8 Obscure Facts You May Not Know About Harley-Davidson
Daily Slideshow: Read on for some of the lesser-known historic events that made Harley Davidson the brand it is today. Maybe You can use them to win a bar bet?
The Japanese Harley
Back in the late 1920s during the Great Depression, Harley-Davidson was on the verge of bankruptcy having been shut out of being able to sell motorcycles in Austrailia. Harley looked to make up much-needed sales in the Japanese market and did so by allowing V-Twins to be licensed and built from 1935 until 1958 by Rikuo. The Rikuo eventually went on to become the official machine of the Japanese Imperial Army and went on for another 15 years after WWII as a viable motorcycle company. Rikuo finally went out of business in 1959 but there was still an unknown number of motorcycles produced until 1960 that were assembled from spare parts in the factory.
Bicycles Too!
Harley-Davidson wasn't always just big, heavy, and tough cruisers and touring bike; in 1917, Harley Davidson was manufacturing bicycles as well. Harley was known to produce quality bicycles, but the only problem was their price tag, as they were more expensive than most others. This boy must have been very lucky! In 1922, the bicycle operations stopped, and Harley-Davidson focused on creating the legendary motorcycles we still love today.
Boxer Twin
Although we all associate Harley-Davidson with the V-twin engine, that isn't all they have made. From 1919 to 1923, Harley used a unique 584cc boxer twin powered bike, which featured cylinders arranged inline with the wheels. The model-W engine produced only six horsepower, however, the low center of gravity from the engine set so low made its handling top-notch. In 1919 a model-W was the first motor vehicle to summit mount St Antonio in California, and Harley factory riders set records for Canada to Mexico, and Chicago to the New York.
Years later, during WWII, Harley would produce another boxer twin for the military, in an effort to make a bike as good as the BMW in desert situations. This was the Harley-Davidson model-XA.
Harley-Davidson's Nova Engine by Porsche
In the mid-1970's, Harley-Davidson produced their Nova motorcycles prototypes, with Porsche designing the motor, transmission and final drive. This was to be the first of a new line of Harleys with modular 2, 4 and 6 cylinder engines, all with a 60 degree V, balance shaft, and liquid cooling with a radiator hidden under the seat, and ducts under what looks like the fuel tank. It was designed to feature future options of 4 valves per cylinder, like the new Milwaukee 8, fuel injection, and up to 1500cc. American Machine & Foundry invested nine million dollars in the Nova project, but it was put on hold to sell the Harley-Davidson company, and the new management did not pursue the design.
Longest Harley Davidson Jump
Although Evel Knievel once held the record for the longest jump on a Harley-Davidson, his record has been beaten. Knievel's 133 feet jump from 1975 (which was over 14 greyhound buses), was beaten in 1999, as Bubba Blackwell jumped 157 feet on his XR-750. Then in 2008, Seth Enslow managed to jump an XR-1200 183 feet in Australia, twice, because the camera missed it the first time! Seth's bike has modern dirt bike suspension though, and much longer travel. Doug Danger, however, has been repeating some of Evel's jumps on a bike that Evel himself used to ride, a 1972 XR-750, and in 2015 managed to successfully land a jump over 22 cars!
First Woman Rider Controversy
The first woman to ever ride a Harley Davidson has been reported to be Janet Davidson, the founders' oldest sister. However, some say the bike was never running, and she only sat on it without moving. If this is indeed the case, then the first woman to ever ride is likely lost to history. Janet was an important part of the company though, as she painted and pinstriped some of the early motorcycles, and designed the original logos.
Forbes Magazine Founder
Malcolm Forbes, Founder of Forbes Magazine, was a huge Harley Davidson fan. Although he didn't start riding Harley Davidson motorcycles until he was 40 years old, he owned around 50 Harley motorcycles, and he even gave a great number of them away as gifts. IN the 1980s when Harley-Davidson was just starting to rebuild their image he rode all over the world on his, often times with some of his celebrity friends.
Most Expensive Harley Davidson
In 2013, Harley Davidson produced the CVO Ultra Classic Electra Glide. The CVO was Harley's most expensive motorcycle, priced at $40,000. Only 4,200 CVO motorcycles were made, so if you come across one now, don't hesitate to buy it, it will eventually be a classic. The CVO featured a Twin Cam 110 engine, which was rated at 118 ft-lb of torque.
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