5 Notable Milestones in Harley-Davidson History
These five notable milestones in Harley-Davidson's history helped shape the company in a big way.
Narrowing It Down
Having been around for 120 years now, Harley-Davidson has certainly enjoyed its fair share of milestones over that time period. Those historic periods in time are sometimes triumphant ones that helped propel MoCo into the annals of fame, while others quite literally almost forced it into extinction. However, these five milestones are among the most important in a very long list of notable points in Harley-Davidson history.
First Model
Of course, every company has to start somewhere, and for Harley-Davidson, that was with the famed Model 1. Today, this machine looks more like a bicycle than a motorcycle - because, well, it was basically just a motorized bike with a 116cc motor - but back in the early 1900s, it was truly revolutionary, and obviously set the tone for more than a century of success - not only for Harley-Davidson, but for other motorcycle makers and related companies, too.
First V-Twin Engine
While it has produced all sorts of engines over its century-plus in existence, Harley is most famous for its V-Twin design that has endured for a very long time to this point. In fact, the H-D V-Twin debuted way back in 1907 with an 880cc powerplant churning out around 7 horsepower. Things have changed a lot since then, and modern versions of the V-Twin are capable of making huge power with copious amounts of low-end torque, in particular.
EL Knucklehead
Another iconic powerplant in Harley-Davidson's history is the Knucklehead, which was created to solve all of the many issues its predecessor, the Flathead, was notorious for, such as overheating and distorted heads. The switch to an overhead valve design paid big dividends in the EL, and it goes without saying that the Knucklehead helped Harley become more of a mainstream motorcycle maker that offered more in the way of reliability with less required maintenance, to boot.
Wartime Boom
During World War II, the Harley-Davidson WLA was utilized heavily as a smaller, more nimble method of transportation by many troops. As such, it was really no surprise that those vets came home and purchased motorcycles of their own, having developed an affinity for them in combat. This helped keep Harley afloat for many years, infusing an entirely new customer base versus the company's pre-war efforts.
Rejuvenating the Brand
The 1980s were a difficult time for many people and corporations, and Harley-Davidson was no exception. After AMF purchased the company in 1969, its desire to slash costs and scale back investments in new technology and engine development nearly sunk H-D heading into the '80s. However, in 1981, a group of investors including Willie G. Davidson - the grandson of company co-founder William Davidson - bought it back for $80 million, paving the way for one of the greatest comebacks in American corporate history.
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