Harley Davidson History

In 1901 William Harley created a plan for adapting an engine to fit onto a bicycle. He and brothers Arthur and Walter Davidson built their first motorcycle using Henry Melk’s lathe. This first Harley Davidson traveled at little more than a walking pace, and needed additional power from the rider’s pedals. At the time, motorcycles were already taking off in Europe, but were still a new idea in America. By 1903, the budding company moved to a woodshed in the Davidson backyard. They grew quickly, and continually introduced new technology. By 1908, Harley Davidson had increased staff to 18 employees, and the motorcycles had begun to develop a reputation for reliability. Walter Davidson set a distance record by riding a Harley Davidson for over 188 miles on one gallon of gas.

Early in Harley Davidson history, the motorcycles were quite popular in America, and became so worldwide. By 1914, a six-story factory headquarters was built in Milwaukee Wisconsin. That same year Harleys were exported to Japan. Technology moved forward as well, as Harley Davidson introduced a clutch, a two-speed rear hub and a three-speed transmission.

Indian was a major competitor from the beginning of Harley Davidson history, and some of its features were copied and perfected. For example, the flathead v-twin engine was something that Indian utilized, but Harley perfected it and made it a trademark, using it on some models as late as 1973.

Although extremely popular with civilians, when WWI broke out, almost half of motorcycles produced were used by the military. Motorcycles for the military were sold by dealers in 67 countries.

Harley Davidson survived the depression, and came through with a loyal following. They sold more bikes to the military for WWII, and continued engine innovations with the Harley Davidson XA. Work continued into the ‘50s with the knucklehead and panhead engines.

As Harley began to compete with Japanese motorcycle companies during the late ‘50s through the present, it has featured a retro style look. The bikes are also heavily modified by enthusiasts who display their custom Harleys at bike shows and rallies.

Throughout Harley Davidson’s history, it has developed a reputation technological advancement and American patriotism. Today, they command incredible resale value, and often well maintained used Harleys can be worth as much as new ones.