Automobz.com Unofficial Blog

Riding on two wheels on an open road is an experience to cherish. The wind in your face is cliché. There is just something more. It is a balancing act and your skill is tested. While you are on the move, even gravity does not bother you too much. Once you stop you have to respect gravity and rest the bike. Terms like renegade and a rebel have always been associated with the motorbike. There is also a sense of freedom, not political but a poetic freedom that you associate yourself with. Facing the road, head on, you throttle along with pride and among all this sense of high, there is the Harley Davidson marquee that has stood by the biker image for 105 years now and will continue to do so.
Though 1903 maybe the year when this organisation came into being, but 1901 was when the dream was envisioned. At the age 21, William.S.Harley completed the drawing of an engine, designed to fit into a bicycle. Two years later, Arthur Davidson makes available the first production Harley Davidson motorcycle. After this, the word got out that about this extremely reliable motorcycle being produced from a wooden shed in Milwaukee which led to the formation of dealerships and more employees to sustain the demand. 1909 will be the next biggest landmark after its inception. This is the year, the V-twin, 49.5cc engine was introduced that would produce 7 Hp. The two cylinders, at a 45 degree angle has become the hallmark of all Harley Davidson motorcycles. After this the company was straight on its way up, with supplies to the police, which it continues to do so and also producing special motorbikes to assist in the war effort, just a testament to their rigidity and durability. Along with a Harley Davidson motorbike with an image to die for, you also walk out with a sense of assurance and devotion from the dealership. This is something that will continue as the stringent testing standards will never bring about the topic of reliability and you will also become a devoted Harley loyalist once you own one. It would be an understatement to say that this brand is iconic, especially once you come to know that 5-6% of its complete revenue comes from the marketing of the brand, logo and merchandising.
The concept of a tourer and a cruiser was borne by Harley Davidson, along with customisations which bring out the individual and the individuality of each bike. Then there was the origin of the choppers that was again heralded by Harley Davidson. They in turn brought about the differentiation between the riders and the racers in the motorcycling community. The riding community would cruise along the highway. Cruise is such an apt term and anyone who has done so will know. In the ideal setting your speed is secondary and you just coast along, one with the motorcycle and you, and the feeling accentuates your surroundings to the realms of metaphysics.
The bikers also enjoyed a bad boy image, and continue to do so to some extent. Harley Davidson did receive some slack for it and undue attention. A biker was compared to the outlaw. It was easy to get carried away since the rider did evoke some view. They were not associated with a neat and kept image. They seemed like they were on the move, living of the land, without a care in the world, even if they did not do so. It became stereotypical. A bar with a dozen or so Harleys parked outside always warranted for trouble later, in Hollywood. This was inevitable, but never did it deter Harley Davidson and such things are part and parcel of being distinctly American. The V-Rod welcomed brand Harley Davidson into the new era of biking. Overall it was an engineering masterpiece, right from the engine layout to the design. The Japanese manufacturers too, who dominated the motorcycle segment for such a long period, had to take a new look at the way the touring and cruiser markets had progressed with Harley Davidson at the helm. The Hell’s Angels had made their mark. The acquisition of Buell Motorcycle Company in 2003 and the recent purchase of MV Agusta which also includes the Cagiva brand. This might have to do with Harley Davidson trying to install a presence in other categories of motorcycling. These business deals sound as good as the V twin from any of their cruisers. 105 years at the helm is a remarkable achievement. The early 20th century saw many motorcycle manufacturers vying for production status, and many disappeared into oblivion and the smoke of the Harley dominance and as we would like to congratulate Harley Davidson and the bless the culture that they have created, hope it always remains live to ride and ride to live.