In 1960 Harley-Davidson bought half of Aermacchi’s motorcycle division in Varese. The company continued as Aermacchi-Harley-Davidson. Harley thus got a small bike alongside its big V-twins, and Aermacchi got money to export.

The first fruit of that partnership was the Wisconsin, named after the American state where Harley-Davidson is based (Milwaukee). It was a 250 cc with the familiar, almost horizontal four-stroke single. In Europe the first bikes came with both Aermacchi and Harley-Davidson on the tank.

In America the name did not last long. According to Rider Magazine people at Harley wondered whether anyone in California or Florida really wanted to ride a ‘Wisconsin’. There it was soon called the Sprint (type C, later also the sportier H). In Italy the Wisconsin stayed in production until 1967; among other uses it was sold as a police bike.

The sources disagree on the exact basis. Cybermotorcycle names the Ala Azzurra tourer as its basis, Cycle World (1971) speaks of an improved Ala Verde, and Classic Bike Guide calls the Wisconsin the American version of a 250 touring model. What is certain is that it belongs to the 250 cc range around the Ala Azzurra and Ala Verde.

Compared with its basis, according to Cybermotorcycle the Wisconsin got higher bars, a different tank finish and bigger brake drums (180 instead of 160 mm). From 1963 it got the Ala Verde engine specification. The standard version had a dual seat and luggage rack; colours included Cosmo blue and black.

Starting needs a fixed routine (fuel, choke, ignition). Skip it and you will have to push; luckily the bike is light. A hot engine can be harder to start.

The kick-starter is on the left; not everyone likes that. The side stand is on the right.

The lighting is 6 volt and gives little light.

Work deep inside the crankcase needs special tools and pullers.

Because the Wisconsin, Ala Verde, Ala Azzurra and Sprint are so alike, parts have often been swapped. In practice a ‘Wisconsin’ can be a mixture.

The engine and much of the engineering are shared with the Ala Verde and Sprint. So mechanical parts can still reasonably be found through specialists and clubs. Typical Wisconsin parts (paint, badges, police equipment) are rare. British sources warn that imported Aermacchi parts can be expensive.

We found no reliable price data for the Wisconsin itself. For comparison: in 2018 AM Klassiek gave about €5,000 to €10,000 for the closely related Ala Verde 250. Treat this as a rough indication.