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Researched by Zachary F.
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History
Harley-Davidson’s very first bike had to be peddled like a bicycle to start. It ran on a single cylinder engine. Their first bike was a great achievement. So Harley-Davidson made two more bikes the same year, and Harley-Davidson was in business. Then in 1904 they made eight more bikes, and in 1905 they made 16 more. In 1906 they made 50 more bikes. But there was one problem. The bikes didn’t have much power, and the people wanted more.
So in 1907 the engine changed to a V-twin. In 1909 Harley-Davidson tried
to make a new engine, but it left the market after it had problems. Around
1911 the company improved, and had more technology. The V-twin was changed
from 50 cubic inches to 60 cubic inches in 1912. Also in 1912 Harley-Davidson
made one of the first clutches. In 1913 they made a chain drive, then in1914
they made a two-speed rear hub and then a three speed in1915. In 1920 Harley-Davidson
developed their own line of Flathead V-twin to help with servicing. In
1921 a new 74 cubic inch V-twin was made, it was called the Seventy- Four.
The first Flathead V-twin was called the Model D. This model lasted till 1973. The Flathead came out right as the stock market crashed in 1929. Because of the stock market crash, sales dropped one fifth. Harley-Davidson barley kept the company alive, but they recovered when the economy got better in the 1930s. The stock crash wasn’t all-bad, because Harley-Davidson lost many competitors. They also got many more clients. Now they focused on the V-twin. An 80-cubic inch Big Twin was added to the 74-cubic inch in 1935. Now Harley-Davidson had to come up a better model to stay competitive. So they started on an overhead V-twin. The new Knucklehead came out in 1936, but the Flathead was not ready to retire and they were both offered until the mid-fifties.
Knucklehead Era
Not long after the Flathead V-twin came out, Harley-Davidson started to work on an overhead valve version. This was a surprise because it was made right after the Flathead Era and in the worst part of the depression. The overhead valve was quickly changed to a recirculating oiling system, which was new to Harley-Davidson. In 1941 a 74-cubic inch version of OHV came under the F-series. The Knucklehead Era had lasted 12 years, and formed the basis for all big-twin motors from then on.
Pan Head Era
Harley-Davidson tried hard to make new models in the slow times of World War II. The new model’s engine covers looked like an upside down roasting pan. This got nicknamed the "pan head" from its riders. All of this came out in 1948. Then in 1952 Harley-Davidson made a hand clutch/foot shift option for a Big Twin. The hand shift was offered till 1978. Harley-Davidson’s biggest competitor, the Indian Company, had closed because of financial problems. The company had been struggling since the start of the war. Soon Harley-Davidson started struggling for the same reason. Harley-Davidson decided to make smaller offers in the mid 70s. Then they made a new redesigned Flathead V-twin. This bike had Harley-Davidson’s first suspension system. Nothing really changed till 1965 and it was the Pan Head’s last few weeks on the market.
Shovelhead Era
Harley-Davidson started on some new models right after the Flathead. They were soon called Shovelheads, because a part of the engine looked like a inverted shovel. Then they merged with American Machine and Foundry (AMF). AMF helped Harley-Davidson by giving them money. For doing this, AMF asked Harley-Davidson to increase production and expansion of Harley’s line of smaller motorcycles. Then Harley worked with an Italian man to make a new bike. Once again for doing this Harley had to make an even smaller line of bikes. These bikes were only Harleys by name. That harmed the company more than they expected. Then in 1971 a new FX Super Glide brought a bright spot in the company.
In 1984 Harley started on a new Big Twin Evolution V-twin. This bike ran smoother, and quieter. It had more power, and was more reliable. In 1984 Harley came out with a new frame called the Soft Tail. It looked a lot like a Hard Tail frame, "with no springs in the back of the frame." Then in 1986 the Sportster V-twin was updated with new Evolution parts. A new 1990 FISTF Fat Boy sold out before it ever went to the show room. These bikes lasted till about 2001.
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