50 Fun Facts About Harley-Davidson

In which city is Harley-Davidson headquartered?

Its corporate headquarters still sits on Juneau Avenue, where the founders built their first wooden factory in 1906.

In what year was Harley-Davidson founded?

William S. Harley had drawn up plans for a small bicycle engine in 1901; the first finished motor-bicycle could not climb Milwaukee's hills without pedaling.

Which rival was the only other major US motorcycle maker to survive the Great Depression?

Harley sales had collapsed from 21,000 in 1929 to 3,703 in 1933; the company got by building industrial engines and a three-wheeled delivery trike.

The first loop-frame Harley-Davidson prototype was assembled where?

The 10-by-15-foot shed in the Davidson family yard was later moved to the Juneau Avenue factory and kept for decades as a tribute.

Which outboard-motor pioneer helped the founders with their bigger early engine?

Evinrude was then building gas engines for automotive use on Milwaukee's Lake Street, not far from the Davidson home.

How many Davidson brothers were involved alongside William S. Harley in the early company?

Arthur worked on the first engine, Walter helped finish it, and oldest brother William A. left his railroad toolroom job to join in 1907.

William S. Harley earned a mechanical engineering degree in 1907 from which school?

The same year, the company incorporated, added a second floor to its factory and started selling bikes to police departments.

Roughly how many motorcycles did Harley-Davidson build in 1906, its first factory year?

Output hit 150 the next year and 1,149 by 1909 as the V-twin arrived.

What angle separates the cylinders on a classic Harley-Davidson V-twin?

Both pistons share a single crankpin, so the cylinders fire at uneven intervals, which creates the trademark choppy sound.

The uneven firing of a Harley V-twin is often described as sounding like what?

The company tried to register that exhaust note as a sound trademark in 1994 but gave up in 2000 after nine rivals objected.

What happened to Harley-Davidson's 1994 application to trademark its engine sound?

Competitors argued that any single-crankpin V-twin cruiser makes a similar noise, and litigation followed the objections.

Which war was the first in which Harley-Davidson motorcycles were adopted for US military issue?

Harleys had already chased Pancho Villa in Mexico; the US military then bought more than 20,000 for the 1917–18 war effort.

In the World War II military model name WLA, what did the "A" stand for?

About 90,000 military bikes were built, and at least 30,000 went to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease.

The wartime Harley-Davidson XA largely copied the shaft-driven engine and drivetrain of which brand?

The Army wanted a bike with the features of BMW's R71; the XA shared almost nothing with any previous Harley.

What was the three-wheeled delivery vehicle Harley built from 1932 to 1973?

Designed to help the company survive the Depression, it was the last three-wheeler until the Tri-Glide Ultra Classic arrived for 2009.

Which nickname belongs to the overhead-valve engine introduced in 1936?

Early valvetrain problems forced a redesign halfway through its first year; the name comes from the rocker boxes' resemblance to knuckles.

Which Big Twin engine nickname covers the years 1948 to 1965?

It was followed by the engine built from 1966 to 1984, whose rocker covers looked like upturned coal shovels.

The 1984–1999 Big Twin engine, nicknamed "Blockhead", was officially called what?

It powered the company's turnaround after the 1981 buyout and still lives on in 883 and 1,200 cc Sportster form.

Which engine family replaced the Twin Cam on touring models in 2017?

The standard 107-cubic-inch version reached Softail models in 2018; the name refers to its eight valves.

Which German sports-car maker helped develop the liquid-cooled Revolution engine for the V-Rod?

The 60-degree, dual-overhead-cam engine grew out of the VR-1000 Superbike race program and was endurance-tested on a simulated Autobahn run.

Which company bought Harley-Davidson in 1969, ushering in an era of quality problems?

American Machine and Foundry slashed the workforce, triggered a strike and turned out bikes mocked as "Hardly Ableson" and "Hardly Driveable".

For how much did 13 investors buy Harley-Davidson back from AMF in 1981?

The group, led by Vaughn Beals and Willie G. Davidson, improved quality, adopted just-in-time inventory and lobbied for tariffs on big Japanese bikes.

Which Japanese maker was NOT one of the "big four" that nearly bankrupted Harley in the 1970s?

Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha introduced what the press called the Universal Japanese Motorcycle: cheaper, faster and better built.

Which model family, introduced in 1957, was conceived as a racing motorcycle?

Smaller and lighter than the Big Twins, it dominated dirt and flat-track courses through the 1960s and 1970s.

