Harley-Davidson: A Legacy of Innovation and Evolution

In the world of motorcycles, Harley-Davidson is a name that evokes passion, power, and a rich history. From its humble beginnings to its current status as a global icon, Harley-Davidson has been at the forefront of innovation and evolution. In this article, we will explore the company's journey, from its early days to its latest innovations.

The AMF Era: A Turning Point

In 1965, Harley-Davidson was acquired by American Machine and Foundry (AMF). This marked a turning point in the company's history, as it led to significant changes in design, engineering, and manufacturing. The new era brought about the introduction of the AMF Evolution Motor, which became an instant hit with motorcycle enthusiasts.

The Evolution Motor: A Game-Changer

Launched in 1985, the Evolution Motor was a major innovation for Harley-Davidson. It featured a 15-year run in the DynaFXR and Touring frames, cementing its place in motorcycle history. The Evolution Motor was seen as a game-changer, providing reliability, power, and performance that set Harley-Davidson apart from its competitors.

The Softail: A Revival of the Classic

In the 1990s, Harley-Davidson released the Softail, a bike that looked like it had rigid rear suspension but actually had shocks tucked under the transmission. The Softail was designed to be a more aggressive and macho alternative to the traditional Harley-Davidson designs. Its success can be attributed to its unique design and the fact that it tapped into the nostalgia of classic motorcycle enthusiasts.

The Fat Boy: A Classic Revival

The Fat Boy, released in the 1990s, was another groundbreaking model for Harley-Davidson. Designed by Willie G Davidson, grandson of William A Davidson, the Fat Boy featured a sleek and aggressive design with solid cast disc wheels, shotgun exhaust, and flared fenders. The bike was ridden by Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, further cementing its status as a classic Harley-Davidson model.

The V-Rod: A Break from Tradition

In the year 2000, Harley-Davidson released the V-Rod, an all-new bike that deviated from traditional design and engineering. The V-Rod was jointly developed with Porsche and featured a liquid-cooled dual overhead cam engine producing 115 horsepower. The bike's unique design and powerful engine made it an instant hit with motorcycle enthusiasts.

Traditionalists vs. Innovation

For many years, Harley-Davidson relied on traditional designs to appeal to its core customers. However, this approach led to a decline in sales among younger riders. In response, the company has been working to innovate and attract a new generation of riders. The release of the Pan America, an adventure touring bike, is just one example of this effort.

The Future of Harley-Davidson

In recent years, Harley-Davidson has made significant efforts to modernize its product line. The release of the Livewire, an all-electric motorcycle, marks a major departure from traditional designs. This move is seen as a bold step towards a more sustainable future for the company.

