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74-656: Walter Davidson may refer to: Walter Davidson, Sr. (1876-1942), founder of Harley-Davidson Walter Edward Davidson (1859–1923), British colonial governor (Newfoundland, New South Wales) Walter I. Davidson (1895–1985), Philadelphia businessman, civic leader, and politician Walter Davidson (Canadian politician) , member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia See also [ edit ] Walter Davison (1581–1608?), poet Walther Davisson (1885–1973), German musician [REDACTED] Topics referred to by
148-466: 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
222-432: A flywheel in a child's toy is not efficient; however, the flywheel velocity never approaches its burst velocity because the limit in this case is the pulling-power of the child. In other applications, such as an automobile, the flywheel operates at a specified angular velocity and is constrained by the space it must fit in, so the goal is to maximize the stored energy per unit volume. The material selection therefore depends on
296-588: A flywheel include smoothing a power output in reciprocating engines , energy storage , delivering energy at higher rates than the source, controlling the orientation of a mechanical system using gyroscope and reaction wheel , etc. Flywheels are typically made of steel and rotate on conventional bearings; these are generally limited to a maximum revolution rate of a few thousand RPM . High energy density flywheels can be made of carbon fiber composites and employ magnetic bearings , enabling them to revolve at speeds up to 60,000 RPM (1 kHz ). The principle of
370-416: A flywheel is determined by E M = K σ ρ {\textstyle {\frac {E}{M}}=K{\frac {\sigma }{\rho }}} , in which K {\displaystyle K} is the shape factor, σ {\displaystyle \sigma } the material's tensile strength and ρ {\displaystyle \rho } the density. While
444-433: A flywheel is determined by the maximum amount of energy it can store per unit weight. As the flywheel's rotational speed or angular velocity is increased, the stored energy increases; however, the stresses also increase. If the hoop stress surpass the tensile strength of the material, the flywheel will break apart. Thus, the tensile strength limits the amount of energy that a flywheel can store. In this context, using lead for
518-436: A fresh charge of air and fuel. Another example is the friction motor which powers devices such as toy cars . In unstressed and inexpensive cases, to save on cost, the bulk of the mass of the flywheel is toward the rim of the wheel. Pushing the mass away from the axis of rotation heightens rotational inertia for a given total mass. A flywheel may also be used to supply intermittent pulses of energy at power levels that exceed
592-571: 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
666-434: A given flywheel design, the kinetic energy is proportional to the ratio of the hoop stress to the material density and to the mass. The specific tensile strength of a flywheel can be defined as σ t ρ {\textstyle {\frac {\sigma _{t}}{\rho }}} . The flywheel material with the highest specific tensile strength will yield the highest energy storage per unit mass. This
740-474: 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
814-766: 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
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#1732856218275888-474: A percentage of the flywheel's moment of inertia, with the majority from the rim, so that I r i m = K I f l y w h e e l {\displaystyle I_{\mathrm {rim} }=KI_{\mathrm {flywheel} }} . For example, if the moments of inertia of hub, spokes and shaft are deemed negligible, and the rim's thickness is very small compared to its mean radius ( R {\displaystyle R} ),
962-568: 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
1036-504: 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
1110-482: A superflywheel does not explode or burst into large shards like a regular flywheel, but instead splits into layers. The separated layers then slow a superflywheel down by sliding against the inner walls of the enclosure, thus preventing any further destruction. Although the exact value of energy density of a superflywheel would depend on the material used, it could theoretically be as high as 1200 Wh (4.4 MJ) per kg of mass for graphene superflywheels. The first superflywheel
1184-488: A thin-walled empty cylinder it is approximately m r 2 {\textstyle mr^{2}} , and for a thick-walled empty cylinder with constant density it is 1 2 m ( r e x t e r n a l 2 + r i n t e r n a l 2 ) {\textstyle {\frac {1}{2}}m({r_{\mathrm {external} }}^{2}+{r_{\mathrm {internal} }}^{2})} . For
1258-467: A typical flywheel has a shape factor of 0.3, the shaftless flywheel has a shape factor close to 0.6, out of a theoretical limit of about 1. A superflywheel consists of a solid core (hub) and multiple thin layers of high-strength flexible materials (such as special steels, carbon fiber composites, glass fiber, or graphene) wound around it. Compared to conventional flywheels, superflywheels can store more energy and are safer to operate. In case of failure,
1332-410: 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
1406-416: A wide range of applications: gyroscopes for instrumentation, ship stability , satellite stabilization ( reaction wheel ), keeping a toy spin spinning ( friction motor ), stabilizing magnetically-levitated objects ( Spin-stabilized magnetic levitation ). Flywheels may also be used as an electric compensator, like a synchronous compensator , that can either produce or sink reactive power but would not affect
1480-743: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Walter Davidson, Sr. Harley-Davidson, Inc. ( H-D , or simply Harley ) 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
1554-630: Is one reason why carbon fiber is a material of interest. For a given design the stored energy is proportional to the hoop stress and the volume. An electric motor-powered flywheel is common in practice. The output power of the electric motor is approximately equal to the output power of the flywheel. It can be calculated by ( V i ) ( V t ) ( sin ( δ ) X S ) {\textstyle (V_{i})(V_{t})\left({\frac {\sin(\delta )}{X_{S}}}\right)} , where V i {\displaystyle V_{i}}
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#17328562182751628-437: Is the angular velocity of the cylinder. A rimmed flywheel has a rim , a hub, and spokes . Calculation of the flywheel's moment of inertia can be more easily analysed by applying various simplifications. One method is to assume the spokes, shaft and hub have zero moments of inertia, and the flywheel's moment of inertia is from the rim alone. Another is to lump moments of inertia of spokes, hub and shaft may be estimated as
1702-407: Is the voltage of rotor winding, V t {\displaystyle V_{t}} is stator voltage, and δ {\displaystyle \delta } is the angle between two voltages. Increasing amounts of rotation energy can be stored in the flywheel until the rotor shatters. This happens when the hoop stress within the rotor exceeds the ultimate tensile strength of
1776-590: 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
1850-478: 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,
1924-585: 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
1998-474: 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:
2072-534: 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,
2146-532: 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
