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57-523: The American Love Ride was active between 1985 and 2015, but Swiss Love Ride persists. The Love Ride was founded by Oliver Shokouh, the owner of a Harley-Davidson dealership in Glendale, California . Comedian and motorcycle buff Jay Leno served as Grand Marshal every year since 1985. Other celebrity participants have included Lorenzo Lamas and Larry Hagman , Robert Patrick , and musicians Lynyrd Skynyrd . The original ride in 1984 raised $ 1,500. In 2004,

114-415: A Wankel engine is 3 times smaller than the physical displacement, but this is compensated by the fact that the shaft has 3 times the rotational speed of the rotor. The nominal displacement is the swept volume of a single chamber. Historically, many car model names have included their engine displacement. Examples include the 1923–1930 Cadillac Series 353 (powered by a 353 Cubic inch /5.8-litre engine), and

171-466: A commemorative model in 1991. By 1990, with the introduction of the "Fat Boy" , Harley-Davidson once again became the sales leader in the heavyweight (over 750 cc) market. At the time of the Fat Boy model introduction, a false etymology spread that "Fat Boy" was a combination of the names of the atomic bombs Fat Man and Little Boy . This has been debunked, as the name "Fat Boy" actually comes from

228-413: A comparative nominal displacement for variant engine types. In several countries fees and taxes levied on road vehicles by transport authorities are scaled in proportion to engine displacement. In countries where this is practised, vehicle manufacturers often seek to increase power output through higher-revving engines or turbocharging , instead of increasing the displacement. Examples of countries where

285-571: A front brake in 1928, although only on the J/JD models. In the late summer of 1929, Harley-Davidson introduced its 45-cubic-inch (737 cc) flathead V-Twin to compete with the Indian 101 Scout and the Excelsior Super X . This was the "D" model produced from 1929 to 1931. Riders of Indian motorcycles derisively referred to it as the "three cylinder Harley" because the generator was upright and parallel to

342-474: A large event and concert featuring performances from Elton John , The Doobie Brothers , Kid Rock , and Tim McGraw . Construction started on the $ 75 million, 130,000 square-foot (12,000 m ) Harley-Davidson Museum in the Menomonee Valley of Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 1, 2006. It opened in 2008 and houses the company's vast collection of historic motorcycles and corporate archives, along with

399-766: A market that has been important to them ever since. In 1907, William A. Davidson quit his job as tool foreman for the Milwaukee Road railroad and joined the Motor Company. Production in 1905 and 1906 were all single-cylinder models with 26.84-cubic-inch (440 cc) engines. In February 1907, they displayed a prototype model at the Chicago Automobile Show with a 45-degree V-Twin engine. Very few V-Twin models were built between 1907 and 1910. These first V-Twins displaced 53.68 cubic inches (880 cc) and produced about 7 horsepower (5.2 kW). This gave about double

456-568: A restaurant, café and meeting space. Established in 1918, the oldest continuously operating Harley-Davidson dealership outside of the United States is in Australia. Sales in Japan started in 1912 then in 1929, Harley-Davidsons were produced in Japan under license to the company Rikuo (Rikuo Internal Combustion Company) under the name of Harley-Davidson and using the company's tooling, and later under

513-504: A semi-step-through frame and tank. The M-65S was a M-65 with a larger tank that eliminated the step-through feature. The Rapido was a larger bike with a 125 cc engine. The Aermacchi-built Harley-Davidsons became entirely two-stroke powered when the 250 cc two-stroke SS-250 replaced the four-stroke 350 cc Sprint in 1974. Harley-Davidson purchased full control of Aermacchi 's motorcycle production in 1974 and continued making two-stroke motorcycles there until 1978, when they sold

570-410: A valuable learning experiment. The three began work on a new and improved machine with an engine of 24.74 cubic inches (405 cc) with 9.75 in (24.8 cm) flywheels weighing 28 lb (13 kg). Its advanced loop-frame pattern was similar to the 1903 Milwaukee Merkel motorcycle designed by Joseph Merkel, later of Flying Merkel fame. The bigger engine and loop-frame design took it out of

627-556: Is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee , Wisconsin , United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression along with its historical rival, Indian Motorcycles . The company has survived numerous ownership arrangements, subsidiary arrangements, periods of poor economic health and product quality, and intense global competition to become one of

