Two men who wanted to take the work out of their bicycles started Harley Davidson. The company made a large entrance in the twentieth century and still has a dominant presence in the twenty first century. Harley Davidson has thrived through the Great Depression, aided in three major wars and still holds 46% of the motorcycle market today. Not only have they created a successful business, they have produced a whole new culture. .
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Hog Wild:.
The History Of Harley Davidson.
At the end of the 19th century William Harley and Arthur Davidson came up with an idea that would take the work out of their bicycles. Arthur's two brothers, Walter and William, creating a team of four men who just love to ride, soon joined them. With one simple idea, these four men have created the greatest motorcycle in the world. In the process, they have also created a new lifestyle for millions of people all over the world.
The original idea was to produce racing bikes with one-cylinder combustion engines. The bikes were originally designed and built by the four men in a ten-foot by fifteen-foot shed in Milwaukee. In 1903 Harley Davidson motorcycles were made available to the public (www.carpartsplaza.com, 2002). After building three bikes that year, the four men discovered that people wanted a bike for every day use.
The first decade for the Harley Davidson Motor Company was a period of tremendous growth. By 1906 the demand for the motorcycle was growing so rapidly that the company was forced to move their operations to a new 28x80 foot building. They also had to hire six full-time employees. In 1907 Harley Davidson had to again expand their facilities and had more than doubled their staff. That same year the investors decided to incorporate the company, and split the stock equally between the four men (www.harley-davidson.com, 2002). .
Just five years after the company had introduced its first motorcycle the demand went further than the average enthusiast had ever imagined; the Detroit Michigan police called the bike to duty to use in law enforcement (www.
