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Harley Davidson: History of the Iconic Brand

The company was started in 1903 by William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson as a way to make motorcycles more accessible for everyone, not just the rich or elite. They wanted the bikes to be simple enough that even novice riders could have fun on them and it turns out their design built-in 1904 worked well.

The first Harley Davidson motorcycle was a one-cylinder design built-in 1904, with the company going on to be massively successful. The motorcycles were simple and easy for even novice riders to operate. They were also durable, which made them ideal as military bikes during WWI and WWII.

Unfortunately, things did start to slow down after WWII ended but fortunately, there are now lots more people riding Harleys than ever before thanks to an impressive lineup of new models being introduced at various price points.

Harley Davidson in Popular Culture

Over the past century, Harley Davidson motorcycles have been associated with lawful justice and rebellion. This in part accounts for the widespread love of the Harley Davidson brand in American culture. Since their first appearance in the culture, Harley Davidson bikes have been featured prominently on TV and in film. The most well-known of these appearances is in Easy Rider where they are ridden by Dennis Hopper’s iconic biker character “Captain America”. In more recent years, other notable movies involving Harleys include Wild Hogs (2007) starring Tim Allen; Iron Man (2008) with Robert Downey Jr.; and Dark Knight Rises (2012) with Christian Bale.

By 1908, police forces began using Harleys because of their durability and power. Then, in 1973, the US Army announced that they would be using Harley Davidson bikes for a new purpose: to pull jeeps. By 2005 there were more than 180 police departments around the country with Harleys.

In 2017, Forbes published an article called “Now It’s Harley-Davidson vs The World” where it explored how motorbikes have faced increasing competition from electric bikes and other forms of transport like cars over recent decades. To combat this challenge, Harley has expanded its business to include making apparel and accessories as well as unveiling their first-ever all-electric bike last year.
Harley Davidson is so much more than just motorcycles; it’s a lifestyle choice! But what exactly are these iconic American bikes are You can only know what it is like to drive this motorcycle when you do it yourself.