Читать книгу American Iron Magazine Presents 1001 Harley-Davidson Facts - Tyler Greenblatt - Страница 11
Оглавление1 While the timing of Fact No. 1 occurs toward the very end of this chapter, there’s something revealing and inspiring about the Harley-Davidson Motor Company in the way that it preserves its legendary past for the enjoyment and discovery of current and future generations. In 1915, the founders began the tradition of saving one or two motorcycles directly from the factory every year. To backfill the archive with previous models, they placed newspaper ads seeking to purchase earlier motorcycles. The effort even kept up during the Great Depression, World War II, AMF ownership, and near bankruptcy. Because of the incredible foresight of the founders, and the continuing of the tradition, the Harley-Davidson Museum is able to share the company’s legacy with visitors and storytellers from around the globe. Without this pivotal action taken so early on by the founding partners, much of the company’s history might be lost today.
2 Arthur Davidson and Bill Harley grew up as neighbors in Milwaukee and spent most of their spare time in Arthur’s father’s basement workshop building things and thinking of new ideas. The boys were avid fishermen and often took their poles to the lake via bicycle, sometimes instead of going to school. Ever the thinkers and inventors, one of their first big ideas was to install motors on their bicycles so that they could get to the fishing hole faster and have a little more fun on the way. Although their first motorcycle was still years away, they never lost sight of the dream of making a faster bicycle.
The men whose dedication, ingenuity, and perseverance made possible The Motor Company that we know and love are, from left to right: Arthur Davidson, Walter Davidson, William Harley, and William Davidson Although there were three Davidson brothers. Harley’s name comes first because he was the engineer and designer of the first motorcycle. (Photo Courtesy Harley-Davidson)
3 Arthur and Bill received help from all over Milwaukee to make their motorized bicycle dream come true. Anyone who’s ever attempted to start his own company can attest to the fact that there’s usually not a whole lot to start with. The boys needed two things: knowledge and tools. They sought knowledge from a fellow employee at Barth Manufacturing, where they both worked, named Emil Kroeger, who was familiar with the French de Dion single-cylinder, four-stroke engine that had taken the internal combustion world by storm. Bill even took a summer job at the Meiselbach bicycle factory in Milwaukee to learn about frames. Then, they received assistance from another neighborhood friend, Henry Melk, who had a lathe in his basement and allowed them to machine parts on it. Harley-Davidson is more of a Milwaukee company than you may have even thought.
4 Friends and business partners Arthur Davidson and Ole Evinrude made a pact before either of them actually developed their namesake product, promising that they would never encroach on each other’s market. That pact is honored to this day, on purpose or by default. Evinrude never built a motorcycle engine and Harley-Davidson has never built a water product. The latter is surprising because The Motor Company owned, bought, or built just about everything else from snowmobiles to golf carts.
5 While home in Milwaukee for William A. Davidson’s wedding, Walter Davidson, a skilled mechanic, helped Arthur and Bill successfully put together all the parts they had crafted to build their motorized bicycle. When the three were done, Walter hopped on and took the machine for a ride, making that the first ever ride on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
6 That first ride must have touched something deep within Walter Davidson; soon afterward he quit his job in Kansas and moved to Milwaukee on April 17, 1903. He took a job with his father and brother William at the railroad, and lived in the Davidson household so he could more easily spend his spare time with Arthur and Bill perfecting their motorcycle. And so the third founding father joined the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. At this early point in company history, all three young men still had full-time jobs and worked on their motorcycle in their spare time.
7 In 1903, Bill and Walter’s mother, Margaret Davidson, finally had enough of the three boys tracking dirt and grease throughout her house and the constant working in the basement. In truth, their father, William C., encouraged their entrepreneurship, but he liked to build furniture in his spare time and also wanted his basement woodworking studio back. And so, the day after Margaret had finally let the world know she had had enough, William C. bought some lumber and set to work building a 10 × 15–foot shed in the backyard. This shed became the first Harley-Davidson “factory.”
8 The first Harley-Davidson was sold to the founders’ friend, Henry Meyer, in 1903. In 1913, a company researcher was tasked with tracking down that first motorcycle and looking at its maintenance history. After Henry Meyer, four others owned it and put a cumulative 83,000 miles on the machine and none ever had to replace the engine bearings. In a 1913 advertisement, the company bragged that this was a testament to the durability and longevity of its motorcycle. Serial Number One, as it’s affectionately called, is on display at the Harley-Davidson Museum.
9 Before the founders knew the advantages of using a bank, they stored their sales proceeds in a canning jar and hid it in the Davidson family’s pantry. Unfortunately, the maid, hired by Margaret Davidson to clean up the boys’ dirt and grease, discovered the small stash and stole it. They quickly learned their lesson and began keeping the company’s earnings in the bank while sister Bessie kept the books. She was responsible for the company’s financial records in the early years, and her brothers rewarded her by paying for her college education.
10 By 1904, the Harley-Davidson Motor Company had sold about ten motorcycles, so the boys doubled the size of the backyard shed to handle the additional capacity. But the shed wasn’t going to last much longer for the burgeoning company, and there were no funds to open a real factory yet. That’s when help came from the Davidson brothers’ “Honey Uncle,” James McLay. The land he owned is now known as Picnic Point, a beautiful spit of land on Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin. Uncle James kept bees there and lived off the land, hence his nickname. He was intrigued with his nephews’ motorcycles and loaned his life’s savings to the young company. As you might imagine, he was paid back many times over.
11 With the money from their Honey Uncle, Bill Harley and the Davidson brothers purchased some land on Chestnut Street in Milwaukee, where, in 1906, they built the first Harley-Davidson factory. It measured 28 × 80 feet, not exactly large by factory standards, but the additional space allowed the company to produce motorcycles on a much grander scale. Apparently, they accidentally built part of the building on railroad-owned land so, to remedy the problem, all of the employees gathered outside and lifted the building and moved it a foot and a half. Soon after, Chestnut Street was renamed Juneau Avenue, which is where Harley-Davidson’s corporate headquarters exists today.
12 Harley-Davidson hired its first outside employee in 1905 and production increased from 3 motorcycles a year to 7. In 1906, things really took off for the fledgling company. It hired 5 more employees that year, and production increased to 50 motorcycles.
13 In 1907, Harley-Davidson produced 150 motorcycles and it was clear that The Motor Company was destined for great things. After only about a year at the Juneau Avenue factory, it was rebuilt with cream-colored brick and mortar to 40 × 60 feet, with a second floor. This allowed production to skyrocket to 410 motorcycles in 1908. The new factory had two doors, one for management and one for employees. However, because the doors were next to each other, everyone simply used the convenient door and this helped promote a family atmosphere at the company, which still exists.
14 The Harley-Davidson Motor Company officially incorporated on September 17, 1907, and all 17 employees opted to purchase stock in the company. Walter Davidson became the first company president, Bill Harley became chief engineer and treasurer, and Arthur Davidson took on the role of secretary and general sales manager. After the company incorporated, the oldest Davidson brother, William, decided to leave his job at the railroad and join the company as the works manager.
15 Arthur Davidson insisted that the company must advertise its product, even though it was already struggling to keep up with demand and all of its money was going into meeting that demand. Arthur convinced his friend, Walter Dunlap, a partner at a new advertising firm, to publish a Harley-Davidson catalog on credit. This was a big risk, but the catalog was a success and The Motor Company retained Dunlap’s advertising firm as its exclusive agency well into the 1950s.
16 The first official Harley-Davidson dealer, C. H. Lang, opened in Chicago in 1904; it sold one of the first three motorcycles that the company produced.
