Who was Fast Johnnie?

If you’re particularly fortunate you may have seen one of the striking Celestial Blue and White striped big frame Harleys in your Harley Heaven dealership. And you’ll probably know they are the latest in Harley-Davidson’s Enthusiast Motorcycle Collection.

Based on the Road Glide ST, Street Glide ST and Low Rider ST and limited to just 2000 units of each model globally, this trio of Sport Touring motorcycles features The Motor Company’s first racing mascot, “Johnnie the Pig,” on the fuel tank.

So exactly who was Johnnie?

Harley-Davidson’s original factory race team became known as the “Wrecking Crew”. Now, that’s a story for another day, but original member, Ray Weishaar, adopted a piglet and named it Johnnie. On his victory laps, Weishaar would perch Johnnie on his gas tank and the popular routine earned The Motor Company the nickname ‘Hog’. So, you could say Johnnie was the original hog.

Wrecking crew member, Ray Weishaar with Johnnie

Even today, Harley-Davidson continues to cherish the Fast Johnnie emblem. So popular is he that 2021 King of the Baggers champion, Kyle Wyman, has a stylised decal of Fast Johnnie emblazoned on his all-conquering Road Glide race bike.

So, it comes as no surprise that Harley’s new muscle car-inspired liveries designed for the expanding Enthusiast Collection, feature Fast Johnnie in pride of place and back in the winners’ circle.