history

1920By 1920, Harley-Davidson is the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. New Harley-Davidson® motorcycles can be purchased from over 2,000 dealers in 67 countries worldwide.Leslie "Red" Parkhurst breaks 23 speed records on a Harley-Davidson 61 cubic inch racing motorcycle. Also, the "hog" association starts when the racing team's mascot, a pig, is carried on a victory lap after each race won by the team.

1922The first 74 cubic inch V-twin engine is introduced on the JD and FD models. Harley-Davidson dealerships are now found in sixty-seven countries.
Harley-Davidson riders sweep all eight National Championship races.

1925Gas tanks on all models now have a distinct teardrop shape. This basic appearance is set for all subsequent Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
Joe Petrali begins racing for Harley-Davidson. He would become one of the most successful dirt-track racers for Harley-Davidson, and one of the most successful racers of all time.

1926Single-cylinder motorcycles are again sold by Harley-Davidson for the first time since 1918. Models A, AA, B, and BA are available in side-valve and overhead-valve engine configurations.

1928The first Harley-Davidson two cam engine is made available to the public on the JD series motorcycles. The bike is capable of top speeds between 85 - 100 mph.

1929The 45 cubic inch V-twin engine (later to be known as the "flathead") is introduced on the D model. The engine proves to be so reliable that variations of it are available on Harley-Davidson motorcycles as late as 1973.

2000
The FXSTD Softail® Deuce™ is introduced to the immediate delight of riders and the motorcycle media.


The 2000 model year Softail® models are outfitted with the Twin Cam 88B™ engine, a counter-balanced version of the Twin Cam 88.
Fuel injection is unveiled as a feature new to the Softail line of motorcycles for the 2001 model year.


Buell introduces the Blast®, a single-cylinder motorcycle, for the 2000 model year. The Blast receives excellent reviews. It's introduced in tandem with the Rider's Edge® Academy of Motorcycling, a beginner's rider course available through Harley-Davidson and Buell dealerships.


2001
The VRSCA V-Rod® is introduced for the 2002 model year. Inspired by the VR-1000 racing motorcycle, the V-Rod is Harley-Davidson's first motorcycle to combine fuel injection, overhead cams and liquid cooling, and delivers 115 horsepower.
Harley-Davidson Racing announces the latest addition to the team: 17 year old Jennifer Snyder, the first woman to win a national event in the Formula USA National Dirt Track Series.
Harley-Davidson announces expansions at the Product Development Center (Milwaukee), as well as Tomahawk, WI, and York, PA, facilities.
2002 The all-new Buell® Firebolt® storms onto the scene.
The Open Road Tour debuts in Atlanta, GA, in July to celebrate the upcoming Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary.
2003 Buell Motorcycle Company unleashes the Lightning® XB9S.
More than 250,000 people come to Milwaukee for the final stop of the Open Road Tour and the Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary Celebration and Party.
2004 For the 2004 model year, the Sportster® family models receive rubber engine mounting, a new frame, and a wider rear tire. Some Sportster® models receive a redesigned gas tank.
The FLHRSI Road King® Custom is introduced. With its low rear suspension and wide handlebars, the FLHRSI brings a beach look to a classic Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
Andrew Hines of the Screamin' Eagle®/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson drag racing team clinches his first NHRA Powerade Pro Stock Motorcycle Championship at age 21, the youngest champion in NHRA history.
2005 The XL 883L Sportster® 883 Low brings a lowered seating position to the Sportster® line.
The FLSTNI Softail® Deluxe adds a sleek look to the Softail® line and a paint scheme reminiscent of 1939 Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Also, the FLSTSC/I Softail® Springer® Classic revives looks from the late 1940s.
Andrew Hines wins his second straight NHRA Powerade Pro Stock Motorcycle Championship. G.T. Tonglet, also of the Screamin' Eagle®/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson team, places second.
Harley-Davidson and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) mark the 25th anniversary of their partnership.
2006 The first of the 6-speed transmissions are made available on 2006 model year Dyna™ motorcycles. Also joining the Dyna™ family is the FXDB/I Street Bob™.


The 2006 model year includes the all-new FLHX/I Street Glide™, a lower profile touring motorcycle.


Harley-Davidson unveils plans for an all-new museum in Milwaukee, scheduled for opening in 2008.


Harley-Davidson appoints Beijing Feng Huo Lun (FHL) as the first authorized Harley-Davidson dealer on mainland China.

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history

1901William S. Harley, age 21, completes a blueprint drawing of an engine designed to fit into a bicycle.