17 The distinctive Bar & Shield logo was seen for the first time on 1908 model toolboxes. It featured the words “Harley-Davidson” in a bar across the middle in front of a shield that showed “Motor” on the top and “Cycles” on the bottom. However, it didn’t see widespread use until 1910 when it appeared on a variety of company literature and packaging. Technically, The Motor Company officially trademarked the logo on May 6, 1910, leading many to believe that 1910 was the first usage.
18 By 1914, less than a decade after hiring its first employee, Harley-Davidson employed 1,570 workers. That year, 16,284 motorcycles were produced, which means that one was completed every 5-1/2 minutes. Not long before, the average was one motorcycle every four months. During this same time period, more than 100 other motorcycle manufacturers had come onto the scene in the United States and gone out of business.
19 Harley-Davidson was Milwaukee’s largest user of gas and electricity in the 1910s, perhaps because it was the city’s only company using an electric furnace. The same General Electric transformer powered the Juneau Avenue factory from 1913 right through the 1990s. Then it continued service as a backup power unit until 2011, when the 8-foot-tall 8,000-pound unit was moved to the lobby area of the Harley-Davidson Museum where it is currently displayed.
20 The first Parts & Accessories department is formed in 1912 and officially becomes its own division of the business. In that same year, the first P&A catalog, which features parts and riding clothes, is distributed. I’m sure Harley owners then, just as today, waited anxiously for the local dealer to receive the new year’s P&A catalog.
21 When the Harley-Davidson Motor Company incorporated on September 17, 1907, the total value of company stock was $14,200. That’s a little over $350,000 in today’s dollars.
22 On August 14, 1915, Harley-Davidson held its first company picnic at Army Lake in East Troy, Wisconsin. More than 150 employees and their families attended the company outing where they enjoyed games, music, and other festivities. In attendance was L. C. Rosenkrans, the company’s staff photographer, who took several pictures of that first event, which disappeared until they were discovered in 2012. Interestingly, East Troy is the hometown and headquarters of Buell, Harley’s future sportbike division.
23 Harley-Davidson begins selling H-D branded oil for the first time in 1909. I don’t know about you, but I find something very reassuring about filling my bike with Harley-Davidson oil today! As you’ll read, Harley-Davidson oil has been given great credit over the years for helping adventure riders achieve successes once thought to be impossible.
24 Although Harley-Davidsons were sold overseas early on, it wasn’t until 1913 that The Motor Company sent Export Manager H. C. “Doc” Garner on a six-month tour of Europe to gauge the desire and the market for the Milwaukee brand. Upon his return, he noted that the British motorcycles proved to be tough competition throughout Europe, but that many Europeans wanted to ride an American Harley-Davidson. Immediately following his exploratory trip, The Motor Company began opening dealerships across the continent.
25 In 1908, when most of the country was still using horses as transportation, Harley-Davidson began using automobiles to transport parts. Brush built the first truck in use by The Motor Company. It was little more than a pickup-type bed on a chassis with a couple seats and a steering wheel in the front. Without the steering wheel, it was indistinguishable from a horse-drawn carriage.
26 After spending a summer working at the Meiselbach Bicycle factory in Milwaukee, Bill Harley learned all about bicycle construction and deduced that the traditional triangle frame wouldn’t be strong enough for motorized use, even though, in 1901, most motorcycle companies used them. So Bill set to work designing a strong, loop-style frame specifically for use with a motor. That frame design worked so well that it remained in use into the 1950s when production of the WL ceased.
27 Before 1909, H-D oil tanks were fitted on top of the gas tank and to the frame’s backbone by a pair of nickel-plated steel bands. Because of this design, the earliest motorcycles are called “strap-tanks.”
The early strap-tank Harley-Davidsons built from 1903 through 1908 carried 1-1/2 gallons of fuel in the large tank underneath and two quarts of oil in the flat tank on top. Janet Davidson’s handiwork is evident on the pinstripes and lettering on this 1906. However, someone else added the Bar & Shield logo at a later date; this logo wasn’t used until 1910.
28 Harley-Davidson offered its first sidecar for sale in 1914 to compete with the numerous other motorcycle companies that offered a “sidehack” option. Rogers, a notable sidecar company, built the company’s first sidecar, but H-D began producing and selling its own sidecar in 1915. Sidecars added a major dose of practicality and usability to any motorcycle, especially for the workingman’s cycle. For the average family, automobiles were still far in the future, but a whole family could fit on a motorcycle and enjoy trips and adventure never before imagined. The sidecar remained a staple accessory for Harley-Davidson’s civilian, commercial, police, and military functions until production ceased abruptly in 2011.
29 The first Harley-Davidson prototype motorcycle used a basic triangular bicycle frame design, but Walter’s first ride quickly revealed that the design did not support a four-stroke engine well. Following that ride, Bill Harley designed a loop-style frame that cradled the engine and allowed a more secure mounting. The first handful of motorcycles remains relatively unchanged between 1903 and 1905; they featured rudimentary bicycle-style seats and handlebars, and had no suspension. A coaster brake stopped the 178-lb. machine (plus rider), which was spread out over a 51-inch wheelbase. All machines up until 1905 were black and had gold pinstriping with red and gold Harley-Davidson lettering, all applied by Janet Davidson.
30 The first suspension appeared on a Harley-Davidson in 1907 in the form of a Sager-Cushion leading-link front fork, which was the precursor to the famous Harley-Davidson springer fork. The two rear legs of the fork mounted solidly to the motorcycle’s frame neck on the top; a pivoting bracket on the bottom connected to the wheel and another set of tubes. The forward set of tubes had springs inside; they compressed as the wheel hit a bump, which then actuated the pivoting bracket.
By 1907, Harley-Davidsons were painted the traditional Renault Gray and featured a higher level of polish (overall) than previous models. This motorcycle is equipped with the standard Sager-Cushion leading-link front fork and all-white tires, which help define the look of that era. The gas tank lettering is much straighter and more consistent than previous years; although it was still hand-rendered, a more scientific process had been developed.
31 The 1909 Harley-Davidson took a major leap forward from its strap-tank predecessors with a more durable frame, front end, and chassis layout. The new frame used a twin backbone design to mount the new, longer, one-piece gas/oil tank, which is tapered at the front and rear for a streamlined look. The new frame’s wheelbase was 56-1/2 inches, which made room for the molded and painted compartment that sat behind the rear downtube, in front of the rear wheel. It could house tools, gear, and the battery if so equipped. A stronger and more effective front fork was used, as was better seat suspension.
32 In 1909, Harley-Davidson began offering diversified models to its customers with different equipment at different price points. The previous year, the company began naming its machines based on their production pedigree. The 1908s are Model 4s, while 1909s are Model 5s. The most popular model in 1909, with 1,030 sold, was the Model 5, which had the standard 28-inch wheels and a battery, and was priced at $210. The 5A, of which only 54 were built, featured a Bosch magneto and a $250 price tag. B and C models were also available, which matched the 5 and 5A, respectively, but used 26-inch wheels for shorter riders. 27 individuals opted to purchase the $325, twin-cylinder machine in 1909, designated the 5D. Single-cylinder Model 5s weighed in at 235 pounds, a significant jump from previous years; it was a number that only kept increasing.
33 Electric headlights weren’t available on Harleys until 1915. Before that, owners or dealers had to mount their own acetylene headlamps to the handlebars. Illumination came from mixing carbide pellets in a water reservoir underneath the lamp, which created the acetylene gas that could be lit; it burned with a relative amount of efficiency and control. They were used for lighting the road, but functioned better at making the motorcycle visible at night. Most acetylene headlamp models had red and green colored glass gems on either side, which also alerted vehicles approaching from the side. A chimney sat on top and released the burnt gas. Many also used an adjustable knob that could control the brightness of the flame. I have an acetylene headlamp produced by Twentieth Century Manufacturing Company that uses a rounded, magnified glass in front to increase the flame’s brightness. These are beautiful pieces that have an incredible amount of design and detail in such a small package. However, these lamps could also potentially set your motorcycle on fire if you hit a big bump or fell over.