Fixd: A Gift for Your Father

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In conclusion, Harley-Davidson's history is a testament to innovation and evolution. From its early days to its latest innovations, the company has remained true to its core values of power, passion, and performance. As it continues to modernize and attract new customers, one thing remains certain: Harley-Davidson will always be a symbol of freedom and adventure on two wheels.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en(engine revving)(wheels screeching)- Hey brother, nice cut.I see you at Sturgis or was it Daytona?Which chapter are youBakersfield, Flagstaff,Cheyenne, Jasper, Oshkosh?What's you riding there bro, Super glide,Hydra glide, Street glide,Wide glide, Duo glideElectra glide, Tour glide,Low glide, Tri glide?Oh V-Rod?(record scratching)Just kidding it's been me all along.An American tradition, likeapple pie or James Caan.Harley Davidson hassurvived two world wars,the Great Depression,the Great Recession,an AMF buyout and oneof the funniest episodesof South Park ever.- What did you say.- A Harley is the ultimate symbolof freedom and their storyis the quintessential American dream.This is everything you needto know to get up to speedon Harley, vroom, Davidson.If you've never beenon a motorcycle before,let us know if we (beep) up.(fun electronic music)Harley Davidson was started by buddiesWilliam S. Harley and Arthur P. Davidsonon the north side of Milwaukee in 1901.Their first production motorcyclethe Model zero was madeafter Arthur's brotherWalter got up in the mix.It had a 24 cubic inchsingle cylinder enginethat was not very powerfulbut apparently it was fun.It had no clutch, no frontbrake, no suspension,it wasn't chain drive or shaft driven.It ran on a leather belt.Kinda like how I used to runafter I heard my dad's leather belt.(belt slapping)A couple years later, athird Davidson brother joinedthe crew and they moved their operationfrom a 10 by 15 foot backyardshed to a big boys shopon Chestnut Street inMilwaukee that is stillwhere Harley Davidson headquarterscurrently stands today.116 years later up until1907 Harley had to puttingthe F-head single cylindermotors into their bikes,but William Harley waslooking to change it up a bit.Fresh off of getting hismechanical engineering degree,he came back to Milwaukeewith his brain full of engineering stuffand a revolutionary idea.They were all standing around the bubbler.That's what people fromMilwaukee call water fountains.- Hey, yous guys I gotan idea for a new engine.- Oh yeah.- Oh you got yourself an idea do ya?- What's you got there?- Oh yeah, you betcha.It's got two cylinders ina 45 degree V-twin shape,I call it the V-twin.- Oh wowwy you betcha,yeah that does soundlike a good idea.- Oh yeah, it does sound like a good idea.This calls for some broadsand some lining coogals.- Yeah, you put the broads in the beerand you cook them and then youjust sear them on the grill.You don't cook them all theway through on the grill, no.- Let's get get some cheese curds,make sure they squeak,if they don't squeak,they're they're notreal good cheese curds.- Of course I'm gonna get them to squeak.- Oh go pack, go pack.- What's the Packers?- Oh they're our football teamit's gonna be inventedin a few years time.We're gonna love Brett Favre.- In 1909, Harley releasedtheir first production modelto feature their legendary45 degree Mopowa V-twin.The Model 5D.It wasn't a great successbut they saw a lot of potentialin their new V-twin engine design.Oh, and it was also the first timethat their motorcycles startedsounding like Harley's.(motorcycle engine revving)The 45 degree offset of the cylindersand the sheared crankshaft pin,meant that the firing sequence,alternating between 315 and 405 degrees.That odd firing patterncreated the plop plop soundthat is such an importantpart of Harley Davidson brand.Ironically at the timeHarley Davidson wasmarketing their motorcyclesfor the safe sane riderwho uses this machine bothfor business and pleasureand enjoys his motorcycle asit was designed to be used.Two years later in 1911,they released their first V-twin success.On a Model 70.Harley prided themselves onbuilding quiet motorcycles.That tradition has not been kept.Harley wasn't marketing to rabble rousersthey were selling theirbikes to businessmen like me.Oh yeah, and also to youngfearless board track racers.The first form ofpopular motorcycle racingwere at the Motordromes.Wooden tracks that featured banked turnsand axes of 50 degreesto put that into perspective,the highest banked track today in NASCARis Talladega at 33 degrees.At a 50 degree banked anglewith the radius of 25 meters,you'd have to maintain a speed of over116 miles per hour tokeep from sliding off.160 miles per on amotorcycle without breaks.No thank you.It was very, very dangerousfor racers and spectators.A lot of racers diedand a lot of spectators got hitin the face with motorcycles.The Motordrome tracks would soon getthe nickname Murderdrome.Yeah.