How It All Started: A Brief History on Harley Davidson

Brought to you by: Milwaukee Motorcycle

Humble Beginnings:

Harley Davidson, better known as Harley and abbreviated as HD, is a famous manufacturer of motorcycles. It was founded in the early part of the twentieth century in Milwaukee, Wisconsin by two friends namely William Harley and Arthur Davidson. It was one of the two major motorcycle manufacturers in the United States to overcome the economic difficulty during the Great Depression.

In 1901, William Harley drew a plan for a small engine with 116cc displacement and a 4in flywheel for use in a normal bicycle. After two years of planning and careful study, he decided to work on this motor-bicycle project with his friend Arthur Davidson in a machine shop owned by their friend Henry Melk in north side Milwaukee. They were able to finish the project with the help of Walter Davidson, Arthur’s brother. However, they were disappointed to find out that without the pedal assistant, it could not climb the hills of Milwaukee.

After the disappointing first motorcycle, they immediately began planning for the next one. This time, they made a prototype with a bigger engine of 405cc and a flywheel of 9.75 inches. They designed the loop frame similar to that of the Milwaukee Merkel motorcycle. This made it qualify as a modern motorcycle instead of a bicycle. With the help of Ole Evinrude, they were able to finish the bigger engine. The materials for the loop frame came from different areas. The major parts were prefabricated in the West Milwaukee rail shop where William Davidson worked as a tool room foreman. It was then assembled in a shed in the backyard of the Davidsons.

The First Ever Harley Davidson Motorcycle:

The motorcycle was then tested in a race on September 8, 1904 in the State Fair Park where rider Edward Hildebrand won fourth place. This event was documented as the first ever appearance of the Harley Davidson motorcycle. Bare Harley Davidson engines were featured in the January 1905 do-it-yourself trade. After being featured in the “Automobile and Cycle Trade Journal”, limited production followed on April of the same year. From the dozen that was produced at the Davidsons’ backyard, they were able to sell three with the help of their first ever dealer Carl H. Lang of Chicago.

The Success Story:

In 1906, Harley and the Davidson brothers built a single storey wooden structure as their first factory in Chestnut Street. This remains to be the main headquarters up to this day. As a sign of their humble beginnings, they even brought along the shed where they used to work in their new yard but unfortunately, the contractors accidentally destroyed it in 1970. They were able to manufacture 50 motorcycles in 1906.

After taking up mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin, William Harley graduated in 1907. Expansion took place during this said year wherein an additional floor was added to their existing building. Because they were already gaining popularity, Harley Davidson officially became a company. With 150 motorcycles produced, they began selling their products to police officers who played a great part in sustaining their initial success.

The introduction of the first ever V-Twin engine prototype model was showcased at the Chicago Automobile Show in February of 1907. This V-Twin featured an 880cc 7 horsepower engine with a speed of 60mph. Because of this, many motorcycle enthusiasts were encouraged to buy the product that is why from a production of 450 units in 1908, it jumped to 1,149 in 1909. In 1911, a V-twin engine with an 811cc engine was introduced. This time, it had a mechanically operated intake valve that gave it a better performance despite being smaller than the earlier V-Twins.

In 1913, the old factory was demolished to give way to a 5 storey reinforced concrete factory building. The new building took up the original space from Chestnut Street and extended up to the 38th Street. Chestnut Street is now known as Juneau Street in Milwaukee. In 1914, they dominated the world of racing and produced a total of 16,284 units.

World War I and the Great Depression:

In 1917, they produced 15,000 motorcycles for combat. They were used by the military when the United States was dragged into the First World War. In 1920, they became the world leader in motorcycle manufacturing with over 67 dealerships all over the world. Their motorcycles continued to dominate the world of racing that led them to the production of higher-powered engines. But in order to keep up with the competition against rival companies, HD introduced the D model motorcycles that had only 737cc engines.

In order to survive the Great Depression that happened after World War I, Harley Davidson took the chance of manufacturing engine plants using their motorcycle engines. This is why even during this tough time, they were able to produce new motorcycles with art deco details. In 1935, they introduced the 1,300cc flathead engine that continued manufacture until 1848.

World War II:

After surviving the Great Depression, a large quantity of motorcycles was again produced by Harley Davidson for the military during the World War II. Over 90,000 WLA models or those with 740cc engines were produced for the forces. All of them had the serial number 1942 imprinted in them. The US military even asked the production of especially equipped motorcycles from the company which they called XA models. After 1000 units being produced, manufacturing already stopped.

After the war, Harley Davidson found the opportunity to manufacture smaller motorbikes as adapted from the design of the German motorcycles. More and more clients became interested in purchasing their products and in return they continued modifying and upgrading their motorcycles. Aside from Milwaukee, most of their clients were found all over the world that is why they became more active in exportation.

Their Downfall and How They Started Over Again:

However, in the year 1952, the company was charged with restrictive practices. This led them to selling the company to American Machine and Foundry, who, after acquiring the business, laid off several workers leading to strikes and low quality production that eventually led them to near bankruptcy. In 1981, AMF sold the company to thirteen investors who were willing to redeem the name of Harley Davidson. They adapted the features and the feel of the original models that eventually led them to full production once again.

In 2000, Ford added the Ford F-Series to their line of products that was complete with the Harley logo. Several deals with other companies went on and off from then on but Harley Davidson continued to live to the founders’ legacy. At present, production still goes on in order to keep up with their losses during their difficult years. They also announced that their headquarters will remain where they started, in Milwaukee.



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