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684-611: Is calculated by multiplying together three values; the distance travelled by the piston (the stroke length ), the circular area of the cylinder, and the number of cylinders in the whole engine. The formula is: Using this formula for non-typical types of engine, such as the Wankel design and the oval-piston type used in Honda NR motorcycles, can sometimes yield misleading results when attempting to compare engines. Manufacturers and regulators may develop and use specialised formulae to determine

741-403: Is one of the measures often used in advertising, as well as regulating, motor vehicles. It is usually expressed using the metric units of cubic centimetres (cc or cm , equivalent to millilitres ) or litres (l or L), or – particularly in the United States  – cubic inches (CID, cu in, or in ). The overall displacement for a typical reciprocating piston engine

798-420: Is the measure of the cylinder volume swept by all of the pistons of a piston engine , excluding the combustion chambers . It is commonly used as an expression of an engine's size, and by extension as an indicator of the power (through mean effective pressure and rotational speed ) an engine might be capable of producing and the amount of fuel it should be expected to consume. For this reason displacement

855-590: The Lend-Lease program numbered at least 30,000. The WLAs produced during all four years of war production generally have 1942 serial numbers. Production of the WLA stopped at the end of World War II, but was resumed from 1950 to 1952 for use in the Korean War . The U.S. Army also asked Harley-Davidson to produce a new motorcycle with many of the features of BMW's side-valve and shaft-driven R71. Harley-Davidson largely copied

912-478: The University of Wisconsin–Madison with a degree in mechanical engineering. That year, they expanded the factory with a second floor and later with facings and additions of Milwaukee pale yellow ("cream") brick. With the new facilities, production increased to 150 motorcycles in 1907. The company was officially incorporated that September. They also began selling their motorcycles to police departments around this time,

969-577: The 1963–1968 BMW 1800 (a 1.8-litre engine) and Lexus LS 400 with a 3,968 cc engine. This was especially common in US muscle cars , like the Ford Mustang Boss 302 and 429, and later GT 5.0L, The Plymouth Roadrunner 383, and the Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 and 454. However, trends towards downsizing and hybrid/electric drivetrains since 2010 have resulted in far fewer model names being based on

1026-585: The 74-cubic-inch "Knucklehead" was introduced as the F and the FL . The 80 cu in (1,300 cm ) flathead UH and ULH models were discontinued after 1941, while the 74-cubic-inchU & UL flathead models were produced up to 1948. One of only two American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression (the other being the Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company ), Harley-Davidson again produced large numbers of motorcycles for

1083-474: The BMW engine and drive train and produced the shaft-driven 750 cc 1942 Harley-Davidson XA . This shared no dimensions, no parts or no design concepts (except side valves) with any prior Harley-Davidson engine. Due to the superior cooling of the flat-twin engine with the cylinders across the frame, Harley's XA cylinder heads ran 100 °F (56 °C) cooler than its V-twins. The XA never entered full production:

1140-534: The Davidson family backyard. Most of the major parts, however, were made elsewhere, including some probably fabricated at the West Milwaukee railshops where oldest brother William A. Davidson was toolroom foreman. This prototype machine was functional by September 8, 1904, when it competed in a Milwaukee motorcycle race held at State Fair Park. Edward Hildebrand rode it and placed fourth in the race. In January 1905,

1197-532: The FXST Softail. In response to possible motorcycle market loss due to the aging of baby-boomers, Harley-Davidson bought luxury motorhome manufacturer Holiday Rambler in 1986. In 1996, the company sold Holiday Rambler to the Monaco Coach Corporation . The "Sturgis" model, boasting a dual belt-drive, was introduced initially in 1980 and was made for three years. This bike was then brought back as

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1254-477: The Harley-Davidson brand, among them apparel, home décor and ornaments, accessories, toys, scale models of its motorcycles, and video games based on its motorcycle line and the community. In 1901, 20-year-old William S. Harley drew up plans for a small engine with a displacement of 7.07 cubic inches (116 cc) and four-inch (102 mm) flywheels designed for use in a regular pedal-bicycle frame. Over

1311-592: The Japanese "big four" manufacturers ( Honda , Kawasaki , Suzuki , and Yamaha ) revolutionized the North American market by introducing what the motoring press would call the Universal Japanese Motorcycle . In comparison, Harley-Davidson's bikes were expensive and inferior in performance, handling, and quality. Sales and quality declined, and the company almost went bankrupt. The "Harley-Davidson" name

