The story of the Harley-Davidson founders

In a market dominated by Japanese manufacturers such as Ducati, Suzuki, and Yamaha, the fact that the Harley-Davidson motorcycle is 100 percent American may be one reason why American enthusiasts are so in love with the brand. Created by four Americans in a garage in Milwaukee, these motorcycles are now produced in Missouri and Pennsylvania. The three brothers involved were originally named Davidson, but the team decided to put Harley's name on the product. Because he was the one who came up with the idea of the motorcycle.

The bicycle should be used as a starting point when examining the evolution of the motorcycle. Bicycle-like two-wheeled human-powered machines became a reality in 1817. In early models, the driver's feet had to be on the ground in strange and sometimes dangerous ways (like Fred Flintstone and his car in the Stone Age series). Eventually, people figured out how to use pedals and gears to propel themselves.

The inventors were quick to attempt to create a self-propelled bicycle using a motor. Motorcycles were already on the market when William Harley and the Davidsons started the game with their own inventions, so Davidson and Harleys were not the first to think of the concept.

William Harley and Arthur Davidson: These two friends were not content with the bicycles they rode in the neighborhood when they were children, and they rolled up their sleeves for motorcycle production in 1903.

Most would have guessed that the brand was probably founded by a man named Harley and his partner Davidson, which is no lie. But more accurately, Harley Davidson was founded by William Harley and the three Davidson brothers: Arthur, William, and Walter.

William Sylvester Harley was born in 1880 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After working with his childhood friend Arthur Davidson, he got a job at a bicycle factory at the age of 15 (we'll talk about him later). Both were avid mechanics with an understanding of engineering, and while working in a bicycle factory, they came up with the idea of mounting a motor on a bicycle. Davidson (and his siblings) later agreed that the idea was Harley's and therefore Harley's name should have come first in the company name.

With the help of Arthur and Walter Davidson, Harley built a prototype motorcycle in 1901; but he couldn't climb the slopes around Milwaukee. The team kept working and experimenting, and soon the Harley-Davidson company made it!

William Harley and Arthur Davidson began building single-cylinder motorcycles that could be used instead of horses for people who could not afford a car. The first motorcycle was sold to school friends Henry Meyer for like $200.

After two years of hard work, the two friends were able to produce their first engine in 1903. Again in 1903, they established their workshop named Harley Davidson, which is a combination of surnames. But their first designs did not turn out as they had imagined. They wanted a much more professional and iconic model. They began to concentrate on the power of the engine. In their new design, they have developed a system that will put more power on the rear wheels.

In 1904, C.H Lang of Chicago, the first Harley Davidson dealer, sold one of the first Harleys produced. This model was named The Silent Gray Fellow in 1906. When the dates showed July 4, 1905, Harley Davidson was the winner of the motorcycle race organized as part of Independence Day. This success was the event that started the Harley fashion.

Now, there was a need for an icon to represent the company, where people would realize that it was a Harley Davidson when they looked at it. The 'Bar and Shield' logo, which is one of the distinguishing features of Harley Davidsons today, was born in 1910 as a result of this search for institutionalization.

Harley served as the company's chief engineer and chief financier until his death in 1943 at the age of 62.

Although the business partner's name is prominent in corporate correspondence, Davidson was instrumental in making Harley-Davidson a global powerhouse. Davidson died at the age of 69 after a tragic car accident.

Who was Walter Davidson?

The late Walter Davidson made a late entry into the Harley-Davidson scene. Walter had already moved to Kansas while his older brother and girlfriend were working on a project in the garage of the house. He got a job as an electrician and machinist in a railway construction company.

Arthur wrote to his brother, and soon the young man moved back to Milwaukee. When Walter got there he hoped to see a motorcycle but instead found a wreck. But Walter saw potential in the chaos and stayed in Milwaukee to help bring William and Arthur's vision to life.

Walter died on February 7, 1942, at the age of 65, as president of the company named after him and his brothers.

HISTORICAL STEPS

1914: Basket bikes become available for Harley Davidson buyers. Clutch and brake pedals are offered for F-head single-cylinder and twin-cylinder models.

1916: The birth year of the world's longest-running motorcycle magazine.

1941–45: Harley-Davidson, produced more than 90,000 motorcycles for use by the US Army and its allies during World War II.

1958: The first hydraulic rear brake and new rear suspension appear on the new Duo-Glide Big Twin models.