Harley Davidson

Harley Davidson is an iconic American motorcycle manufacturer begun in Milwaukee at the turn of the century by two young designers, William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson. After spending a few years designing an engine to fit a bicycle, the men were aided by local engineers in building a motorcycle prototype that competed in the State Fair Park race in 1904. The men began selling engines and bikes out of the Davidson’s backyard shed the following year.

In 1906, the company’s small team set up shop on Chestnut Street in Milwaukee – a location which has since become Harley-Davidson’s corporate headquarters. As well as selling bikes to the private sector, H-D gained an important market by offering their motorcycles to local police departments. This reinvention of their brand would see further development a decade later, as the U.S. government recruited H-D for military motorcycle manufacture. The company was commissioned for 15,000 bikes during World War I, and by 1920 they had become the largest motorcycle company in the world.

From the 1950’s through the 1960’s, the company was able to buy out many of its American competitors even as its brand came under fire for its association with outlaw biker gang the Hell’s Angels. Such gangs were also ripe fodder for Hollywood films during this period, resulting in decreased sales for the entire motorcycle industry. As a result, H-D was losing profits at the same time they began to control the American bike market.

The company was itself taken over in 1969 by the American Machinery and Foundry, and suffered from a decreased workforce and inferior bikes in the late 70’s and early 80’s. They also felt increased competition from Japanese motorcycle companies, and demanded a U.S. tariff be put on all imported vehicles. The tariff was put in place in 1983, and coincided with a “retro” redesign of the H-D product line, recalling the heyday of motorcycle culture. This successful restyling is now a company trademark.

H-D experienced a resurgence in the 1990’s, becoming famous for heavy bikes designed for cruising rather than racing or sport. However, legal problems began plaguing the company after the turn of the century, including lawsuits from their investors and union uprising with their workforce. In the past few years, H-D has begun to resolve these issues and plans to expand their line for the first time to India, where high population density is predicted to insure a healthy demand for low-cost alternatives to automobiles.

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Products
Harley-Davidson Dyna Fat Bob 1584cc, Air cooled, Twin Cam 96TM engine 6 speed transmission Electronic sequential port fuel injection (ESPFI)		Harley-Davidson Dyna Street Bob 1584cc, Air cooled, Twin Cam 96TM Engine 125Nm @ 3000 RPM 6 Speed Transmission
Harley-Davidson Dyna WideGlide Retro design Cruiser 1584cc, Air cooled, Twin Cam 96TM Engine 92 ft.lbs @ 3000 RPM		Harley-Davidson FatBoy Hardtail chopper design 1584cc, Air cooled, Twin Cam 96BTM Engine 93.7 ft.lbs @ 3000 RPM
Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe Retro Cruiser Design 1584cc, Air cooled, Twin Cam 96BTM Engine 127Nm @ 3000 RPM		Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Low Sport Cruiser Design 1200cc, Air cooled, Evolution
Harley-Davidson Sportster Forty Eight		Harley-Davidson Sportster Nightster Sport Cruiser 1200cc, Air cooled, Evolution
Harley-Davidson Sportster SuperLow Superlow Cruiser design 883cc, Air cooled, Evolution		Harley-Davidson Touring Road King Retro touring cruiser 1584cc, Air cooled, Twin Cam 96TM Engine 126Nm @3500 RPM