5 Things To Know About the First Harley-Davidson Dealership

Starting Point

Starting a company that builds and sells any kind of vehicle is a rather daunting task by any measure, which is part of what makes the story of Harley-Davidson so fascinating in the first place. The fact that two people could join forces and create an iconic company from scratch is a true embodiment of the American dream, after all. Of course, many pivotal moments played a role in H-D's success, including its very first dealership. 

Photos: Harley-Davidson

Early Start

That dealer was Carl H. Lang, who opened the very first Harley-Davidson store in Chicago, Illinois, in his own existing shop back in 1904. Lang was a machinist at the time that emigrated from Germany in 1890, who quickly found success making a small hand tool that proved to be quite handy for those working in the piano industry. 

Photos: Harley-Davidson

Man With a Plan

Lang secured multiple patents for piano tools over the years, but he also filed a few pertaining to motorcycles as well. Ultimately, Lang wound up making and selling a large number of tools for pianists, but when he met Arthur Davidson in 1903, the nature of his business changed in a major way. Soon, he became the very first dealer of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and he was quite good at it, too. 

Photos: Harley-Davidson

Immediate Success

In fact, after a while, Lang was moving around 800 motorcycles a year, and eventually became a member of the Harley-Davidson Board of Directors. He was also a trailblazer in that Lang led perhaps the very first organized group ride of Harley owners in 1908 - a tradition that went on to be emulated by dealers for decades to come as a way to connect with customers on a more personal level. 

Photos: Harley-Davidson

Moving Around

Over the years, Lang's Harley-Davidson dealership moved around Chicago multiple times amid rapid growth, which was quite impressive given the fact that he started out by selling three of the company's five prototype motorcycles in 1905 basically in his backyard. It was just a couple of years later when H-D incorporated, in fact.

Photos: Harley-Davidson

Long Gone

Unfortunately, after Lang passed away in 1944, his dealership didn't survive for too long, and was ultimately shuttered. However, there are still a handful of Harley-Davidson stores that launched in the early 1900s that continue to exist - including Farrow Harley-Davidson and Kegel Harley-Davidson, both of which were founded in or around 1912.

Photos: Harley-Davidson

>>Join in on the conversation about the first Harley dealership here in Harley-Davidson Forums.

For help with your do-it-yourself maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section in the forum.