Harley-Davidson Motorcycles

 The first Harley-Davidson motorcycle was a one cylinder engine which was first produced in 1903. This Harley was a very well built machine and was a very large seller. At that time production was slow. Over the next 5 years they manufactured a little over one hundred and fifty motocycles.

Soon after this, they decided to open a new factor and hired a small staff of about twenty employees. With the added workers they put together a new type of twin engine. This engine was called the forty five degree twin engine which boasted seven horse powers.

This Engine is what inspired the Harley-Davidson logo. This logo and emblem is still used today.

With their success of the motorcycle, they started the production of a new line of motor called the F-Head. This was Harley-Davidson’s best seller at the time. They continued producing this engine until the late 1920s, when they started the production of a flat head engine.

The Harley-Davidson started selling their motorcycles internationally in the middle of the 1910s.

The Harley-Davidson style has not changed a lot since the beginning.

They added accessories and add-ons such as a three speed sliding gear transmission, and even a sidecar.

The Harley Davidson Company has continued to enhance their products with each and every year. Also in the late 1920s they released their first motorcycles that had front wheel brakes as well as a twin-cam engine. With this size engine, the motorcycle was able to reach speeds up to 85mph.

Harley had a rough go of it in the mid to late 1960s when other companies such as Honda and Susizki started producing extremely fast motorcycles. Harley-Davidson did not give up. They soon merged with another company as they needed money to survive. The products were poorly made and Harley Davidson’s reputation was greatly affected.

After that they became more and more determined to get back to the original high quality motorcycle they once were. And as we know now, they succeeded.