Harley Davidson Motorcycle and empty tomato CAN

Harley-Davidson (often abbreviated H-D or Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American manufacturers to survive the Great Depression. Harley-Davidson also survived a media-accelerated negative image of motorcyclists, a period of poor quality control, and competition with Japanese manufacturers.

The company sells heavyweight (over 750 cc) motorcycles designed for cruising on the highway. Harley-Davidson motorcycles (popularly known as "Harleys") have a distinctive design and exhaust note. They are especially noted for the tradition of heavy customization that gave rise to the chopper-style of motorcycle.[5] Except for the modern VRSC model family, current Harley-Davidson motorcycles reflect the styles of classic Harley designs. Harley-Davidson's attempts to establish itself in the light motorcycle market have met with limited success and have largely been abandoned since the 1978 sale of its Italian Aermacchi subsidiary.


The Harley-Davidson motorcycle was conceived in the early 1900s. Harley and a machinist friend, Arthur Davidson, designed the initial “motorized bicycle” in 1901. They were interested in creating an alternative that “took the work out of bicycling.” The first Harley-Davidson motorcycle had a single-cylinder engine, went no faster than 25 miles-per-hour, and used an empty tomato CAN for a carburetor. Davidson’s aunt created the later famous black and red logo and painted it on the first bike.

The help of two other Davidson brothers was enlisted to replicate the bike. By 1903, the first three machines were completed and sold by the C.H. Lang dealership of Chicago. The foursome launched the business in a backyard garage.

Building a motorcycle in the early 1900s presented challenges that the partners had to overcome, many similar to what Henry Ford and R.E. Olds were facing with manufacturing the automobile. Parts were not pre-made and had to be created from existing materials. This was an extremely labor-intensive task that took quite a lot of time. Gas stations had not yet been established, so fueling was a problem. Gas could only be purchased by the pint and only at drugstores.

Regardless of these difficulties and inconveniences, the business grew quickly and the bikes gained a reputation as a sturdy and reliable machine for getting around. The company built its headquarters in 1906 and incorporated in 1907, the same year that the four partners produced 150 machines. By 1910 the company employed 149 people. The four partners continued to speed production and managed to become one of the largest producers of motorcycles in America by 1915.