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Harley Davidson History 1900-1910
1901 William S. Harley, age 21, completes a
blueprint drawing of an engine designed to fit into a bicycle.
1903 21-year old William S. Harley and 20-year old Arthur Davidson make
available to the public the first production Harley-Davidson® motorcycle. The
bike was built to be a racer, with a 3-1/8 inch bore and 3-1/2 inch stroke. The
factory in which they worked was a 10 x 15-foot wooden shed with the words
"Harley-Davidson Motor Company" crudely scrawled on the door. Arthur's brother
Walter later joins their efforts.
Henry Meyer of Milwaukee, a schoolyard pal of William S. Harley and Arthur
Davidson, buys one of the 1903 models directly from the founders.
The first Harley-Davidson Dealer, C.H. Lang of Chicago, IL, opens for business
and sells one of the first three production Harley-Davidson motorcycles ever
made
1905 On July 4th, a H-D motorcycle wins a 15 mile race in Chicago with a
time of 19:02. In Milwaukee, the first full-time employee is hired.
1906 A new factory, measuring 28 x 80 feet, is built on the Chestnut St.
site, later renamed Juneau Avenue. Staff size is increased to six full-time
employees. Also, the first motorcycle catalog is produced by the Company and the
nickname "Silent Gray Fellow" is used for the first time.
1907 William A. Davidson, brother to Arthur and Walter Davidson, quits
his job as tool foreman for the Milwaukee Road railroad and joins the Motor
Company.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company is incorporated on September 17th. The stock is
split four ways between the four founders, and staff size has more than doubled
from the previous year to eighteen employees. Factory size is doubled as well.
Dealer recruitment begins, targeting the New England region.
1908 Walter Davidson scores a perfect 1,000 points at the 7th Annual
Federation of American Motorcyclists Endurance and Reliability Contest. Three
days after the contest, Walter sets the FAM economy record at 188.234 miles per
gallon. Word of Harley-Davidson's extremely tough motorcycle spreads rapidly.
The first motorcycle sold for police duty is delivered to the Detroit, MI,
Police Department.
1909 The six-year-old Harley-Davidson Motor Company introduces its first
V-twin powered motorcycle. With a displacement of 49.5 cubic inches, the bike
produces seven horsepower. The image of two cylinders in a 45-degree
configuration would fast become one of the most enduring icons of
Harley-Davidson history. Also available for the first time from the Motor
Company are spare parts for motorcycles.
Return to the Harley
Davidson History Index
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