How much is a new harley davidson

About Harley-Davidson Bikes – The History

Harley-Davidson Inc or H-D is an American motorcycle manufacturing company founded in 1903 at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The credit for sowing the seeds of this magnificent bike should go to William S Harley, Arthur Davidson, Walter Davidson and William A Davidson. The origins of this bike date back to 1901 when a 20-year-old William Harley designed a small engine with a displacement of 7.07 cubic inches (116 cc) and 4-inch (102 mm) flywheels. He tested the engine on a pedal-bicycle frame. His friend Arthur Davidson was his aide in this first endeavour.

The other Davidson brother, Walter joined them to design the first motor-bicycle in 1903. This bicycle experiment stood in good stead later on as the trio began work on their second-generation machine. This machine was the real “Harley-Davidson” bike with a 405 cc engine and flywheels measuring 25 cm. The design of the bike was similar to the 1903 Milwaukee Merkel motorcycle.

Foundation of Harley-Davidson

The prototype of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle was ready in 1904. The makers started offering the bare Harley-Davidson engines on a DIY basis. The first sales of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle were in the year 1905. After manufacturing the first bikes from the Davidson backyard, they shifted base to a spacious Juneau Avenue factory where it stood for several decades until 1970 until some civil contractor accidentally demolished the factory during cleaning operations.

After William Harley graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree in 1907, they plunged headlong into the manufacturing of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The year 1907 saw the company sell 150 motorcycles. The fourth member of the team, William Davidson joined them in 1907.

The initial productions were the single-cylinder models with a maximum displacement capacity of 440 cc. The first twin-cylinder bikes (880 cc) made their appearance in 1908. After 1913, Harley-Davidson concentrated on building the twin-cylinder (V-Twin) models. Harley-Davidson became a dominant motorcycle manufacturing company in 1913.

These motorcycles were handy during the First World War when the US Army started using them in 1917. The US Military became the biggest purchaser of these vehicles. In 1917, the company began manufacturing bicycles with the objective of building a loyal customer base. By 1920, Harley-Davidson was the largest motorcycle manufacturing company in the world.

They improved the designs of the bikes and introduced the “teardrop” gas tank in 1925. The front brake was also one of the innovations of Harley-Davidson.

The Acquisition and Expansion

The Great Depression in 1930 saw their sale plummet from 21000 in 1929 to around 3700 in 1933. With an objective to survive the Great Depression, the company started manufacturing industrial power plants based on their motorcycle engines. They also designed the three-wheeler Servi-Car that remained in production until 1973. The company continued to innovate and stopped producing the single-cylinder motorcycles in 1935. The year 1941 saw the introduction of the 1210 cc Knucklehead model.

After surviving the Great Depression, the company started producing motorcycles for the US Army during World War II. After the war, Harley-Davidson acquired the design of the German motorcycle DKW RT 125. They also introduced the “Hummer” in 1955. In 1960, the company acquired 50% of Aermacchi’s motorcycle division and introduced the Harley-Davidson Sprint models. The Bobcat model was the last of the Harley-Davidson’s two-stroke motorcycles. In 1974, the company took over the entire charge of Aermacchi and continued making 2-stroke motorcycles until selling it off to Cagiva.

Harley-Davidson had its share of taxation problems as the company was charged with restrictive practices in 1952. In 1969, the American Machine and Foundry (AMF) bought the company and tried to streamline the production. However, labour issues resulted in the manufacturing of inferior machines resulting in the company almost going bankrupt. AMF sold Harley-Davidson to a group of 13 investors in 1981. The Japanese motorcycles were dominating the US market until President Ronal Reagan imposed a 45% tariff on imported bikes having an engine capacity of more than 700 cc. This move revived Harley-Davidson and saw its sales increase gradually.

In 1993, the company bought 49% of the Buell Motorcycle Company. By 2003, the ownership ratio went up to 100%. The Buell Blast introduced in 2000 was the training vehicle for Harley-Davidson’s Edge New Rider Course until 2014.

Harley-Davidson had connections with Japanese manufacturers during its initial days. However, they opened their first factory outside the US in 1998 in Brazil. Harley-Davidson India commenced operations in August 2009 in Gurgaon. As on date, there are 13 Harley-Davidson models in India. This company has dealerships in 16 Indian cities. The plant at Bawal in Haryana is the only manufacturing unit of the Harley-Davidson bike models outside the US. The Sportster was the first bike model released by this assembly line followed by the Dyna and Softail in 2012 and 2013, respectively. In 2014, the company started manufacturing the Street 750 and 500 models in India.

Harley-Davidson Bike Photos

The Harley-Davidson bike images are imposing and leave a strong impression in the minds of the viewer. Every bike enthusiast would love to have a Harley-Davidson photo with him.

Harley-Davidson Bikes – Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are Harley-Davidson bikes made in India?

Harley-Davidson has introduced an assembly line in Bawal, Haryana. It is the only manufacturing unit of the company outside the United States of America. In 2014, it started the manufacturing of Street 500 and 750 models in India.

2. Are Harley-Davidson bikes expensive?

Yes, the Harley-Davidson bike prices are towards the expensive side. The Harley-Davidson cheapest bike costs more than the small hatchback passenger cars of almost all brands in India. If you look at the Harley-Davidson price list, you will find the ”Street” as the Harley-Davidson lowest price bike. The Harley-Davidson price in India starts at INR 5.14 lakhs, and the Harley-Davidson top model costs INR 53.49 lakhs.

3. How do you identify a Harley-Davidson on the roads?

The Harley-Davidson logo is a prominent and distinctive one. This logo is visible from afar. The Harley-Davidson all models have this logo prominently on their body.

4. What is unique about the Harley-Davidson models?

Owning a Harley-Davidson bike is a status symbol. The unique aspect of Harley-Davidson is the loyalty it enjoys from its owners. There are Harley-Davidson Owners Groups all over the world. Today, these groups have more than one million members.

5. How is the Harley-Davidson mileage?

The Harley-Davidson is a powerful bike that can lord over the roads. However, the Harley-Davidson mileage is not something to rave about.

6. Which Indian celebrities own a Harley-Davidson?

The Harley-Davidson is a proud possession. Many top Indian films and sports personalities own these magnificent bikes. Some of the top owners are Priyanka Chopra, M. S. Dhoni, Ranbir Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, Arshad Warsi and Saif Ali Khan, among a host of others.

7. Is Harley-Davidson a racing bike?

You cannot call the Harley-Davidson a pure racing bike. However, it is an endurance racing bike.

8. What do you experience when you ride a Harley-Davidson?

The Harley-Davidson imparts an aura of dominance as you glide along the highway on the bike. It is a tremendous feeling that words cannot describe. You should drive it to experience it. You can check out the Sports Bikes available in India.