From the early years the Harley-Davidson motorcycle began to set records. In 1908
the Harley achieved a record 188.234 miles per gallon. Then it gained seven first
place finishes in 1910 motorcycle racing, and, by 1912 claimed 200 U.S. distributors.
A robust Harley-Davidson Sidecar won the first annual Pike's Peak race in 1916,
and another bike claimed first in the 1922 Adelaide to Melbourne South Australia
race.
The 'Hog'
In the early 1960s "the hog," as it came to be called, scored seven consecutive
victories at the Daytona 200. During the next 10 years the Harley took four consecutive
wins at the AMA Grand National Championships and broke the world motorcycle record
for land speed.
The Harley-Davidson came to be America's most recognized motorcycle, but it was
not the first. From the beginning a unique and characteristic sound endeared the
Harley-Davidson to its owners. The Harley's pistons connected to its crankshaft
in a way that caused the motor to give two "pops" then a quiet pause as it hummed
along the road. Yet around that constant sound, other things evolved and changed:
a 45 degree V-twin motor was introduced in 1909, the "Bar and Shield" logo in
1910, and the teardrop-shaped gas tank in the 1920s. In the 1930's an "eagle"
design was placed on those tanks and the famous "Knucklehead" engine was introduced.
At a time the Harley became widely used as both a police and a commercial vehicle,
the company even manufactured sidecars and sported motorbikes built for two. |
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Harleys War
Effort
Throughout World War I Harley-Davidson manufactured nearly 20,000 motorcycles
for the United States. During World War II virtually all of the Harleys produced
went towards the war effort. As England were forced to give up motorcycle production
to favor production of tanks and planes, Harley's motorcycles were also shipped
overseas to U.S. allies. Following WWII the Harley's market share continued to
grow. Its main competitor to harley was the Indian Motorcycle who ceased production
in the 1950s. Veteran owners, new bikers, and even movies such as Easy Rider raised
the Harley Davidson to the status of American icon. Famous stars pictured with
Harleys, from the early Mack Sennett Studio, to Jayne Mansfield, Elvis Presley,
and Peter Fonda, certainly enhanced the company's image.
Bar and Shield
In 1910 the legendary "Bar and Shield" logo that was placed on their motorcycle.
This would become the design and symbol of Harley-Davidson to this day. Numerous
first place winnings in races, endurance contests and hill climbs give Harley-Davidson
more recognition
Later Bikes
In the 1970's saw a revolution of the Harley-Davidson. In 1971 the cruiser was
designed. This machine united a sporty front end with the frame and power train
of the FL series. 1973 saw the move of assembly operations to a new 400,000 square
foot plant in York, Pennsylvania. The year 1975 was the first of four consecutive
years that the Harley-Davidson won the AMA Grand National Championships in dirt
track racing. In 1977, the FXS Low Rider and the FLHS Electra Glide Sport were
introduced to the public. The FXS featured a special lower seat position (hence
the distinguishing term Low Rider...). The FLHS was a low cost base line FLH Electra
Glide with modifications intended to make the model sportier.
