The History Of Harley-Davidson® Motorcycles
Whether you’re a fan of speed or just like the look, chances are that when you picture a motorcycle, you picture a Harley-Davidson® model. As the oldest continuously operating American-based motorcycle company, that is a distinction they’ve earned, and the decades of innovation and dedication to classic motorcycles prove it.
We here at Road Track & Trail are proud to bring you some of the history of this incredible company, and to be your local Harley-Davidson dealership. If you want to learn more, or you’d like to see the Harley-Davidson® motorcycles we have for sale, contact our store in Big Bend, Wisconsin, today!
Iconic From The Start
These history-shaping bikes have a humble origin story as the passion project of childhood friends William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson. They knew the single pedal bike design was good, but also knew it could be better, and worked to develop a single-cylinder engine to attach to it. Though it worked, it lacked the power needed to climb the steep hills of Milwaukee. They eventually came up with a new engine for a bike with no pedals at all, and released the first Harley-Davidson® motorcycles in 1904.
With their immediate success, they managed to open their own Harley-Davidson factory, allowing the company to build momentum just as fast as their bikes could. They redoubled their efforts to improve on their initial designs, and in seven short years their engines had twice the horsepower as the earlier models.
To The War Effort
With the onset of the first World War, the US military needed a way to get soldiers around quickly and efficiently. Harley-Davidson was up to the challenge and was contracted to build 20,000 motorcycles in 1914. That quickly earned the company the title of the “largest motorcycle manufacturer on the planet.”
After the war and through the Great Depression, Harley-Davidson® motorcycles maintained their popularity. When the second World War began, the increased scope saw a greater demand for Harley-Davidson’s products—to the tune of 90,000 motorcycles!
No Stopping Them
Today, Harley-Davidson remains one of the most popular and successful motorcycle manufacturer’s around. Their lineups are divided into six families of motorcycle: Touring, Softail®, CVO™, Trike, Sportster®, V-Rod®, and Street®. Each is designed for a different riding style, but combined they cover everything from cross-country road trips to backwoods adventures. Every year brings new innovations and industry standard-setting breakthroughs in performance, comfort, quality, and style. From the high-performing engines to the aesthetics that range from modern to classic to the cutting-edge safety features, there’s a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle out there for every rider.
Ready to write your own chapter in the Harley-Davidson history book? Contact us at Road Track & Trail to learn more, or to see the Harley-Davidson motorcycles we have in stock. We proudly serve the people of Milwaukee and Waukesha, Wisconsin, and of Chicago, Illinois—let us serve you today!