Which 1984 model family hides its rear suspension to mimic a rigid "hardtail" chopper?

Harley bought the "Sub Shock" cantilever-swingarm design from Missouri engineer Bill Davis and launched the FXST in 1984.

Which 1990 model returned Harley to the top of heavyweight motorcycle sales?

A myth claimed the name combined the atomic bombs Fat Man and Little Boy; it really refers to the bike looking wider head-on.

Harley-Davidson's first electric motorcycle, released in 2019, was called what?

It had a minimum city range of 98 miles and was spun off as its own company in 2021–22, valued at about $1.77 billion.

What does the acronym HOG stand for?

Founded in 1983, it has more than a million members and 1,400 chapters, the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle club in the world.

How did Harleys first come to be nicknamed "hogs"?

From 1920 a team of farm boys known as the "hog boys" kept winning races, and after each win they put their pig on a Harley for a victory lap.

What NYSE ticker symbol did Harley-Davidson adopt in 2006?

The company had tried to trademark "hog" itself but lost a 1999 case to an independent shop called The Hog Farm.

Which Italian firm's motorcycle division did Harley buy half of in 1960 to sell small bikes?

Its 250 cc single was sold as the Harley-Davidson Sprint; Harley bought full control in 1974 and sold the plant to Cagiva in 1978.

What was the Topper, introduced by Harley-Davidson in 1960?

It arrived the same year the company consolidated its lightweight Model 165 and Hummer lines into the Super-10.

Which sportbike company did Harley own until shutting it down in October 2009?

The relationship began with 50 surplus XR1000 engines in 1987; founder Erik Buell went on to start Erik Buell Racing.

For roughly how much did Harley sell MV Agusta back to Claudio Castiglioni in 2010?

Harley had paid US$109 million for the Italian group just two years earlier, in 2008.

Where is the Harley-Davidson Museum, opened in 2008, located?

The $75 million, 130,000-square-foot building in the Menomonee Valley holds the company's historic bikes and corporate archives.

Harley-Davidson celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2003 with a concert headlined by which star?

The Doobie Brothers, Kid Rock and Tim McGraw also played the September 1 event.

Which Harley factory location is in Pennsylvania?

The others are in Wisconsin and Thailand; the company also builds in Manaus, Brazil.

In what year did Harley-Davidson first sell motorcycles in India?

It set up a subsidiary near Delhi in 2011, then announced in September 2020 that it was pulling out because of weak sales.

Which touring model did Willie G. Davidson design in 2006 as his personal ride?

The FLHX joined a touring family nicknamed "dressers" or "baggers" for their big saddlebags and fairings.

Harley's touring models are the only family to offer what factory feature?

They are also recognized by large saddlebags and rear coil-over air suspension; all touring designations begin with FL.

Electronic fuel injection became standard on every Harley model in which model year?

It had debuted as an option on the 30th-anniversary Electra Glide in 1995.

Harley-Davidson briefly sold what non-motorized product from 1917 to 1923?

Models included a "Ladies Standard" and a "Boy Scout"; they were built in Dayton, Ohio, and dropped after disappointing sales.

In 1952 Harley asked the US Tariff Commission for what tax on imported motorcycles?

Instead of protection, the company was charged with restrictive practices.

What suspended the rider on Harley's patented 1912 "Ful-Floteing" saddle?

Riders could adjust the tension for their weight and got more than three inches of travel; the design lasted into the 1950s.

The 2009 Tri-Glide Ultra Classic was Harley's first three-wheeler since which year?

That was when the Servi-Car delivery trike ended its 41-year run.

Which annual South Dakota rally, begun in 1938, is a pilgrimage for Harley riders?

Ironically it was started by Indian riders, the Jackpine Gypsies club, as the Black Hills Motor Classic.

The "Captain America" chopper in Easy Rider was built from which Harley model?

Four former police bikes from 1949–52 were bought at auction for $500; one was wrecked in the finale and the rest were stolen.

How many distinct model families make up the modern Harley lineup, per the company?

Touring, Softail, Dyna, Sportster, V-Rod, Street and LiveWire, each defined by frame, engine and suspension.

Licensing the Harley-Davidson logo brought in about what share of net revenue in 2004?

That was about $41 million from apparel, home décor, toys and more, on top of motorcycle sales.

Which engine is NOT one of the nicknamed Big Twins in Harley's lineage?

The real sequence runs Knucklehead, Panhead, Shovelhead, Evolution, Twin Cam and Milwaukee-Eight.