Harley Davidson History

The history of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle began in Milwaukee in 1903. In Milwaukee, Bill Harley and Arthur Walter Davidson developed a one-cylinder motorcycle. Around the turn of the century the gasoline engine was developed and the one-cylinder motor was introduced. In 1901 the Indian was the first motorcycle made in 1903 by Mitschell, Merkel and Yale.The first Harley motorcycle was initially built for racing and was powered by a one-cylinder gasoline combustion engine.

In 1903 in Milwaukee, Bill Harley and Arthur Walter Davidson developed a one-cylinder motorcycle! In 1905 they had built 11 motorcycles, and by 1908 production was up to 154! There first building for the company, in a little wooden barn, that was built by Davidson's father.The small company expanded quickly and another member of the Davidson family, William, joined them. In a short amount of time they hired about 20 employees and moved to a new factory.In 1909 Bill Harley built a prototype of his first 1000 CC V-Twin engine.

Arthur & Walter Davidson, William S.Harley
and William A Davidson (1915)

It produced an awesome seven horsepower. The 45-degree V-twin would become one of the more recognizable images of the Harley- Davidson motorcycle. This V-Twin stayed with HD as the history shows. 1910 the legendary "Bar and Shield" logo that was placed on their motorcycle which is still there to this day. This would become the defining symbol of Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

The "F-head" engine is introduced in 1911. It will be the power plant until 1929, when the "Flathead" 45 engine is introduced.

The year of 1912 saw further growth of the Harley-Davidson Company. Construction began on a new 6-story factory. Harley-Davidson also became an exporter this year and their first overseas sale was made in Japan. There dealerships were now over 200 strong. 1914 saw the addition on the sidecar to the Harley-Davidson. The Company also formally put their hand in the ring of motorcycle racing this year.

1915 saw the emergence of the three- speed sliding-gear transmission. In 1917, one-third of all Harley-Davidson's were sent overseas to the U.S. Military to fulfill the aid in the war effort. The following year, roughly half of the motorcycles produced were sold to the U.S. military. By this time Harley- Davidson was the biggest motorcycle factory in the world with nearly 2,000 dealerships worldwide. In 1918 Harley- Davidson owned the largest motorcycle factory in the world. The V-twin was Harley's specialty, so the company tried to defeat its only remaining rival ... Indian.

But these days were tough because the motorcycles were not growing with the Indian times, and the prices of automobiles was decreased with the introduction of the T-model Ford coming on the market. Therefore, the Harley Davidson motor company tried other technical enterprises, like manufacturing parts, side cars and even airplane engines, as they worked to improve their product.

The 1920's saw some changes to the appearance of the motorcycle, which are more recognizable today. One such change was the identifiable teardrop shape gas tank.

In 1926, single-cylinder engines were once again available, having been discontinued in 1918. In 1928, the first twin-cam engine with front wheel brakes was available from Harley- Davidson. With this modification, the motorcycle could reach top speed in excess of 85 mph.

The 1930's and following years saw more innovations in the Harley-Davidson line of motorcycles.

In 1932, the three-wheel Servi-Car was introduced and would become a familiar commercial and police vehicle. Along with appearance changes such as the "eagle" design, which was painted on all Harley-Davidson gas tanks, the engine was also evolving.

These days the biggest Harley ever appeared, the 1340 CC. This motorcycle became Harley- Davidson's trademark. 1936 also became a milestone. That year the Knucklehead was unveiled to the motorcycle public which also became the victory over the Indian brand. By 1947 the Panhead engine was placed into the showrooms, and”Harley Davidson” was THE American Motorcycle.

In the 1940's, the Harley-Davidson once again answered the call to war and sent its motorcycles overseas to aid in the war effort. In 1941, civilian production on the motorcycle was all but suspended as the company produced the motorcycles for the war effort. Because of their commitment of excellence, Harley-Davidson received the Army-Navy "E" award. In November of 1945, civilian production once again resumed.