34 With the addition of a powerful twin to its lineup, and the single becoming more potent with each year, Harley-Davidson introduced a new frame for the 1911 Model 7s that used a straight front downtube. This new tube was stronger than the curved downtube it replaced, and placed the engine closer to the ground. The wheelbase stayed the same but a new seat with better suspension moved the rider forward a few inches toward the center of the wheelbase. A new, larger gas and oil tank now held 2-1/2 gallons of fuel and one gallon of oil.
35 For the 1912 model year, the company redesigned what can best be described as its rear suspension to a system that was used right into the early 1970s. Instead of using just the small front and rear springs on the seat, which did very little to cushion the rider from impact, Model 8s saw the addition of a 9-inch-long spring inside the frame’s rear downtube, on which the seat post sat. This provided about 4 inches of suspension travel for the rider in addition to helper springs on the seat. The Motor Company called this new setup the Ful-Floeting Seat.
36 Some worthwhile changes were made to the frame in 1912 that show a change toward the Harley-Davidson motorcycle’s future shape. The rear downtube was shortened, dropping the seat slightly into the middle of the motorcycle; the top backbone was curved down in the back to meet it. The rear of the gas tank was also curved down to match the curve in the frame and the handlebars now stood taller than the seat to create a more comfortable riding style. To protect the rider and engine better from debris and water, a skirted front fender was used for the first time.
37 By 1914, almost all models could hit more than 60 mph. This excluded the singles, which were produced in low quantities. Both speed and weight increased every year after that first motorcycle was built in the woodshed, but the coaster brake in the rear hub remained almost unchanged. A new internal expanding band rear brake was introduced in 1914. A precursor to the drum brake, the more powerful rear brake could be applied by reversing the pedals (as on some children’s bicycles), or by using a brake pedal connected to the rear hub by a linkage. The first footboards were introduced along with the new brake pedal, which made long-distance cruising and short jaunts much more comfortable for the rider.
38 Now officially made by Harley-Davidson, the 1915 sidecars received an updated chassis and longer body. Automobiles were now accurately seen as the future of transportation and motorcycles were viewed as enjoyment. The Motor Company advertised the sidecar as a practical way for a whole (small) family to travel economically and enjoyably. A pair of leaf springs on either side of the sidecar made it a remarkably comfortable ride by 1915 standards. Even so, the automobile was tough competition.
39 The Harley-Davidson motorcycle, with the addition of a sidecar, had proven itself a valuable asset to businesses. In 1913, the company expanded its commercial offerings with the Model G Forecar. The Forecar was based on the standard V-twin frame, except that it had a subframe in front to hold a large storage box, which was flanked by a pair of wheels. Two outriggers under the steering head controlled the wheels with a regular handlebar. It used the automobile-style point and go method instead of the motorcycle’s countersteer method. The G was built for only three years, likely because it was difficult to operate and the air-cooled engine became extremely hot from the lack of airflow around it. Some Forecars were even produced with skis on the front and a spiked tire in the rear for use in the snow. It’s believed that only approximately 330 were built. One beautifully restored Forecar makes regular appearances at Harley-Davidson Museum events, and always draws a good crowd.
40 What’s the most important feature that motorcyclists look for in a tire? Because the loss of traction can be disastrous, most likely you’ll want a tire that doesn’t slip, slop, or skid during maneuvers. Throughout the 1910s, Firestone, the primary supplier of tires to The Motor Company, wanted to make this necessary feature of its tires known. Instead of using what are today called traction grooves, Firestone simply used the words “NON SKID” across the tread. What could be safer than that?
41 Just about everyone should already be familiar with the braking system on the early Harley-Davidsons. Just like on your first bicycle, Harleys used a coaster brake that applied braking force to the back wheel when the rider backpedaled! This system worked well enough until a more powerful drum brake replaced it in 1914. Originally, H-D’s coaster brake system was supplied by Thor, which made many different parts for small motorcycle manufacturers.
42 Just because the early Harleys look like there’s nothing to them, don’t be fooled; they’re just good at hiding all the ugly parts. The single-speed bikes, including those made in 1915, had enough space between the engine and rear fender to position a large metal case along the rear of the frame’s center downtube. It follows the curvature of the fender in the back and blends in seamlessly; but its aesthetic and practical use doesn’t stop there. The compartment housed the motorcycle’s tool kit, spare parts, and, if applicable, battery and associated wiring; they were safe from the elements and from thieves. It also keeps the bike looking simple and clean.
43 In 1914, with the addition of the 2-speed rear hub with chain drive and the subsequent changes in the pedals, the rear storage compartment changed shape and became a little smaller. When the 1915 model with a big 3-speed gearbox was introduced, the size of the rear compartment was nearly halved. Even more wires and equipment were left outside to support the needs of the big V-twin.
44 Until 1909, all H-Ds came with a battery-powered ignition system; after that, the dependable magneto ignition system was an extra option. You’d just run the dry-cell battery until it stopped producing spark and then stop at the store for a new one. Dry-cell batteries can’t be recharged, so there was no way of reusing them once drained. Early ads place battery mileage at around 1,500 miles. And anyway, and trickle chargers weren’t available back then.
45 The earliest image of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle comes in the form of a line drawing believed to be by Bill Harley, which appeared in the April 1905 issue of Cycle and Automobile Trade Journal. The motorcycle in the drawing uses a small seat and low handlebars, which indicate a racing machine, unlike stock bikes that had a large seat and handlebars that looped farther back. This marks the first known advertisement for a complete Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
46 That first advertisement described the 138-pound motorcycle’s special features, which included a low-hung engine for a well balanced, easy ride (something Harleys still make a point of) and large gasoline and “lubricating” oil tanks. By using the grip throttle control, the rider could adjust speed between 5 and 50 mph. The frame was listed as being 21-1/2 inches, presumably using bicycle-style measurements, with a 51-1/2-inch wheelbase. The 2-inch tires were included with the motorcycle although the buyer could upgrade to a 2-1/4-inch set. The cost was $175.
47 The earliest known photo of a Harley-Davidson appears in the April 1905 issue of Automobile Review. It differs from the line drawing in Cycle and Automobile Trade Journal in several respects, giving credence to the idea that these bikes were being improved with each new construction. Taller handlebars and a larger, sprung seat indicate a true street machine, although the lack of fenders suggests that The Motor Company still wasn’t producing fenders yet. The other big differences are the locations of the coil and battery box. In the drawing, the coil is mounted below the seat and the battery box is beneath the gas tank. However, the photograph shows the coil underneath the gas tank and the battery box mounted on top of the frame’s rear tube, above the tire.
48 The first use of fenders, or mudguards as they were called, was in 1905. Prior to a photograph of racer Perry Mack in the June 12, 1905, edition of the Milwaukee Journal, there is no evidence of a Harley-Davidson using mudguards (or fenders). Mack’s H-D, which had just won a major race the week before, breaking a Wisconsin speed record in the process, is clearly seen equipped with front and rear fenders. A photograph taken in 1906, of a 1905 model delivered in April, also shows that model with a front fender (the rear fender is hidden from view).
49 Although the Harley-Davidson loop-style frame looked nearly identical to that of the Merkel motorcycles being built across town, Bill Harley and Bill Davidson made one key improvement to strengthen the frame. The Merkel’s exhaust system ran through the frame tubes to hide what is generally considered an ugly necessity. Harley-Davidson firmly believed that drilling holes, regardless of the heat’s effects, greatly weakened the frame. Although it looked good, H-D was more focused on durability and serviceability than good looks, and pointed out this major difference in a brochure sent to potential customers in late 1905.
