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note the following has been supplied by Barry Bloxham and the webmaster takes
no responsibility for it's accuracy
| 1901 |
A 10' x 15' shed in the Davidson
family’s Milwaukee backyard serves as the birthplace to an American icon.
Arthur Davidson, 20, and William Harley, 21, began experiments on "taking
the work out of bicycling." Now if you doubt that bicycling was any work,
try and remember what people were riding 100 years ago and you soon get the picture.
In all honesty, they were mechanics and inventors who came upon the idea to motorize
a bike rather easily. At that time in history there was a new invention called
the horseless carriage so it was a logical progression to come up with the idea
to fit a smaller combustion engine to a bicycle. Soon after, the duo were joined
by Arthur's two brothers Walter and William. In two years they produced 3 motorcycles
and the Harley Davidson Motorcycle Co. was born.
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| 1929-1933 |
| After
the stock market crash of October 1929, Harley-Davidson sales suffered with everyone
else's in the industry. By 1933, production in Milwaukee had dropped to 3,700
motorcycles. Only two motorcycle manufacturers survived the depression, Harley
Davidson and Indian. They survived because of strong dealer networks, police and
military use, conservative management, and steady exports. The Harley was becoming
truly world class. | | 1936 |
| Harley-Davidson
wasted no time building momentum out of the depression, introducing its EL model,
featuring the 61 cu in. overhead valve engine, also known as the "Knucklehead."
1936 production: 9,812 motorcycles. | | 1941-1945 | |
| Almost
immediately after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Harley-Davidson's entire
motorcycle output was produced for Allied use. By the end of World War II, 90,000
WLA army-version motorcycles had been built and shipped. Harley Davidson earned
the coveted Navy "E" award for it's contribution. |
1948 |
After
the war, motorcyclists were eager to get back to their sport. To feed their desire
for more motorcycles, Harley-Davidson introduced a new 74 cu in. engine with hydraulic
valve lifters and aluminum heads. The "Panhead" was born. 1948 production:
31,163 motorcycles. Further expansion was in the cards and manufacturing facilities
in the suburb of Wauwatosa were acquired in 1947. The push was on to sell to the
public and marketing was more pronounced.
| | 1953 |
| As
Harley-Davidson celebrated its 50th anniversary, its oldest and closest competitor,
Indian, went out of business, leaving Harley-Davidson as the sole survivor in
a once overcrowded American motorcycle marketplace. 1953 production: 14,050 motorcycles.
The 1940s and ‘50s brought changes for Harley-Davidson. The second generation
of management rose through the corporate ranks as the original founders died.
Harley-Davidson now was the undisputed "king of the road". But the company
did not rest on its laurels. | | 1957-1958 | | The
Sportster, father of the superbikes, was introduced in 1957, followed in 1958
by the Duo Glide, featuring a hydraulic rear shock suspension to go with the hydraulically
dampened front fork. Also in 1958, Carroll Resweber won the first of four consecutive
AMA Grand National Championships. Also introduced for the aspiring motorcyclist
was the 125 as seen in this ad from the 50's. New marketing and new models were
broadening Hareley's coverage of the motorcycling public. | | 1963 | | When
it became apparent that fiberglass was becoming a versatile material for golf
cars and motorcycles, Harley-Davidson purchased and converted a fiberglass boat
company in Tomahawk, Wis.The 1950s and ‘60s also saw the explosion of the
American "motorcycle culture", with black leather jackets becoming not
only a statement of fashion, but of a lifestyle. The tough "Wild Ones"
image, made popular by the Marlon Brando movie of the same name, labeled motorcycle
enthusiasts as "outlaws". In truth the phenomenen started in the late
40's with returning servicemen who had backpay and a yearn to see the country
while trying to deal with the pain and horror of war.
1963 Willie G. Davidson
joined Harley-Davidson as design director. | | 1965 | George
Roeder set a world land speed record of 177.225 mph for 250CC motorcycles on a
modified Harley-Davidson Sprint. Bart Markel, aboard a Harley, won the second
of his three AMA Grand National Championships.
1965 Harley-Davidson ended
family ownership with a public stock offering and then, in 1969, merged with the
American Machine and Foundry Company (AMF), which was chaired by Rodney C. Gott,
a Harley enthusiast. He may have been an "enthusiast" but ole Rodney
led Harley into what many deemed as Harleys darkest years.
