Harley Davidson's Influence On The World War

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) was founded in 1903. The home base was originally founded in and even today remains in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Harley-Davidson’s popularity grew significantly during World War I, when the U.S. infantry used 20,000 of the company’s motorcycles in its war effort (Taylor, 2010). Best recognized for its manufacturing of heavyweight motorcycles, Harley-Davidson has captured half the U.S. market and a third of the global market (Wikinvest, 2010). Harley-Davidson motorcycles are noted for their classic lines, custom paint jobs, dependability, fine craftsmanship and the Harley-Davidson signature choppy sounding engine. Most importantly, it has been

Harley-Davidson, Inc. since its inception has specialized in selling dream motorcycles that are of high quality and distinctive in styles. The company in the past have seen turbulent business environment to the extent of leveraged buyout, infiltration of foreign made bikes as well as government regulations. Yet despite these factors, Harley-Davidson continues to reap profits, yield high growth of approximately 15% a year and retain its customer base (Official Website 2004). This position in the market is however limited to the US whereas in other countries of the world Harley-Davidson products remain luxury item requiring emotional attachment with American iconism.

Harley-Davidson has been operating as a U.S. motorcycle manufacturer since 1903. Throughout its life, it has been through many hardships, but just as many successes. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Harley-Davidson experienced tremendous difficulties and almost went bankrupt in 1985. To its dismay, in the 1990s Harley-Davidson experienced several years of record growth and was ranked in 1990 by BusinessWeek as one of the top U.S. companies with a market value of $515 million. As a sign of their success, they remain the only U.S. motorcycle manufacturer still in business.

“While the Wright Brothers flew overhead and Model T’s rolled off Henry Ford’s assembly line, the new sport of motorcycle racing began drawing large crowds bent on celebrating a piston-powered future.” (Britannica). From 1901 to around 1903, the first racing motorcycle would be produced by the Hendee Manufacturing Company, being known as the “Indian”. Soon in 1903, Harley Davidson would produce their product of the Indian, being slightly different with a 1.75

The history of Harley-Davidson began in 1903, in a 10 ' x 15 ' shed located in the Davidson family 's Milwaukee backyard. The Davidson brothers - William D., Walter, and Arthur – and William S. Harley crafted their first motorcycle using the best tools they had available – mostly their hands and their ingenuity.

In 1903 the four men formed the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. By 1909, Harley Davidson hired 35 employees.

By 1920, the company was producing almost 30,000 bikes annually and was the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer, taking the title away from Indian Motorcycle. However, a combination of a mild economic depression and Henry Ford’s Model T began eating away at Harley-Davidson’s profits, and the motorcycle company even had to reject a potential business partnership with Ford Motor Company to protect themselves (“William S. Harley, Arthur”). The partnership involved manufacturing Harley-Davidson bikes with a sidecar to be used to deliver mail, albeit under the Ford name. Harley-Davidson rejected this deal, but later used the idea to sell their own bikes to the Postal Service (Harley and the Davidsons). In 1914, the U.S Postal Service was using 4,800 Harley-Davidson motorcycles to deliver mail. To save their company, Harley designed motorcycles to be used by law enforcement across the United States. By the mid-1920s, roughly 3,000 law enforcement personnel would be riding a Harley-Davidson, a testament to William Harley’s engineering genius. In addition, Harley would design bikes with larger engines and brakes which helped boost sales for a short while before the Great Depression came. To counter the resulting plummet in sales, Harley gave the bikes a facelift, designing new bikes with more appealing fuel tanks and adding both stylized eagle designs and the company logo on the bikes to increase appeal. Around this time, bikes were also designed with different color patterns (“William S.

Harley-Davidson is likely the famous motorcycle manufacturer on the planet and is situated in the headquartered in the United States, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Even hard considers 1903 as its base year, could just as 1901 considered, because that's when Bill Harley completed the foreground of a Harley engine .In 1903, the same Bill Harley and Arthur Davidson uncovered their initially mechanized exertion, calling it the first Harley motorcycle. It was a racing bike, built in a wooden shed that had Harley-Davidson Motor Company scrawled on it. That same year, the brother of Arthur - Walter Davidson - joined the company. In no time, the first Harley-Davidson dealer opens store (1904) and manages to sell three Harley motorcycles. In true American style,

All the way in December 26, 1919 a man by the name of Sainty’s won a record for the fastest race. At the same time another man named Joe Mostyn won the record in the junior division. All with Harley Davidson as there bike of choice these two were the first to give Harley Davidson the chance that it truly deserved. In 1917 Harley Davidson made their first courses in order to teach people how to specialize in these bikes. These jobs range anywhere from dealers to repairmen they did this in order to have knowledgeable and trustworthy technicians in the field.

was painfully made. Nevertheless, to compensate for being without a “toy” for Vince, we bought a sporty Harley-Davidson motorcycle to occupy his free time. Riding a motorcycle was a more cost effective sport, plus it was much easier to jump on a bike for a few hours of riding than prepare the boat for a few hours of sailing. Not quite the same, but even so, a great alternative way to have fun.

Harley managed to remain profitable by introducing larger, more powerful motorcycles, becoming the undisputed leader of the market with over 60% market share. It earned a commanding lead of 50% market share in the United States and 32% globally in the 1950’s. The Harley motorcycle became a part of American iconography and was associated with the U.S. flag and the bald eagle, America’s national symbol. This resulted in unprecedented brand loyalty, especially among U.S. customers, which is prevailing till today.

Celebrating their 100th anniversary next year, Harley-Davidson is a true American success story. From their modest beginnings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to one of the most recognized company names worldwide, they have been passionate about motorcycles. Harley offers an experience like none other with the one of a kind look, feel, and sound only available on a Harley. Besides their main business of building and selling motorcycles, they have began to offer financing and insurance through Harley-Davidson Financial Services, and they also offer a full line of accessories and apparel to make the Harley experience complete.

Regardless of their emergence in the market in the year, in 1903, Harley-Davidson together with the motorcycle industry did not have an easy start until the end of the Second World War. Many people used motorcycles during the period the war took place. Harley-Davidson was instrumental in supplying around 90,000 motorcycles to the American military during this period. Many veterans opted to buy motorcycles after returning home. This is because they enjoyed riding the motorcycles during the war and desired to continue riding them after the end of the war. This generation was called the "baby boomers" and became the primary target for Harley-Davidson to market their products.

•     Started as a partnership between a draftsman and a pattern maker in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1903. William Harley and Arthur Davidson intrigued by the newly invented motorcycles began experimenting with ideas to design and build their own motorcycle. They enlisted Arthur's brothers, Walter a skilled mechanic and William a machinist who gave live to the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. That early partnership has evolved into a family of millions of Harley-Davidson, Inc. stakeholders throughout the world.

Milwaukee is where it all started for Harley Davidson. In 1903, William Harley Walter and Arthur Davidson created the first of millions Harley Davidson. It was one of the two major motorcycles that were able to survive the great depression. Since 1977, the only motorcycles sold to the public under the Harley-Davidson brand have been heavyweight motorcycles, with engine displacements greater than 700 cc, designed for cruising on highways. It is one of the most well known brands in the world of motorcycles and otherwise as well. Harley-Davidson maintains an enormous brand community, which keeps active through clubs, events, and a museum. The worth of Harley Davidson brand and its logo was somewhere around $40 million which was 0.8% of the