50 Harley-Davidson discovered the importance of a strong frame neck early on; so much of the force imparted on the front end found its way to the frame. In 1906, it began using a new one-piece frame head that was cast as one part instead of several parts that were then brazed together. It made the frame much more durable. A strong steering head and neck is the hallmark of a Harley-Davidson frame today.
51 Bill Harley’s first known detailed plans for a motorcycle engine are dated July 20, 1901. They contain the specifications for the very first Harley-Davidson engine, which include the use of 4-inch flywheels. The plans are labeled “Details of 2 × 2-1/4–inch bicycle motor.” It gives some idea of the boys’ early intentions for their engines.
52 Bill Harley and Arthur Davidson created their first engine in 1901 with help from their coworker Emil Kroeger, who was familiar with French motor bicycle engines. The first single-cylinder, four-stroke, de Dion–type engine was first put into a chassis in 1903 and ridden by Walter Davidson. Some dispute exists regarding the dimensions of that first engine because an early source mentions it having used a 2-1/8-inch bore, a 2-7/8-inch stroke, and 5-inch flywheels, which displaced 10.2 ci; this differs from the first detailed plans that exist today. Arthur Davidson and Bill Harley made two key discoveries with that first test ride: the frame had to be stronger and the engine needed to be more powerful. The first motorcycle was effective on flat ground, but any type of incline required the rider to use the pedals, which defeated the purpose of the machine.
53 Arthur and Bill’s second engine dwarfed the first, and performed satisfactorily in The Motor Company’s first machines. It displaced 24.74 ci by using a 3-inch bore and 3-1/2-inch stroke, and hefty 8-inch flywheels. The additional 1 horsepower (approximately) gained from the new engine allowed the motorcycle to achieve speeds up to around 35 mph. Milwaukee’s hills were no longer of any concern.
54 While not a “clutch” in the technical sense, Harley-Davidson motorcycles began using a spring-loaded belt tensioner in 1906. A lever mounted to the left side of the gas tank controlled the tensioner. It allowed the rider to place enough tension on the drive belt so that the engine couldn’t overcome the resistance. The engine continued to run, but the belt remained stationary, as did the rear wheel. When the rider wanted to go again, he simply pushed the lever forward and the bike started to move. The system was far from perfect, and had trouble working if it was wet or greasy, but it laid the groundwork for what became the modern clutch. An increased displacement of 26.8 ci on the 1907 single brought the horsepower count to 4; the Harley-Davidson could now achieve 45 mph.
55 Harley-Davidson produced its first prototype V-twin engine as early as 1907, although the first public appearance of a V-twin was in 1908. It used the same de Dion design as the single, but it was fitted with a beefed-up bottom end. This intake over exhaust (IOE) engine displaced 49 ci (810 cc) and made about 7 hp. Despite its 65-mph top speed, The Motor Company’s first V-twin had a few drawbacks in addition to its hefty price tag. It didn’t come with a chain tensioner as the singles did, making it difficult for city use and requiring riders to have to pedal-start a large-displacement engine every time they had to start going again. This might not have been such a big deal except that starting the thing was a pain unto itself. The engines still used an atmospheric valve system that used cylinder vacuum to actuate the valve, which was made difficult by the V-twin’s high crankcase pressure. This engine was used in a production model for the first time in 1909, but was dropped for 1910; it was not considered a viable option until 1911 when mechanical valves were introduced.
56 Most customers opted for the single-cylinder motorcycle in 1909, which, in addition to chassis upgrades, saw numerous improvements to the drivetrain and controls. A quick glance at a 1909 model reveals a lack of the usual linkages, chains, and levers that adorned strap tank models. Now, the throttle control and spark advance grips used cables that ran through the handlebar. The 1909 twin lacked a chain tensioner; the single used an improved tensioner with a spring-loaded thumb release and a notched gate on the gas tank for solid engagement. The tensioner pulley was moved closer to the engine pulley to put more pressure on the belt, ensuring more effective clutching. The Model 5’s single-cylinder was bored up to 3.31 inches to displace 30.16 ci, which made it good for 4.3 hp.
57 Other than the 6E racer, Harley-Davidson didn’t offer any twins for sale. The thinking must have been to take the year and perfect it before bringing it back to the public, an approach that is typical of The Motor Company to this day. So, in 1911, they reintroduced the Model 7D V-twin to the motoring public. Displacement remained at 49 ci, which was all that was necessary to propel the 6-1/2-hp 295-pound machine to 60 mph. Although it was a superior engine, compared to the offering from two years earlier, it wasn’t all that special when compared to the competition. With a $300 price tag, motorcyclists of the day could opt for a competitor’s machine, which made more power for less money. And four-cylinder motorcycles had also begun to make their powerful presence known.
The overall shape and design of the Harley-Davidson V-twin has remained relatively unchanged through the years from the first 45-degree engine with Y-shaped manifold and carburetor in between the cylinders. In 1912, the magneto was moved to behind the rear cylinder. However, the gearcase on this original 1911 resembles that of a modern Sportster more closely, except that the oil filter would be where this magneto is located.
58 Starting the 7D engine was made easier thanks to mechanical intake valves; they required an additional pushrod on each cylinder. The dual pushrod design on a brand-new Harley began back in 1911 and, even though it has changed considerably since then, all air-cooled and Twin-Cooled (air and oil cooling) Harley-Davidsons still have a pair of parallel pushrods on the right side of each cylinder.
59 Up until 1910, Harley-Davidson engines had horizontal fins from the bottom of the cylinder all the way up to the spark plug. To many folks, this makes the cylinders look like a beehive, leading collectors and restorers to call pre-1911 engines “beehives.” These single-direction fins did a good enough job when engines were only making a few horsepower, but as power increased, so did heat. For 1911, the fins on the top of the cylinder, from just below the intake manifold and up, became vertical. This allowed for more fins, and better cooling, at the top of the cylinder where combustion occurred. Vertical fins are found on all 1911 and later F-head cylinders, as well has Flathead and K-model cylinder heads.
60 The competition’s advantage in the engine department didn’t last long. Harley-Davidson unleashed a new, more powerful V-twin engine option and wholly modern drivetrain on the public in 1912. With a 3-1/2-inch bore and 3.31-inch stroke, the Model X8E undersquare engine displaced 60.32 ci, almost 1,000 cc. The 8 hp produced by the larger twin could bring the motorcycle up to 65 mph.
61 In addition to the honkin’ new twin engine, the new Model X8E had two other drivetrain features that combined to make it one of the best motorcycles that money could buy in 1912. The X designation meant that the bike had a real mechanical clutch, dubbed Free Wheel Control by its inventors Bill Harley and his old buddy Henry Melk, who had the lathe down the street. Clutches were available for an extra $10 on the twins, which included the 8-hp version instead of the 6-1/2-hp version.
The Free Wheel Control clutch built into the rear hub in 1912 added a whole new dimension to the viability of the motorcycle as a machine for everyday transportation. After it was started, a rider simply operated a lever to engage and disengage power to the rear wheel, allowing the motorcycle to sit at idle and not have to be pedaled (and therefore restarted) away from every stop. Although chains were first used on twins in 1912, singles, such as this one, didn’t have a chain-drive option until 1913.
62 The top dog Model X8E took performance a step further by using the first chain-drive system to drive the rear wheel. Actually, it used two chains. The engine transfers power to a primary chain, which spins a set of gears that operate the final drive chain, which fits around a gear on the rear wheel hub. This was a first, as was the first use of the traditional primary chain cover. A slotted gear on the left side of the crankshaft oiled the primary chain as well as the drive chain. Represented by the E designation, both twin options could be ordered with a chain or a belt, while singles weren’t offered with a chain until 1913.
