The History of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles
The Harley-Davidson motorcycle has been in production since 1903. The brand offers models for men and women. This brand of motorcycle is among the most expensive as well as a reputation for being reliable and well built. Harley-Davidson bikes known for the power behind them as they were initially built as a racing bike.
The sale of the motorcycles were slow in the beginning. The one cylinder bike they built in 1903 sold quickly, but by 1905 they had only sold 11. Continuing to improve their designs, it paid off and by 1908 they had sold 154. Harley-Davidson decided to move production from a tiny barn to a factory and hired about 20 employees. The bar and shield logo that graces each and every Harley-Davidson bike was introduced in 1910.
By 1912 the business was booming. 200 dealerships in the United States and Japan was demanding more and more bikes. By 1914 most all of the motorcycles in the racing circuit were Harley-Davidson’s as they could out run all other motorcycles on the market. 20,000+ bikes were sold to the military and used in the war and no one was surprised when Harley-Davidson became the biggest motorcycle manufacturer in the world.
From 1940 to 1945 consumers were very disappointed as it was almost impossible to purchase a new Harley-Davidson, because the company had signed another large contract with the United States military, supplying motorcycles for the war. This lead to the 1950’s being a difficult time for Harley-Davidson because many consumers were tired of waiting and started buying other motorcycles from other manufacturers. Harley-Davidson was back on top by 1957 with the introduction of the Harley-Davidson Sportster.
Minor changes to the style and design of the motorcycles took place through the early 1980’s, but Harley-Davidson decided some major changes were needed. Introducing a model with a five speed transmission called the FLT, and replacing the drive train with a drive belt and in 1984 the twin engine Harley-Davidson was introduced.
Harley-Davidson has always taken pride in listening to the costumer of its products. They earned the respect of many owners in 1987 when they introduced their Harley-Davidson Buy Back Program. This gave customers the full trade in value when they came to purchase a newer model.
Harley-Davidson has continued to introduce a variety of new designs including the Fatboy that has sold well. Men and women both find Harley-Davidson motorcycles to be comfortable bikes that are well designed. Riding one is also a prestigious symbol to many.
You can find a variety of Harley-Davidson retailers all over the world that offer a full range of motorcycles to choose from. You can even have a custom bike built for you from the factory. The sales people are friendly and informative, and Harley-Davidson offers one of the best warranties on motorcycles in the industry.
Harley-Davidson has stood the test of time when it comes to manufacturing quality motorcycles, because they continually worked to improve upon their designs. They have also paid attention to what consumers are looking for and have been willing to produce it when other motorcycle brands have hesitated. Harley-Davidson has earned a loyal consumer base that claim they won’t consider riding anything else. The company is reaping the rewards of their dedication, owning 62% of the motorcycle market.