Harley-Davidson Motorcycles

About Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson Inc (NYSE: HOG, formerly HDI), often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression.

The company sells today only heavyweight motorcycles with over 700 cc, designed for cruising on highways. Harley-Davidson motorcycles, or "Harleys", are noted for the tradition of heavy customization. Harley-Davidson's attempts to establish itself in the light motorcycle market have met little success and have largely been abandoned since the 1978 sale of its Italian Aermacchi subsidiary.

In 1901, William S. Harley, age 20, drew up plans for a small engine with a displacement of 7.07 cubic inches (116 cc) and four-inch (102 mm) flywheels. The engine was designed for use in a regular pedal-bicycle frame. On a practice, though, it was only experiment, somewhat unsuccessful but a start for more. So first "real" Harley-Davidson motorcycle had a bigger engine of 24.74 cubic inches (405 cc) with 9.75 inches (25 cm) flywheels weighing 28 lb (13 kg).

In September 8, 1904, Harley competed in a Milwaukee motorcycle race held at State Fair Park. This is the first documented appearance of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle in the historical record.

Production in 1905 and 1906 were all single-cylinder models with 26.84 cubic inches (440 cc) engines. Starting from 1907, V-Twin engines appeared, having 53.68 cubic inches (880 cc) and producing about 7 horsepower (5.2 kW).

In 1911, an improved V-Twin model was introduced. The new engine had mechanically operated intake valves, as opposed to the "automatic" intake valves used on earlier V-Twins that opened by engine vacuum. With a displacement of 49.48 cubic inches (811 cc), the 1911 V-Twin was smaller than earlier twins, but gave better performance. After 1913 the majority of bikes produced by Harley-Davidson would be V-Twin models.

By 1920, Harley-Davidson was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, with 28,189 machines produced, and dealers in 67 countries.

During the 1920s, several improvements were put in place, such as a new 74 cubic inch (1,212.6 cc) V-Twin, introduced in 1922, and the "Teardrop" gas tank in 1925. A front brake was added in 1928 although notably only on the J/JD models. In the late summer of 1929, Harley-Davidson introduced its 45 cubic inches (737 cc) flathead V-Twin, "D" model. An 80 cubic inches (1,300 cc) flathead engine was added to the line in 1935, by which time the single-cylinder motorcycles had been discontinued.

After World War II, as part of war reparations, Harley-Davidson acquired the design of a small German motorcycle, the DKW RT 125, which they adapted, manufactured, and sold from 1948 to 1966. Harley experienced changes in ownership in the ‘60s, going public in 1965 and eventually merging with American Machine and Foundry (AMF) in 1969. The ‘80s and ‘90s saw the introduction of model families that continue to this day, like the Softail, FLT and Road King lines, joining classic models like the Electra Glide. The story continues today.

Moto blog

Harley-Davidson Pan America 975 and 965S Middleweight Adventure Bikes on the Way

RA975 and RA965S models appear on official Harley-Davidson website Last week, we broke the news confirming Harley-Davidson‘s next Sportster will be equipped with a 975cc version of the liquid-cooled Revolution Max engine, after spotting the model code “RH975” mentioned on an official Harley accessory page. It turns out the next Sportster wasn’t the only new model accidentally leaked by Harley-Davidson. Another accessory product listing, this time for a Pan America locking fuel cap, revealed two more model codes: the RA975 and RA965S.

Confirmed: Next Harley-Davidson Sportster Will Use Revolution Max 975 Engine

The Nightster 975 has a certain ring to it We are less than a week away from the official reveal of Harley-Davidson‘s next Sportster, but we’ve managed to confirm the new model will use a 975 version of the Revolution Max engine. Harley-Davidson has been slowly revealing details of the new model, first with a teaser video and a number of social media posts. We’ve previously speculated that the new model will use a smaller displacement version of the Sportster S‘ Revolution Max 1250T engine, with clues such as the telescopic fork, twin rear shocks and single front disc hinting at a less performance-oriented focus.

Next Revolution Max Harley-Davidson Sportster to Be Announced April 12

Possible names include 48X and Nightster Harley-Davidson will announce its next Revolution Max-powered Sportster model on April 12. The Motor Company dropped a short music-themed teaser video titled “Instrument of Expression,” to promote the announcement, and offer a few tantalizing glimpses of the new model. Harley-Davidson previously teased the next Sportster model last July, revealing a design with more traditional styling than the Sportster S.