1368-532: The Juneau Avenue factory where it stood for many decades as a tribute. In 1906, Harley and the Davidson brothers built their first factory on Chestnut Street (later Juneau Avenue), at the current location of Harley-Davidson's corporate headquarters. The first Juneau Avenue plant was a 40 ft × 60 ft (12 m × 18 m) single-story wooden structure. The company produced about 50 motorcycles that year. In 1907, William S. Harley graduated from

1425-480: The Reagan administration in 1983, giving Harley-Davidson time to implement their new strategies. Revising stagnated product designs was a crucial centerpiece of Harley-Davidson's turnaround strategy. Rather than trying to mimic popular Japanese designs, the new management deliberately exploited the "retro" appeal of Harley motorcycles, building machines that deliberately adopted the look and feel of their earlier bikes and

1482-630: The Super-10, introduced the Topper scooter, and bought fifty percent of Aermacchi 's motorcycle division. Importation of Aermacchi 's 250 cc horizontal single began the following year. The bike bore Harley-Davidson badges and was marketed as the Harley-Davidson Sprint. The engine of the Sprint was increased to 350 cc in 1969 and would remain that size until 1974, when the four-stroke Sprint

1539-597: The US Army in World War II and resumed civilian production afterwards, producing a range of large V-twin motorcycles that were successful both on racetracks and for private buyers. Harley-Davidson, on the eve of World War II, was already supplying the Army with a military-specific version of its 45 cubic inches (740 cm ) WL line, called the WLA . The A in this case stood for "Army". Upon

1596-506: The VL under the Rikuo name. An 80 cubic inches (1,300 cm ) flathead engine was added to the line in 1935, by which time the single-cylinder motorcycles had been discontinued. In 1936, the 61E and 61EL models with the " Knucklehead " OHV engines were introduced. Valvetrain problems in early Knucklehead engines required a redesign halfway through its first year of production and retrofitting of

1653-407: The band Gotthard , Michel von Tell , Freddy Nock, Marco "Büxi" Büchel, and Grisu Grizzly. Since the 2000s, this event has been moderated by Jeanette Macchi-Meier. This motorcycle, scooter or moped-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Harley-Davidson This is an accepted version of this page Harley-Davidson, Inc. ( H-D , or simply Harley )

1710-456: The company placed small advertisements in the Automobile and Cycle Trade Journal offering bare Harley-Davidson engines to the do-it-yourself trade. By April, they were producing complete motorcycles on a very limited basis. That year, Harley-Davidson dealer Carl H. Lang of Chicago sold three bikes from the five built in the Davidson backyard shed. Years later, the company moved the original shed to

1767-471: The company to a group of 13 investors led by Vaughn Beals and Willie G. Davidson for $ 80 million. The new management team improved product quality, introduced new technologies, and adopted just-in-time inventory management. These operational and product improvements were matched with a strategy of seeking tariff protection for large-displacement motorcycles in the face of intense competition with Japanese manufacturers. These protections were granted by

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1824-625: The design of a small German motorcycle, the DKW RT 125 , which they adapted, manufactured, and sold from 1948 to 1966. Various models were made, including the Hummer from 1955 to 1959, but they are all colloquially referred to as "Hummers" at present. BSA in the United Kingdom took the same design as the foundation of their BSA Bantam . In 1960, Harley-Davidson consolidated the Model 165 and Hummer lines into

1881-513: The facility to Cagiva , owned by the Castiglioni family. In 1952, following their application to the U.S. Tariff Commission for a 40 percent tax on imported motorcycles, Harley-Davidson was charged with restrictive practices. In 1969, American Machine and Foundry (AMF) bought the company, streamlined production, and slashed the workforce. This tactic resulted in a labor strike and cost-cutting produced lower-quality bikes. Simultaneously,

1938-521: The foundation more than $ 8 million dollar. The event take place at the military airfield near Zurich. The Highlights besides the ride out are a popular motorcycle stunt show and the Patrouille Suisse . Switzerland's elite fighter jet squadron, which is also part of the event. The event is very popular among many fans and is supported and attended by many prominent visitors. Regular guests include, for example, Susanne Klee, Peter Sauber (F1 team boss),

1995-448: The front cylinder. In 1929, Vivian Bales drove a record 5,000 miles across the United States and Canada on a D-model. The Great Depression began a few months after the introduction of their 45 cu in (740 cm ) model. Harley-Davidson's sales fell from 21,000 in 1929 to 3,703 in 1933. Despite this, Harley-Davidson unveiled a new lineup for 1934, which included a flathead engine and Art Deco styling. In order to survive

