Harley-Davidson’s 1940s military motorcycle supplied to the U.S. Army was called the WLA.
The WLA was based on Harley-Davidson’s civilian WL design and used a 45-cubic-inch flathead V-twin. It received military equipment such as blackout lighting, protective fittings, a luggage rack, and provisions for carrying military accessories. Harley-Davidson built many examples during the Second World War.
The motorcycle was designed primarily for dispatch, reconnaissance, communications, and general transport rather than heavy combat. Its relatively simple mechanical layout made it practical to maintain in difficult conditions. The model is sometimes broadly called the “Liberator,” though that nickname is also used more generally for wartime Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
The WLA should not be confused with the XA, an experimental Harley-Davidson with a horizontally opposed engine. The XA was a separate wartime project and was not the standard Army motorcycle represented by the WLA.