Harley-Davidson

How was Harley-Davidson born in a Milwaukee backyard shed?

The story starts in 1901, when 20-year-old draftsman William S. Harley sketched plans for a small engine designed to fit a bicycle frame. With his childhood friend Arthur Davidson, he tinkered in the machine shop of a friend named Henry Melk in Milwaukee. A third accomplice, Ole Evinrude (future inventor of the outboard motor), helped with the carburetor. The first prototype, completed in 1903 with the help of Arthur’s brother Walter Davidson, proved too weak to climb Milwaukee’s hills. The friends started over.

The second prototype, featuring a 405 cc engine and a loop frame, was functional by 1904. In 1905, five motorcycles were built in the Davidson family’s 10-by-15-foot backyard shed. The first dealer, Carl H. Lang in Chicago, sold three of them. In 1906, the first factory was built on Chestnut Street (now Juneau Avenue), still the location of Harley-Davidson’s corporate headquarters today. In 1907, William A. Davidson, the eldest brother, joined the venture, and the Harley-Davidson Motor Company was officially incorporated. Walter became president, Arthur the sales manager, William A. the works manager, and William Harley the chief engineer.

Conquering America: from racing to the battlefield

Growth was explosive. Production went from 50 motorcycles in 1906 to over 1,000 in 1910 and 28,189 in 1920, making Harley-Davidson the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer. The brand invested in competition with its famous “Wrecking Crew,” a factory racing team that dominated American races in the 1910s and 1920s.

During World War I, roughly half of Harley’s production went to the U.S. military. World War II was even more significant: approximately 88,000 motorcycles were produced for the Allied forces between 1941 and 1945, primarily the WLA model, a 740 cc flathead (side-valve). The reliability of these machines across every terrain cemented Harley’s legendary reputation for toughness. After the Great Depression and two world wars, only two American motorcycle brands survived: Harley-Davidson and Indian. When Indian went bankrupt in 1953, Harley stood alone as the undisputed king of the American V-Twin market.

The Knucklehead, the Panhead, and the birth of a style

Harley’s first OHV (overhead valve) Big Twin arrived in 1936: the Knucklehead (61 ci, 989 cc), nicknamed for the fist-like shape of its rocker covers. It was a mechanical revolution that laid the foundation for every Big Twin that followed. In 1948, the Panhead replaced it, with aluminum cylinder heads that improved cooling. This engine powered the first Electra Glide in 1965, a touring motorcycle that would become iconic.

In 1957, the Sportster arrived with its 883 cc Ironhead engine: lighter, sportier, it was Milwaukee’s answer to the British motorcycles capturing the attention of young Americans. The Sportster would become one of the longest-running model lines in motorcycle history.

The dark years: the AMF era (1969-1981)

In 1969, conglomerate AMF (American Machine and Foundry, known for bowling equipment and tennis rackets) acquired Harley-Davidson. The intention was sound: inject capital into a company weakened by Japanese competition. But AMF prioritized quantity over quality. Production doubled, quality control collapsed, and motorcycles rolled off the line with oil leaks, loose bolts, and chronic electrical failures. Harley’s reputation took a severe hit, while Honda, Yamaha, and Kawasaki conquered the American market with reliable, affordable machines.

The 1981 buyback and the Evolution engine renaissance

In February 1981, 13 Harley-Davidson executives, led by Vaughn Beals and Willie G. Davidson (grandson of co-founder William A.), bought the company back from AMF through a leveraged buyout for approximately $80 million. It was the beginning of one of the greatest comebacks in American industrial history.

In 1984, Harley launched the Evolution (“Evo”) engine, an 80 cubic inch (1,340 cc) V-Twin with aluminum cylinders and heads: more powerful, more reliable, and oil-tight compared to the Shovelhead it replaced. This engine literally saved the company. It powered the all-new Softail, whose hidden-suspension frame mimicked the rigid look of classic motorcycles. In 1986, Harley-Davidson went public on the New York Stock Exchange. In 1983, President Reagan imposed tariffs on Japanese motorcycles over 700 cc, and in 1987, Harley itself requested early removal of these tariffs, a confident signal of its recovery.