(lightning booming)And Harley wanted no part of it.So they opted to raceon flat tracks instead.They immediately started dominatingeven getting the nickname,The Wrecking Crew.They weren't just selling to kidsracing around the track,they also sold motorcycles to the police,mail carriers and the Army.That's when Harley startedmaking the real bucksthat real Wisconsin Cheddar cheese.The year was 1916.Poncho Villa was stirringup a bunch of troubleon the US Mexico border.A US general by the nameof a Blackjack Pershing,was sent on an expeditiondown to New Mexico to capture him.The bandits down there were hard to catchon their buff horses andPershing wanted an edge.So he rode to Harley Davidsonand asked for some bikes.Harley said, okay and they send down12 Hogs outfitted with side carsand full machine gun turrets.They never captured Ponchobut they had a freaking blast.Yeah, shoot that tree.Okay.Okay shoot that cactus, okay.America, entered World War One in 1917and Harley Davidson delivered.Sending over a 1/3 of allof their motorcycles to the troops.By the end of the war,it was estimated that thearmy use some 20,000 bikesand the majority of themwere Harley Davidson.I can go on and on aboutHarley's military historybut back to civilian life.Over the next couple of decadesHarley Davidson grew and expandedbeyond their wildest expectation.They continue to supplygovernment branches with bikes.They adopted their infamous Hog mascotand they dabbled in racingwhich we'll talk aboutmore in just a little bit.(engine revving)Harley design a few memorablebikes during this erastarting with the Flathead in '29but it was their firstOverhead Valve Motor in 1936,that really drove Harleyinto the next era.This Flathead is nice don't ya knowbut I want some more power.- More power?- Oh oh.- More power don't ya know?- Here it comes.- Yeah more power baby.- Yeah more power baby.- More power baby.Harley Davidson's firstOverhead Valve Big Twin.The Knucklehead it got it's name fromthe valve covers resemblingknuckles on a fist.The original Knuckleheadwas a 61 Cubic Inch V-Twinwith Push Rod Activated Overhead Valvespopping out a whopping 40 hrsprs.It was a major step up from any engineHarley had ever made.It was also the first motorHarley Davidson designed,to have a Recirculating Oil System,but with new technologycomes new problems,and that Knucklehead hadfairly severe oil leakagesmainly from the rocker boxes.By 1941 they werefinding their Knuckleheadwhen America entered Dub Dub two.Harley Davidson prettymuch stopped productionof all civilian bikes in order to makethe bike specificallyfor the American Army.The WLA aka the Liberator.Coming through.The Liberator use their Flathead motorditching the overhead valve designin favor of the tried andtrue Side Valve engine.These motors were easier to work onand didn't have the complex partslike Push rods or Rocker armsthat were necessary in the Knucklehead.They were painted in olive drab or blackand even came with blacked out headlightsto reduce visibility whenrunning night missions.Nice.The bikes also featuredspringer front suspensionwhile the rear had no suspensiongiving this type of motorcyclethe nickname Hard tail.World war two ended andafter was all said and done,there were a ton of Harley Liberatorsthat could be scoopedup on the cheapidy cheapGI's that have come back from the warsuddenly had some time on their handsand a lot of pent up aggression,they bought the same bikesthey had ridden in the warcustomize them and comecut off or chopped offunnecessary parts.This is where the termChoppers comes from.(soft music)Rowdy ass GI's took their Army bikesand met up with other GI'sand soon enough motorcycleclubs were formed.One of the most famous clubsto come out of that erawas the Hell's Angels.Formed in 1948 as a social clubthe Hells Angels have come to be knownfor terrorizing communitieswith their loud bikesand outlaws tendencies.(fun music)Funny thing about theHells Angels biker gangis that their a corporation now.You can buy stock in the Hells Angels.(guy screaming)The instance that really submittedto the outlaw biker image happenedwhen the American MotorcyclistsAssociation Gypsy Tourtook over the town ofHollister California.It started with some drinkingand by the end of the weekendthere was destruction, mayhem, arrestand a full blown riotthe media blew it out of proportion,but it didn't matterthe mainstream view of bikerswas forever changed brother.(crowd cheering)The 1953 film The Wild Onestarring the looks verystrikingly similar to meMr Marlon Brando,brought the bad boysbiker image to the massesand it was this outlawpublicity that actuallyhelped sell Harley motorcycles.(engine rumbling)It also didn't hurt that superstarslike Clark Gable and Elvis Presleystarted to ride them too.Around the same timeHarley Davidson releasedtheir Mid Weight K-Model.That featured an aluminum45 cubic inch motorthat put up 30 hrsprs and hada top speed of 100 miles per.This was the first Harley that hadHydraulic Suspension on both wheelsand it was built to compete with quickerand more nimble imported motorcycleslike the 500cc Triumph Speed Twin.(engine revving)And the BSA A7.(engine revving)You see Harley was feeling the pinchfrom European competitors,not only in the commercial market,but in racing, as well.Those guys bikes were lighter, fasterand had better technologyin the engine and suspension department.Not to be out done.Harley Davidson released theirall new production race bike the KR-750.