Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D), or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer, founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1903.
As one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression (along with Indian), the company has survived numerous ownership arrangements, subsidiary arrangements (e.g., Aermacchi 1974-1978 andBuell 1987-2009), periods of poor economic health and product quality, as well as intense global competition— to become the world’s fifth largest motorcycle manufacturer and an iconic brand widely known for its loyal following — with owner clubs and events worldwide as well as a company sponsored brand-focused museum.
Noted for a style of customization that gave rise to the chopper motorcycle style, Harley-Davidson traditionally marketed heavyweight, air-cooled cruiser motorcycles with engine displacements greater than 700 cc — and has broadened its offerings to include its more contemporary VRSC (2001) and middle-weight Street (2014) platforms.
Harley-Davidson manufactures its motorcycles at factories in York, Pennsylvania; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Kansas City, Missouri; Manaus, Brazil; and Bawal, India — and markets its products worldwide.
The Harley-Davidson Museum is a North American museum near downtown, Milwaukee, Wisconsin celebrating the more than 100-year history of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The 130,000-square-foot (12,000 m²) three building complex on 20 acres (81,000 m²) along the Menomonee River bank contains more than 450 Harley-Davidson motorcycles and hundreds of thousands of artifacts from the Harley-Davidson Motor Company’s 110-year history. The museum attracts an estimated 300,000 visitors annually. The museum opened to the public on July 12, 2008, on a 20 acres (81,000 m²) site in the Menomonee Valley. The museum was built in an historically industrial area of Milwaukee. Prior to Harley-Davidson’s purchase of the land from the city, the site was formerly used by the Milwaukee Department of Public Works, Lakeshore Sand Company, and Morton Salt. A 4 feet (1.2 m) layer of imported soil was added to combat the contaminated soil. New vegetation was planted to restore the landscape to its riparian state. In late February 2006, designs for the museum were unveiled. The designs were created by James Biber, a partner at Pentagram, his team, and Michael Zweck-Bonner, an associate at Pentagram. Abbott Miller, a partner at Pentagram, designed the museum’s permanent exhibitions. The firm designed the museum over a period of eight years. On June 1, 2006, Harley-Davidson began the construction of the $75 million complex with a groundbreaking ceremony that included legendary Harley-Davidson dirt track motorcycle racer, Scott Parker, breaking ground by doing a burnout with a Harley-Davidson XL883R Sportster, instead of with the traditional golden shovel. The site includes parking spaces for 1,000 motorcycles and 500 cars. The Museum’s facade also features a 17-foot (5.2 m)-tall, steel Harley-Davidson sign. The museum’s galleries permanent exhibitions, spread throughout two floors, in addition to temporary exhibits and the motor company’s archives. The complex also includes a restaurant, café, retail shop, and special event spaces. Also on display are historic Harley-Davidson items that tell the company’s story and history, such as photographs, posters, advertisements, clothes, trophies, video footage of vintage and contemporary motorcycling, and interactive exhibits, including 10 motorcycles that visitors can sit on.
The Motorcycle Gallery
On the museum’s upper level, a procession of motorcycles is displayed down the center of the main hall, running the length of the building, with galleries on either side.
The Harley-Davidson Journey
Along the east side of the upstairs galleries, a series of interconnected galleries exhibit the Harley-Davidson’s chronological history. The galleries relate the company’s history from its origins in a 10×15-foot wooden shack to its current status as the top U.S. motorcycle manufacturer, producing more than 330,000 bikes each year. The centerpiece of the gallery is "Serial Number One", the oldest known Harley-Davidson in existence, which is encased in glass. The glass enclosure sits within a floor-embedded, illuminated outline of the backyard shed the motor company was founded in.
The Engine Room
The museum’s second floor galleries begin with the Engine Room. A Knucklehead engine is displayed disassembled into several pieces. The Engine Room also features several interactive touch screen elements that show how Harley motors, including Panhead and Shovelhead motors work.
Clubs and Competition
The Clubs and Competition gallery includes displays and information about Harley-Davidson’s racing history. The gallery includes a section of a replica wooden board track, suspended in the air at a 45-degree incline. The wooden track features vintage video footage of actual board track races, and attached 1920s-era Harley-Davidson racing motorcycles; the bikes that raced on board tracks at 100 miles -per-hour. Fatalities were common, which led to the banning of wooden board tracks for motorcycle racing.
Tank Gallery
The museum’s upper floor exhibits also include the Gas Tank Gallery, formerly part of the Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary Open Road Tour. The exhibit displays 100 of Harley-Davidson’s most memorable tank graphics, spanning 70 years, selected by the company’s styling department and reproduced on "Fat Bob" tanks.
Custom Culture
The Custom Culture gallery covers Harley-Davidson’s impact on American and global culture. The centerpiece of the Custom Culture Gallery is "King Kong", a 13-foot (4.0 m)-long, two-engine Harley-Davidson motorcycle customized by Felix Predko. The exhibit also features exact replicas of the customized Harley-Davidson bikes ridden by Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper in the 1969 American movie, "Easy Rider", including Fonda’s "Captain America" chopper and Hopper’s "Billy Bike". Two of each of the two choppers were created, and one "Captain America" was destroyed in the film’s production.
Harley-Davidson Factory Racing rider Kyle Wyman competes for a podium finish during the 2024 King of the Baggers season.