Harley-Davidson today: balancing heritage and challenges

The Twin Cam replaced the Evo in 1999, then the Milwaukee-Eight (a V-Twin with eight valves, four per cylinder) arrived in 2017 for Touring models and 2018 for Softails. It remains the current engine for flagship models, available in 107, 114, 117, and 121 ci (the latter with variable valve timing, introduced in 2023 on CVO models). Meanwhile, the Revolution Max, a liquid-cooled 60-degree V-Twin, powers the Sportster S, Nightster, and Pan America since 2021.

The brand faces significant challenges: an aging core customer base, declining U.S. sales (peak production of 350,000 units in 2006, now below 200,000), and controversy around moving some Revolution Max model production to Thailand in 2024-2025. The “Hardwire” strategy from 2021, led by CEO Jochen Zeitz, focuses on premiumization, desirability, and the most profitable segments (Touring, Softail, CVO). Harley also launched LiveWire as a separate electric motorcycle brand.

Despite these headwinds, Harley-Davidson remains the world’s most recognized motorcycle brand, with a network of over 1,000 dealers in 100 countries, the Harley Owners Group (HOG, with over one million members), and a museum in Milwaukee that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.

In summary

Harley-Davidson is more than a motorcycle manufacturer: it’s a cultural brand. From a Milwaukee shed to the New York Stock Exchange, from the WLA on D-Day beaches to the Road Glide on Route 66, the 45-degree V-Twin has become a symbol of freedom, individualism, and America itself. The brand has survived two world wars, near-bankruptcy, and the Japanese invasion. No other motorcycle manufacturer in the world commands such emotional loyalty from its riders.

Sportster (1957-2022 / Sportster S since 2021)

The Sportster is the longest-running model in Harley’s history. Launched in 1957 with the 883 cc Ironhead engine, it embodied an accessible, sportier American V-Twin, lighter and nimbler than the Big Twins. The 883 model long served as the gateway into the Harley universe, while the 1200 attracted dedicated customizers. Generations of riders earned their stripes on a Sportster before graduating to a Big Twin. The classic air-cooled Evolution Sportster bowed out in 2022, replaced by the Sportster S and Nightster with the liquid-cooled Revolution Max engine, a radical shift that continues to divide the community.

Electra Glide / Road Glide (since 1965)

The Electra Glide, launched in 1965 with the Panhead engine then fitted with the Shovelhead, is the motorcycle that essentially invented American touring: a big V-Twin, a full fairing, saddlebags, and miles of open road ahead. Its name became synonymous with long-distance motorcycle travel in the United States. Today available as the Street Glide (urban bagger and the brand’s best-seller) and Road Glide (with its distinctive frame-mounted “shark nose” fairing), the Milwaukee-Eight-powered Touring family is Harley-Davidson’s commercial heartbeat and most profitable segment.

Fat Boy (since 1990)

The Fat Boy became a cultural icon when Arnold Schwarzenegger rode one in Terminator 2 in 1991. With its distinctive solid-disc wheels, massive yet clean styling, and torquey Softail V-Twin, it embodies the American cruiser in all its visual power. The design, reportedly inspired by World War II bomber aircraft, remains instantly recognizable decades later. Today’s Fat Boy runs the Milwaukee-Eight 114 and continues to be one of the most emblematic models in the entire lineup.

Softail (since 1984)

The Softail family, born in 1984 alongside the Evolution engine, introduced a major Harley innovation: a frame with hidden rear suspension beneath the engine that creates the illusion of a rigid “hardtail” chassis from the 1950s, while delivering modern ride comfort. The clever concept, purchased from an independent Missouri engineer named Bill Davis, has defined Harley’s visual identity for the past four decades. The current Softail range (Street Bob, Low Rider S, Breakout, Heritage Classic) is the brand’s most diverse family, spanning stripped-down custom to neo-retro cruiser.

Pan America (since 2021)

The Pan America is the first adventure bike in Harley-Davidson’s history, a complete departure from the brand’s cruiser and touring DNA. Powered by the liquid-cooled Revolution Max 1250 engine with semi-active suspension, it takes aim at the segment dominated by the BMW R 1250 GS. Praised by the specialized press for its on-road dynamics and off-road capability, it’s a bold gamble that demonstrates Harley’s willingness to broaden its audience, even at the risk of unsettling its traditional fanbase.