During the Great Depression, Harley-Davison Turned to Making Lawnmower Engines
For about a decade in the 1930’s, simple Harley lawnmower engines kept golf courses everywhere tidy.
If you’re a superfan of certain motorcycle brands like Husqvarna or Honda, you can show your support even when doing mundane chores like cutting your grass. That is, both of those marques are also in the business of selling lawnmowers alongside bikes.
Did you know that decades ago, the very same could be said of Harley-Davidson? Well, sorta. In 1929, the Motor Company contracted to supply engines to the Worthington Mower Company for a large commercial model called the Overgreen. Interestingly, none other than Indian provided engines for this mower prior to the dawn of Harley lawnmower engines.
It wasn’t exactly a V-twin
If you’re expecting to start reading about a hellacious v-twin powered lawnmower, we’ll have to disappoint you. The engine for the Worthington mowers was actually a single-cylinder side-valve, also known as a “flathead.” As well, the Overgreen mower wasn’t really suited for homeowner use. Unless you live on vast acreage, that is.
Instead, the large mower was mostly intended for the newfangled professional golf courses that were in their infancy at the time. In fact, trimming golf courses is a field that company founder Charles Worthington pioneered. Details on exactly how long the collaboration between Harley and Worthington lasted are hazy, but some experts believe about a decade. In other words, much-needed revenue was generated throughout the end of the Great Depression.
Harley engines also powered rockets and boats
Besides lawnmowers, Harley-Davidson was also involved in several other unconventional endeavors. Perhaps most famously, the Motor Company produced the LR-64 rocket engine (featured below) for several decades beginning in the mid-1960s. According to the Harley-Davidson Museum, “The engines were used to propel target drones for military training exercises.”
Finally, who could forget the brand’s brief foray into boating with its Tomahawk line of fiberglass runabouts. Reportedly, the boating business was a necessary evil in order to get access to a manufacturing facility for fiberglass motorcycle parts like hard bags and fairings. Disappointingly, the Tomahawks’ outboard engines were provided by Evinrude, not Harley. To this day, the Motor Company continues to make things that aren’t motorcycles, including bicycles, camping tents, and of course, apparel.
Photos: Harley-Davidson Museum/Facebook