Information About Harley-Davidsons

At the age of 21, William S. Harley drew up a plan for a small engine. It was designed for use in a regular pedal bicycle frame. With the help of a childhood friend named Arthur Davidson, the two men went to work on their motor bicycle. It took them two years to finish it. But it was not able to conquer the hills of Milwaukee, so they wrote it off as a failure.

They decided to try again with a different style and placed an advertisement for a do-it-yourself trade where a person could bring in their own bike and they would modify it. The very first dealer of Harleys was Carl H. Lang of Chicago.

From 1905 to 1907, the company was making a very good name for themselves. They were even asked to supply the military with motorcycles for use in both World War I and II. World War I was the first time that motorcycles were used in combat. By the 1920s, Harley-Davidson was the largest manufacturer in the world.

Early Hollywood had a damaging effect on Harley-Davidson when they put the image of outlaws on them in the movies made that used Harleys. In 1969, a company called American Machinery Foundry brought the company. They almost went bankrupt because the bikes were not as strong in performance. Despite all these problems, the company has since returned to form. To this day, Harley-Davidson has continued to be a strong and growing business, and it is getting bigger all the time.