Everyone’s heard of Harley, right? It’s an iconic motorcycle brand that is recognised worldwide. It has come to represent freedom, independence, and America. Since the release of Harley-Davidson’s first true motorcycle in 1904, they have continued to evolve in motorcycle design, construction, and engineering. It is safe to say they now represent a true American motorcycle!
Two years after the release of the Harley-Davidson Model 1, founders William Harley and Arthur Davidson opened their very first factory and helped set in motion a new era of motorcycles. In the following decade, Harley-Davidson® developed a V-Twin engine that effectively doubled the horsepower of previous single cylinders.
During world war I, the U.S. government bought around 20,000 motorcycles from Harley-Davidson®, which equated to around 50% of their sales. The demand that this created was a big part of what helped Harley-Davidson® to grow into the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world by 1920. The facility on Juneau Avenue that was finished in 1920 is seven stories high and still used today as the corporate office centre.
Fast forward to world war II, Harley-Davidson once again stepped up and produced around 90,000 motorcycles for the U.S. and allied military efforts.
Harley-Davidson® has been perhaps the most successful motorcycle brand to carve out its own space in pop/rock culture. As one of the CEO’s of Harley-Davidson said:
“There are very few products that are so exciting that people
will tattoo your logo on their body”
What it stands for, combined with its bold and loud styles, means people either love or hate the brand. Over the years, the cult-like following has been helped out by superstars like Elvis Presley, whose prized possessions included his 1956 Harley-Davidson® KH. There have also been a variety of movies made about the rise of Harley-Davidson!
Nowadays, Harley-Davidson® motorcycles are a force to be reckoned with in the motorcycle world. They have come to stand for the timeless pursuit of adventure. Freedom for the soul.
They are some of the most powerful and (arguably) best-looking bikes money can buy. While they are known for their cruisers, they also have touring models and trikes to help suit everyone’s needs. While the weight factor of a Harley-Davidson® may be off-putting for some people, it definitely has its benefits too.
One motto of Harley-Davidson® bikes is that they are made to last. There is a reason they were the bike of choice for two world wars, and that quality has been maintained.
Looking to the future, Harley-Davidson® is spending a lot of time and resourcing in working to improve its standing in the electric motorcycle market. In 2021, they introduced LiveWire as a distinct brand, and in 2022 the big announcement was made that through an agreement with AEA-Bridges, Impact CorpLiveWire would become a publicly traded company.
For almost 120 years, Harley-Davidson® has been designing, engineering and building not only quality motorcycles that have impacted the entire industry, but generations of motorcycle enthusiasts too.
We hope you enjoyed reading this blog and found it interesting!
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If you’d like a quote for your Harley Davidson, call our friendly team on 0800 009 6020.
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