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

Shelved Harley-Davidson Penster Tilting Trike Prototypes Revealed

The Harley-Davidson Museum has pulled the covers off discarded prototypes of a leaning three-wheeled motorcycle developed by The Motor Company. Harley-Davidson commissioned automobile hot rodding legend John Buttera to build the original prototype (pictured above) in 1998. Codenamed the “Penster”, the Trike looks like it could have been an earlier version of the Can-Am Spyder, but it had a tilting front end similar to the Piaggio MP3.

US Motorcycle Sales First Half 2011 Results

The U.S. motorcycle industry saw a 4.6% decrease in year-on-year sales over the first six months of 2011, thanks mostly to a 17.3% drop in ATV sales. Motorcycle and scooter sales however saw a 1.7% bump in the first half .

What am I gonna do with a gun rack?

Living in Shoreditch I come across a unique variety of motorcycles on the road; from XS650s, to classic Lambrettas and one completely brown jelly-mould CBR600. My favourite of the regular bikes I see is this Harley-Davidson badged Armstrong MT500. In my head I like to think that the owner operates as an urban vigilante, realistically whoever rides this ex-Army bike is probably an artist and instead of a weapon in the gun holder it's probably art equipment.

Marisa Miller Takes Harley-Davidson Rider’s Edge Training [Video]

If there’s one thing I like more than motorcycles, it’s hot supermodels, such as Victoria’s Secret Angel, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue covergirl and Harley-Davidson spokesmodel Marisa Miller. Miller has appeared in a number of promotional spots for The Motor Company in recent years, most notably for the Harley-Davidson V-Rod Muscle and to support Harley-Davidson’s U.S. Military Appreciation programs (one of Miller’s “American Bombshell” post cards is currently my computer’s desktop wallpaper).

2012 Harley-Davidson Dyna Switchback Revealed

Harley-Davidson has revealed a new member to its Dyna family featuring quick change convertibility from touring to cruiser mode. As we expected, the new Harley-Davidson Dyna Switchback features hard saddlebags and fork-mounted windshield that can be removed quickly and without tools, allowing it to change from a touring motorcycle to a cruiser, and back again. The Dyna Switchback uses Harley-Davidson’s Twin Cam 103 engine, 2-into-1 chrome exhaust, and five-spoke cast aluminum wheels with full fenders.

2012 Harley-Davidson V-Rod 10th Anniversary Edition and Updated Night Rod Unveiled

Harley-Davidson is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its V-Rod line with a few updates as well as a special edition model. First introduced in the 2002 model year, the V-Rod marked a new era for Harley-Davidson, with the V-Rod’s 1130cc 60-degree  V-Twin Revolution engine, the Motor Company’s first production engine with liquid cooling and overhead camshafts. The 2012 Harley-Davidson V-Rod line is equipped with the latest generation 1250cc Revolution engine with dual overhead camshafts,  four-valve cylinder heads and fuel injection.

Harley-Davidson Reports Q2 2011 Results

Harley-Davidson reported a net income of $190.6 million over the second quarter of 2011, thanks to the first year-on-year quarterly improvement in the U.S. market in nearly five years. For the three months ended June 26, 2011, Harley-Davidson’s operating income totaled $301.9 million, a 38.0% increase from the $218.8 million reported in the same period of 2010.

Harley-Davidson at the 71st Annual Sturgis Rally

Harley-Davidson has announced its plans for the 2011 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Aug. 6-13 in the Black Hills region of South Dakota. Scheduled Harley-Davidson activities include the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building, the XR1200 Racing Experience, Muscular Dystrophy Association pin sale and custom motorcycle raffle and the Harley-Davidson Ride-In Show.

Zero Motorcycles Launches Dealer Network

Zero Motorcycles announced a new network of eight dealerships as the electric motorcycle company begins the transition from an online-based sales model to a traditional showroom sales model. Until now, Zero conducts its sales over the Internet with the help of a system of Independent Representatives around the country who use a handful of demo models instead of actual inventory to showcase the brand. As both demand and production have increased, Zero is ready to adopt a new dealer-based model.

Harley-Davidson Ultimate Learn-to-Ride Contest for Women

Harley-Davidson announced a new contest for women looking to get started into riding motorcycles. The “Ultimate Learn-to-Ride” Experience will award four women with a prize package including a new Harley-Davidson Sportster personally designed through the H-D1 Factory Customization program, $1,000 in Harley-Davidson apparel and a trip for two to Milwaukee to take the Harley-Davidson Riders Edge rider course. To enter, visit www.h-d.com/mytime and fill out the form.