The Evolution Of The Harley
The Harley Davidson Company officially commenced with the completion of its first bike in 1903. Unofficially it all began in 1901 when 21-year-old William S. Harley drew up plans for a small engine that displaced 7.07 cubic inches and had 4-inch flywheels.
By 1903 William Harley had joined with his boyhood friend Arthur Davidson, as well as Arthur’s bro Walter. They used the machine shop of their pal Henry Melk to complete the prototype of their first engine-powered bike. The engine that powered this prototype wasn’t quite strong enough to launch the motored-bike up Milwaukee’s modest hills without the rider resorting to pedal power.
The first “real” Harley Davidson bike was eventually completed with further help from another Davidson brother named William. It had a bigger engine of 24.74 cubic inches with 9-3 / four inch flywheels weighing 28 pounds. The new bike was functional by September 08, 1904, and made its first appearance in a Milwaukee bike race.
The first Harley Davidson Motor Company factory was built in 1906 on Chestnut Street. It had been a modest forty by sixty foot single story wooden structure. Chestnut Street was later renamed Juneau Avenue, and though the first structure was replaced, this location remains the Motor Company’s company headquarters to this day. A total of fifty motorbikes were produced in 1906.
The next year, 1907 brought about much change for the fledgling company. William S. Harley graduated from the school of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in mechanical engineering. The factory was expanded and the company officially incorporated. Production increased to 150 bikes in 1907.
Success continued in the years that followed. The original factory was demolished and replaced by a new 5-story structure of fortified concrete and red brick. It soon grew to take up 2 blocks along Juneau Avenue and around the corner on 38th Street. In this period bikes produced by Harley Davidson started to dominate the bike racing arena and production reached 16,284 in 1914.
World War I saw the requirement for motorbikes in the army. Harley Davidson provided over 20,000 motorbikes to army forces during World War I. Enhancements and increased production continued after the war. The Harley Davidson Motor Company was in fact one of only 2 American cycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression. The company continued to supply machines for the army through World War Two and the Korean War. The Jeep then replaced it in appreciation.
The Harley Davidson Motor Company is still going robust today, regardless of bumps and bruises along the path. You’ll recognize it on the Stock Market under the symbol HOG.
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Jul262010
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