The defining look of the left side of a Harley-Davidson came to fruition in 1912 with the first appearance of a chain-driven rear wheel. The belt drive connected the engine pulley directly to the rear wheel. However, the chain-drive used a series of sprockets at the engine and the pedals, and at the rear wheel. Look at any new Big Twin and you’ll see that it uses the exact same pattern, albeit with a belt instead of a chain.
63 The 1913 Harley-Davidson Model 9A was the only motorcycle in the United States still available with a belt drive and was the last Harley available with a leather belt drive. This is actually pretty surprising, even for Harley-Davidson; not only had the new V-twins outsold singles in 1912, but the single-cylinder engine was now larger and produced even more power. This time, the size grew by increasing the stroke from 3-1/2 to 4 inches. Displacing 34.47 ci and pushing 4-1/2 hp, the Model 9 earned the nickname “5-35” for its approximate power and displacement figures. The single-cylinder 5-35, which was produced until 1918, could hit 50 mph. The 9A and 9B (both chain-drive) were available standard with the rear hub clutch and both retailed for $290. Also for 1913, The Motor Company began the practice of balancing the flywheel, rod, and piston as a single assembly, which made the engine longer lasting and smoother to operate.
64 The 1914 Model 10-F is the only model to feature H-D’s first transmission. Patented by William S. Harley, it features two speeds located in the rear hub. It added yet another dose of rider friendliness to the early machines. At least, that was the idea. The bicycle-style epicyclical rear hub was so revolutionary, and had such tight tolerances, that many riders found it difficult to operate. A company service bulletin was published that reminded 10F owners not to force the shifter into gear when the machine wasn’t running, which could cause the shift lever to bend. The 10-F also saw the first use of floorboards and a pedal-operated drum brake in the rear.
65 The Harley-Davidson motorcycle took a major stride forward with the 1915 11-F and the introduction of the 3-speed, sliding-gear transmission that sits behind the engine. The new 3-speed featured large ball bearings to secure the main shaft; two special, heavy-duty roller bearings allow the jackshaft to spin smoothly. The jackshaft transmits power in low and intermediate gear while the transmission is essentially free running in high gear. For extra durability, the engineers made sure not to include any small parts that could potentially break or wear out, and the 3-speed proved to be extremely reliable. The transmission is controlled with a foot-operated rocker clutch and a gated shift arm on the tank. With 9,855 produced, 3-speed H-Ds made up 75 percent of that year’s total motorcycle production. The 1915 11-F is, like the 10-F before it, a one-year-only design thanks to its using bicycle-style pedals to start the engine.
The Motor Company’s 1915 model 11-F set the stage for every Big Twin to follow with its durable 3-speed transmission, a powerful V-twin, and an automatic oil pump, which is visible on the gearcase. By using a separate engine and transmission, linked only by the primary chain, this setup would last for another 80 years on some Big Twin models.
66 In addition to the new 3-speed transmission, Harley-Davidson completely redesigned its 61-ci IOE engine for 1915. It now used larger intake valves that now entered the heads at a 45-degree angle instead of a 60-degree angle. The engine used new cylinders and a larger intake manifold to increase airflow. To handle the power increase, engineers used heavier flywheels with a 1-inch crankpin (previously 7/8 inch). The new Harley-Davidson–made bearings are 3/8 inch wider than on the previous engine. A newly designed, more efficient muffler was used and, while it produced significantly less backpressure, it also made less noise.
67 The engine lubrication system was also completely reimagined in 1915, beginning with the oil tank’s relocation from underneath the seat to the left side of the gas tank; it now displaced 2-1/2 quarts. A new, automatic oil pump, visible on the cam cover on the right side of the engine, ensured precise lubrication at any speed and crank pressure. Occasionally, when running flat out, or powering up a steep incline, the rider had to pump in extra oil via the auxiliary hand pump that sat atop the oil tank.
68 Harley-Davidson claimed exactly 29 engine improvements, leading the 1915 models to put out an advertised 31 percent more power at 2,500 rpm and a whopping 47 percent more power at 3,000 rpm. The Motor Company guaranteed that the 11-F was capable of achieving 65 mph. My friend and colleague, Cris Sommer Simmons, can vouch for that claim; she rides her 1915 11-F regularly (and rode it more than 3,000 miles on the 2010 Motorcycle Cannonball).
69 In 1915, The Motor Company guaranteed the 61-ci V-twin to produce 11 hp. Solid output on these early machines, no doubt, but just because the company guaranteed it, didn’t make it so. In fact, in typical Harley fashion, 11 hp was a modest figure, and many of its street engines actually produced up to 16 hp on the dynamometer thanks to larger intake and exhaust ports, which lead to larger valves and carburetors.
70 With the sliding-gear transmission in 1915 also came the first use of the gated shift lever on the left side of the gas tank. The gate is labeled with the different gear positions so the rider can easily and confidently put his motorcycle into the correct gear. The 1915 gate is mounted to the left-side oil and gas caps and is notched to make it more difficult to go back a gear by mistake.
71 Some riders today have trouble stopping and starting on a hill. So imagine what it was like for riders in 1915 when they were learning to use a clutch and transmission for the first time, and didn’t have a front brake to hold. To alleviate this issue, a rider could engage and disengage the clutch with his or her left hand using a lever attached to the clutch pedal linkage. The rider kept the left foot on the ground to stabilize the bike with the right foot on the pedal brake. Then he (or she) used the throttle with the right hand as usual while releasing the clutch with the left hand. Off and away!
72 Although readers of this book probably like to argue that Harley-Davidson built (and still builds) the best motorcycle engine available, it wasn’t the first. All early motorcycle engines stemmed from a single design created by Frenchmen Albert de Dion and Georges Bouton in the 1890s. Every other IOE motorcycle engine produced at the time, whether by Indian, Harley-Davidson, or Merkel used a nearly identical design as the de Dion-Bouton engine. This is important to The Motor Company’s history because without the de Dion-Bouton, motorcycling might have gotten off to a later and less successful start.
73 If you measure the rear belt drive pulley on a modern Harley, you’ll find it’s about 9 inches in diameter and, as you already know, supplies a solid mix of off-the-line acceleration and on-highway cruising performance. In Harley-Davidson’s early days, before transmissions and when belt-drives were still a leather strap with no teeth, the rear wheel pulley measured 20 inches in diameter. It provided enough force to get the single-cylinder machine moving. As with many drive belts today, the original leather belt was 1.25 inches wide on the singles and 1.75 inches wide on the twins.
74 Today’s spark plugs are so small and inexpensive that many riders opt to keep a spare set in their tool kit at all times. But when the first Harley-Davidson was built, spark plugs were much larger (like a doorknob), and much more expensive. The first motorcycle used a spark plug that took up much of the cylinder head, and cost $3, or approximately $80 in today’s money. Considering that the earliest machines sold for about $200, that single spark plug was nearly 2 percent of the cost!
75 Some folks may wonder exactly how the early atmospheric valve system worked on the early Harleys. Keep in mind that the IOE design positioned the intake valve at the very top of the engine and the exhaust valve on the side. A camshaft and pushrod operated the exhaust valve, but the early H-D engines had no such pairing for the intake valve. Instead, as the piston went down in the cylinder on the intake stroke, that vacuum caused the valve to be pulled down into the cylinder head, allowing air and fuel to enter. Then, on the compression stroke, the upward motion of the piston forced the valve shut. The explosion on the power stroke created enough pressure to keep the valve closed; on the exhaust stroke, the piston forced pressure back up again.
