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

Laguna Seca Added to 2014 AMA Superbike Schedule

AMA Superbike will be racing at Laguna Seca this year after all, with AMA Pro Racing announced the addition of the Monterey, Calif., circuit to its 2014 schedule, joining the World Superbike Championship on July 11-13. Laguna Seca was not included in AMA Pro Racing’s calendar, but its addition now increases the number of rounds in the series to six. That’s still down from the nine rounds held in 2013, but the absence of Laguna Seca and its famed Corkscrew would have been an especially tough loss.

Who To Watch In The AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series

The Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series is set to kick off this weekend at Daytona International Raceway, and the competition looks set to be as close as ever. In the contest’s three-year history, the combined margin of victory stands at just over two tenths of a second. And last year’s dogfight saw ninth position take the checkered flag less than eight tenths removed from the victory. Each previous contest has developed into a full-blown drafting war, with the class’ evenly matched machinery testing the tactical acumen of its pilots as they negotiate the high banks within inches of one another.

Paul James To Start His 20th Consecutive Road Racing Season At Daytona

Paul James isn’t just another Harley-Davidson employee, he’s one helluva fast rider. For 2014, James will be suiting up for his 20th consecutive season of road racing as he pilots his James Gang/Hoban Brothers Racing Harley-Davidson XR1200 for the AMA Pro Racing Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson series season opener at Daytona International Speedway. And he brings with him a new sponsor and a continued relationship with the VETMotorsports program.

2014 Daytona Bike Week Activities

Shake off the winter doldrums at Daytona Bike Week, one of America’s biggest motorcycling events, running March 7-16. The 73rd running of the Daytona 200 is a big draw, but it’s just one of the events being held through the week. Other highlights include the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Breakfast at Daytona featuring Craig Vetter and the Bike Week premiere of the acclaimed film “Why We Ride.” Top 10 Things to Do During Daytona Bike Week Here are just some of the events planned for the 2014 Daytona Bike Week.

AMA Honors Zero and Scot Harden with Bessie Stringfield Award

The American Motorcyclist Association has bestowed a special recognition award to Zero Motorcycles and its Vice President of Marketing, Hall-of-Famer Scot Harden, for their work in attracting new riders and the positive impact they’ve delivered to mainstream media. Harden (pictured above from our recent Zero FX dirt riding review) and Zero were awarded the AMA Bessie Stringfield Award which recognizes individuals who have been instrumental in bringing emerging markets to motorcycling. The award is named after 2002 AMA Hall of Fame inductee Bessie Stringfield, the first African-American woman to ride solo across the United States and a civilian motorcycle dispatch rider for the army in World War II.

Sons Of Anarchy Claims “We Basically Saved Harley.”

“We basically saved Harley,” says Sons of Anarchy co-star Mark Boone Jr. (Bobby) to Susan Carpenter of The Hollywood Reporter. In a time before the economic meltdown, motorcycle sales, especially for Harley-Davidson, were booming. After the collapse, sales have only started to pick up again within the past two years (at nowhere near pre-2008 levels, however).

Pope’s Harley Sells for $329,000 at Auction!

Bonhams auction house in Paris has announced the unexpected results of the auction held today which included a 2013 Harley-Davidson Dyna Super Glide and a leather jacket owned by none other than the Pope. The results were simply astounding. The Pope’s Harley sold for $328,527 to a private European buyer.

Harley MotorClothes Offers Valentines Gift Ideas

Since many people give silky underthings to their loved ones on Valentines Day, Harley MotorClothes recently announced its Valentines specials for the Harley-Davidson rider in your life. Men received two shirt options while women are given five options. Harley MotorClothes Mens Flames Shirt Jacket For men who love cotton canvas shirts and Harleys, the will help keep him warm during the cooler months.

Terminator 2 Harley-Davidson Is Coming Home

If you thought Arnold Schwarzenegger’s greatest role was in Terminator, then you should make your way to Milwaukee: The Harley-Davidson Museum has acquired one of the few surviving 1990 Harley-Davidson FatBoy motorcycles used in the filming of Terminator 2: Judgement Day. At the time of filming, the FatBoy was one of Harley-Davidson’s newest models, and the one now in the Museum’s permanent collection was ridden by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1991 action classic. “Terminator 2 is an iconic film and a celebrated piece of pop culture history,” said Jim Fricke, Curatorial director of the Harley-Davidson Museum.

EBR Announces More Than 60 Founding Dealers

Erik Buell Racing (EBR) today announced its founding dealerships across the United States. The recruitment process began shortly after the American International Motorcycle Expo in Orlando, Florida, where the company took the wraps off the 1190RX production superbike. More than 60 dealers will be the first to carry the 1190RX.