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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

New Harley-Davidson Book Ties Together The Company’s Past

Thu, 08 May 2014

Margie Siegal, former columnist for IronWorks Magazine and motorcycle enthusiast has written a book on the history of the world’s most famous motorcycle, Harley-Davidson. Entitled,  Harley-Davidson: A History of the World’s Most Famous Motorcycle, the book ties together the mechanical evolution of the Harley engines, the social history of Harley and the beautiful visuals associated with Harleys in design, advertising, artful photography and collectibles. Harley-Davidson are words that evoke the open American road and the “Made in America” tradition like no others.

Harley-Davidson Hires ex-GM Engineer Federico

Thu, 08 May 2014

Harley-Davidson has hired a former General Motors engineer and executive, most recently recognized for leading the automaker’s internal investigation of its ignition switch fiasco that resulted in a recall of 2.6 million vehicles. Jim Federico retired from GM on May 5 after working in various roles with the company over nearly four decades, most recently as executive director of global vehicle integration. Federico will join Harley-Davidson on June 2 as vice president of engineering.

Harley-Davidson World Ride Scheduled for June 22–23

Tue, 06 May 2014

There’s something about sharing in a popular consciousness. Participating in an activity that is also taking place at the same time all over the world adds a special meaning to the event. Begun in 2008 by the Harley Owners Group as Million Mile Monday and renamed and enlarged in 2012 toHarley-Davidson World Ride, this event simply asks all “friends of Milwaukee” to get on their hogs and ride on June 22–23.

Perry King To Be Grand Marshal At Second Annual The Greatest Escape Motorcycle Ride Benefit

Tue, 06 May 2014

Organizers have announced that the much anticipated The Greatest Escape, 2014 in it’s second year, will be led by Grand Marshal, Perry King and a host of celebrities. The Greatest Escape is scheduled for Sunday, August 3, 2014 and will begin with a beautiful ride from Bartels’ Harley-Davidson, 4141 Lincoln Blvd., Marina Del Rey, CA along the Pacific Coast Highway with stunning views of the ocean to the rustic and historic Paramount Ranch, Cornell Road, Agoura Hills, CA. Join Perry King for what will be a wonderful day ending with a concert and BBQ lunch on the ranch. The Greatest Escape, 2014 will include a BBQ lunch by J Wolf BBQ and a concert by The Walking Phoenixes, a Johnny Cash tribute band. The Greatest Escape, 2014, will benefit victims of Mesothelioma and the Pacific Meso Center, in Los Angeles, CA.

Mustang Introduces Perewitz Signature Series Seats

Tue, 06 May 2014

Fans of custom bikes are well aware of the creative mind behind Dave Perewitz’s motorcycle creations. Discerning riders are also familiar with the comfort of Mustang Seats’ saddles. Now, Mustang has announced the release of the Perewitz Signature Seat Series, combining these two great New England names.

Harley-Davidson Breakout Recall Caused by Fuel Tank Angle

Fri, 25 Apr 2014

An official recall announcement by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sheds some light on the cause of a recall campaign on 2013-2014 Harley-Davidson Breakout and CVO Breakout models. We wrote about the recall last week, after campaigns were initiated in Canada and Australia to address a problem with the fuel sensors not properly reading the correct volume of fuel. We now know the problem is caused by the angle of the fuel tank.

Harley-Davidson Launches The Harley-Davidson Riding Academy

Thu, 24 Apr 2014

Harley-Davidson‘s rider training program has revamped itself and even changed its name. Now the new Harley-Davidson Riding Academy is the only national rider training program hosted by Harley-Davidson dealerships and conducted on an all-new Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Since its inception in 2000, Harley-Davidson’s rider training program has successfully trained more than 350,000 new riders with a premium Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF)-approved rider training experience that guides students on their journey from the classroom to the street with an emphasis on building student confidence on their road to independence.

Top-Selling Motorcycles in US in 2013: Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special and Breakout

Tue, 22 Apr 2014

It’s almost automatic every time we write about Harley-Davidson that the company’s critics jump out to say how its bikes are heavy or assembled from parts bin leftovers or technologically decades behind its competitors. What these naysayers either forget or completely ignore is that Harley-Davidson motorcycles continue to sell. In its first quarter 2014 financial report, Harley-Davidson reported a 5.8% increase in motorcycle sales including 3.0% in the U.S.

Harley-Davidson Reports Q1 2014 Sales Results

Tue, 22 Apr 2014

Harley-Davidson kicked off its 2014 fiscal year with a first quarter net income of $265.9 million, an 18.1% increase from the profit reported in the same period of 2013. Consumers purchased 57,415 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles worldwide in the first quarter, up 5.8% from the 54,254 units sold in Q1 2013. U.S.

Harley-Davidson And Marvel Searching For Real-Life Fan To Star In New Digital Franchise

Thu, 17 Apr 2014

In the new movie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Harley-Davidson and Marvel Entertainment have teamed up once again, as our super hero is seen defending man kind on the new Harley-Davidson Street 750. H-D and Marvel have had a long relationship, and to unite fans of both brands, Harley-Davidson is seeking candidates to join Captain America as “Agent 1” and star in a brand-new digital franchise, which will introduce a new chapter of action, including a group of characters created by Marvel’s Custom Division exclusively for Harley, and feature the new Harley-Davidson Street 750. The mini-movie and digital comic will debut in Marvel and Harley-Davidson online and social channels this summer.