Harley-Davidson History

The history of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle begins in 1903 when two young men built a small engine for a bicycle to tool around the hills of Milwaukee. Unhappy with the additional foot pedaling needed to achieve this, William S. Harley and his childhood friends Walter, William and Arthur Davidson created a bigger engine for their bike in the Davidson family shed and entered the new-and-improved cycle in a 1904 motorcycle race. Production and assembly grew quickly and the Harley-Davidson Company officially incorporated in 1907. In 1909, Harley-Davidson unleashed the fastest motorcycle in existence: the characteristic, 2 cylinder, V-twin engine that accelerated to 60mph.

The company achieved international success during World War I, as US motorcycles were in high demand overseas. In the 1920’s, the front brake and “Teardrop” gas tank were introduced in a feat of innovative engineering, beginning to establish the “look” of the Harley. During the Great Depression, business suffered but survived due to the company’s exports and sales to the military and police.

The Harley-Davidson Company received the distinguished Navy “E” award for excellence during World War II due to the war-time production of over 90,000 motorcycles for the military. The first recreational post-war bikes were developed and produced beginning with 1952’s K-model, 1957’s Sportster “Superbike” and 1958’s Duo-Glide. Harley’s reputation tarnished with Hollywood’s outlaw biker films depicting Harley owners as delinquents and criminals.

In 1969, American Machinery and Foundry (AMF) bought the company and ran it into the ground by the late 70’s. The overall quality of the bikes paled in comparison to popular Japanese counterparts. In 1981, members of the Harley-Davidson management team bought out AMF, but sales continued to drop until, in 1985, CEO Richard Teerlink restructured the company based on Japanese management principles and in 1987, Harley regained secure financial standing. Currently, Harley-Davidson Inc. employs nearly 5,000 employees and is comprised of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company in Milwaukee and Eaglemark Financial Services in Chicago.

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