THERE’S A MYSTIQUE to Harley-Davidson that riders and even Harley-Davidson executives rarely can define in a single word. That just might explain why Harley’s mantra, “It’s a journey, not a destination,” is as wide open as the road. Indeed, for Harley-Davidson, the journey is now 110 years in the making, and that journey has amassed avid, loyal fans and customers who use catchwords such as freedom, Americana, adventure, edgy, and cool, among countless others, to describe Harley-Davidson. From 1903 until now…… It’s a story no one on earth could have made up. Four young men experiment with internal combustion in a tiny wooden shed. Not only does the shed not burn down, but the motorcycle they build goes on to serve for over 100,000 miles, under 5 owners, and that’s just the beginning.
TIMELINE
1903 William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson make available to the public the first production Harley-Davidson® motorcycle. The factory in which they worked was a 10 x 15-foot wooden shed with the words "Harley-Davidson Motor Company" crudely scrawled on the door. Arthur's brother Walter later joins their efforts.
1904 The first Harley-Davidson Dealer, C.H. Lang of Chicago, IL, opens for business and sells one of the first three production Harley-Davidson motorcycles ever made.
1907 William A. Davidson, brother to Arthur and Walter Davidson, quits his job as tool foreman for the Milwaukee Road railroad and joins the Motor Company.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company is incorporated on September 17th. The stock is split four ways between the four founders.
1908 The first motorcycle sold for police duty is delivered to the Detroit, MI, Police Department.
1909 Harley-Davidson Motor Company introduces its first V-twin powered motorcycle.
1910 The famed "Bar & Shield" logo is used for the first time. It is trademarked at the U.S. Patent office one year later
1911 The "F-head" engine becomes a workhorse of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle until 1929.
H-D exports motorcycles to Japan, marking the first ever sales outside of the U.S. Dealer network grows to over 200 nationwide.
1918 Almost half of all Harley-Davidson motorcycles produced are sold for use by the U.S. military in World War I. Corporal Roy Holtz of Chippewa Falls, Wis., is the first American to enter Germany and he is riding a Harley-Davidson.
1920 By 1920, Harley-Davidson is the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world.
1933 An art-deco "eagle" design is painted on all gas tanks. This marks the beginning of graphic designs on Harley-Davidson
1936 Harley-Davidson introduces the EL, the motorcycle quickly earns the nickname of "Knucklehead," due to the shape of its rocker boxes.
1938 The Jack Pine Gypsies Motorcycle Club holds the first Black Hills Rally in Sturgis, SD.
1941 America is plunged into World War II. Production of civilian motorcycles is almost entirely suspended in favor of military production.
1943 Harley-Davidson receives the first of its four Army-Navy "E" Awards for excellence in wartime production.
1947 Harley-Davidson begins selling what will become the classic black leather motorcycle jacket.
1948 New features are added to the 61 and 74 overhead valve engines. Also new are the one piece, chrome plated rocker covers shaped like cake pans. The nickname "Panhead" only seemed logical.
1953 Harley-Davidson celebrates its 50th Anniversary in style. An attractive logo is created, depicting a "V" in honor of the engine which had brought the Company so far.
Harley-Davidson would be the sole U.S. motorcycle manufacturer for the next 46 years.
1956 The new young star Elvis Presley poses for the cover of the May Enthusiast sitting on a 1956 model KH.
1966 The first of the "Shovelhead" engines is introduced on the Electra-Glide models, replacing the Panhead.
1969 Harley-Davidson merges with the American Machine and Foundry Company (AMF), a longtime producer of leisure products.
1981 On February 26, thirteen Harley-Davidson senior executives sign a letter of intent to purchase Harley-Davidson Motor Company from AMF. By mid-June, the buyback is official, and the phrase "The Eagle Soars Alone" becomes a rallying cry.
1983 Harley Owners Group®. Fondly referred to as H.O.G.®, the Group immediately becomes the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle club in the world. Within six years, H.O.G. membership soars to more than 90,000. By the year 2000, it exceeds 500,000 members.
1986 The Motor Company is listed on the American Stock Exchange, the first time Harley-Davidson is publicly traded since 1969, the year of the AMF merger.
1988 Harley-Davidson celebrates its 85th Anniversary with a Homecoming in Milwaukee, attended by over 60,000 enthusiasts.
1993 Harley-Davidson celebrates its 90th Anniversary in Milwaukee with a Family Reunion. An estimated 100,000 people ride in a parade of motorcycles.
Harley-Davidson buys a minority interest in the Buell Motorcycle Company. Erik Buell created the Company to manufacture American sport motorcycles using Harley-Davidson® XL 883 and 1200 engines.
1998 Harley-Davidson celebrates its 95th Anniversary. 140,000 plus riders are warmly received by Milwaukee to help with the celebration.
Harley-Davidson buys a remaining 49% interest in Buell Motorcycle Company. Erik Buell is named Chairman of Buell operations.
1999 The Touring and Dyna motorcycle families receive the new Twin Cam 88® engine.
2000 The 2000 model year Softail® models are outfitted with the Twin Cam 88B™ engine, a counter-balanced version of the Twin Cam 88.
2003 More than 250,000 people come to Milwaukee for the final stop of the Open Road Tour and the Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary Celebration and Party.
2005 Harley-Davidson and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) mark the 25th anniversary of their partnership.
2008 In keeping with tradition, hundreds of thousands of riders from around the world converge on Milwaukee to celebrate Harley-Davidson’s 105th Anniversary. Riders and dealers raise more than $6.7 million for MDA. That same weekend, Police motorcycles marks 100th Anniversary and HOG marks 25 years with its own party.
2010 Seth Enslow on a Harley-Davidson XR1200 breaks the world record for a long distance motorcycle jump on a Harley-Davidson at 183.7 feet. Previously, the record was proudly held by Bubba Blackwell (1999) and Evel Kneivel (1975).