Motorcycles and the men who love them have enjoyed a rich freedom that is almost impossible to explain to the average person, but even though considered by some to be nothing more than the outlaw symbol of yesteryear, the motorcycle has been part of world culture as early as 1885 with the first internal combustion petroleum fueled motorcycle offered by Daimler Reitwagen. It was designed and built by the German inventors Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Bad Cannstatt.
In 1903 the first Harley Davidson was introduced in the U.S. and with the American industrial boom in full swing the Harley would rapidly earn its crown as “The king of motorcycles”. With new models of their unique motorcycle design being introduced, the Harley Davidson factory in Milwaukee Wisconsin prospered. In 1916 Harley’s had already been used by the military in the Pancho Villa Expedition, and with the United States entering into World War I in 1917, the military demanded motorcycles for the war effort. Adapting them for military combat service, Harley Davidson supplied over 15,000 motorcycles to the military forces.
In 1920 Harley Davidson was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world with slightly over 28,000 motorcycles being produced. As Harley Davidson continued to prosper, new innovations were regularly being unveiled that proudly etched the Harley Davidson name into the history books as the greatest motorcycle manufacturers in the world. in 1921, a Harley-Davidson, ridden by Otto Walker, was the first motorcycle ever to win a race at an average speed of over 100 mph.
The great depression of 1929 shook the United States, and while sales dropped Harley Davidson held on and managed to make it through those hard times and although scratched and dented financially, the quality of the Harley Davidson never was compromised.
Harley Davidson, was one of only two motorcycle manufacturers to survive the depression. They resumed making motorcycles for the US Army in World War II and civilian production followed with Harley producing a range of large V-twin motorcycles that were successful on racetracks and for private buyers.
By the beginning of WWII, Harley Davidson was already supplying the Army with a military-specific version of its 45 cubic inches (740 cc) WL line, called the WLA.When the war broke out, Harley Davidson shifted its production to war vehicles. 90,000 + military motorcycles, were produced and supplied America’s’ allies. For this service, Harley Davidson received two Army-Navy ‘E’ Awards, one in 1943 and the other in 1945, which were awarded for Excellence in Production.
Hollywood played a big part in both building the reputation of Harley Davidson and tearing it down; With the war effort in full swing newsreels and movies could be seen with American military men serving their county atop various models of Harley Davidson motorcycles, but with the many outlaw biker gang films produced from the 1950’s through the 1970’s, following the Hollister riot on July 4, 1947. “Harley Davidson” for the long time was synonymous with the Hells Angels and other outlaw motorcyclists.
Throughout all of the ups and downs, two things remained; the first was that Harley Davidson still held its prestigious crown as king of motorcycle design, and that so called tarnished reputation cast by a biased general public only made the allure of owning and riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle more attractive to those who never considered themselves part of the general public anyway!
The world could say what it wanted about the Harley motorcycle, but the men who made them an integral part of their lifestyle and culture could care less. It seems that long before the invention of the motorcycle there was a type of man that was uniquely different from other men, and this can be seen in the wild west days with the wandering cowboy, and of course the “outlaw”, who’s history was somehow translated into modern time by coining the word “Ironhorse”.
No matter what those “other” people think about us, our lifestyle, or our motorcycle, one thing is certain…the Harley Davidson is here to stay and so are the men who love them, and all you have to do is walk outside on a sunny day and anywhere people are having fun you are sure to hear that distinctively sexy rumble and roar of some biker cruising through town!
If you have or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident, you need a tough and aggressive motorcycle accident lawyer who will bring the law to your side to get your bike repaired, money for your medical bills and compensation for your pain and suffering. Call 1-800-4-BIKERS to speak with a lawyer who rides a motorcycle and knows the law!
