History of Harley Davidson

The first Harley Davidson motorcycle was built in 1903. Two men Bill Harley and Arthur Walter Davidson built the first motorcycle in their garage and it sold. By 1905 they had sold eleven motorcycles and by 1911 they had sold 154 of them.
Each Harley motorcycle carries the Harley logo, which is a bar and shield. This logo was added to the bikes in 1911.During World War 1 the military was furnished with over 20,000 bikes. The bikes were once again furnished to the military during World War II.

In the fifties, the Harley-Davidson company faced a charge for restrictive practices. Following the Hell Angels riot in 1947 Harley became known as the ride of outlaw biker’s. Movies were made with the outlaw bikers riding Harleys. This caused the Harley-Davidson’s reputation to take a downfall. This was also the beginning of the nickname HOG, which today still sticks with these bikes.

Then, in 1981, the company came back strong as a group of American investors bought the company. One of them was Wilie G. Davidson. Harley rejected aid from Japan and started building bikes that had the retro look of the bikes from the past.

Today the Harley Davidson motorcycles carry the legend of the past with them. They are still the most popular American made motorcycle around and are the most prestigious bikes on the market today.

There is even a Harleys Owner Group organization. When you buy a bike you get a one year free membership. There are chapters of this group all over the world.