG: Disc Glide
E: Electric start
F: Foot shift (when the standard was hand-shift) and now "Fat Boy"G: Servicar
H: High Performance, Hand shift or Heavy Duty, depending on model and era
I: Fuel Injection
L- Big fat front tire
N: Nightster
LR: Low Rider, alhough many Low Riders don't include “LR” in the model ID
N: Nostalgia
P: Police version
R: Rubber-mounted or Race, depending on model
ST: Softail
S: Springer
S (without following T): Sports version
T: Touring
WG: Wide Glide
X: Sportster or Sportster-style narrow front fork with 21” front wheel/narrow tire
SPORTSTER ABBREVIATION ENTYMOLOGY:
X: Sportsters; direct descendent of K series, 1952 to ‘56
XL: Started in 1957; unit construction engine/transmission
L: High compression (7.5:1 in 1957)
H: Starting in 1958; Higher-power, High-compression or Hot
C: Also added in 1958, as in XLCH, for Competition
CR: Cafe racer style, with bikini fairing
LT: Touring with bigger tank, thicker seat, hard bags
COMPLETE MODELS:
Sportster:
XL: Sportster 883
XL883: Sportster Hugger
XL883C: Sportster 883 Custom
XL883L: Sportster Low
XL883R: Dirt-track inspired
XL1100: Sportster 1100
XL1200: Sportster 1200
XL1200C: Sportster 1200 Custom
XL1200R: 1200 Roadster
XL1200S: Sportster 1200 Sport
XLCH: 4-Speed Sportster, Kick start
XLCR: Cafe Racer 1000
XLH: Sportster 883
XLH883: Sportster 883 Hugger
XLH883R: Sportster 883R
XLH1200: 1200
XLH1200S: Sport
XLS: 4-Speed Sportster Roadster
XLX: 4-Speed 1000cc Ironhead
XR1000: XLH with XLR Heads (not to be confused with XR750)
XL1200N: Nightster
Dynaglides:
FX: Superglide, kickstart
FXB: Sturgis Belt (’80-‘82)
FXD: Dyna Super Glide
FXDB: Street Bob (Sturgis 1991)
FXDC: Dyna Super Glide Custom
FXDG: Dyna Glide/Sturgis
FXDL: Dyna Low Rider
FXDS-CON: Dyna Convertible
FXDWG: Dyna Wide Glide
FXDX: Dyna Super Glide Sport
FXDXT: Superglide T-Sport
FXE: Superglide Electric Start
FXDF: Fat Bob
FXLR: FX Lower Rider/Evolution
FXR: Rubber Mount Super Glide
FXRDG: Disc Glide
FXRP: Police or Pursuit
FXRS: FXR Sport
FXRS-CON: FXR Sport Convertible
FXRS-SP: Low Rider Sport Edition
FXRT: FXR Touring
FXS: Low Rider/Shovelhead
FXSB: Low Rider Belt
Softails:
FXCW: Rocker
FXCWC : Rocker C
FXST: Softail Standard
FXSTB: Night Train
FXSTBI: Night Train EFI
FXSTC: Softail Custom
FXSTD: Softail Deuce
FXSTS: Springer Softail
FXWG: Wide Glide
FLST: Heritage Softail
FLSTC: Heritage Classic
FLSTF: Fat Boy
FLSTFI: 15th anniversary Fat Boy
FLSTN: Nostalgia and 2005 Softail Deluxe
FLSTS: Heritage Springer
FLSTSB: Cross Bones
FLSTSC: Springer Softail Classic
Touring:
FL: 4-Speed Dresser
FLH: 4-Speed Electra Glide
FLHRS: Road King Custom
FLHPI: Road King police model
FLHR: Road King
FLHRCI: Road King Classic
FLHS: Electra Glide Sport
FLHT: Electra Glide Standard
FLHTC: Electra Glide Classic
FLHTCSE: Screamin Eagle Electra Glide
FLHTPI: Electra glide police model
FLHTCUI: Ultra Classic Electra Glide
FLHTCUSE: Screamin Eagle Ultra Classic
FLT: Rubber Mount Dresser
FLTC: Rubber Mount Dresser Classic
FLTCU: Rubber Mount Dresser Classic Ultra
FLTR: Road Glide
FLTRI: Road Glide EFI
FLTRSEI: Screamin Eagle Road Glide
V-Rod:
VRSCA: First model of the V-ROD family
VRSC: Racing Street Custom
VRSC-CVO: 1250cc
VRSCB: Same as VRSCA except: adjustable tubular handlebars, minimal instrumentation, black painted frame, calipers, hand controls, shock springs and engine highlights
VRSCD: Night Rod
VRSCR: Roadster-inspired street rod