(engine revving)The last of the side valve designthe KR-750 was a 45 cubic inch V-twinthat put up 50 hrsprsand could reach a topspeed of 120 miles an hour.It copied some of the technologyof the European bikes,like the Hydraulic Fork Front Suspensiona Rear Swing Arm andfoot control gearshift.The Model-K showed the world that Harleycould produce a smaller, more nimble bikethat could compete withBritish two wheelers.(engine revving)Harley Davidson was winning races,but the future of engines and race bikesbegan to favor the overhead valve design.And in 1957 Harley Davidsonresponded with Sportster.You ever heard of it?Maybe the most significant biketo come out of Milwaukee, in the 50's.The Sportster is consideredto be the granddaddyof the modern day Superbike.It's also probably the best Hill climber,Drag Racer, Land SpeedRacer, Ice Racer, Road RacerFlat Track Racerall around road bike thatHarley has ever made.(engine revving)Like a lot of Harley's first year bikesthe Sportster wasn't perfect.Dealers wanted a more sporty Sportster.So in 1958 the XLCH was born.The CH stands for Competition Hot.(soft dance music)If the original Sportsterwas a underpowered Stangthe XLCH was a fire breathing buffhorse.(engine revving)The first XLCH's came with no lights,a nine to one compression ratioMagneto Ignition, Straightpipes, Bob Fendersand a 2.25 gallon tankoff of a dirt track racer.Finally the sport guys had the bikethat they always wanted.Congratulations, sport guys,you've worked hard for it.Harley Davidson was stillthe king of Big Boy bikes,but this was the 1960sand the tides they were a changing man.Rising from the Eastwas a new challengerto the American brand.Honda, Honda had a niftylittle 50 cc motorbikecalled the Super Cub,and they wanted to sell 200,000 of them.And in order to sell that many bikes,Honda needed to change public perceptionof the outlaw motorcycleimage that Harley had created,so Honda came up withthe campaign so smartyou'd think that I had come up with it.- You meet thenicest people on a Honda.You meet the nicest people on a Honda.- Instead of drunk rowdy Hong boys,Honda had posters withhousewives, kids, young couples,and other respectablemembers of society man.Gosh darn it the campaign worked.Harley Davidson was facedwith the tough decisionrefute their reputationand start marketingto college students andfuture accountants named Doug,or stay true to their fan base brother.So what did they do?Well Harley doubled downon their bad boy imageand stayed true, of course.But it wasn't enough tofight off the Japanese brandsand in the late 60s Harley Davidsonwas in desperate need of capital.They needed to expand theirmanufacturing capacityand diversify in order to stay relevant.1969 was a year of firsts for America,we landed on the moon, supposedly.Woodstock happened, supposedly,and Harley Davidson wasgiven financially aidfor an angel coming down from the heavens,America Machine Foundry.AMF was one of the United Stateslargest recreational equipment companiesand was best known formaking bowling stuff.(ball rumbling)(pins thumping)- Game.- AMF was used to mass manufacturing,this didn't translate all that wellto the high quality processesthat Harley was known for.They streamline productionand laid off a ton of workers.Which is not cool dude.Sales and quality were decliningand Harley Davidson wasstruggling to stay afloat.Now people call them hardly drivable.Oh roasted.But the 70s did produce someiconic motorcycles for Harleythe 1977 FXS Lowrider,the XLCR Cafe Racer and the 79 Tourglide.But no other bike comesclose to the successof the XR-750.(engine revving)Built in 1970 Harleyspent the next two yearsrefining specificallyto win races on the dirtand on the pavement.Riders on XR-750's have won 29of the 37 AMA Grand National Championshipsfrom 1972 to 2008 and it has more winsthan any other bike in AMA racing.The XR-750 was alsomade famous by this guy.You ever heard of him.Whoops, I forgot to say his name.His name is Evil Knievel,you ever heard of him?- I do not ask for yourrespect, I demand it.s The motorcyclestuntman of the 70sand probably the motorcyclestuntman of all time.- The all timeKing of the daredevils, Evil Knievel.- He jumped over cars, vans,Greyhound buses, school bus,canyons, water fountainsand he would have jumped over some sharksif he didn't crash his XR-750and break his collarbone, Nolan.The 70's were coming to an endand the AMF deal just wasn't working out.They didn't see Harley fitting intotheir high dollar generatingbowling equipment portfolioand they were looking to sell.The only problem wasthey pretty much ruined the companyand nobody wanted to buy it.- Are you breaking up with me.- Listen, we make bowling stuff.We tried the whole motorcycle thingand it's just like not uswe're not very good at it.- Hold up I didn't want to be the onethat have to do itI've been thinking the same stuffyou guys suck at this.- That makes it different for memaybe we can try and work this out.- No, no, no, no, it'snot me it's you, bye.