In 1901, William S. Harley, 21, began drawing blueprints of an engine designed to fit into a bicycle. In 1903, Harley met 20-year-old Arthur Davidson and made available to the public the first production Harley-Davidson motorcycle. This first bike was built to be a racing bike. The factory in which Harley and Davidson worked was a 10 x 15-foot wooden shed with the name Harley-Davidson on the front. Brothers of Arthur Davidson quit their jobs to come work with Arthur’s new-found success in the motorcycle industry. The company quickly grew over a short period of time and was able to start making a distinguished name for itself.
It was 1909 when the company introduced the first V-twin powered motorcycle. With a displacement of 49.5 cubic inches, the bike produced seven horsepower. The image of two cylinders in a 45-degree configuration would fast become one of the most enduring icons of Harley-Davidson history. Also available for the first time from the motor company were spare parts for motorcycles.
In 1910, the famed “bar and shield” logo became a permanent identifying marker of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Also during this same decade, Harley-Davidson began commercializing their bikes. The U.S. Army purchased nearly 20,000 bikes from the motor company. They used the bikes to be effectively mobile during combat situations in WWI.
Up until 1935, Harley-Davidson was pretty much the motorcycle -ominant company in the world. In 1935, Harley-Davidson sold their blueprints to the Japanese company Sankyo. As a result, the Japanese motorcycle industry was born. This company, Sankyo, produced the first Japanese motorcycle called the Rikuo.
Harley-Davidson motorcycles continued to grow during the next couple of decades. They produced new models as well as enhanced engine parts and capabilities. The Harley-Davidson empire was growing. In 1962, Harley-Davidson purchased 60 percent of the stock in the Tomahawk Boat Manufacturing Company. Harley-Davidson recognized the rising relevance of fiberglass in motorcycle production, and began manufacturing its own components. As a result, the Tomahawk Division was established and began operations as a Harley-Davidson facility by 1963. In 1969, Harley-Davidson merged with the American Machine and Foundry Company (AMF), a longtime producer of leisure products.
In 1973, motorcycle production was upgraded when all assembly operations were moved to a modern 400,000 square foot plant in York, Pennsylvania. All other production operations remained in Milwaukee and Tomahawk. Also in this same year, the Capitol Drive plant in Milwaukee began production of motorcycle engines.
In the 1980s, Harley-Davidson unveiled the 1340cc V Evolution engine on five models, including the all-new Softail. As a result of seven years of development, the Evolution engine produces more power at every speed, runs cooler and cleaner, and is oil-tight. Also witnessed is the debut of the Softail design and its trend-setting method of "hiding" the motorcycle's rear shock absorbers. This new style of motorcycle is a trend you see today in Harley-Davidson bikes.
Because Harley-Davidson Motorcycles have a rich and ever-evolving history, they have built a motorcycle empire. Today, Harleys are distributed across the globe, and many people collect vintage models. The company has built an empire that is here to stay for generations to come.
By John Ivie