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Harley-Davidson Motorcycles

About Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson Inc (NYSE: HOG, formerly HDI), often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression.

The company sells today only heavyweight motorcycles with over 700 cc, designed for cruising on highways. Harley-Davidson motorcycles, or "Harleys", are noted for the tradition of heavy customization. Harley-Davidson's attempts to establish itself in the light motorcycle market have met little success and have largely been abandoned since the 1978 sale of its Italian Aermacchi subsidiary.

In 1901, William S. Harley, age 20, drew up plans for a small engine with a displacement of 7.07 cubic inches (116 cc) and four-inch (102 mm) flywheels. The engine was designed for use in a regular pedal-bicycle frame. On a practice, though, it was only experiment, somewhat unsuccessful but a start for more. So first "real" Harley-Davidson motorcycle had a bigger engine of 24.74 cubic inches (405 cc) with 9.75 inches (25 cm) flywheels weighing 28 lb (13 kg).

In September 8, 1904, Harley competed in a Milwaukee motorcycle race held at State Fair Park. This is the first documented appearance of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle in the historical record.

Production in 1905 and 1906 were all single-cylinder models with 26.84 cubic inches (440 cc) engines. Starting from 1907, V-Twin engines appeared, having 53.68 cubic inches (880 cc) and producing about 7 horsepower (5.2 kW).

In 1911, an improved V-Twin model was introduced. The new engine had mechanically operated intake valves, as opposed to the "automatic" intake valves used on earlier V-Twins that opened by engine vacuum. With a displacement of 49.48 cubic inches (811 cc), the 1911 V-Twin was smaller than earlier twins, but gave better performance. After 1913 the majority of bikes produced by Harley-Davidson would be V-Twin models.

By 1920, Harley-Davidson was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, with 28,189 machines produced, and dealers in 67 countries.

During the 1920s, several improvements were put in place, such as a new 74 cubic inch (1,212.6 cc) V-Twin, introduced in 1922, and the "Teardrop" gas tank in 1925. A front brake was added in 1928 although notably only on the J/JD models. In the late summer of 1929, Harley-Davidson introduced its 45 cubic inches (737 cc) flathead V-Twin, "D" model. An 80 cubic inches (1,300 cc) flathead engine was added to the line in 1935, by which time the single-cylinder motorcycles had been discontinued.

After World War II, as part of war reparations, Harley-Davidson acquired the design of a small German motorcycle, the DKW RT 125, which they adapted, manufactured, and sold from 1948 to 1966. Harley experienced changes in ownership in the ‘60s, going public in 1965 and eventually merging with American Machine and Foundry (AMF) in 1969. The ‘80s and ‘90s saw the introduction of model families that continue to this day, like the Softail, FLT and Road King lines, joining classic models like the Electra Glide. The story continues today.

Moto blog

What’s the deal with all those Pink Motorcycles?

Tue, 07 Jul 2009

Picture a Motorcycle in your mind, any Motorcycle. It could be one you own, want to own, one you’ve seen. Can you picture it?  What Brand is it?  What Model, year, how fast does it go?  You can probably picture each of these elements vividly.

Michael Jackson in Speed Demon [video]

Fri, 26 Jun 2009

Michael Jackson was not known for riding motorcycles, he did own a 2001 Harley-Davidson that was on the action block earlier this year that was listed for $6,000 – $8,000, I never heard if it was sold or not.  We all have our different opinions about the mega pop star but we can all agree that he was larger than life and truly a boy in a mans body, case in point, take a look at the “Speed Demon” video that features Jackson on a bicycle, motorcycle and scooter, sort of… The “Speed Demon” video is available after the jump. Get the Flash Player to see this player. Source

Top 10 Best Sportbikes of 2009

Tue, 23 Jun 2009

Since it’s inception Motorcycle.com Specs has been the best place for bikers and enthusiasts (like you) to voice their opinions; there has been a lot to spout-off about too! Over 528 Motorcycle models have been updated for you to review in 2009 alone. It’s great to see what the Motorcycle Community has to say about the bikes they ride.

Harley-Davidson Wants You to Ride Five Million Miles

Fri, 12 Jun 2009

Harley-Davidson is rallying its troops for their second annual H.O.G. Million Mile Monday.  The Million Mile Monday is a day when all Harley-Davidson H.O.G. riders go out and ride, recording how far they rode that day on Harley’s H.O.G.

Top 5 Motorcycle Helmets From J.D. Power

Wed, 27 May 2009

J.D. Power and Associates who do independent and unbiased surveys and polls have gathered information on customer satisfaction of motorcycle helmets. The study measures the overall satisfaction of motorcyclists with their new helmet in three key factors: ventilation, face shield, and design and styling; which consist of 11 attributes: quietness; ventilation/air flow; de-fogging; face shield ability to keep wind out; face shield ability to resist scratching; ease of replacing face shield; scratch resistance of shell; color/graphic design; weight; ease of fastening the strap; and fit and comfort.

What’s next for Polaris?

Wed, 20 May 2009

Polaris Industries, the parent company of Victory Motorcycles, announced this week it will form a new on-road vehicle division. The official announcement says the new division “maximizes cohesive and strategic growth for Victory Motorcycles and other on-road products and brands”. Which begs the question: what other on-road products and brands?

Milwaukee’s The Iron Horse Hotel

Tue, 19 May 2009

Historically speaking, the kinds of places that have openly accepted or invited motorcycle enthusiasts and their bikes were lacking in a number of areas. While they may have been convenient and offered motorcycle-friendly amenities, they did so with little comfort or luxury. On the other hand, accommodations on the higher end of the spectrum were pretentious and inconvenient for storing bikes and gear.

Harley-Davidson’s Vanity Fair Photo Shoot

Tue, 12 May 2009

Harley-Davidson has JUST uploaded a new video to YouTube (seriously! It was at 0 views when I got there!).  The video is a behind the scenes look at Harley-Davidson’s photo shoot for an upcoming issue of Vanity Fair. Watch the behind the scenes footage from Harley-Davidson’s new print campaign in the June Issue of Vanity Fair that salutes women riders and encourages females who have not yet hit the road on two wheels to “experience life with no regrets.” The women featured are health and wellness expert and NBCs The Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels; Grammy®-winning singer-songwriter Jewel; television and film actor Tricia Helfer; and Los Angeles rider/entrepreneur Deborah DiMiceli.

Harley’s Behind the Scenes at The Art of Rebellion

Wed, 06 May 2009

On February 7th, 2009, at the Robert Berman Gallery in Santa Monica’s Bergamot Station Arts Center, Harley-Davidson gathered 11 of today’s most relevant and exciting artists to present their take on the theme of rebellion. Because the event was so popular, The Art of Rebellion one-night only event quickly became a month long showing. Artwork was for sale and the proceeds were donated to Art Matters, a foundation that assists socially and aesthetically groundbreaking artists.

Harley Skateboard Trick – Awesome Motorcycle Jump

Tue, 28 Apr 2009

Everything needs to be jumped over with a skateboard at some point in human history.  People, benches, cars, cats, senior citizens, conclusions, ships, …. I’m getting a little metaphorical here…  Why not motorcycles?  Let’s jump some motorcycles on a skateboard and let’s make them Harley-Davidson motorcycles to boot. Harley is on fire with releasing “viral video” to promote their Dark Custom line and have now released this interesting video of a “modded” skateboard with fireworks strapped to it flying over some bikes.  Personally, I think it  looks like the guy is hanging from a wire when he crosses over those bikes.