Can anyone elaborate on the #1 logo? I've seen it a lot but never the history of where it came from or why it's "famous".

This is what I'm talking about

 

It goes waaaaayyyyyyy back to the original racing days and the founding of the A.M.A..

Harley had a racing team called "The Wreaking Crew", and they usually won. The yearly national winner was allowed to run the coveted #1 plate all the next year, and usually was on a Harley-Davidson.

 

they were actually called The Wrecking Crew

I think the red white and blue # 1 is from the AMF days isnt it

 

Yeah, Harley found its way to the top of the hill and went on to win more flat track championships than any other manufacturer while using the famed XR750, which they are still using today. Here's a picture of Bubba Shobert who won 3 AMA flat track titles.

 

Yep, from the AMF days. Willie G designed the logo after Mert Lawwill won the AMA #1 plate for H-D dirt track racing to commemorate the occasion.

 

Evel Knievel invented it.

 

Now this brings back memories. In the early 1980's like 81 or 82, Lawwill had won the championship as a rider and then went on to crew chief for Mike Kidd who would go on to win the championship on the same bike Lawwill had won on the year before. Lawwill was also involved with Kenny Roberts in the development of the TZ750 powered flat tracker that had the ability to kick Harley's butt until the AMA outlawed the bike. For those that don't go that far back, that Yamaha was a 2 stroke I4 that flat scared the crap out of Roberts who said he would never ride it again. Those were the days for sure...

 

What about the old Oak leaf logo anyone know when and where it came about??

 

I'm pretty sure Evel Knievel invented that too.

 

+1 on the AMF days and Willie designed

Yep remember that Yammie !! If Kenny was skeered of it , it had to be BAD