In 1947, Harley-Davidson purchased the old A.O. Smith Propeller Plant and used it as their machine shop location. In 1949, hydraulic front brakes were introduced on the Hydra-Glide models. In the fifty's Harley had to survive another hard time. As the British controlled 40 % of the motorcycle market with the Triumph motorcycle! In 1957 the Sportster was born, and was the fastest Harley motorcycle ever.

Just like the English motorcycle industry, Harley stuck to its personal style and looks. In opposition to the English motorcycles, Harley Davidson survived their decision of styling. With the enormous flood of motorcycles from the Far East, the English all but vanished without a trace and the Americans were almost bankrupt also, even the Shovelhead powered bike tings were looking dim.

The 1920's saw some changes to the appearance of the motorcycle, The beginning of the 1970's saw a revolution of the Harley-Davidson. In 1971, the cruiser was born. This machine united a sporty front end with the frame and power train of the FL series. 1973 saw the move of assembly operations to a new 400,000 square foot plant in York, Pennsylvania.

The year 1975 was the first of four consecutive years that the Harley-Davidson won the AMA Grand National Championships in dirt track racing. In 1977, the FXS Low Rider and the FLHS Electra Glide Sport were introduced to the public. The FXS featured a special lower seat position (hence the distinguishing term Low Rider...). The FLHS was a low cost base line FLH Electra Glide with modifications intended to make the model sportier.

The beginning of the 1980's saw another change in the partnership of the engine and transmission. In 1980, the FLT model was born with a 5-speed transmission hard bolted to the engine. Also this year, the drive train was replaced with a Kevlar belt. In 1981 senior members of Harley-Davidson bought back Harley-Davidson Motor Company from AMF. In 1982 Harley- Davidson enacted the Materials as Needed (MAN) application in their production. This would cut production costs and improve the quality of the parts. In 1983 the group H.O.G was founded and became the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle club in the world. By the year 2000, the club had over 500,000 members. In 1984 the 1340 cc V-twin engine was introduced, and launched the new Evolution-motor in 1984, which would manage to create a way back to the top, Also this year, the Softail model became available. The Softail was most primarily distinguishable by its hidden rear shock absorbers. In 1987 Harley-Davidson began its "Buy Back Program" which offered full trade in value within two years on certain models. Also at this time, the Harley-Davidson Company obtained a place on the New York Stock Exchange In 1988 Harley-Davidson celebrated their 85th Anniversary in Milwaukee, an event that brought forth 60,000 aficionados of the Harley-Davidson. At the end of this revolutionary decade for Harley-Davidson, the FXSTS Springer Softail model was introduced into the lineup. The FXSTS Springer Softail was a modern day recreation of the 1940's Harley-Davidson. It had the classic bike look with the 1340 cc engine starting a new era of Harley-Davidson. In the early 1990's the Fat Boy design was introduced and quickly caught on. The name Fatboy was derived by combining the names of the two atomic bombs "Fat man" and "Little Boy" which were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. It was destined from the start to become a Collector's item among biking enthusiasts and definitely achieved that status throughout its existence. Also in 1990, Construction on a 31 million dollar state of the art paint facility began in York, Pennsylvania. It was completed the following year.
In 1991, The Dyna line of Harley-Davidson's was introduced with the FXDB Dyna Glide Sturgis.

1994 saw the jump of Harley-Davidson into the Super bike racing with the VR1000. The VR1000 featured a dual overhead cam and a liquid cooled engine and showed that Harley- Davidson was not fully averse to manufacturing a race inspired sport bike. In 1996 a state of the art Parts and Accessories distribution plant was opened in Franklin, Wisconsin. The following year a new Product Development Center opened in Milwaukee. Also in 1997, a 330,000 square foot plant in Kansas City made its first Sportster. In 1998, assembly operations were taking place in another part of the world, Brazil. In the year 2001 Fuel injection was available on the Softail model. These days, in America, Harley Davidson controls 62 % of the market for motorcycles with 850 CC or more!! Although, Harley's aren't the fastest or most manageable bikes, riding a Harley is incomparable with riding any other bike...

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