A superb and rare photo of the Harley-Davidson cycle tow.
Harley-Davidson has a
long and very interesting history that started as early as in 1901. That year,
William S. Harley, age 21, drew up plans for a small engine with a displacement
of 7.07 cubic inches (116 cc) and four-inch (102 mm) flywheels. The
engine was designed for use in a regular pedal-bicycle frame. Over the next two
years Harley and his childhood friend Arthur Davidson labored on their
motor-bicycle using the northside Milwaukee
machine shop at the home of their friend, Henry Melk. It was finished in 1903
with the help of Arthur's brother, Walter Davidson. Upon completion the boys
found their power-cycle unable to conquer Milwaukee's
modest hills without pedal assistance. Will Harley and the Davidsons quickly
wrote off their first motor-bicycle as a valuable learning experiment. Work
immediately began on a new and improved second-generation machine. This first
"real" Harley-Davidson motorcycle had a bigger engine of
24.74 cubic inches (405 cc) with 9.75 inches (25 cm) flywheels
weighing 28 lb
(13 kg).
The machine's advanced loop-frame pattern was similar to the 1903 Milwaukee
Merkel motorcycle (designed by Joseph Merkel, later of Flying Merkel fame). The
bigger engine and loop-frame design took it out of the motorized-bicycle
category and would help define what a modern motorcycle should contain in the
years to come. The boys also received help with their bigger engine from
outboard motor pioneer Ole Evinrude, who was then building gas engines of his
own design for automotive use on Milwaukee's
Lake Street.
The prototype of the new loop-frame Harley-Davidson was assembled in a
10 ft × 15 ft (3.0 m × 4.6 m) shed in
the Davidson family backyard. Most of the major parts, however, were made
elsewhere, including some probably fabricated at the West
Milwaukee railshops where oldest brother William A. Davidson was
then toolroom foreman. This prototype machine was functional by September 8,
1904, when it competed in a Milwaukee motorcycle
race held at State
Fair Park.
It was ridden by Edward Hildebrand and placed fourth. This is the first
documented appearance of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle in the historical record.
In January 1905, small advertisements were placed in the "Automobile and
Cycle Trade Journal" that offered bare Harley-Davidson engines to the
do-it-yourself trade. By April, complete motorcycles were in production on a
very limited basis. That year the first Harley-Davidson dealer, Carl H. Lang of
Chicago, sold
three bikes from the dozen or so built in the Davidson backyard shed. (Some
years later the original shed was taken to the Juneau Avenue factory where it would
stand for many decades as a tribute to the Motor Company's humble origins.
Unfortunately, the first shed was accidentally destroyed by contractors in the
early 1970s during a clean-up of the factory yard.) In 1906, Harley and the
Davidsons built their first factory on Chestnut Street (later Juneau Avenue). This
location remains the Motor Company's corporate headquarters today. The first Juneau Avenue plant
was a 40 by 60-foot (18 m)
single-story wooden structure. That year around 50 motorcycles were produced.
In 1907, William S. Harley graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
with a degree in mechanical engineering. That year additional factory expansion
came with a second floor and later with facings and additions of Milwaukee pale yellow ("cream")
brick. With the new facilities production increased to 150 motorcycles in 1907.
The company was officially incorporated that September. They also began selling
their motorcycles to police departments around this time, a market that has
been important to them ever since. Production in 1905 and 1906 were all
single-cylinder models with 26.84 cubic inches (439.8 cc) engines. In
February 1907 a
prototype model with a 45-degree V-Twin engine was displayed at the Chicago
Automobile Show. Although shown and advertised, very few V-Twin models were
built between 1907 and 1910. These first V-Twins displaced 53.68 cubic
inches (879.7 cc) and produced about 7 horsepower (5.2 kW). This
gave about double the power of the first singles. Top speed was about 60 mph (97 km/h). Production
jumped from 450 motorcycles in 1908 to 1,149 machines in 1909. By 1911, some
150 makes of motorcycles had already been built in the United States – although just a
handful would survive the 1910s. In 1911, an improved V-Twin model was
introduced. The new engine had mechanically operated intake valves, as opposed
to the "automatic" intake valves used on earlier V-Twins that opened
by engine vacuum. With a displacement of 49.48 cubic inches
(810.8 cc), the 1911 V-Twin was smaller than earlier twins, but gave
better performance. After 1913 the majority of bikes produced by
Harley-Davidson would be V-Twin models. By 1913, the yellow brick factory had
been demolished and on the site a new 5-story structure of reinforced concrete
and red brick had been built. Begun in 1910, the red brick factory with its
many additions would take up two blocks along Juneau Avenue and around the corner on 38th Street. Despite
the competition, Harley-Davidson was already pulling ahead of Indian and would
dominate motorcycle racing after 1914. Production that year swelled to 16,284
machines. In 1917, the United
States entered World War I and the military
demanded motorcycles for the war effort. Harleys had already been used by the
military in the Pancho Villa Expedition but World War I was the first time the
motorcycle had been adopted for combat service. Harley-Davidson provided about
15,000 machines to the military forces during World War I. By 1920,
Harley-Davidson was not by far the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the
world, though their motorcycles were sold by dealers in 67 countries.
Production was 28,189 machines. In 1921, a Harley-Davidson, ridden by Otto Walker,
was the first motorcycle ever in the USA to win a race at an average
speed of over 100 mph
(160 km/h).
During the 1920s, several improvements were put in place, such as a new 74
cubic inch (1200cc) V-Twin, introduced in 1922, and the "Teardrop"
gas tank in 1925.
This is a very nice and very rare non
period photo that reflects a wonderful era of HD motorcycle history in a
wonderful way. This is your rare chance to own this photo, therefore it is
printed in a nice large format of ca. 8" x 11" (ca. 20 cm x 27 cm). It makes it
perfectly suitable for framing!
Shipping costs will only be $ 7.00 regardless of how many photos you
buy. For 5 or more photos, shipping is free!
All our photos are modern photos that are traditionally made from what we believe are the original negatives and are copyright protected.
(Note: A. Herl, Inc. does not appear on photo, for ebay purposes only)
No copyright expressed or implied. Sold as collectable item only. We are clearing out our archives that we have gathered from various sources.
All items always sent well protected in PVC clear files and board backed envelopes.
They make the perfect gift and are perfectly suited for framing. They will look gorgeous unframed and will be a true asset nicely framed with a border. They are a gorgeous and great asset in every home, workshop, workplace, restaurant, bar or club!
First come - first served. And you can always contact us for your requests. Please ask any questions before the auction ends.