2052-608: The idea of a motorcycle charity event, inspired by the American Love Ride, to Switzerland. On May 1st, 200 people on 99 motorcycles raised 7,500 Swiss francs in donations for the Swiss Muscular Dystrophy Association. In the meantime, Love Ride Switzerland has become the largest one-day charity motorcycle event in the World. Over 7,000 motorcycles and around 20,000 visitors are expected each year. The proceeds for

2109-625: The military demanded motorcycles for the war effort. Harleys had already been used by the military in the Pancho Villa Expedition but World War I was the first time that it was adopted for military issue, first with the British Model H produced by Triumph Motorcycles Ltd in 1915. The U.S. military purchased over 20,000 motorcycles from Harley-Davidson. Harley-Davidson launched a line of bicycles in 1917 in hopes of recruiting more domestic customers for its motorcycles. Models included

2166-556: The motorcycle by that time had been eclipsed by the Jeep as the Army's general-purpose vehicle, and the WLA ;– already in production – was sufficient for its limited police, escort, and courier roles. Only 1,000 were made and the XA never went into full production. It remains the only shaft-driven Harley-Davidson ever made. As part of war reparations , Harley-Davidson acquired

2223-413: The motorized bicycle category and marked the path to future motorcycle designs. They also received help with their bigger engine from outboard motor pioneer Ole Evinrude , who was then building gas engines of his own design for automotive use on Milwaukee's Lake Street. The prototype of the new loop-frame Harley-Davidson was assembled in a 10 ft × 15 ft (3.0 m × 4.6 m) shed in

2280-462: The name Rikuo. Production continued until 1958. In 1998, the first Harley-Davidson factory outside the US opened in Manaus , Brazil, taking advantage of the free economic zone there. The location was positioned to sell motorcycles in the southern hemisphere market. In August 2009, Harley-Davidson launched Harley-Davidson India and started selling motorcycles there in 2010. The company established

2337-438: The new valvetrain on earlier engines. By 1937, all Harley-Davidson flathead engines were equipped with dry-sump oil recirculation systems similar to the one introduced in the "Knucklehead" OHV engine. The revised 74 cubic inches (1,210 cm ) V and VL models were renamed U and UL, the 80 cu in (1,300 cm ) VH and VLH to be renamed UH and ULH, and the 45 cu in (740 cm ) R to be renamed W. In 1941,

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2394-448: The next two years, he and his childhood friend Arthur Davidson worked on their motor-bicycle using the northside Milwaukee machine shop at the home of their friend Henry Melk. It was finished in 1903 with the help of Arthur's brother Walter Davidson. Upon testing their power-cycle, Harley and the Davidson brothers found it unable to climb the hills around Milwaukee without pedal assistance, and they wrote off their first motor-bicycle as

2451-454: The observation that the motorcycle is somewhat wider than other bikes when viewed head-on. 1993 and 1994 saw the replacement of FXR models with the Dyna (FXD), which became the sole rubber mount FX Big Twin frame in 1994. The FXR was revived briefly from 1999 to 2000 for special limited editions (FXR , FXR & FXR ). Harley-Davidson celebrated their 100th anniversary on September 1, 2003 with

2508-568: The outbreak of war, the company, along with most other manufacturing enterprises, shifted to war work. More than 90,000 military motorcycles, mostly WLAs and WLCs (the Canadian version) were produced, many to be provided to allies. Harley-Davidson received two Army-Navy "E" Awards , one in 1943 and the other in 1945, which were awarded for Excellence in Production. Shipments to the Soviet Union under

2565-416: The power of the first singles, and top speed was about 60 mph (100 km/h). Production jumped from 450 motorcycles in 1908 to 1,149 machines in 1909. In 1911, the company introduced an improved V-Twin model with a displacement of 49.48 cubic inches (811 cc) and mechanically operated intake valves, as opposed to the "automatic" intake valves used on earlier V-Twins that opened by engine vacuum. It

2622-612: The remainder of the Depression, the company manufactured industrial powerplants based on their motorcycle engines. They also designed and built a three-wheeled delivery vehicle called the Servi-Car , which remained in production until 1973. Alfred Rich Child opened a production line in Japan in the mid-1930s with the 74 cu in (1,210 cm ) VL. The Japanese license-holder, Sankyo Seiyaku Corporation, severed its business relations with Harley-Davidson in 1936 and continued manufacturing

