| Harley-Davidson is a manufacturer of motorcycles | | | | films that depicted outlaw biker gangs during the |
| based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that was started with | | | | 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Harley-Davidson was also |
| small plans in 1901 by a 21 year old named William S. | | | | associated with the gang the Hells Angels and other |
| Harley. In 1903, Harley enlisted help from his friend | | | | motorcycle gangs because their bikes were those |
| Arthur Davidson and Davidson's brother Walter to | | | | gangs' bikes of choice. |
| build a motorcycle strong enough to climb the hills of | | | | The models being manufacture presently by |
| Milwaukee without using pedals. On September 8, | | | | Harley-Davidson are the Sportster, the Dyna, the |
| 1904 a Harley-Davidson motorcycle made its first | | | | Softail, the Touring and the Revolution. All of these |
| public appearance at State Fair Park in Milwaukee | | | | models have been in production by Harley-Davidson |
| when it was entered in a race and driven by Edward | | | | for decades now. |
| Hildebrand. | | | | The Harley-Davidson company has four |
| The largest manufacturing job for Harley-Davidson | | | | manufacturing plants across the country and they are |
| came during World War I, while the company was still | | | | located in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin; York, Pennsylvania; |
| in its infancy. The United States wanted motorcycles | | | | Tomahawk, Wisconsin and Kansas City, Missouri. The |
| involved in the war effort and asked Harley-Davidson | | | | Harley-Davidson museum opened in 2008 in |
| to begin mass-producing bikes for the country. The | | | | Milwaukee, Wisconsin and includes exhibits, an archive, |
| company produced 20,000 motorcycles for the war | | | | a restaurant and café and a museum store. |
| effort. Before World War I Harley-Davidson | | | | Tours are offered at all four of the company's |
| manufactured a handful of motorcycles for the | | | | manufacturing plants as well as the museum in |
| military to use in its border skirmishes with Poncho | | | | Milwaukee. The museum opened on July 12, 2008 and |
| Villa but did not manufacture as many as they did for | | | | is located at Sixth and Canal streets in downtown |
| World War I. | | | | Milwaukee. It is a three-building, 130,000 square feet |
| Harley-Davidson was one of only two motorcycle | | | | operation that includes a variety of bikes on display |
| manufacturing companies to survive the Great | | | | as well as other memorabilia. The construction and |
| Depression in the United States and began supplying | | | | operation of the museum is costing the |
| the government with motorcycles for use in World | | | | Harley-Davidson company an estimated $75 million |
| War II. During the span of the war Harley-Davidson | | | | and should attract close to 350,000 visitors annually |
| manufactured over 90,000 motorcycles for the allied | | | | from around the world. |
| forces. Almost 30,000 of the 90,000 manufactured | | | | In 1983 the Harley-Davidson company formed a 'fan |
| were sent to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease | | | | club' for the owners of its bikes and they penned it |
| program. | | | | the Harley Owners Group. As an acronym it appears |
| During the company's history Harley-Davidson | | | | as H.O.G. Hog is also a nickname for motorcycles. In |
| endured periods of tarnished reputations because of | | | | 2006 Harley-Davidson had its NYSE symbol changed |
| movies and relations to motorcycle gangs. | | | | from HDI to HOG. |
| Harley-Davidson motorcycles were used in Hollywood | | | | |