1903William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson make available to the public the first production Harley-Davidson® motorcycle. The bike was built to be a racer, with a 3-1/8 inch bore and 3-1/2 inch stroke. The factory in which they worked was a 10 x 15-foot wooden shed with the words "Harley-Davidson Motor Company" crudely scrawled on the door. Arthur's brother Walter later joins their efforts.

1904The first Harley-Davidson Dealer, C.H. Lang of Chicago, IL, opens for business and sells one of the first three production Harley-Davidson motorcycles ever made.

1905On July 4th, a H-D motorcycle wins a 15 mile race in Chicago with a time of 19:02. In Milwaukee, the first full-time employee is hired.

1906A new factory, measuring 28 x 80 feet, is built on the Chestnut St. site, later renamed Juneau Avenue. Staff size is increased to six full-time employees. Also, the first motorcycle catalog is produced by the Company and the nickname "Silent Gray Fellow" is used for the first time.

1907William A. Davidson, brother to Arthur and Walter Davidson, quits his job as tool foreman for the Milwaukee Road railroad and joins the Motor Company.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company is incorporated on September 17th. The stock is split four ways between the four founders, and staff size has more than doubled from the previous year to eighteen employees. Factory size is doubled as well. Dealer recruitment begins, targeting the New England region.

1908Walter Davidson scores a perfect 1,000 points at the 7th Annual Federation of American Motorcyclists Endurance and Reliability Contest. Three days after the contest, Walter sets the FAM economy record at 188.234 miles per gallon. Word of Harley-Davidson's extremely tough motorcycle spreads rapidly.

1909The six-year-old Harley-Davidson Motor Company introduces its first V-twin powered motorcycle. With a displacement of 49.5 cubic inches, the bike produces seven horsepower. The image of two cylinders in a 45-degree configuration would fast become one of the most enduring icons of Harley-Davidson history. Also available for the first time from the Motor Company are spare parts for motorcycles.

1910The famed "Bar & Shield" logo is used for the first time. It is trademarked at the U.S. Patent office one year later.At least seven different first place finishes are captured at races, endurance contests and hillclimbs across America. All seven winners are riding Harley-Davidson® motorcycles.


1911The "F-head" engine becomes a workhorse of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle until 1929.

1912Construction begins on what will become the six story headquarters and main factory building at Juneau Ave. in Milwaukee. A separate Parts and Accessories Department is formed.H-D exports motorcycles to Japan, marking the first ever sales outside of the U.S. Dealer network grows to over 200

1913The Racing Department is formed, with William Ottaway as its first Assistant Engineer to racing engineer William S. Harley. Also, the Forecar delivery van is offered for the first time.

1914Sidecars are made available to Harley-Davidson buyers. Clutch and brake pedals now available on F-head singles and twins.The Motor Company formally enters motorcycle racing this year. The first Racing Engineer is William S. Harley. Within a few short years, team Harley-Davidson is referred to informally as the "Wrecking Crew" because of their incredible dominance of the sport.
The Two-Speed rear hub transmission is introduced for two years only in the Model 10F. Patented by William S. Harley, it was effective but discontinued in order to further improve drivetrain function in 1915 with a three-speed design.


1915Harley-Davidson motorcycles are now available with three speed sliding-gear transmissions with final and primary drive on the same side.

1916The Enthusiast begins its reign as the longest continuously published motorcycle magazine in the world.

1917During this year, roughly one-third of all Harley-Davidson motorcycles produced are sold to the U.S. military. The Quartermasters School, a department of Harley-Davidson devoted to training military mechanics on Harley-Davidson motorcycles, opens for business in July. It will later become the Service School.The sale of Harley-Davidson bicycles begins. Individual components are made by the Davis Sewing Machine Co. of Dayton, Ohio. The bicycles are sold through the H-D dealer network.

೧೯೧೮lmost half of all Harley-Davidson motorcycles produced are sold for use by the U.S. military in World War I. At War's end, it is estimated that the Army used some 20,000 motorcycles in their efforts, most of which were Harley-Davidsons. One day after the signing of the Armistice, Corporal Roy Holtz of Chippewa Falls, Wis., is the first American to enter Germany. He is riding a Harley-Davidson.

1919The 37 cubic inch opposed twin cylinder Sport model is introduced and gains great popularity overseas. Unique not only for the cylinder configuration, which was directly opposed and flat, the Sport quickly earns a reputation for being uncommonly quiet.

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