2679-405: The ride raised over one million dollars. The 2009 Love Ride was cancelled due to poor ticket sales and problems with sponsors, both attributed in part to the recession that began in 2008. The final US Love Ride happened in 2015. Organizers said they had raised a total of more than $ 24 million in previous rides, and hoped to use the final event to top $ 25 million. In 1993, Erwin W. Wyrsch brought

2736-404: The road taxes are based upon engine displacement: Wankel engines are able to produce higher power levels for a given displacement. Therefore, they are generally taxed as 1.5 times their stated physical displacement (1.3 litres becomes effectively 2.0, 2.0 becomes effectively 3.0), although actual power outputs can be higher than suggested by this conversion factor. The nominal displacement of

2793-462: The subsequent customizations of owners of that era. Many components such as brakes, forks, shocks, carburetors, electrics and wheels were outsourced from foreign manufacturers and quality increased, technical improvements were made, and buyers slowly returned. Harley-Davidson bought the "Sub Shock" cantilever-swingarm rear suspension design from Missouri engineer Bill Davis and developed it into its Softail series of motorcycles, introduced in 1984 with

2850-513: The subsidiary in Gurgaon , near Delhi, in 2011 and created an Indian dealer network. On September 24, 2020, Harley Davidson announced that it would discontinue its sales and manufacturing operations in India due to weak demand and sales. The move involves $ 75 million in restructuring costs, 70 layoffs and the closure of its Bawal plant in northern India. Engine displacement Engine displacement

2907-531: The traditional diamond frame men's bicycle, a step-through frame 3–18 "Ladies Standard", and a 5–17 "Boy Scout" for youth. The effort was discontinued in 1923 because of disappointing sales. The bicycles were built for Harley-Davidson in Dayton , Ohio by the Davis Machine Company from 1917 to 1921, when Davis stopped manufacturing bicycles. By 1920 Harley-Davidson was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in

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2964-887: The world's largest motorcycle manufacturers and an iconic brand widely known for its loyal following. There are owner clubs and events worldwide, as well as a company-sponsored, brand-focused museum. Harley-Davidson is noted for a style of customization that gave rise to the chopper motorcycle style. The company traditionally marketed heavyweight, air-cooled cruiser motorcycles with engine displacements greater than 700 cc, but it has broadened its offerings to include more contemporary VRSC (2002) and middle-weight Street (2014) platforms. Harley-Davidson manufactures its motorcycles at factories in York, Pennsylvania ; Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin ; Tomahawk, Wisconsin ; Manaus , Brazil; and Rayong , Thailand . The company markets its products worldwide, and also licenses and markets merchandise under

3021-425: The world, with 28,189 machines produced and dealers in 67 countries. In 1921, Otto Walker set a record on a Harley-Davidson as the first motorcycle to win a race at an average speed greater than 100 mph (160 km/h). Harley-Davidson put several improvements in place during the 1920s, such as a new 74 cubic inch (1,212.6  cc) V-Twin introduced in 1921, and the "teardrop" gas tank in 1925. They added

3078-412: The yellow brick factory had been demolished and a new five-story structure had been built on the site which took up two blocks along Juneau Avenue and around the corner on 38th Street. Despite the competition, Harley-Davidson was already pulling ahead of Indian and dominated motorcycle racing after 1914. Production that year swelled to 16,284 machines. In 1917, the United States entered World War I and

3135-567: Was discontinued. After the Pacer and Scat models were discontinued at the end of 1965, the Bobcat became the last of Harley-Davidson's American-made two-stroke motorcycles. The Bobcat was manufactured only in the 1966 model year. Harley-Davidson replaced their American-made lightweight two-stroke motorcycles with the Italian Aermacchi -built two-stroke powered M-65, M-65S, and Rapido. The M-65 had

3192-614: Was mocked as "Hardly Ableson", "Hardly Driveable", and "Hogly Ferguson", and the nickname "Hog" became pejorative . In 1977, following the successful manufacture of the Liberty Edition to commemorate America's bicentennial in 1976, Harley-Davidson produced what has become one of its most controversial models, the Harley-Davidson Confederate Edition . The bike was essentially a stock Harley-Davidson with Confederate -specific paint and details. In 1981, AMF sold

3249-466: Was smaller than earlier twins but gave better performance. After 1913, the majority of bikes produced by Harley-Davidson were V-Twin models. In 1912, Harley-Davidson introduced their patented "Ful-Floteing Seat", which was suspended by a coil spring inside the seat tube. The spring tension could be adjusted to suit the rider's weight, and more than 3 inches (76 mm) of travel was available. Harley-Davidson used seats of this type until 1958. By 1913,

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