Harley-Davidson came to the motorcycle industry early.  The first practical motorcycle was invented by Gottlieb Daimler in Germany in 1885.  It took more than 15 years, however, for motorcycles to become accepted as a reasonably reliable mode of transportation.  In 1903--the same year as the Wright Brothers achieved their first successful flight--William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson, two young men in their early twenties, started building  racing cycles in a 10 x 15-foot wooden shed in Milwaukee.  They sold their first cycle the same year and, by 1906 they had built a new, larger, factory in which to house their six full-time employees.  During their first few years they were joined by two other Davidson brothers and by 1907 the firm had incorporated and laid the groundwork for further expansion.

Over the following decades, the company grew in popularity and ultimately became an icon of the American love affair with the open road (and, for some, an image of a wild, outlaw culture).  But, challenged by competition from Japanese manufacturers, Harley-Davidson, then a division of AMF, a leisure products conglomerate, nearly went bankrupt in the early 1980s.  A group of Harley executives engineered a buy-out and the rest, as they say, is history. On its 100th birthday, Harley-Davidson claims 46 percent of the U.S. heavyweight motorcycle market.  Perhaps more significantly it has become the symbol and centerpiece of an entire lifestyle, as any of the 250,000 people who have made the pilgrimage to Milwaukee for the birthday celebration can tell you.

Harley-Davidson.com -- portal to the company's many national sites around the world.
     Harley's German site (in German).
     Harley's Japanese site (requires Japanese character set in your browser).

Sturgis Harley-Davidson -- "nestled in the heart of a legendary city in South Dakota 'Granddad of Rally Towns.' Our extensive inventory of Harley-Davidson motorcycles is as legendary as the city we are in, and as cutting-edge as the times ahead."

Mike's Famous Harley-Davidson -- a dealership in Delaware, near the Delaware Memorial Bridge (includes a restaurant, museum, and radio station!).

Biker Road -- "The Harley is not just a motorcycle.  It is a way of life.  Here you will find everything for your Harley-Davidson and your Harley life-style. . . "

Harley-Davidson Turns 100, a report by Melissa Block on All Things Considered, National Public Radio (August 28, 2003) -- in RealAudio or WindowsMedia.

Harley-Davidson:  Your Memories -- a collection of readers' nostalgic recollections of their cycles on BBC News online in connection with the 100th anniversary.

"Harley-Davidson still roaring as it hits 100 -- Its task: evolve but keep die-hards happy,"  by Rick Barrett of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, reprinted in the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman (August 29, 2003).

Harley Stuff:
    Harley-Davidson Cycles -- Road Songs ($18.99 music CD from Amazon.com).
    Harley-Davidson art (and other gifts for bikers).
    Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Wedding Cake Tops (my favorite).
    Harley Caskets -- "If you or your loved one are headed for biker heaven..." (my second favorite).

Motorcycle Technology -- an R&D program at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. "SwRI designs and develops motorcycle, scooter, and recreational vehicle powertrains that deliver the required performance while meeting strict emission and noise requirements."

Motorcycles at About.com.

The American Motorcyclist Association, founded in 1924.  It currently has 250,000 members.

Learn motorcycle technology at Citrus College in Glendora, California.

Hell's Angels MC World -- the official site of the formerly scary, now (mostly) reformed motorcycle gang.