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American Dream
Harley-Davidson has been building motorcycles in America for more than 100 years — no small feat. Since the company’s start in 1903, more than 150 American motorcycle makers have come and gone, with Harley-Davidson outlasting them all. What began as a drawing of an engine designed to power a bicycle has turned into a megabrand well known and respected for building world-class motorcycles sold around the globe. Here’s a look at the journey started by William Harley and Arthur Davidson back in 1901.
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The Beginning
In 1901 at the young age of 21, William S. Harley created a blueprint drawing for an engine of his design that would fit into a bicycle frame. Just two years later, Harley and Arthur Davidson had built their first Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Production took place in their first “factory” — a 10-by-15-foot wooden shed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, identified by a hand-lettered name on the door that read “Harley-Davidson Motor Co.”
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First H-D Motorcycle
In 1903 Harley and Davidson built their first motorcycle, which was designed for racing. Three were built that first year. C.H. Lang of Chicago, Illinois — the first Harley-Davidson dealer — sold one of the three.
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Rapid Growth
By 1906 the company had six full-time employees and had clearly outgrown the shed, so Harley-Davidson built a larger factory. By this time Arthur Davidson’s brothers — Walter and William — had joined the company. One year later the company had 18 employees and the factory size doubled as well. On September 17, 1907, Harley-Davidson incorporated. The company began recruiting dealers to sell its product.
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A Solid Reputation
In 1908 Walter Davidson scored a perfect 1,000 points at the Seventh-Annual Federation of American Motorcyclists Endurance and Reliability Contest. Davidson also set a fuel-economy record achieving 188.234 miles per gallon. By this time, the company’s motorcycles were entering races and having great success. One year earlier Harley-Davidson motorcycles had won the Speed Test Milwaukee Hillclimb; Motorcycle Flying Start, Milwaukee; Five Mile Handicap, Janesville, Wisconsin; and Special Handicap Derby Day Races, Milwaukee.
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Creating an Icon
Harley-Davidson created the first V-twin motorcycle in 1909. The two cylinders placed at a 45-degree angle created a V and quickly became associated with the brand. Also tied to this legendary name is the famous Bar & Shield that was first used in 1910. In 1911 Harley-Davidson trademarked the logo with the U.S. patent office.
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Expansion
In the early years of the 20th century, Harley-Davidson grew at an impressive pace. Nine years after production of that first motorcycle, the company had a network of more than 200 dealers across America. In 1912 Harley-Davidson began sales outside the U.S. — the company began exports to Japan.
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Going Racing
Harley-Davidson officially entered motorcycle racing in 1914, and it took only a few years before H-D team riders dominated the sport. In fact, the team became known as the “wrecking crew” because of their impressive success.
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War Effort
Harley-Davidson played a big part in World War I — by 1918 the U.S. government purchased nearly half of all motorcycles built by the company. The U.S. Army used an estimated 20,000 motorcycles during WWI, most of which were Harley-Davidsons. Corporal Roy Holtz of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, was the first American to enter Germany after the signing of the armistice — riding a Harley-Davison.
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Largest in the World
By 1920 Harley-Davidson had become the largest motorcycle company in the world, and more than 2,000 dealers in 67 countries sold the company’s product. The company continued its success at the track — riders on Harley-Davidson motorcycles swept all eight national championship races in 1921.
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The Hog
According to Harley-Davidson archives, in the early 1920s the racing team’s mascot was a pig — which race winners would carry during their victory lap after each race won.
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And Then There Were Two
Although there had been more than 100 different companies building motorcycles in America since the early 1900s, by 1931 Harley-Davidson’s only competition in the U.S. was Indian. The U.S. motorcycle landscape would not change again until 1953.
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World War II
As the country went to war once again, Harley-Davidson stepped up to support the U.S. In 1941 almost every motorcycle Harley-Davidson produced went to the military. By the end of WWII in 1945, Harley-Davidson had produced almost 90,000 WLA models. The company also created the unique XA 750 with its horizontally opposed cylinders and driveshaft designed for desert use. Only 1,011 of the rare XA 750s were built.
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Happy Anniversary
Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 1953, the company created this unique logo showcasing a V — honoring the engine that had been so important to the company’s success. Harley-Davidson attached the logo to the fender of every 1954 model.
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And Then There Was One
In 1953 Hendee Manufacturing — the company building the Indian motorcycle — went out of business, leaving Harley-Davidson as the lone American motorcycle company. The company would go it alone in the motorcycle business for more than 30 years.
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Superbike
An all-new motorcycle from Harley-Davidson launched in 1957 — the Sportster. With a 55-cubic-inch overhead-valve engine, the Sportster offered impressive performance, later becoming known as the first of the “superbikes.”
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Electric Starter
In the mid-1960s, Harley-Davidson introduced the electric starter — on the three-wheeled Servi-Car. Soon after, the electric starter became available on the new Electra-Glide and Sportster lines.
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Speed Records
Harley-Davidson made it into the record books in 1965 when George Roeder broke speed records for Class A and Class C in a custom-built Streamliner, hitting 177 mph. Five years later, Cal Rayborn set the land speed record for a motorcycle, hitting 265 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in a 16-foot streamliner powered by a single Sportster engine.
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Low Rider
Harley-Davidson unveiled the FXS Low Rider at Daytona Beach in 1977. The custom bike featured drag-style handlebars, a unique engine and paint, and — as the name indicates — a lowered seating position. Later in the same year, Willie G. Davidson’s dynamic version of the Sportster, the Cafe Racer, gets released.
