History of Harley Davidson

In 1903 Bill Harley and Arthur Davidson built a one-cylinder motorcycle in a wooded hut located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The motorcycle was based on an engine designed to fit on a bicycle. Their company started, and in 1908, they produced 154 bikes and had a new factory with 20 employees. By 1910, Harley Davidson had its two most recognizable symbols -- the 45 degree V-Twin engine and the bar and shield logo. From this time on, the growth of Harley Davidson was very rapid. During the first World War, almost half of their production went to the military. The company expanded into a six story plant and started exporting to Japan; by 1920, Harley-Davidson was the largest motorcycle manufacture in the world.

The distinct tear drop shape of the gas tanks was added to the bikes in 1925. Also during this time, the chopper got its now famous nickname, the "Hog." Civilian production was almost stopped during World War II, due to the war effort of building 90,000 bikes for the military. In the 1950s, Harley-Davidson had a great amount of competition from foreign manufactures that produced smaller, lighter, and sometimes even faster bikes. The company met this challenge with the Sportster in 1957.

In the 1960s, Harley-Davidson's reputation began to suffer, leading the company to merge with American Machine and Foundry Co. The company released their popular Cruiser model in the 1970s, a sporty looking bike which turned out to be a great success. A new plant was built in York, PA. In 1981, the senior executives of Harley Davidson purchased the company and it became publicly traded in the New York Stock Exchange in 1987. The FLSTF Fat Boy came out in the 1990s, which was also very successful. Today, Harley Davidson has over 60% of the market for big bikes over 850cc.