History Of Harley Davidsons Essay Research Paper

History Of Harley Davidsons Essay, Research Paper

1 The Evolution of Harley – Davidson You hear the roar of the engine. You smell the odor of exhaust. Whatcould it be. It s the Classic Harley – Davidson. To evolve is to develop gradually by a process of growth and change. (Rafferty 112). When you think of evolution there are alot of things thatcome to mind, but one thing that probably doesn t come to mind ismotorcycles. Although on the contrary, if you take a look at the history ofone of the greatest motorcycle company s on the planet you will see that itfits the word perfectly. Harley – Davidson didn t start with a huge company and a board ofdirectors. This company was started with two men. William S. Harley 21 atthe time, and Arthur Davidson 20 at the time. The prototype Harley – Davidson was actually started in 1901, but at this point in timeneither had any ground plans of a manufacturing company. Their firstobject, in fact, had been to produce on outboard motor for their boat. So theycould reach their favorite fishing spots quicker and easier. Both men worked for the same company, and their after-hours projectwould consume them for the next two years. Soon they were captivated by the challenge of this new fangled devicecalled the motorcycle. 2 The motorcycle, a mechanized version of the horse, developedconcurrently with the automobile, the motorized wagon. Like many other ponder motorcycle builders, William S. harley had begun in the bicyclebusiness. Arthur Davidson had trained as pattern maker and with the addedexperience of draftsman Emil Roger, they set about the task of building a realmotorcycle. Roger had worked in Europe on the first renditions of the deDion internal compution engine, and brought the drawling with him to theUnited States of America. The first machine was basically a bicycle fitted with a single-cylinderfour-stroke engine, with direct belt drive to the rear. Displacement was 10.2cubic inches (176cc cubic centimeters) with bore and stroke of 2.12 x 2.87inches (54 x 73 mm), producing in the neighborhood of 2 horsepower. Thiswas a sufficient horsepower to keep bick and rider rolling along level ground,but not enough to tackle any significant incline. Who ever was riding thebike/motorcycle still had to pedal up hills. The engine did produce enoughpower, and added weight, to point out the short comings of the bicyclechassis. William and Arthur returned to the drawing table in search of bothadded power and durability. The second engine had bore and stroke of 3 x 3.5 inches (76 x 89 mm)for a displacement of 24.74 cubic inches (405 cc). This engine had over 200more cc s to it. The fly wheel was more than twice the diameter of theoriginal. Bill Harley designed a stronger loop frame to accommodate the newengines extra weight. The first genuine Harley-Davidson motorcycle wasborn. 3 Arthur s older brothers, Walter and William Davidson, soon came toplay larger roles in the company s fortunes. Arthur had sent a letter about theproject to Walter, then working in Kansas as a machinist, for the railroad.Walter came to Milwaukee in April of 1903 to do the wedding for eldestbrother William. Walter was also inflicted with motorcycle fever. Heimmediately took a job with the local railroad company and devoted all of hisspare time to the Harley-Davidson company. Harley-Davidson s first production model sold for a whopping twohundred dollars. There was a grand total of 38 built. Top speed on the1903-1905 single was an incredible 35 miles per hour. Records on the early production numbers are sketchy. According tohistorian Jerry Hatfield, the second prototype and two production modelswere begun in 1903. The latter two were completed in 1904, and one wasbought by a Mr. Meyer. Mr. Meyer rode it for 6,000 miles (9,660 km) before selling it to George Lyon. At 21,000 miles (33,800 km) it was purchased by aDr. Webster who later sold it to Louis Fluke. Louis Fluke later transferred itto George Sparrow. The five owners brought the mileage to 83,000 miles(133,600 km) In 1905 with production rising to eight machines, Walther Davidsonquit his job at the railroad and become the first full-time employee of theHarley-Davidson Motor Company. The first outside employee was hired ashis assistant. The backyard factory doubled in size 300 square feet (28m2).Bill Harley foreseeing the need for greater in-house capability in buildingengines, left for the University of Wisconsin. There he studied engineeringwith special emphasis on internal combusting engines. In 1913, Harley-Davidson would advertise that their first machine hadpassed 100,000 miles (161,000 km). The original bearings were intact and,remarkably, no major components had to be replaced or rebuilt. 4 If you ever see a picture of a Harley-Davidson of the first three years,note the Harley-Davidson logo on the Tank and the striping trim. Both werecreated by Arthur Davidson s Aunt, Janet Davidson. If you ever see one thatis not a picture and is a real 1903 single, consider yourself a very, very luckyperson. By 1906, The Harley-Davidson Motor Company was well on its wayto prosperity, which everyone agreed was just around the corner. With thenew 1906 model came a new nickname: The Silent Gray Fellow. Motorcycling was already straining for respectability, and Milwaukeemeant to lead the way as a responsible manufacturer. The business hadgrown quickly. Harley-Davidson was busy on all fronts, research, new ideas,designs and a national advertising compai