Harley-Davidson is a name synonymous with cruisers, and it is America’s longest-running motorcycle company. It can’t claim to be the oldest, but it has never taken a break from selling motorcycles, although it came close to shutting its doors a couple of times over the decades. Other American manufacturers have all, without exception, shut down for a period of time.
Today, Harley is slowly expanding beyond the cruiser segment into other segments that also promote exploration on two wheels, just like its core cruiser and tourer lineup. There is something about the brand that has grown over the years that makes it endear like no other. It is something that almost cannot be articulated, but we’re going to try our hardest to express it in this article.
To ensure accuracy, the information compiled in this article was sourced from the manufacturer’s official websites, as well as other authoritative sources.
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Unforgettable Moments In The History Of Harley-Davidson
120 years of history, with a lot of milestones along the way
1
A Storied History
One Of The Oldest Continuously Selling Brands
Harley-Davidson is the oldest continuously operating American motorcycle manufacturer. However, it is also one of the oldest continuously selling motorcycle marques in the world, second only to Royal Enfield. Royal Enfield had a long period of stagnation where it essentially made and sold the same model from the end of World War 2 until current ownership took over and started changing things in the early 1990s. Harley-Davidson also had lean periods, most notably the 1970s when the government had to bail it out by imposing import tariffs on large-displacement motorcycles.
That unwittingly gave us a run of turbocharged motorcycles that we haven’t seen since. However, Harley-Davidson continued to innovate and put out motorcycles that were desirable when those lean periods were in the mirror. It was also involved in the war effort, supplying motorcycles that would help the effort in the World Wars, helping contribute to the patriotic brand image that keeps it so dear to many Americans.
2
Strong Brand Value
The Badge Means A Lot
There is a lot of pride in being American, and Harley-Davidson prides itself on being American-made. Only in its very recent history has the company started assembling motorcycles outside the USA; currently, there is a plant each in Brazil and Thailand, and there used to be an assembly plant in India. However, any Harley you buy in the USA is assembled in the USA, and this matters to fans of the brand.
This is an increasingly difficult situation for the company, since manufacturers are global entities, and brands across segments have ownership that is purely financial, and nothing to do with the history of the brand. However, Harley-Davidson has been the best American motorcycle company for a long time now, and that is in no small part due to the pride and ownership that its employees and customers take in its products.
Luckily for Harley-Davidson, it operates in a space where profit margins are considerable. So it can afford to price its products well despite the higher costs of production. Also, in a marketing masterstroke, the brand has managed to turn the financial disadvantage of manufacturing in the USA into positive press, which helps sell more motorcycles.
3
Unique Character
A Torquey V-Twin Reminds Us Of One Brand Only
Harley-Davidson’s first-ever motorcycle was a single-cylinder model, and by 1909, it had developed its first v-twin. It wasn’t long after that it had its first successful v-twin with the Model 7D that was launched in 1911. This long-stroke, narrow-angle twin-cylinder configuration has been a signature of the brand ever since. The single crank pin and bank angle have given Harleys their signature ‘potato potato’ idle sound over the decades, and the advantages of the v-twin configuration have allowed it to make some astonishingly great motorcycles for cruising and touring.
This format was so successful that the Japanese started making their own cruisers and tourers with a narrow-angle v-twin, some of which were truly great competition. But they invariably missed out on that certain something that cannot be described logically. The Japanese had the measure of Harley when it came to reliability, refinement, and specs – Japan even produced the largest v-twin in the history of motorcycles – but none of them could bring in the customers like good ol’ American iron could.
Harley-Davidson Engines Available Today
- Milwaukee-Eight 107
- Milwaukee-Eight 114
- Milwaukee-Eight 117
- Milwaukee-Eight 121
- Revolution Max 1250
- Revolution Max 975
4
Brotherhood Of Bikers
Do The Letters ‘HOG’ Ring A Bell?
Motorcycling has been perceived as a rebellious activity in the USA since the car is the default mode of transportation. Plus, for most of the country, the winter months won’t allow you to stay on two wheels anyway. This led to bikers being a close-knit community, and sometimes, there was notoriety associated with it. This gave rise to the ‘bad boy biker’ image, which was also appealing on some levels – the adage of all publicity being good publicity does hold true sometimes!
Harley-Davidson was savvy enough to see the potential in this feeling of kinship, and the first Harley Owners’ Group was formed in 1983. It was formed to build closer bonds between customers and the touchpoints of the company, but it has proven to be the single most effective marketing tool in H-D’s history. It is so successful that owner groups are now common across motorcycle brands, with the aim of replicating the success that the Harley Owners’ Group brought to Harley-Davidson.
