The Time Line Of Harley Davidson Bikes
Harley Davidson is synonymous with American motorcycles, but this was not always the case. Harley Davidson is a company with a history of over a hundred years. They had to survive many ups and downs to get to where they are now.
1903: Bill Harley and Arthur Davidson build their first 1HP motorcycle together.
1908: The Harley Davidson Motorcycle Company is born in a small barn in Milwaukee, WI. They employ twenty people to build their cycles.
1909: Harley Davidson make their first V-Twin (not the first V-Twin). It cranks out a whopping 7 HP
1910: The Harley Davidson bar and shield comes into being.
1912: Harley Davidson begins construction on a new factory and makes their first overseas sale.
1915: Harley Davidson incorporate the three speed sliding gear transmission.
1917-1918: 20,000 Harley Davidsons are used in WWI. Harley Davidson become the biggest motorcycle manufacturer in the world.
The 20s: Teardrop gas tank finds its way onto Harleys. Twin Cam engines allow cycles to reach speeds in excess of 85 mph.
The 30s: The Knucklehead is introduced and kills the Indian.
The 40s: The Panhead is introduced and Harley cements it status as the face of American Motorcycles. Harley suspends commercial motorcycle production in favor of supplying the armed forces in WWII. Hydraulic front brakes are introduced.
The 50s: A bad time for Harley, but they survived.
The 60s: Harley merges with AMF. A bad idea. Quality begins to slip.
The 70s: The Cruiser is introduced. Quality issues persist.
The 80s: Harley buys back their company from AMF and quality immediately improves. They introduce the 1340 cc V-Twin. Quality improves
The 80s to present: Harley has continued to be an innovator in the field of motorcycle production and continues to lead the industry.