1965 With the addition
of an electric starter, the Duo Glide became the Electra Glide in 1965, which
was also the last year of the "Panhead" engine. The "Shovelhead"
engine took over the V-Twin mantle in 1966. 1966 production: 36,310 motorcycles. | 1971 | Joe
Smith, riding a drag bike powered by a single Harley-Davidson motor, was the first
to break the nine-second barrier in motorcycle drag racing. 1971 also marked the
introduction of the Super Glide, considered the first true factory custom. For
a rundown on Joe's bike and what made it so fast, click on the link next to the
picture. The
financial strength and resources of AMF aided Harley-Davidson’s growth as
it entered the 1970s. To meet the demands of an expanding market, the company
moved its motorcycle assembly to York, Pennsylvania, in 1974, maintaining its
engine manufacturing facility in Milwaukee. At the time of the merger with AMF,
Harley-Davidson was producing 14,000 motorcycles per year. Beginning in 1969 and
on into the 1970s, huge numbers of low-priced motorcycles were imported from Japan,
dramatically reducing Harley-Davidson’s market share. The ferocious
competition
coupled with motorcycle quality problems, which surfaced as a result of the company’s
rapidly expanding production, created major problems for Harley-Davidson. | 1974
- 1975 | | | To
help meet the demand of a booming motorcycle marketplace, chassis manufacturing
and final assembly operations moved to a plant in York, Pa. Engine and transmission
operations remained in Milwaukee, along with the corporate headquarters. 1975
production: 75,403 motorcycles. | 1980 | The
80 cu in FLT Tour Glide, with five-speed transmission, oil bath enclosed rear
chain and a vibration isolated engine, inherited the title of "King of the
Highway" and was the predecessor to today's Harley-Davidson touring motorcycles
The
Beginning or The End? - Harley's Modernization
Many
lifelong Harley enthusiasts and bikers know the truth behind the burgeoning success
of Harley Davidson, they did their homework and realized they were catering to
the wrong market. By cashing in on classic designs from days gone by, they were
able to tap into the RUB (rich urban biker) going through a midlife crisis and
sell him a peice of history that reminded him of his adolesence and charged him
a pretty penny for it. Although it was a slow progression taking almost 20 years,
it's easy to spot the trend right from the beginning, and that trend was profit
at all cost! The product went from being affordable and easy to work on and modify,
to expensive, bloated and impossible to get parts for. Need a new tail light lens
for that Fatboy? You have to buy the whole tail lamp assembly at an overblown
price from the dealer, and ten to one the part is stamped "Made In China",
as H-D now outsources most small parts. The "Factory" as it is known
today, keeps such a tight reign on it's dealers and an even tighter reign on prices.
The
marketing of the name Harley Davidson has gotten so out of control, that it no
longer carries the weight of belonging to a solid reliable product. Now you'll
find everything from officially licensed Harley toilet paper to Harley Barbie
and everything in between, not to mention how most dealerships now carry some
bikes, but they have a whole warehouse of clothing to sell you with HD stamped
all over it instead of a good supply of parts to keep you running. The following
is a step by step timeframe as to what many consider the downfall of Harley Davidson. | 1981 | | On
February 26, 1981, a group of thirteen senior Harley-Davidson executives, led
by Vaughn Beals, signed a letter of intent to purchase the company from AMF. Settled
by June 16, 1981, the executives celebrated with a ride from York to Milwaukee.
1981 production: 41,586 motorcycles. | | 1983 | |
To get Harley owners more involved in the sport, the company formed the Harley
Owners Group (H.O.G.), now the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle club in the
world. Also in 1983, tariffs were imposed on Japanese motorcycles 700CC or larger
in response to unf air trade practices. Instead of relying on their reputation
and trying to regain their market share with better product, Harley sought to
control it without putting any effort into being a better competitor. | | 1984 |
After seven years of development, Harley-Davidson introduced the 1340CC V2 Evolution
engine. Designed for high reliability with a minimum of scheduled maintenance,
the engine produced more power at every speed. While the Evo is still mocked by
hardcore enthusiasts, it has built a reputation for endurance and reliability
with only a few known weak spots. | 1986 | | Harley-Davidson
returned to public ownership by offering two million shares of common stock and
a concurrent offering of $70 million principal amounts of subordinated notes due
1996. | 1987 | | In
March 1987, Harley-Davidson petitioned the International Trade Commission for
early termination of the tariffs on Japanese motorcycles. In July, Harley-Davidson
was approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Are we seeing a pattern
now? | 1988 | | | The
1988 product line featured the first 74 cu in Sportster, with 1200 CCs of power.
Also, to mark the company's 85th anniversary, a cross-country ride was held, benefiting
the Muscular Dystrophy Association. 1988 production: 47,325 motorcycles. The Sportster,
long touted as a "girly" bike is now the fastest Harley manufactured
when fitted with the 1200cc power plant. | 1996-97 | | With
the introduction of the Heritage Springer Softail, Harley-Davidson forged into
the future by staking claim to its biggest asset -- the past. It was evident to
the marketing gurus that the young professionals they were catering to wanted
nostalgia and could well afford to pay for it. | | 1999 | | The
introduction of the "next" generation of Harley engines, the Twin Cam
88. With more engineering than ever before, this new breed of engine has yet to
prove itself. The first engine with fuel injection, it has suffered teething problems,
most notably in an under designed clutch assembly. | | 2000 | |
The
FXSTD Softail® Deuce™ is introduced to the immediate delight of riders
and the motorcycle media. The 2000 model year Softail® and Dyna models are
outfitted with the Twin Cam 88B™ engine, a counter-balanced version of the
Twin Cam 88. | | 2001 | | The
VRSCA V-Rod™ is introduced for the 2002 model year. Inspired by the VR-1000
racing motorcycle, the V-Rod is Harley-Davidson's first motorcycle to combine
fuel injection, overhead cams and liquid cooling, and delivers 115 horsepower.
Harley-Davidson Racing announces the latest addition to the team: 17 year old
Jennifer Snyder, the first woman to win a national event in the AMA Formula USA
National Dirt Track Series. Harley-Davidson
announces expansions at the Product Development Center (Milwaukee), as well as
Tomahawk, WI and York, PA facilities. | | | | | | | | | Stay
Tuned for Our Next Installment - Harley Goes WaterCooled! |
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