2220-556: The German artisan Theophilus Presbyter (ca. 1070–1125) who records applying the device in several of his machines. In the Industrial Revolution , James Watt contributed to the development of the flywheel in the steam engine , and his contemporary James Pickard used a flywheel combined with a crank to transform reciprocating motion into rotary motion. The kinetic energy (or more specifically rotational energy ) stored by
2294-477: 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
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2368-592: 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
2442-532: 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
2516-480: 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
2590-630: 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
2664-597: 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
2738-506: 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
2812-444: The abilities of its energy source. This is achieved by accumulating energy in the flywheel over a period of time, at a rate that is compatible with the energy source, and then releasing energy at a much higher rate over a relatively short time when it is needed. For example, flywheels are used in power hammers and riveting machines . Flywheels can be used to control direction and oppose unwanted motions. Flywheels in this context have
2886-416: The application. Flywheels are often used to provide continuous power output in systems where the energy source is not continuous. For example, a flywheel is used to smooth the fast angular velocity fluctuations of the crankshaft in a reciprocating engine. In this case, a crankshaft flywheel stores energy when torque is exerted on it by a firing piston and then returns that energy to the piston to compress
2960-456: 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
3034-471: 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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3108-418: The conservation of angular momentum to store rotational energy , a form of kinetic energy proportional to the product of its moment of inertia and the square of its rotational speed . In particular, assuming the flywheel's moment of inertia is constant (i.e., a flywheel with fixed mass and second moment of area revolving about some fixed axis) then the stored (rotational) energy is directly associated with
3182-625: 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
3256-513: 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,
3330-578: The flywheel is found in the Neolithic spindle and the potter's wheel , as well as circular sharpening stones in antiquity. In the early 11th century, Ibn Bassal pioneered the use of flywheel in noria and saqiyah . The use of the flywheel as a general mechanical device to equalize the speed of rotation is, according to the American medievalist Lynn White , recorded in the De diversibus artibus (On various arts) of
3404-402: The flywheel's rotor can be calculated by 1 2 I ω 2 {\textstyle {\frac {1}{2}}I\omega ^{2}} . ω is the angular velocity , and I {\displaystyle I} is the moment of inertia of the flywheel about its axis of symmetry. The moment of inertia is a measure of resistance to torque applied on a spinning object (i.e.
3478-448: 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
3552-407: The higher the moment of inertia, the slower it will accelerate when a given torque is applied). The moment of inertia can be calculated for cylindrical shapes using mass ( m {\textstyle m} ) and radius ( r {\displaystyle r} ). For a solid cylinder it is 1 2 m r 2 {\textstyle {\frac {1}{2}}mr^{2}} , for
3626-625: 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
3700-556: 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
3774-413: 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
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#17328562182753848-507: 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
3922-438: 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,
3996-448: 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
4070-454: 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
4144-568: 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
4218-416: 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
4292-400: The power output of a system, thereby effectively playing the role of a low-pass filter with respect to the mechanical velocity (angular, or otherwise) of the system. More precisely, a flywheel's stored energy will donate a surge in power output upon a drop in power input and will conversely absorb any excess power input (system-generated power) in the form of rotational energy. Common uses of
4366-450: The radius of rotation of the rim is equal to its mean radius and thus I r i m = M r i m R 2 {\textstyle I_{\mathrm {rim} }=M_{\mathrm {rim} }R^{2}} . A shaftless flywheel eliminates the annulus holes, shaft or hub. It has higher energy density than conventional design but requires a specialized magnetic bearing and control system. The specific energy of
4440-428: The real power. The purposes for that application are to improve the power factor of the system or adjust the grid voltage. Typically, the flywheels used in this field are similar in structure and installation as the synchronous motor (but it is called synchronous compensator or synchronous condenser in this context). There are also some other kinds of compensator using flywheels, like the single phase induction machine. But
4514-612: 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
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#17328562182754588-405: The rotor material. Tensile stress can be calculated by ρ r 2 ω 2 {\displaystyle \rho r^{2}\omega ^{2}} , where ρ {\displaystyle \rho } is the density of the cylinder, r {\displaystyle r} is the radius of the cylinder, and ω {\displaystyle \omega }
4662-409: The same term This disambiguation page lists articles about people with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Walter_Davidson&oldid=1213171526 " Category : Human name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
4736-420: The square of its rotational speed. Since a flywheel serves to store mechanical energy for later use, it is natural to consider it as a kinetic energy analogue of an electrical capacitor . Once suitably abstracted, this shared principle of energy storage is described in the generalized concept of an accumulator . As with other types of accumulators, a flywheel inherently smooths sufficiently small deviations in
4810-462: 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
4884-524: 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. Flywheel A flywheel is a mechanical device that uses
4958-531: 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
5032-887: 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
5106-425: 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
5180-412: 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
5254-567: 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
5328-614: 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
5402-574: Was patented in 1964 by the Soviet-Russian scientist Nurbei Guilia . Flywheels are made from many different materials; the application determines the choice of material. Small flywheels made of lead are found in children's toys. Cast iron flywheels are used in old steam engines. Flywheels used in car engines are made of cast or nodular iron, steel or aluminum. Flywheels made from high-strength steel or composites have been proposed for use in vehicle energy storage and braking systems. The efficiency of
5476-466: 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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