76 Janet Davidson, the older sister of the brothers, was responsible for the famous hand-painted “HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR CO.” on the front door of the famous backyard woodshed where the first motorcycles were built. She’s also responsible for the lettering and pinstriping on the early motorcycles. In the very early days, their other sister, Elisabeth, was in charge of the company’s bookkeeping.
77 Although the first Harley-Davidsons were painted black, Henry Ford quickly laid claim to that color, and the founders wanted their machines to stand apart from other machines. Renault Gray was chosen as their official color because it blended in so easily with the streets and surroundings of the early 1900s. Black was still available until 1910. And most riders, especially H-D’s target customer (the working man), didn’t want anything flashy or showy. Early Harleys also had the reputation of running more quietly than other brands, which furthered its practicality because it didn’t startle horses, pedestrians, or wake the neighbors. These attributes earned it the nickname of The Silent Gray Fellow, a name that stuck until World War I, when gray ceased to be used.
78 Dudley Perkins opened his Harley-Davidson dealership in San Francisco in 1914. Today, it’s the oldest dealership in the world still owned by the original family. However, the oldest continuously operating dealership is A. D. Farrow Co. Harley-Davidson in downtown Columbus, Ohio, which began operations in 1912.
79 Harley-Davidson didn’t introduce its V-twin engine to the public until 1909, when only 28 were sold. However, one appeared mysteriously in 1908 at the Algonquin, Illinois, hillclimb races. Harvey Bernard rode his Harley-Davidson V-twin, stuffed into a single-cylinder frame with 1908-style gas/oil tanks, to victory in July 1908. No other information on this strange phenomenon exists, and The Motor Company has denied any involvement with Mr. Bernard. The most likely scenario is that Bernard added a second cylinder onto a single, which is essentially what The Motor Company did to achieve its first twin.
80 Crystal Haydel was Harley-Davidson’s first full-time female employee. Hired in 1907, she was the only office employee at the time and eventually became the office manager. In 1925, she was promoted to assistant secretary of the company, and also filled the role of assistant treasurer. She worked as Walter Davidson’s right-hand woman, and the two even shared an office. She was a shareholder in the company and was involved in nearly every aspect of running the business.
81 1903 was a big year in the United States for transportation inventors. On June 6, one of Harley-Davidson’s biggest competitors, Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company, incorporated. On December 7, a whole new future of human transportation dawned when Orville and Wilbur Wright flew their first motorized aircraft across Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
82 Many Harley-Davidson historians credit the Davidson boys’ sister Janet with designing the first Bar & Shield logo. She proved to be not only to be a good artist, but a remarkable designer. Her design ranks with brands such as Chevrolet, McDonald’s, and Starbucks. It wasn’t until 1922, however, that the color scheme was changed to the orange on black that we’re familiar with today.
83 In 1915, Harley-Davidson published Theodore J. Werle’s Camping Hints when Touring with a Motorcycle. This 24-page book provided tips from nature-lover Werle on the best ways to break free from society and live in the wilderness. He wrote, “Touring on a motorcycle and living by the way is a glorious sport. If one finds pleasure living close to nature, if one wishes to go about in a rugged, manly way, let him pack his tent aboard a motorcycle and live in the open.”
84 Early motorcycle pioneer Della Crewe left her home in Waco, Texas, astride a Harley-Davidson with sidecar on July 24, 1914, in search of adventure. She got it, too; her trip covered 5,378 miles. Originally from Racine, Wisconsin, she made her way north to Milwaukee and then east to New York City. She arrived in New York in mid-December and had to wear four layers of clothing just to stay warm. As she traveled, she stopped at Harley-Davidson dealerships along the way and stayed with locals at their farmhouses wherever she could. She recorded her journeys aboard her Silent Grey Fellow in a series of articles, each one touting the durability and effectiveness of a Harley-Davidson with sidecar and the friendly people she met at dealerships. Della Crewe didn’t travel alone, though, her dog, Trouble, tagged along in the sidecar!
85 After the concrete work was completed on the renovation of the factory in the summer of 1912, workers hoisted a Christmas tree to the top of the construction elevator, signaling that their part of the project was finished. According to company lore, they finished exactly 15 minutes before the deadline, which meant that they had earned free beer. Supposedly, Walter Davidson obliged, and provided beer for the workers.
86 Harley-Davidson’s massive use of electricity was a great marketing campaign for the Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company. It placed a massive lit sign on top of its building that read “Electric Power Is Best – Ask Harley Davidson,” with a 70-foot-long arrow pointing to the Juneau Avenue factory. The sign itself was 68 feet long and 40 feet high. Historic photography shows it standing in 1913; it was likely there in 1912 as well.
87 Massachusetts was the first state to require a visible registration tag on both cars and motorcycles in 1903 in the form of what we now call a “license plate.” Massachusetts’ plates were made of iron and covered with enamel porcelain that was painted dark blue with white numbers. “MASS. AUTOMOBILE REGISTER” was printed across the top and the plates differed in size to meet the necessary amount of characters. Approximately 500 motorcycles were in use in the state at the time of the first required plate, which were the same for both automobiles and motorcycles. The only difference was that motorcycle plates’ identification began with the letter Z. Most states required visible license plates by 1914.
88 Crystal Haydel was not just an employee at Harley-Davidson, she was a rider, too! In fact, she’s recognized as the first woman in Wisconsin to register a motorcycle for road use, which she did in 1911.
89 Part of the Harley-Davidson mystique surrounding the company throughout its 100-plus years involves the actual year of its first production and the year of the first commercial sale. Even though 1903 is the generally accepted first year of production, and the one reported by The Motor Company itself, varying evidence has come to light through the years that places the first motorcycle as early as 1901 and as late as 1905. To make matters even more confusing, Harley-Davidson never acknowledged its first year until the 1954 model line and, by then, none of the founders were still alive to discuss or confirm the company’s timeline. One of the most interesting pieces of evidence is an advertisement from the factory in 1910 that says “eight years ago we placed on the market the first model of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle.” This suggests that a motorcycle was built and sold in 1902, although it could also mean 1903.
90 Evidence also exists that puts Harley-Davidson’s first real motorcycle and sale at a later date; that’s C. H. Lang’s 1914 testimony as part of a patent infringement lawsuit. As you know, the accepted history is that C. H. Lang sold his first Harley-Davidson in 1903. However, in his testimony he says that he became familiar with the H-D motorcycle in the autumn of 1904 and became an official dealer in 1905. Most of the conspiracies regarding the first year of manufacture can be attributed to misspeak, or confusing and generalizing language that rounded up years rather than giving an exact time. As unlikely as any of the alternative start years might be, it’s still a fun and interesting debate.
91 Harley-Davidson produced its first advertisement in the January 1905 issue of Cycle and Automobile Trade Journal. That ad touted only the part of the bike that really makes a Harley-Davidson a Harley-Davidson: the engine. Although many motorcycles were being produced at the time, it was a far greater task to build an entire motorcycle (with the engine) than it was to build just an engine. Therefore, marketing the engine as a stand-alone product that included mounting equipment for a bicycle made good business sense, and it was a great start to promoting the company’s name. The ad showed a picture of the single-cylinder engine and advertised 3-1/4 bhp (brake horsepower). It also listed the company’s address at 315 37th Street in Milwaukee, the famous backyard shed.
92 The Enthusiast, first published in 1916, is often mistaken as The Motor Company’s first print publication. However, in 1912, the company began publishing Harley-Davidson Dealer, which was sent out to dealerships. Although the content was focused more on the business aspect of the company, the magazine contained good maintenance tips and H-D model information that just about any owner would find valuable. It’s likely that enough owners started asking for it, which led to the creation of The Enthusiast.
