In 1903 the very first Harley Davidson motorcycles were made available to the public when William Harley and his friend Arthur Davidson produced one built as a racing motorcycle. It was purchased by one of their childhood school friends, Henry Meyer. During this time, the Harley Davidson production plant was nothing more than a crude wooden shed with the words "Harley Davidson Motor Company" scratched across the front door.
1905 was an important year for Harley Davidson, as they hired their first full time employee and one of their motorcycles won a race in Chicago, putting them on the map in a sense. Years and years go by, and the 1950's find Harley Davidson's winning races, being featured on magazine covers with Elvis Presley, and becoming a household name among race and motorcycle enthusiasts everywhere.
In 1983 the Harley Owners Group was formed, and was referred to as H.O.G. It became the largest motorcycle club in the world to be sponsored by a factory. In a mere six years, the club had grown to include more than 90,000 members. In 1987, Harley Davidson became listed on the New York Stick Exchange, and owners everywhere realized what a wise investment they had made!
More years pass, with Harley Davidson inventing new motorcycles on a regular basis, winning more races, and selling more motorcycles than any other manufacturer. In 2006, Harley Davidson appointed the first authorized dealer of their motorcycles in China.
Today, Harley Davidson produces a wide variety of motorcycles that come in all different styles, shapes and colors. Harley Davidson not only makes recreational and sport racing motorcycles, they also make touring bikes. The Ultra Classic Electra Glide is the king daddy of them all, loaded with extra features and offering the ultimate in comfort. It even comes with an advanced audio system!
While Harley Davidson is most well known for their motorcycles, they also produce a full line of accessories to compliment their motorcycles. Some of the available accessories include sidecars, saddlebags and pouches, chrome covers, windshields, seats, mirrors, backrests, hand controls and sissy bars.
They also make a full line of clothing including leather goods, warm, cold and wet weather gear, helmets, gloves, jackets, vests, shirts, pants, boots, eyewear, as well as racing attire. There clothing accessory line is available in a wide range of sizes for men and women, as well as children.
If you are in the market to buy a Harley Davidson, you'll be able to find one no matter where you are in the world. Harley Davidson has dealerships in over 60 countries, and as a company employs more than 9,000 people.
When it comes to motorcycles, the top known brand is Harley Davidson. Harleys are distinctive in design and attract a loyal following. Bikers who are not fans contend that the bikes are badly engineered, under-powered and under-performing. But in reality Harleys are designed for long, low-speed cruising on flat, straight roads. And Harley is a name that smacks of prestige and success and tradition and longevity and power. And sound! There's the unique sound of a Harley that speaks volumes about the name.
The Harley-Davidson Motor Company was officially founded on August 28, 1903 by, strangely enough, two guys named Harley and Davidson (plus Davidson's two brothers). Production started in Milwaukee, where it in fact continues today. Incidentally, a few years ago Harley celebrated their 100th anniversary, quite an accomplishment. And nowhere was the celebration bigger than in hometown Milwaukee, where thousands of motorists congregated for the celebration over Labor Day weekend.
Harley grew by leaps and bounds. They were the motorcycles of choice for police forces in the US and abroad. Harleys were used extensively in combat in World War I. By 1920, Harley-Davidson was officially the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. And they were only one of two American cycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression in 1929.
In the 70s, the Japanese had developed motorcycles that were far superior to the Harleys. As a result, Harley-Davidson very nearly declared bankruptcy. However, Harleys improved their quality and craftsmanship, exploited the "retro" appeal of the machines, and eventually turned themselves around to being once again among the leaders in motorcycle mania everywhere,
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