Amazing Feats On Harley-Davidson Bikes

The Harley-Davidson motorcycle has stamped its image in American history. It has been tried, tested, and admired for its excellent performance for the past 105 years. From the company’s humble beginnings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to the motorcycling empire that spans the planet, Harley-Davidson is a living legend. As if the motorcycles weren’t famous enough, many people have attempted amazing feats thanks to these powerful machines.

Here’s a short mention of Harley-Davidson history. Did you know that the first women to ride cross-country on a motorcycle were Avis and Effie Hotchkiss? Did you also know that they accomplished this milestone of a task with a Harley-Davidson and a sidecar? This mother and daughter team completed the trip across the country and back from their hometown in Brooklyn, New York within a few months. These two women started an unstoppable trend in female bikers in America.

Speaking of women riders, a couple of decades after the attempt of the Hotchkiss team, the first African-American woman to complete a solo trip across America was Bessie Stringfield. She proudly made a name for colored women, and the female riders in the United States steadily grew in number.

Many stuntmen on motorcycles have attempted death-defying acts on Harley-Davidson bikes. After several years of training, Bubba Blackwell became a popular name in motorcycle stunt jumping. A proud owner of a Harley-Davidson bike, this jumper from Alabama has already broken two Guinness Book of World Records titles. In 1999, Bubba and his Harley leaped over 15 tour buses. In 2001, this stunt rider and his bike soared over 14 semi-trucks with room to spare.

Another notable act is from a couple by the name of Peter and Kay Forwood. On a 1994 Electra Glide Classic, this pair left the United States in 1996 and toured around the world on their Harley-Davidson. According to their website and trip journal, their journey is still ongoing up to the present. They have been through 178 countries from all continents. You can view blogs about their trip, with beautiful pictures of the scenery. Their last update was in August 2007, where they were seen in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

The world famous Harley-Davidson Café in Las Vegas, Nevada carries tons of memorabilia from the company. This restaurant also houses the world’s heaviest flag, which is a chain-link American flag that weighs over 7 tons, and measures 25 feet by 37 feet. There were about 440,000 individual chain links on the flag. This flag was written on the Guinness Book of World Records.

In 2004, television host Jay Leno auctioned his Harley-Davidson motorcycle that was signed by many celebrities for $800,100. This was the most expensive Harley-Davidson in history. The proceeds of the auctioned were donated to help the victims of the Asian Tsunamis. 

Truly, people have done amazing and historical acts with the help of Harley-Davidson. To this date, more and more notable feats are being performed by brave men and women. We can expect to read more about the legendary Harley-Davidson bikes in the history books and world record books in the decades to come.