Qianjiang-Built 353cc Harley-Davidson Inches Closer to Production

VIN decoder confirms 353cc Parallel-Twin engine A small displacement Harley-Davidson model developed with Chinese manufacturer Qianjiang may finally be nearing production. The prospective 350cc model has been in the works since 2019, and despite design filings of the bike and a look at the Harley-branded engine, we haven’t heard any official statement on when it will go into production. Harley-Davidson first showed renderings of its small-displacement model in 2019.

King of the Baggers: Riding The Harley-Davidson Screamin' Eagle Factory Road Glide Race Bike

What It's Like To Ride A Harley Superbike Credit: Photos by Brian J. Nelson and Kevin Wing Kyle Wyman knows a thing or two about superbikes. Having ridden quite a few over the years as a MotoAmerica rider, and having built some himself as a MotoAmerica team owner – including the Ducati Panigale V4R he campaigned most recently – the 2021 MotoAmerica King of the Baggers champion didn’t mince his words when describing the synergy between himself, Harley-Davidson, and the Road Glide he took all the way to the title.

The 2022 Harley-Davidson Icons Model May Be the Low Rider El Diablo

The devil is in the details Earlier this year, Harley-Davidson revealed a new Low Rider ST featuring a FXRT-inspired fairing. Initial reaction to the Low Rider ST was very positive, with Jochen Zeitz, Harley-Davidson chief executive officer, claiming in Harley-Davidson’s Q4 earnings call “demand was so high for this bike that we sold out our first consumer allocation in 10 minutes.” While the retro fairing might not appeal to everyone, one other critique about the FXLRST (and a few other bikes in the 2022 lineup) is the rather drab selection of colors: Vivid Black and Gunship Gray. If you’re looking for a more vibrant Low Rider ST, you may want to wait a bit longer, as Harley-Davidson will be introducing a new variant to be called the “Low Rider El Diablo.” The name appears in vehicle emissions certification from the U.S.

2022 Harley-Davidson Road Glide ST and Street Glide ST - First Ride

Harley's best sellers get a performance twist. Credit: Photos by Brian J. Nelson and Kevin Wing Harley-Davidson has the fortunate position to stand atop the perch that is its popularity and loyal following to see where its customers take their motorcycles.

Showdown: BMW R 1250 GS Vs Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special

The OG Adventure Tourer takes on the young upstart Credit: Photos by Evans Brasfield; Video by: Sean Matic | Videos by Sean Matic C’mon, you knew it was going to happen. How could we not put the newcomer to the ADV scene head-to-head with the long standing heavyweight from the Fatherland? Our comparison of the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special and BMW R 1250 GS kicks off a series of monthly two-bike tests for 2022.

2022 Harley-Davidson Road Glide ST and Street Glide ST First Look

ST models offer CVO-level performance Taking inspiration from its championship-winning King of the Baggers factory race bikes, Harley-Davidson introduces new, performance-focused ST versions of the Road Glide and Street Glide. Like Kyle Wyman’s King of the Baggers Road Glide Special racer, the Road Glide ST and Street Glide ST have been upgraded with some Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts upgrades. Harley didn’t go so far as to install the same Screamin’ Eagle 131ci crate engine, but the new ST models do come with the Milwaukee-Eight 117 V-Twin with a high-flow intake, high-performance camshaft and a new exhaust to deliver the same level of performance as its CVO models.

Four Harley-Davidson CVOs for 2022

The pinnacle of H-D style and design When you show up on a CVO, you know you’ve arrived and so do all the peons on lesser machines. “Exclusive and hand-crafted paint and designs are executed to a level of intricate quality that is unmatched in the motorcycle and automotive categories,” says H-D, to “represent the pinnacle of style and design.” For 2022, a new CVO Road Glide Limited replaces the CVO Limited, with CVO Street and CVO Road Glides returning, along with the CVO Tri Glide. Each CVO gets a burly Milwaukee-Eight 117 powertrain, H-D’s biggest and most powerful factory-installed motor.