93 In the early years of motorcycling, hundreds of marques sprang up and then quickly disappeared. Many of them, including Milwaukee-based Merkel (later known as Flying Merkel), beat Harley-Davidson to its frame design and the use of a V-twin engine. However, Flying Merkel’s last motorcycle was built in 1915, after the company relocated to Ohio. During Harley-Davidson’s first decade, more than 75 American motorcycle companies went out of business; some only managed to build a handful of bikes.
94 In the earliest days of his motorcycle company, Bill Harley attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison and studied engineering; his focus was internal combustion engines. Because he was not from a family of means, he waited tables at a fraternity house to pay for tuition. In later life, he became one of the wealthiest men in Wisconsin.
95 In 1915, Carl Peterson and his wife (whose name is unknown) took their Harley-Davidson to Europe to enjoy a tour of the continent, beginning in Scandinavia. Unfortunately, World War I had erupted in Europe the year before. As they were about to head to Germany from Sweden, they were advised to return home to the United States. Carl said that the Swedish riders were extremely impressed with the power of his motorcycle and, although the trip didn’t end as he would have liked, the Harley-Davidson “performed perfectly.”
96 In 1901, Bill Harley and Arthur Davidson attended a performance by French stage performer and singer Anna Held at Milwaukee’s Bijou Theater. As part of her performance, Held rode a shiny French motor-powered bicycle across the stage. The 20-year-olds were likely the only men in the audience who paid more attention to the vehicle than the performer. This is the earliest recorded instance of Harley and Davidson actually seeing a motorcycle, although it’s believed that they had seen at least one previous demonstration in their home city.
97 Legend has it that when Arthur and Bill built a carburetor for their first experimental engine, they crafted the body from a tomato soup can. According to historian Herbert Wagner, it’s more likely that the carburetor simply resembled a tomato can and was therefore given that nickname. Perhaps not surprisingly, they had trouble getting the fuel to flow properly, so they took it to a close friend, Ole Evinrude. At the time, Ole was a friend who had to row his boat out to his favorite fishing spot, just like everybody else. It was on one of these rows that Arthur and Ole thought up the idea for a small engine to power a rowboat. The idea was similar to Arthur and Bill and their need for a motorized bicycle.
98 The March 31, 1914, edition of the Milwaukee Journal featured an article titled “Harley-Davidson Motor Co.: Its Marvelous Growth and Development, Hum Of Wheels Spins Romance – True Tale Reads Like Fiction.” This is one of the earliest pieces of writing that examines the history of Harley-Davidson and uses direct quotes from the founders; these quotes have been used repeatedly in articles since then. Much of the company’s early history, correct or not, has been based on his writing.
99 A letter that Steven J. Sparough wrote, dated April 15, 1912, has become one of the most instrumental tools for historians to piece together The Motor Company’s early history. In his letter, Sparough says that his Harley-Davidson, which had 51,000 miles on it when he bought it, was the first Harley-Davidson motorcycle ever built. He says it was built in 1903 and sold in 1904 to Henry Meyer. The bike was then transferred through several Chicago area owners: Geo. W. Lyon, Dr. Webster, and Louis Fluke. Sparough bought the machine in 1907 after the previous owners managed all those miles, which makes his 1903 year of manufacture seem very likely.
This is the only known photograph of a pre-1905 Harley-Davidson and it is believed to be the very first motorcycle that the company built. That’s Steven J. Sparough standing behind it, the man whose surviving 1912 letter was pivotal in tracing The Motor Company’s early history. (Photo Courtesy Harley-Davidson)
100 On April 30, 1905, Arthur Davidson set off from Milwaukee to Cambridge, Wisconsin, to deliver a motorcycle to his friend, postal carrier Peter Olson. The 50-mile trip took Arthur 5-1/2 hours according to the Cambridge News, and officially made Olson one of the earliest (possibly the second) owners of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
101 After performing well at the Milwaukee Motordrome in 1914, Harley-Davidson racing manager Bill Ottaway invited Leslie “Red” Parkhurst to become the first member of The Motor Company’s race team. Parkhurst piloted the new racebike to victory in most of the initial regional races in which he competed; then they decided to take on a big national race. Parkhurst and five other racers went to Dodge City, Kansas, to compete in the July 4, 1914, Dodge City 300. The H-Ds ran fast, but by the end of racing on the 2-mile track, only two of the six were still running. Nevertheless, Harley-Davidson had entered the world of professional racing, and Parkhurst went on to be one of its biggest stars.
102 Harley-Davidson’s first recorded championship race win was on October 5, 1914 at the 1-hour Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM) Birmingham race. Of course, riding a Bill Ottaway-prepped factory 11-K racer was none other than Red Parkhurst. On lap 33, Parkhurst entered the pits with a fuel problem. While there, he tried to clean the dirt and oil from his goggles, but his handkerchief was so dirty that he asked for help from a spectator with a clean hankie. Parkhurst reentered the race and won. An official protest was filed shortly after the race ended, claiming that Parkhurst received illegal aid from a spectator. In the interest of safety, the protest was denied, and Parkhurst was given the championship title.
103 The first Harley-Davidson sold specifically for police use went to the Detroit Police Department in 1908. At the time, the United States had less than 200 miles of paved roads, and automobiles were still very expensive. The only logical solution to the horse was the iron horse, and Harley-Davidson was proving itself dependable, so it was an easy decision. Today, police bikes are separate models from civilian models and have a variety of different equipment. However, the first police bikes differed little from their civilian counterparts. They still offered incredible duty performance in terms of speed, longevity, and the cost of purchase and operation.
104 Initially, three of the four founders wanted no part in racing their motorcycles. They were designed for practicality and durability, not speed and performance. Walter Davidson, the pro-racing founder, began campaigning his personal motorcycle in local events in 1905. He won a handful of Milwaukee-area races, including a hillclimb event over the next couple of years.
105 In 1908, Walter decided that he and his motorcycle could handle much stiffer competition, and headed to New York to compete in the FAM Endurance and Reliability Contest, which covered 365 miles from the Catskills, around Long Island, and ended in New York City. And this was a challenge with very few roads. Unlike his competitors who had automobiles filled with mechanics and spare parts, Walter rode alone with no spare parts. When the dust settled, Walter won the race handily; he earned a perfect score on both days of the event, something never before achieved. In fact, he was awarded an additional five bonus points over his perfect 1,000 for the impeccable consistency of his riding abilities and his motorcycle.
Walter Davidson stands beside his trusty 1908 single; this motorcycle earned him first-place awards at both endurance and fuel mileage events. It’s difficult to believe that this early contraption could be so reliable, but The Motor Company built them that way then, and now! (Photo Courtesy Harley-Davidson)
106 Fresh off his win at the FAM Endurance Run, Walter competed in the FAM Economy Run a week later. Competitors were tested on how far they and their motorcycle could travel on 1 gallon of gas. Walter finished far ahead of the competition, achieving 188.234 mpg on his stock bike. With these back-to-back FAM wins, Harley-Davidson quickly became known as one of the premier motorcycle manufacturers in the country. And these two wins showed off the exact attributes of the H-D motorcycle that the founders wanted to portray to their buyers. Even so, Walter remained the only founder intent on pursuing factory racing.
107 In 1914, Harley-Davidson could no longer sit on the sidelines as its rival Indian continued to win races around the country, including motordrome boardtrack races in Milwaukee. And so, Bill Harley, by now very much a proponent of racing, established a racing department at the company and hired William “Bill” Ottaway to take charge. Bill Ottaway had one of the greatest minds in racing, and he set to work developing a racer that could take on Indian and the rest.
