Harley-Davidson Through The Years

The year 1903 was such a productive year in American history. It was the year when Henry Ford incorporated the Ford Motor Company, and the Wright Brothers were the world’s first to fly. Of course, this was also the year when three friends pooled their resources together to create what would later on reach the status of an American icon. It was the birth year of Harley-Davidson, the most famous motorcycle brand in history.

William Harley, together with friends Arthur and Walter Davidson, young men with a passion for mechanics, decided to create the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. Later on, they were joined by William Davidson, who resigned as a tool foreman from a railroad company. They gave their bikes quality engines and emphasized on heavyweight bikes fit for racing. By 1906, they had moved to their headquarters at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which still stands up to now. By 1920, the company was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, both in volume and in the size of its facilities.

Even though Harley-Davidson motorcycles, popularly known as “Harleys”, were not the first motorcycles in the world, they had set numerous records that gave the company a loyal fan base. The Harley-Davidson motorcycle won seven first places in a 1910 motorcycle race. By 1912, the company had 200 distributors. In the first annual Pike's Peak race in 1916, a sturdy Harley-Davidson Sidecar brought home the bacon. In the 1922 Adelaide to Melbourne South Australian race, another Harley won the first prize. Many world records and championships carried the name of Harley-Davidson, which further added to the fast-spreading popularity of the company.
 
During World War II, the company continued with their motorcycle production. They even manufactured around 20,000 motorcycles for the US government. As a matter of fact, most of their motorcycles produced were for war efforts. Many couriers and war messengers were documented to have been riding on Harley-Davidson bikes to deliver important files to military bases.

To prove Harley’s popularity among bikers, different models of Harley-Davidson bikes have appeared in countless movies. Some movies had scenes where the lead stars are on their Harleys, while some even had the brand name in the title. The cult biker film “Harley-Davidson and the Marlboro Man” (1991) starring Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson is one fine example. The classic “Easy Rider” (1969), which began the craze for biker fashion, even had custom-made Harleys for stars Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson. “Born to Ride” (1991) starring John Stamos, didn’t have Harley-Davidson on the title, but it was actually about the Harley-Davidson and its role during World War II.

Even if the Harley’s were just in the background, or appeared in one scene, this proved that Harleys were a popular choice among people from all walks of life. These exposures didn’t just make the Harleys very popular across the world, but it also enhanced the Harley-Davidson Motor Company’s image.

Harleys are not just popular in movies and television, but also in PC and video games, such as “Harley-Davidson: Race to Rally” and “Wheels of Freedom.”

Right now, Harley-Davidson Motor Company continues its legacy in producing quality motorcycles. They still produce some of the most well-known and popular motorcycles in the world.