It should come as no surprise when I tell
you that Harley Davidson is the most successful
motorcycle company in the world. It was the dream
of four people in 1901. William Harley, Arthur Davidson,
Walter Davidson, and William Davidson wanted to
make a motorized bike. At first it was for fun, but then it
turned into a business that is recognized world wide today.
Their first bike was powered by a 7 horsepower engine
that would not even make it up a nearby hill in their
Milwaukee, Wisconsin neighborhood. Others would have
imported an engine from a reputable company,..but not
these four dreamers. By 1903 they had come up with a
25 cubic inch engine and a new loop frame pattern that
took it completely out of the motorized bicycle catagory.
This was a frame design that was revolutionary and had
a similar look to the one designed by Merkel Motors. It
would be a design that EVERY motorcycle company in the
world would follow. There was a little problem with keeping
the engine cool,..but a nearby friend named Ollie Evinrude
helped them with that minor setback. Evinrude would later
become a pioneer in the outboard motor business. By 1905
Harley Davidson had sold a dozen motorcycles. This gave
them the confidence to build a new plant in 1909... a 40 X 60 wooden structure
located on Juneau Avenue in Milwaukee. That same year HD
sold 50 motorcycles. In 1913 Harley-Davidson had a new red
brick plant on Juneau Avenue that was five stories high and
covered two blocks in length. Record sales of the Harley-
Davidson motorcycle in 1914 saw production numbers of
16,284 units. World War I was brewing in Europe and Harley-
Davidson went to the United States Government before we
were even involved and offered 15,000 motorcycles for the
Army and Marines. When the war ended Harley Davidson was
right back in the fast lane. By 1920 they were the largest
motorcycle manufacturer in the world, and their bikes were
being sold in 67 different countries. 28,189 bikes were sold in
1920 and it was if the war never happened. Harley Davidson
was at the tip of the sword all through the 1920's with leading
innovations in motorcycling. They were first to develop a 74
cubic inch (1200 cc) V-Twin engine.. first to offer a teardrop
gas tank..and the first to have a brake for the front wheel.
1929 saw Harley Davidson come out with a 45 cubic inch engine
in a flat head design just to compete with the Indian Scout and
Excelsior Super X bikes on the race tracks around the country.
The Great Depression was hard on all motorcycle companies, and
Harley Davidson was no different. Sales in 1929 of 21,000 bikes
fell to just 3,703 in 1933. A three-wheel Servi-Car was introduced
in 1934 and was an instant hit with police departments, post office
carriers, utility companies, and ice cream vendors. The Servi-Car
would stay in production until 1973. In 1935 Harley Davidson
increased it's V-Twin engine to 80 cubic inches and would halt
production of it's single cylinder engine. When World War II broke
out Harley Davidson was again at the front of the line offering
their facilities to the U.S. Government. HD sold 90,000 motorcycles
to the Allies at a deeply discounted price. Harley Davidson was
voted 'E Awards' by the government in 1943 and 1945 for the
excellent production of their employees. After the war a lot of
GIs bought wartime WLA model Harley Davidsons for as little as
100 dollars as they were returned to America. Declining sales in
the 1950's and 60's led to AMF (the bowling people) buying
Harley Davidson in 1969 and they immediately looked to cut
costs in the company. Quality and performance fell off radically,
just when the Japanese bike invasion began in this country.
In 1981 the Harley Davidson Motor Company was purchased by
a group of employee/investors headed by Willie G. Davidson for
a price of 80 million dollars. Willie G put his name on the line and
guaranteed customers a bike they could be proud of. In 1984 the
Softail model again brought customers the look of the 1940's and
50's but with modern day updates. The Fatboy model was an
instant success when it came along in 1990. Even the Ford Truck
Company wanted on the bandwagon as they offered a F-150
pick-up with Harley Davidson trim. In 2006 Harley Davidson started
work on a 75 million dollar 130,000 square foot museum that would
be filled with a collection of HD bikes, a cafe, restaurant, and meeting
rooms. The museum opened for business in 2008 and is one of the
showplaces in downtown Milwaukee. To say that a Harley Davidson
is the Cadillac of motorcycles is to slight the top of the line at
General Motors. Even the sound of a Harley Davidson motorcycle
is distinctive... and this is caused by the dual fire ignition system. The
firing sequence time between number one and two is different from
the time between number two and one again. This staggered timing
is what gives a Harley Davidson it's potato-potato sound. In 1994
Harley Davidson filed a trademark application with the United States
Patient Office to make the sound of a Harley Davidson unique and
original from others.
Editor's Note: Okay I admit to being a little bias in this report. I have had
my share of Harley Davidson motorcycles and everyone of them has a
spot in my heart. I have one in the garage at the present time, while my
pick-up truck sits in the driveway subjected to the elements of the weather. I
have had motorcycles since I was 14 and as I look ahead to my 68th birthday
I can't imagine riding anything else. That's me on the Blue Road Glide
Harley Davidson.....
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