Motorcycle racing is an exhilarating sport where victories can be counted in microseconds. An edge can sometimes rest upon millimeters of tire gripping the track.
Luca Mazzei, strategic growth officer at Protolabs
Engineers and designers work diligently to eliminate any unnecessary weight, all while ensuring parts remain resilient enough to endure falls and continue functioning effectively.
When Harley-Davidson Factory Racing (HDFR) reached out for assistance in developing and producing components for their involvement in the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers racing series, we eagerly embraced the opportunity. Crafting motorcycles of this caliber (weighing over 600 lbs) involves continuous iterations that lead to enhanced safety and performance metrics.
The ability to efficiently iterate and swiftly manufacture was essential to HDFR’s goals. This collaboration underscored the advantages of partnering with a singular, digital manufacturer for everything from prototyping to the production of usable parts.
The crucial design objectives were to enhance safety and maximize cornering speeds for bikes capable of exceeding 180 mph. With as many as 14 turns per lap, even a half-degree improvement in lean angle can drastically decrease race completion times.
3D Printing: A Viable Solution
Among the components developed for HDFR was a seemingly straightforward exhaust pipe. Running alongside the bike, the original design encountered issues with tight turns at high speeds, occasionally scraping against the ground and causing loss of control. Refining this design had the potential to yield significant performance enhancements.
The two-part exhaust system was printed via direct metal laser-sintering at Protolabs facility in Raleigh, N.C.
Working alongside our engineers, the design team from HDFR examined various manufacturing methods for their prototypes before ultimately opting for 3D printing—specifically, direct metal laser sintering (DMLS).
Why Choose DMLS?
DMLS utilizes powdered metals in an additive manufacturing process, providing remarkable design flexibility along with the creation of robust metallic components.
In a sizable build chamber, at least one laser is employed to fuse metal powders, layer by layer. Once a layer has adhered to the previous one, the platform gradually descends, followed by another layer of powder being applied for continued fabrication.
The new 3D-printed, titanium exhaust features a new design that equips it closer to the bike, allowing for greater lean angle on turns.
After initial prototypes in stainless steel, HDFR opted for strong yet lightweight titanium for the final part. This material not only ensured durability but also offered outstanding resistance to corrosion—a crucial factor as the bikes must perform well across varying weather conditions. While titanium typically incurs higher costs, it was imperative that the part could withstand the abrasions of the racetrack while also significantly reducing weight.
Subsequent cycles of prototyping and testing allowed the team to refine the design based on insights from the riders. Each version was evaluated, leading to the creation of a production-ready component. With 3D printing’s speed in delivering complex parts, the design team could continuously improve the outcomes based on real-world testing.
The updated pipe design improved lean angles, enabling the riders to navigate turns faster without risking damage to the exhaust system.
Machined Components for Protection
While refining the exhaust system stood out as a major achievement for rapid prototyping, another critical part was designed to protect the shift assembly—the bike’s vital gear-change mechanism located on the left side. Any damage to this assembly could severely hinder performance during races.
The shift skid protects the shift assembly on the left side of the bike in case a crash occurs.
In a push for rapid iteration, HDFR realized just a few days before the race how critical it was to design a protective piece for the shift assembly. The objective was to ensure that if the bike tipped over, the shift skid would shield the assembly, allowing the rider to potentially continue the race.
Given the time constraints, 3+2-axis CNC machining was employed to fabricate the part from a block of aluminum 7075/T651/T6. The machining process was advantageous due to its precision and speed. As with the titanium exhaust, aluminum was selected for its strength, providing a lightweight yet robust solution.
The finalized design was submitted on a Monday, and the part was delivered to the Harley team just two days later, well ahead of the Friday qualifying sessions. This timing was fortuitous; rider Kyle Wyman experienced a slide during rainy conditions, scraping the skid against the pavement. The part functioned as intended, protecting the shift assembly and enabling Kyle to compete successfully in the subsequent race.
The Speed of Digital Manufacturing
A pivotal factor in HDFR’s triumph in the King of the Baggers series was the swift iteration enabled by digital manufacturing. Unlike traditional quoting methods, a digital quoting system provides rapid—if not instant—responses to requests for quotes (RFQs), along with critical design feedback for manufacturing. Without such insights, companies must engage in lengthy back-and-forth communications to refine part designs, which can be tedious and unproductive when operating under tight deadlines.
Harley-Davidson Factory Racing rider Kyle Wyman competes on a wet track during the 2024 King of the Baggers season.
Digital manufacturing facilitates the rapid development required to keep products ahead of competition, efficiently transitioning from prototypes to final parts and ultimately crossing the finish line.
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Harley-Davidson #1 Skull Logo Tin Sign, HDL-15538. Custom shaped #1 Skull Tin Sign. Embossed accents and vibrant colors add depth and dimension. Smooth edges for safe handling. Includes holes for easy hanging. Dimensions: 12.75″ W x 18″ H. Custom shaped #1 Skull Tin Sign Embossed accents and vibrant colors add depth and dimension Constructed from high-quality tin Includes holes for easy hanging Size: 12.75″ W x 18″ H
Buildings, cars, barrier from cgtextures.com. The rider from Harleynik (Thank you Nik for letting me use your amazing shot – hope you are happy with the result).
