Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128208
1910 • The famed "Bar f, Shield" logo is used for the first time. It is trademarked at the U.S. Patent Office one year later. • At least seven different first-place finishes are captured at races, endurance contests and hillclimbs across America. All seven winners are riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles. 1911 • The "F-head" engine becomes a workhorse of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle until 1929. 1916 • The Enthusiast begins its reign as the longest continuously published motorcycle magazine in the world. 1917 • During this year, roughly onethird of all Harley-Davidson motorcycles produced are sold to the U.S. military. The Quartermasters School, a department of Harley-Davidson devoted to training military mechanics on Harley-Davidson motorcycles, opens for business in July. It will later become the Service School. • The sale of Harley-Davidson bicycles begins. Individual components are made by the Davis Sewing Machine Co. of Dayton, Ohio. The bicycles are sold through the Harley-Davidson dealer network. • Gas tanks on all models now have a distinct teardrop shape. This basic appearance is set for all subsequent Harley-Davidson motorcycles. • Joe Petrali begins racing for Harley-Davidson. He will become one of the most successful dirt-track racers for Harley-Davidson and one of the most successful racers of all time. 1912 • Construction begins on what will become the six-story headquarters and main factory building at Juneau Avenue in Milwaukee. A separate Parts and Accessories Department is formed. • H-D exports motorcycles to Japan, marking the first-ever sales outside of the U.S.A., whose dealer network grows to over 200 nationwide. • Harley-Davidson riders sweep all eight National Championship races. 1913 • The Racing Department is formed, with William Ottaway as its first assistant engineer to racing engineer William S. Harley. Also, the Package Truck commercial delivery van is offered for the first time. 1914 • Sidecars are made available to Harley-Davidson buyers. Clutch and brake pedals are now available on Fhead singles and twins. • The Motor Company formally enters motorcycle racing this year. The first racing engineer is William S. Harley. Within a few short years, team Harley-Davidson is referred to informally as the "Wrecking Crew" because of its incredible dominance of the sport. 1915 • Harley-Davidson motorcycles are made available with three-speed, sliding-gear transmissions with the final and primary drives on the same side. 1925 1926 • Single-cylinder motorcycles are again sold by Harley-Davidson for the first time since 1918. Models A, AA, B, and BA are available in side-valve and overhead-valve engine configurations. 1919 • The 37-cubic-inch opposed twin-cylinder Sport model is introduced and gains great popularity overseas. Unique not only for the cylinder configuration, which was directly opposed and flat, the Sport qUickly eams a reputation for being uncommonly quiet. 1920 • By 1920, Harley-Davidson is the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. New Harley-Davidson motorcycles can be purchased from over 2000 dealers in 57 countries worldwide. • Leslie "Red" Parkhurst breaks 23 speed records on a Harley-Davidson 51-cubic-inch racing motorcycle. Also, the "hog" association starts when the racing team's mascot, a pig, is carried on a victory lap after each race won by the team. 1921 • The first 74-cubic-inch V-twin engine is introduced on the JD and FD models. 1928 • The first Harley-Davidson twincam engine is made available to the public on the JD series of motorcycles. The bikes are capable of top speeds between 85-100 mph. • Front wheel brakes are now available on all Harley-Davidson motorcycles. 1929 • The 45cubic-inch, V-twin engine (later to be known as the "flathead") is introduced on the D model. The engine proves to be so reliable that variations of it are available on HarleyDavidson motorcycles as late as 1972. 1930 • Bill Davidson Jr. wins the Jack Pine endurance contest with 997 points of 1000. All individual class winners are riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles. eye' e 1931 • All of Harley-Davidson's remaining American competition is now gone except Indian (Hendee Manufacturing). Indian and Harley-Davidson are the only two American motorcycle manufacturers until 1953. 1932 • The 45-cubic-inch, three-wheeled Servi-Car begins its 41-year run as a popular commercial and police vehicle. • In dirt track racing, Harley-Davidson racer Joe Petrali begins a five-year consecutive streak of winning the AMA National [Dirt Track] Championship. PetraIi also wins the National Hillclimb Championships from 1932-1935. 1933 • An art-deco "eagle" design is painted on all gas tanks. This marks the beginning of graphic designs on Harley-Davidson motorcycles (With the exception of previously specialorder-only paint schemes). This styling decision was made in part to stimulate the low sales numbers caused by the Great Depression. 1935 • The Japanese motorcycle industry is founded as a result of HarleyDavidson's licensing blueprints, tools, dies and machinery to the Sankyo Company of Japan. The result is the Rikuo motorcycle. n e _ S • APRIL 9. 2003 33