5
The Accessories
Not Many Can Accessorize Like A Harley
Today, you can accessorize a motorcycle with an endless list of accessories, both OEM as well as aftermarket. Some motorcycle models are more conducive to this accessorizing, like tourers and adventure motorcycles. There are basic things like luggage (both hard and soft, waterproof, lockable), taller or more aerodynamic windscreens, lights, wheels, paint jobs, rims, and seats; the list is endless. Harley-Davidson was one of the few manufacturers along with the likes of Ferrari that recognized the power of the brand and used merchandise to increase profits.
If you had a Harley-Davidson, you’d get some of the accessories mentioned above, but you would also have the option of purchasing a branded jacket, boots, gloves, jeans, sunglasses, bandanna, underwear (we kid you not), baby booties, a whiskey glass set… do you see where this is going? This, like the Harley Owners’ Group, opened up the brand to people who weren’t going to buy one of the motorcycles but loved the brand anyway. Its success is not measured just by how much it contributes to the profits every year, but by the fact that every single automotive company has performed this with varying degrees of success.
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Style And Protection Personified With Harley-Davidson
Looking great and feeling protected on a bike isn’t always easy to pull off, luckily Harley-Davidson has just the gear to do it right.
6
Potential For Customization
It May Be A Brotherhood, But Standing Out Is Important
Motorcycles, unlike cars, aren’t just appliances that help the owner get from point A to point B and back safely. They’re exhilarating, impractical, and dangerous. It stands to reason then that most motorcyclists will want to stand out from the crowd – even if it is a relatively small crowd of motorcyclists. For this, one needs a motorcycle that is easy to customize. Harley-Davidsons of old were simple enough that you wouldn’t upset the balance or performance with customization, and the manufacturer has been at the forefront of the customization scene ever since. Bobbers, choppers… you’ll find them all.
Once more, Harley has managed to take this a step further and offer ‘factory custom’ motorcycles with upgrades galore. You’ve already heard of Screamin’ Eagle exhaust and air filter upgrades, and you might know that there are crate engine upgrades as well for a lot of the Harley range. But did you know that you can also purchase a Screamin’ Eagle spark plug lead upgrade? Other upgrades include suspension with more adjustability (and by top quality brands like Öhlins), touring seats, and audio system upgrades from brands like Rockford Fosgate.
7
Harley’s Role In Pop Culture
Prominent Both In Real-Life As Well As Big Screen Heroes
No matter what generation you’re from, we can assure you that a Harley-Davidson has not just been present in an influential area of pop culture but also helped enhance whatever it was present in. The movie Easy Rider is an obvious one, with its ‘Captain America’ Harley-Davidson. Many decades (and a couple of generations) later, Captain America himself rode a Harley-Davidson, as did Jason Momoa’s character Dante in Fast X. Between these two extremes were a raft of movies, including Ghost Rider, Wild Hogs (bonus points if you remember this one), and Terminator 2, all of which featured a Harley-Davidson prominently.
There have been more than a few songs written with Harley-Davidsons as the theme, most recently Katy Perry with her song ‘Harleys In Hawaii’, which, last we checked, had clocked over 170 million views on YouTube. That’s a lot of marketing for the brand. In real life, The King Of Rock N’ Roll had more than a few Harleys in his garage; Elvis’s love for his H-Ds was well known. Evel Knievel’s most famous jumps were done astride an XR750, too.
8
Success In Racing
A Storied Racing History
Harley might be the default manufacturer when it comes to cruisers or tourers, but that doesn’t mean that it hasn’t involved itself in racing. Yes, it does participate in the King Of The Baggers today, but its racing history goes back a little further. Thanks to Walter Davidson, Harley entered its first race in 1906. Four years later, the original ‘Wrecking Crew’ was formed, and by 1921, it was setting records in racing, with a small break to help with WW1.
In the 1930s, Harley was the dominant brand in racing in the USA, but by the ‘50s, the British motorcycles were leading the way with their lighter curb weights. Harley hit back in the 1960s with the KR and KRTT, and it was so successful that the media resurrected the ‘Wrecking Crew’ name. The 70s brought the XR 750 with the alloy engine, and this is the most successful racer in AMA history. If you think Ducati in MotoGP is dominant today, it is nothing compared to what the XR 750 did in its time. In the 80s, Harley-Davidson dreamed of competing in WSBK, and designed the VR 1000 to compete in the AMA Superbike racing series. Success was a far-fetched dream, though.
More recently, in the 2000s, the company offered a select number of customers what was officially known as the Harley-Davidson VRXSC Screamin’ Eagle V-Rod Destroyer, a factory drag racer that was not only fast but reliable. The engine needed a rebuild only at the end of the season, which is unique in the drag racing world. It came complete with a wheelie bar and quick-change enabled ratios, and was capable of 9-second passes even with a novice, as long as said novice knew what to do.
