Harley-Davidson: If your gonna do it… do it on a Harley!

January 15, 2022

“Bikers and veterans go hand in hand and I can assure you that we never forget. That rumbling sound you hear when a group of bikes comes together is not noise sir, it is the harmony of brotherhood coming together for a purpose and cause.”

Harley-Davidson has 52 retail stores in Canada and 697 in the United States

Let’s go back 121 years…

In 1901, 20-year-old William S. Harley drew some plans for a small engine designed for use with a regular pedal bicycle. His friend, Arthur Davidson, worked with him over the next two years to build a “motor-bicycle.” Their friend, Henry Melk, allowed them to use his machine shop.

In 1903, the boys had finished their motor-bicycle and gave it a road test. While it worked, it could not climb the hills in Milwaukee with them pedaling like mad. Disappointed, but not discouraged, they wrote off their first motor-bicycle as a learning experience and moved on to their next project knowing more than they had in the beginning.

By January 1905, after two years of hard work on their motor-bicycle, the boys were ready to advertise in the Automobile and Cycle Trade Journal. By April, they were producing complete motorcycles and Harley-Davidson dealer Carl H. Lang of Chicago sold three of the five bikes that had been built in the Davidson backyard shed. The company later moved its factory to Juneau Avenue.

World War I (1914-1918)

Harley-Davidson produced the WLC for the Canadian military.

In 1917, the United States entered World War I and desperately needed motorcycles for the war effort. That year, the U.S. military purchased 20,000 motorcycles from Harley-Davidson.

By 1920, Harley-Davidson was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, with 28,189 machines produced and dealers in 67 countries. In 1921, Otto Walker won a race on a Harley-Davidson riding at an average speed of greater than 100 mph (160km/h), the first bike ever to do so.

World War II (1939-1945)

One of only two American cycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression (1929-1939), Harley-Davidson once again provided the U.S. Army with large numbers of motorcycles for World War II. After the war, the company resumed civilian production of motorcycles for use both on racetracks and by private buyers.

And now, back to the future…

Harley-Davidson Sportster 2021

The Harley-Davidson story is a long and fascinating tale. For the past 121 years, the company has been providing solid motorcycles for military use, racing, touring and leisure riding. In 2017, the company sold over 240,000 motorcycles. Given that the Harley-Davidson bike is considerably more expensive than other bikes, this is an impressive number.

Further. Faster.” The 2022 World Premiere Event

On January 26, 2022, at 10 a.m. CST, Harley-Davidson will introduce its full line of 2022 motorcycles. The lineup will include bikes in the following categories: Sport; Adventure Touring; Cruiser; Grand American Touring; and Trike. The event will take place at Beach House Harley-Davidson’s, 100 Harley Davidson Dr., Shallotte, NC 28470, USA.

Gloria Sauvé
Communications and Marketing

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