- Harley bought back theircompany for $80 million.They were on a mission tobring their brands backto its former glory days but it turns outthis wasn't the most opportune time.Middleweight bikes like the Honda 750,the Yamaha 650, and KawasakiMach 3 were gaining popularitybut Harley was mainly sellingtheir larger high-end 1000 plus cc bikes.Harley Davidson remainedas the top selling brandof heavyweight motorcyclesbut saw that they would need an answerto the Eastern competitorsor they would have the same fateas every other American motorcycle brand.IE the grave.So they went to the one personwho every smart person goes to for help.Ronald Reagan the gipper himself boy.Harley Davidson petition the presidentto impose tariffs onbike 700cc or greater.And in 1983 Mr President Reagan obligedraising import taxes for4% to what guess how many.I don't know, 7%.No.15, 15%.No.It can't be 30%.49%.Wow that just seems down right unfairMr. President Ronald Reagan.- They're betting against America itselfand that's a bet no one will ever win.- Though it was prettyunfair to the Japaneseit did give Harley Davidson,a little bit of breathing room.They re-tooled their factoriesand more importantly, implementeda new revolutionary justin time Inventory system.To give you an idea just how bad AMFwas making motorcycles.The number of motorcycleswith defective partsthat Harley produced was 50%.Half of their bikes were brokenwith the new system that plunged to 2%and they continue to improveupon their tarnishedimages from the AMF days.And in 1985 they releasedtheir all new Evolution Motor.This Motor is believed bysome to be the saving graceof the Harley brand.The evolution Big Twinsaw a 15 year run inHarley Davidson is DynaFXR and Touring frames.And they still use itin the Sportster today34 years later.It's reliable, it's powerfuland it put HarleyDavidson back on the map.Another bike that came out ofthe AMF HD ashes was the Softail.Harley Davidson owners arepurists, they love the old schoolrough ridin', hard tailsuspension of the past.It's a macho thing, okay youeither get it or you don't.But their old school caboosesdidn't care about being machoand Harley Davidsonengineers develop the Softaila bike that looks like ithad rigid rear suspensionbut they tuck the shocksunder the transmission.- I still look cool, don't I?- Yeah, how's your tushy honey, it's good.And in the 90's they were put on anotherfeature classic motorcycle.The Fat Boy.(grunting)The Fat Boy was designedby Willie G Davidsongrandson of founder, William A Davidsonyou remember from before.The Fat Boy use the Softail suspensionfront and rear Solid Cast Disc wheels,Shotgun exhaust and gently Flared Fenders.It was ridden by Arnold Schwarzeneggerin Terminator 2 Judgment Day.Hasta la vista baby.Come with me if you want to live.Get down.Take cover, take cover.Basically Harley's was thecoolest thing ever in the 90's.After the year 2000,Harley released an allnew bike, the V-Rod.(engine revving)And what made the V-Rod so uniquewas that the motor was jointlydeveloped with Porsche.Hmm, yeah.The Revolution was a LiquidCooled Dual Overhead CamInternally Counterbalance60 degree V-Twin engineproducing 115 hrsprswith a 9,000 RPM Redline.(engine revving)Was this, the Honda?It was bulletproof.You get a sweet musclebike with an awesome motorthat Harley enthusiasts didn't buy.Which leads me to my final point.Harley has relied on traditionalistsfor their sales successfor quite some time now.And while they might beone of the few companiesthat actually listens tothe wants of their customersby doing so they failed toreach other potential buyers.In 1987 half of all Harleyriders were under 35.Less than 20 years laterthat number dropped to 15%and in 2008 HarleyDavidson stopped reportingthe average age of riders becausetheir average customer was 48.But Harley has been through tougher timesand the company is makingmoves to appeal to youngerand more diverse crowd.In 2020 Harley willreleased the Pan America.Its first adventure touring bike,they'll also release their Street Fighteraiming to do battle with Ducati and KTMin the middleweight market.And later this year they'll be releasingthe most un-Harley bike inthe history of the company.The all electric Livewire.(engine revving)Thanks to fixed for sponsoringthis episode of Up To Speed.Look Father's Day isright around the cornerand I know you haven't bought anythingfor your dear old dad, ya goober.Don't stress, just gethim a Fixd OBD2 center.It plugs right in any carmade after 1996 that's what OBD2 is.And it sends all types of coolreal time diagnosticsstraight to your phone,when that confusing checkengine light comes on.Fixd will tell you and your dadexactly what is wrong with your carin easy to understand terms.Your dad could save costlychips, the (mumbling).And you know dad's lovesaving money they do.From now to Father's Dayyou can order a Fixd centerfor a limited time 25% offjust use the code: DONUTDAD,and click the link belowto get your Pop's Fixd.Thanks for watching thisepisode of Up To Speed.Let me know if you want tosee more motorcycle videosyou want, I wanna do anupspeed on the Jigster.I wanna do one on the Hayabusa.Do you want a whole showdedicated the motorcycles Jeremiahone of our new writersknows a lot about 'em.He broke his arm riding one.Tel Jeremiah to get betterdown in the comments.Thanks for watching again guysthis is the coolest thing ever.You want to get yourselfsome cool Donut gearjust restock all of the OG logo stuffit's @donutmedia.com, in our shop.I love you, byeOh.