Harley Davidson-the Real Deal

It's hard to believe that Harley Davidson has been around for 100 years! Such a presence has landed them the most respected and popular manufacturer of motorcycles in the United States. With its beginning in 1903, Harley has diversified itself in the market place by offering racing bikes, military bikes and most popularly, the leisure bike. Gathering every year, motorcyclists visit the birthplace of the Harley, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

William Harley and Arthur Davidson teamed up in 1903 and together founded the Harley Davidson Company. Getting their start in a tiny wood shed in Milwaukee, the first ever Harley was made literally in their back yard. Henry Meyer saw the beauty of the Harley and became the first ever purchaser of a Harley Davidson motorcycle. C.H. Lang opened the first Harley Davidson dealership in 1904 in Chicago, Illinois.

Harley Davidson made its motorcycle racing debut in 1905. Clenching their first win that same year, Harley Davidson expanded its racing operations by entering endurance competitions, off-road racing competitions and lap races. Harley Davidson's continued success led to the development of the racing department of Harley Davidson in 1913.

By 1917, the United States Military purchased about 1/3 of all Harleys and that number continued to grow. Within a year 50% of all military motorcycles were purchased from the Harley Davidson Company. Historians tout that World War One was fought with the help of twenty thousand motorcycles with the majority of the motorcycles being Harleys. In 1983 the Harley Owners Group (commonly known as H.O.G.) was formed. This group holds the title of the largest motorcycle club in history. Membership in H.O.G. grew to more than 500,000 by the year 2000 and is only expected to continue to expand.

The year 2010 will surely be another ground breaking year for Harley Davidson. Enhanced accessories, improved technology and unsurpassed quality will propel Harley into another record breaking year.