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Sturgis Edition
The annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, is a big draw for Harley-Davidson owners and has been since the first rally in 1938. To commemorate this historic event, Harley-Davidson released a special-edition FXB Sturgis model in 1980, featuring a belt drive, black chrome appointments and an 80-cubic-inch engine.
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H.O.G.
There’s no question that Harley owners are a loyal lot, and in 1983 they had a group to call their own. Recognizing the deep roots of the Harley community, the company created the Harley Owners Group, often referred to as H.O.G. The group quickly became one of the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle clubs in the world — currently there are more than 1 million members in 140 countries.
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V2 Evolution
After seven years of development, Harley-Davidson debuted the all-new 1340 cc V2 Evolution engine in 1984. The new motor produced more power while running cooler and cleaner. Five models would use this new engine, including the all-new Softtail.
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Trading Publicly
In 1969 Harley-Davidson merged with the American Machine and Foundry Company and remained that way until 1981 — the year Harley-Davidson purchased back the company’s shares. In 1986 Harley-Davidson was listed on the American Stock Exchange for the first time since the merger in 1969. The following year Harley-Davidson joined the New York Stock Exchange.
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Buell Motorcycles
In 1992 Harley-Davidson purchased a minority interested in Buell Motorcycles. Ex Harley-Davidson engineer Erik Buell started the eponymously company to build American sport motorcycles powered by Harley-Davidson XL 883 engines. Buell became a wholly owned subsidiary of Harley-Davidson in 2003. In 2009 Harley-Davidson discontinued Buell products so the company could focus on the Harley-Davidson brand.
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Happy 100th Anniversary
To celebrate 100 years of motorcycle building, Harley-Davidson put on the Open Road Tour, starting out in Atlanta and ending at the company’s hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. More than 250,000 people came to Milwaukee for the final tour stop, as well as the 100th anniversary celebration and party. Even larger celebrations occurred for the 105th which coincided with the opening of the all-new Harley-Davidson Museum.
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Around the World
The first authorized Harley-Davidson dealership in mainland China opened in 2006. Three years later, the company expanded operations to India, rolling out the entire lineup by 2010. By 2014, international sales accounted for more than 36 percent of Harley-Davidson’s overall sales.
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New Motor, New Touring Motorcycles
In 2016 Harley-Davidson introduced an all-new Milwaukee-Eight engine — the ninth Big Twin engine design in the company’s history. “The Milwaukee-Eight engine carries the legacy of Harley-Davidson Big Twins into the future,” said chief powertrain engineer Alex Bozmoski. “While respecting the essential Big Twin character, we’ve created an all-new motor. Every aspect of performance, durability and styling has been improved as a direct response to the voice of Harley-Davidson customers around the world,” Bozmoski said. Shortly after the introduction of the new motor, the company debuted its latest Touring motorcycle lineup, powered by the new Milwaukee-Eight motor.
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115th Anniversary
To help celebrate 115 years since the company’s founding, Harley-Davidson introduced a wide range of new motorcycles for the 2018 model year, including eight new Softail models built on a new, more rigid chassis that provides better handling and quicker acceleration. At the same time five new Touring bikes joined the lineup, including custom versions of the Street Glide and Road Glide.
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Going Electric
In 2014 Harley-Davidson unveiled its latest creation — an electric motorcycle. Called Project Livewire, this extremely quick bike has “an unmistakable new sound,” according to Mark-Hans Richer, former senior vice president and chief marketing officer of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. This year Harley-Davidson announced that Livewire would be launched as a new all-electric motorcycle brand. The first bike to be sold under the Livewire brand — called Livewire One — features an electric motor that generates 100 horsepower and 84 lb-ft of torque, powered by a 15.4 kWh high-voltage battery that provides a city range of 146 miles. Livewire One can be charged via a Level 2 charger that adds 13 miles of range per hour. The EV can also be plugged into a DC fast charger to achieve a full charge from empty in one hour. Prices start at $21,999.
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Harley-Davidson Edition Pickups
For many years Ford Motor Company and Harley-Davidson collaborated to create special Harley-Davidson Editions of the F-150 pickup. For 2020 the company switched things up, creating the first-ever Harley-Davidson Edition GMC Sierra. With more than 65 components specific to this model, the special edition Sierra has styling inspired by the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy. Only 250 copies of the Harley-Davidson Edition GMC Sierra were produced. And H-D did not leave Ford altogether — the company also collaborated on a Harley-Davidson-branded Ford F-250 Super Duty. Both trucks were produced in partnership with specialty truck provider Tuscany Motor Company. Thus far Harley-Davidson has not announced any plans for H-D branded pickups for 2021 or 2022.
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What’s New?
This year Harley Davidson introduces the all-new Pan America 1250, which went sale earlier in 2021. The company’s first Adventure Touring motorcycle with all the functionality and capability required of such a bike, the Pan America quickly became the best-selling adventure touring bike in America.
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Revival
Also new for 2021 are the high-performance Sportster S and the Electra Glide Revival — a modern reproduction of the 1969 classic.
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Today
The little company that William Harley and Arthur Davidson started in a small shed in Wisconsin has certainly come a long way. Last year Harley-Davidson sold more than 180,000 motorcycles worldwide via a lineup of six different styles and a total of 31 unique variants. The company also sells a complete range of motorcycle parts, accessories, riding gear and apparel. Ride on.
Sources: Harley-Davidson Museum, Harley-Davidson Media