108 While it certainly wasn’t the first Harley-Davidson to go racing, or even the first racing V-twin, the 6E stock racer brought to market in 1910 was the first factory race bike from Harley-Davidson. This V-twin model retailed at $275, and was only sold to customers who were established racers. How many were produced is unknown, but it’s thought to be no more than four.
109 A pair of privateer racers on 6Es took a 1-2 finish at the treacherous Denver to Greeley road race. The 60-mile route wasn’t paved, and with the speeds that twins were capable of at the time, the motorcycle itself had to be durable to take that kind of beating. The Harley-Davidson’s win in these conditions served as yet another example of the everyday value its motorcycles provided. In addition to their first and second finishes, the 6Es beat the next fastest twin-cylinder entry by almost 10 minutes.
110 Police departments weren’t the only ones who discovered the numerous advantages of using a motorcycle in the line of duty; early motorcycles became popular among rural postal service employees. In 1907, rural mail delivery regulations were adapted to allow the use of motorcycles to deliver mail, as long as packages remained free from damage or loss, as they did with the standard horse-drawn carriage. By 1914, the U.S. Postal Service was using nearly 5,000 motorcycles for mail delivery. Harley-Davidson ran an ad describing how a rural postman could complete his route quickly in the morning and then go on trips with his wife in the afternoon. The ad quoted a rider who said he was able to complete his 25-1/2 mile route on poor rural roads in 1 hour 15 minutes.
This 1916 Package Truck made the life of a rural mail carrier easier, more economical, and a whole lot more fun. A Harley-Davidson could do the same route as a horse and wagon in a third of the time at the cost of about ten cents a day.
111 Bill Ottaway introduced his first factory racer in 1914, dubbed the 10-K. Based on the 1914 10E with a 61-ci chain-driven powertrain, it was meant to be a stopgap model designed mostly for testing. It was also a way to start competing with Indian immediately. Harley-Davidson sold only a handful of the untested K models in 1914, which was a good thing because they had some teething issues. Even though they were as fast as any of the competitors, the Ks suffered engine and other powertrain failures when they pushed for distance.
112 The Motor Company proved its dedication to racing in 1915, when 8 of the 17 models available that year were factory race bikes. The 11-K racer, which was said to produce 20 hp, cost $250 in 1915. That was less than other street-going V-twins built that year and only $10 more than a magneto-equipped 60-ci twin.
113 The first known order of a Harley-Davidson specifically for military duty was in 1912 when the Japanese Army ordered a small handful of machines.
114 On July 3, 1915, Harley-Davidson factory racer Otto Walker broke the speed records at the Dodge City, Kansas, 200- and 300-mile races. He finished the 200 in 2 hours 32 minutes 58 seconds for an average speed of 78.4 mph. He ran the 300 in 3 hours 5 minutes 45 seconds with an average speed of 76.27 mph. Walker was the previous record holder for the Dodge City 300.
115 One of Harley-Davidson’s first known race wins and records occurred on June 3, 1905, at the Wisconsin State Fair Park. Perry Mack, one of the first men to race a Harley-Davidson, won the race. He set a new record in the process, completing 1 mile in 1 minute 16 seconds, for an average speed of 47.35 mph. Mack later developed his own brand of motorcycles, with a strong emphasis on racing.
116 A. W. Stratton set the 90-mile road race world record on May 30, 1912, aboard a Model 8-E Harley-Davidson in the Colorado Springs to Pueblo to Colorado Springs race. Producing only about 7–8 hp, Stratton’s twin completed the trip in 1 hour 54 minutes with an average speed of 47.4 mph. He also reported reaching speeds of almost 65 mph in some sections. Only 5 of the original 13 machines in the twin class managed to finish that race. Moreover, Harley-Davidson also won the single-cylinder class, as well as third place in both classes, totaling four of the six podium spots.
117 1915 is considered the end of The Motor Company’s early era. By this time, Harley-Davidsons were achieving consistent speeds that were only dreams just 10 years earlier. On April 12, 1915, Roy Artley piloted his Harley to a win at the 1-hour Bakersfield, California, race, and managed a top speed of 68.7 miles in that hour. He averaged speeds that, even just a few years earlier, could only be hit at maximum throttle, on a smooth road, and with a tail wind. Artley, naturally, set the track record that day.
118 One year before Harley-Davidson began its official race program, Ben Torres and Ray Watkins set a world record on their H-D by riding 346 dirt-track miles in just 7 hours on December 8, 1913. Their 8-hp, single-speed twin ran open headers for exhaust and used a low seat with dropped handlebars for speed and rider aerodynamics. For the entire record-setting run in San Jose, California, they didn’t have to make a single repair or adjustment on the bike. They finished 17 miles ahead of the second-place competitor, proving outright Harley-Davidson’s dominance as a durable and powerful motorcycle.
119 In September 1907, Walter Davidson competed in a two-day, 414-mile endurance race from Chicago to Kokomo, Indiana. Of the 23 riders to start, Walter was one of only three to finish the event with perfect scores. This race was before his better-known endurance races in 1908, which launched The Motor Company’s motorcycles into their position among the country’s best machines.
120 Walter Davidson, who pushed for racing involvement in the earliest days of The Motor Company, competed in his first recorded race of any kind in 1896 at age 20. The race was the first annual bicycle road race put on by railroad shop employees where his father and brother Walter worked. The thrill of two-wheeled competition certainly stuck with him and fueled his desire to build a faster two-wheeler.
121 A September 8, 1904, Milwaukee Daily News article listed the names of riders expected to race in an upcoming event that month at the Wisconsin State Fair. Among the names listed was A. Davidson; no makes were listed, and it’s unknown if this is actually the Arthur Davidson. In the September 9 edition of the Milwaukee Sentinel, Walter Davidson’s name is listed as a rider in the upcoming event. This race was the first known instance of a Harley-Davidson being used in competition.
122 September 9, 1904, not only marked the first recorded race of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, but also the first undisputed evidence of one actually running. Motorcycle racing was quite uncertain back then and no one was ever sure who would actually show up to compete with a running machine. The most reliable information I have that the Harley-Davidson on September 9 actually ran is from a Milwaukee Journal article that lists the identities of the racers and the make of their motorcycle. That article lists Edward Hildebrand as the rider. This seems to make the company’s early history even more confusing because neither a Harley nor a Davidson is listed as a racer. Hildebrand finished sixth in the 2-mile race and fifth in the 5-mile race. It’s not clear if the machine was supplied by the young factory or simply brought out by Hildebrand, one of its earliest customers.
123 Peter Olson of Cambridge, Wisconsin, received a 1905 Harley-Davidson delivered directly from Arthur Davidson, and became the first postal carrier to use a Harley-Davidson. Upon delivery of his motorcycle, Olson mounted baskets to the front end and rear frame to carry mail on his deliveries. If he wasn’t the fastest man in Cambridge, he was certainly the fastest mail carrier.
124 Walter Davidson’s first motorcycle race win came at the Wisconsin State Fair on June 2, 1905. He beat Henry Zerbel, who rode a Merkel, by an eighth of a mile. The Milwaukee Sentinel wrote, “Walter Davidson demonstrated the superiority of the larger motor. Davidson led all the way.” The following day, he finished second to Perry Mack, also aboard a Harley-Davidson.
125 Walter Davidson and Perry Mack swept another race weekend, this time in the nationally recognized Fourth of July races in Chicago. In the 15-mile race, Mack took the checkered flag in the heavyweights class followed closely by Walter, who placed second. In the 10-mile race held next, Walter won after Mack hit a dog that had roamed onto the track and was hurt badly in the ensuing crash. This race was a turning point in The Motor Company’s history. It had become clear that a profitable business could be built around motorcycles and that the machines themselves were top notch when compared to the competition.
