History of Harley Davidson

Harley Davidson is a name that most everyone knows.  They are an American manufacturer that holds high esteem in pop-culture, and as a manufacturer of motorcycles, they have one of the longest histories of any American company that is still in business today.  Here is a little about the history of the Company.

William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson were childhood friends that grew up to become the founders of Harley Davidson.  In 1901 William designed plans for their first motor engine which his friend Arthur helped him to build.  This modest engine was able to work with a simple bicycle frame and they finished the project in 1903.  Unfortunately there were a number of hills in Milwaukee, Michigan and the engine was not able to push a rider up many of the hills.  Luckily the two did not give up, and their experiment laid the ground work for their future in the motorcycle industry.  

In 1904 they completed the first true Harley Davidson motorcycle.  For this motorcycle they changed the design, and introduced a much larger engine, one that was 24.7 cubic inches in size.  This engine was better able to propel the vehicle with the force and speed that was needed to push a rider up hill.  They also changed the design of the frame making it a bulkier loop design.  Unlike the previous motor powered pedal bicycle, this one had a large enough frame and engine to classify it as the first Harley motorcycle.

The partnership between the two friends blossomed into a successful business.  They first placed advertisements in an automobile and bicycle trade journal where they advertised Harley Davidson engines for sale.  A short 3 months later and they were selling completed motorcycles. 

These first motorcycles were limited to a small number of models, and they were being constructed in a shed owned by Arthur Davidson.  The need for more space and engineering led to the opening of the company’s first motorcycle factory in 1906.  The first factory was located on Chesnut Street in Milwaukee, Michigan.  The factory produced only 50 motorcycles a year in the early years. 

While the company began small, it became an automotive giant very quickly.  Business began to boom when the US military contracted Harley Davidson to construct motorcycles for use in World War I.   By the year 1920, the company had become the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. 

Over the years they expanded exponentially with government contracts during World War II and consumer models which were sold in the United States and all over the world.  Today, less than 100 years later, Harley Davidson is a public company with an operating income of over 70 billion dollars a year!

The two friends Arthur Davidson and William S. Harley probably never dreamed that their first prototype would lead them so far.  They have gone on to become one of the most famous U.S. manufacturers in automotive history.

Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson proudly serves East Tennnessee with locations in Maryville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, US-129 The Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway. We are the number one Harley-Davidson dealer in  Knoxville and Sevierville areas.