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.

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Sign Up Now For An Edelweiss Harley-Davidson Tour

Edelweiss Bike Travel has over 34 years of expertise in worldwide motorcycle touring and has created a range of once-in-a-lifetime touring rides for both new and experienced riders. The new Harley-Davidson Authorized Tours provided by the Edelweiss team include a breathtaking ride through the beauty of the Bavarian Forest and ancient Habsburg Empire, a spectacular journey through the rugged scenery of Scotland and an unforgettable adventure through the stunning landscape of Morocco on the African continent. Harley-Davidson Authorized Tours operates over 200 tours globally each year.

Harley-Davidson Hitting Sturgis In Full Force

Harley-Davidson is kicking off the 74th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in the Black Hills of South Dakota with a full arsenal of activities and events that will electrify all motorcycle enthusiasts. The highly anticipated rally runs from Saturday, August 2 through Saturday, August 9. With activities, rides and demos scheduled throughout the week, Harley-Davidson created a free mobile app to help attendees navigate all the action.

Harley-Davidson Confirms Project Livewire Will Appear In Avengers Movie

From the “Unless-You’ve-Been-Living-Under-A-Rock” department comes Harley-Davidson’s announcement today at the San Diego Comic-Con, that H-D’s first electric motorcycle, the Livewire, will indeed be used in Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron movie as the ride of choice for Natasha Romanoff (a.k.a. Black Widow) played by Scarlett Johansson, in an epic scene with Captain America in the film. Of course, if you’ve been following Motorcycle.com for a while you’ll have known this already, as we brought you the scoop about Livewire.

Harley-Davidson Launches Denim Line For Men

Harley-Davidson has just released new denim styles to supplement the existing line of jeans offered as part of its Harley-Davidson MotorClothes collection. The two new styles offer a variety of washes, waist size and inseam. Highlights include a slimmer fit, darker washes and features developed specifically for riding.

Built For Speed Art Exhibit To Be Displayed At Sturgis Buffalo Chip

“Built for Speed – Race Inspired Motorcycles and Art” is the title of Michael Lichter’s 14th annual “Motorcycles as Art” exhibition in Sturgis this August, which for the second year in a row, will be jointly curated by Michael and Paul d’Orleans of the Vintagent. ‘Built for Speed’ is sure to impress visitors with a beautiful and thought-provoking display of motorcycles and related art, the race-inspired theme making connections between motorcycle racing and custom bike designs inspired by racers. Each custom bike in ‘Built for Speed’ reflects a branch of racing; Speedway, Flat Track, Drag Racing, Board Track,  Grand Prix, Land Speed Record, and will be displayed beside the racing machines suggesting the origins of each style.

Harley-Davidson Reports Q2 2014 Sales Results

Harley-Davidson reported a net income of $354.2 million over the second quarter of 2014, thanks to a 12.4% increase in sales revenue. Actual motorcycle sales volume stayed about even, however, with unit sales increasing to just 90,218 motorcycles from 90,193 sold in the same quarter last year. Though sales were statistically the same as they were last year, Harley-Davidson generated $1.48 billion in revenue from motorcycle sales alone, up 16.2% from the $1.27 billion reported in the second quarter of 2013.

Mustang Announces Metal Flake Seat Colors and Display for Sturgis

Just in time for Sturgis, Mustang Seats has release new color options for its custom seats. Designed to match the retro colors on Harley-Davidson’s Hard Candy Custom collection, the vinyl seats have metal flake in six available colors available on Mustang’s Tripper Solo, Tripper Fastback and DayTripper seats. According to Mustang, after the starting its custom seat program last fall, so many customers requested a metal flake option that they had to provide it.

Melissa Paris and Shelina Moreda on Talking Motorcycles with Barry Boone

Fans of racers Melissa Paris and Shelina Moreda should tune in to this week’s edition of Talking Motorcycles with Barry Boone online radio show, airing live tonight at 8 pm EST on NextMotoChampion.com. Paris and Moreda are two of America’s top female racers, making them excellent choices for the show during Women’s Motorcycle Month. Paris is currently competing in the FIM CEV Repsol International Championship while Moreda has been racing in the Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson series, the FIM eRoadRacing series and recently returned from racing in Qatar.

2014 Harley-Davidson Touring Models Recalled for Pinched Brake Lines

Harley-Davidson is recalling 66,421 motorcycles because of a problem with the front brake lines getting pinched. The recall affects all ABS-equipped 2014 touring and CVO touring models including the Electra Glide Ultra Limited, Electra Glide Ultra Classic, Street Glide, Road King, CVO Limited and CVO Road King. Police and Shrine edition models are also affected, as are the Twin-Cooled version of the Electra Glide Ultra Classic and the Road King Classic which are produced for other markets.

AMA Road Racing From Laguna Seca Will Not Be Televised Or Online

AMA Pro Racing has confirmed that round four of the AMA Pro Road Racing series from the FIM Superbike World Championship, Geico Motorcycle U.S. Round at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will not be available for live broadcast on FansChoice.tv or post-race viewing. AMA Pro Racing engaged in good faith negotiations with the event’s rights holder (Dorna -TS), but, ultimately, was unable to reach an agreement in the best interest of all parties involved.