Harley-Davidson Motorcycles are known affectionately by their proud owners as "hogs". Complete Harley-Davidson motorcycles were manufactured in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1903 through 1972. From 1972 through the present Harley-Davidson engines have been built in Milwaukee, then shipped to the York, Pennsylvania plant, where the balance of motorcycle components are manufactured and where final assembly takes place.

From the primitive single-cylinder motorcycle that started the line to the famous V-twins to the new fuel-injected engines that power the modern bike, Harley-Davidson has become synonymous with motorcycling and in partcular cruisers. However, in the 90+ years of Harley-Davidson motorcycle production the company has manfactured nearly every type of two-wheeled vehicle: huge cruisers and scooters, racetrack bikes and tourers, trials bikes and boardtrack racers, military couriers and civilian "customs." It is this rich heritage and wide manufacturing experience that gives the Harley-Davidson name its importance in the world of motorcycling.

More widely popular now than ever before -- the future looks bright for Harley-Davidson, despite strong competitive setbacks against Italian and particularly against Japanese motorcycles. With Harley-Davidson motorcycles fetching heavy premiums in both foreign and domestic markets, the money for research and development to improve the HD design is being directed once again towards making Harley-Davidson among the best motorcycles in the world.

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THE HARLEY TIMELINE

1901: In Milwaukee, William Harley, 21, and Arthur Davidson, 20, began experiments on "taking the work out of bicycling." They were soon joined by Arthur's brothers, Walter and William.

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1903: The company Harley-Davidson was founded. Many changes were made to the engine design before its builders were satisfied.

1903 Harley

After the new looped frame was finalized, they were ready to begin production. The first Harley Davidsons were built: a 25 cubic inch (410cc) atmospheric-inlet-valve single-cylinder. Only 3 Harley-Davidson motorcycles were made in 1903.

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1904: Production began in a shed behind the Davidson family home. The machine was a 30 cubic inch (494cc) single which was later dubbed the Silent Gray Fellow.

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1906: Harley-Davidson erected its first building at the current Juneau Avenue site in 1906.

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1907: Harley-Davidson incorporated in 1907. A prototype V-twin motorcycle was built. Although only 150 motorcycles were made this year, 1907 saw the first Harley-Davidsons sold for police duty.

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1909: The trademark 45 degree V-Twin engine, introduced in 1909, displaced 49.5 cu in and produced seven horsepower. Top speed: 60 mph. 1909 production was truly massive compared to previous years (almost 8 times the 1907 production rate) at 1,149 motorcycles.

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1911: A rare 1911 Harley, valued today at $45,000

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1912: The Harley-Davidson with a clutch mechanism was sold.

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1913: The original 28' x 80' factory had grown to 297,110 square feet. Harley-Davidson began to dominate racing events. 1913 production: 12,904 motorcycles.

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1914: Stepstarters and internal expanding rear brakes were introduced.

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1915: Three-speed transmissions were placed on 1915 Harleyproduction motorcycles for the first time.

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1916-18: After Harley-Davidson motorcycles had proven their military value in border skirmishes with Pancho Villa, they were quickly called to duty when the U.S. entered WWI. Some 20,000 cycles would see duty before the war's end.

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1920: Harley-Davidson became the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, boasting dealers in 67 countries. Harley-Davidson motorcycle development was evolutionary rather than revolutionary with side-valve machines replacing inlet-over-exhaust designs in the late 1920s. 1920 production: 28,189 motorcycles.

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1921: In February 1921, on a Fresno, Calif., board track, a Harley-Davidson became the first motorcycle ever to win a race with an average speed over 100 mph.

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1922: Motorcycles featuring a 74 cu in. V-Twin were first sold.P>

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1925: The debut of the teardrop gas tank.

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1928: Front wheel brakes were introduced dramatically improving the safety and handling of Harley-Davidson's cycles.

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1929: After the stock market crash of October 1929, Harley-Davidson sales suffered with everyone else's in the industry. This year saw the introduction of the first 45 ci (750cc) side-valve V-twins, the "D" series. These used the same frame as the singles, which was made possible by mounting the generator perpendicular to the engine. Early Forty-fives lacked the power of their competition, the Indian Scout.

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1932: The 45ci Servicar model was introduced.

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1933: The depression hit Harley-Davidson very hard. By 1933, production in Milwaukee had dropped to 3,700 vehicles.

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1936: Harley-Davidson wasted no time building momentum out of the depression, introducing its EL model, featuring the 61 ci (1000cc) overhead valve engine, also known as the "Knucklehead." This engine, termed the "61 OHV" in factory literature and called the Sixty-one in every day circles was a mid-season 1936 model. This, in the opinion of many, is the motorcycle that saved Harley-Davidson. At that time, for the first time, a major American motorcycle company was building a big motorcycle with overhead valves (this coming shortly after the major engineering difficulties of the 1929 'Forty-five' and the 1930 'Seventy-four'.

1930 "Depression era" Harley

Also introduced this year was the 80ci side valve twin engine. Despite the spectre of the depression Harley-Davidson produced almost 10000 motorcycles in 1936.

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1941: Almost immediately after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Harley-Davidson's entire motorcycle output was produced for Allied use. By the end of World War II, 90,000 WLA army-version motorcycles had been built and shipped.

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1942: Walter Davidson died at the age of 65.

The XA-Solo, a 1942 Harley-Davidson in full military trim.

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1943: Bill Harley died at age 66.

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1947: The 74ci Overhead Valve big twin engine was introduced.

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1948: After the war, motorcyclists were eager to get back to their sport. To feed their desire for more motorcycles, Harley-Davidson introduced a new 74 cu in. engine with hydraulic valve lifters and aluminum heads. The "Panhead" was born.

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1948: production: 31,163 motorcycles.

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1949: A new model called the Hydra-Glide was introduced. P>

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1950: Arthur Davidson died at age 69.

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1952: A 1952 Harley-Davidson "Hummer" 125 Ad.

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1953: As Harley-Davidson celebrated its 50th anniversary, its oldest and closest competitor, Indian, went out of business, leaving Harley-Davidson as the sole survivor in a once overcrowded American motorcycle marketplace. Harley-Davidson expanded its line to include two-stroke engines and even a scooter. Production: 14,050 motorcycles.

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1955: A 1955 Harley-Davidson "Hummer" 165.

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1957: 'The Sportster' was introduced.'57 Harley emblem

1957 Sportster model

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1958: The 'Duo Glide' (based on the earlier Hydra-Glide model) was introduced, featuring a hydraulic rear shock suspension to go with the hydraulically dampened front fork. Also in 1958, Carroll Resweber won the first of four consecutive AMA Grand National Championships.

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1959: The 1959 Harley Davidson Duoglide

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1960: Harley-Davidson bought the Italian Aermacchi company. Italian-built lightweights were sold in America under the Harley-Davidson name. Some Italian model included the Shortster and Sprint models. The "Topper" -- a now famous motorscooter -- was introduced. The Topper featured a pull-cord starting mechanism not unlike that of a lawn-mower.

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1963: In 1963, when it became apparent that fiberglass was becoming a versatile material for golf cars and motorcycles, Harley-Davidson purchased and converted a fiberglass boat company in Tomahawk, Wis. Willie G. Davidson joined Harley-Davidson as design director.

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1965: George Roeder set a world land speed record of 177.225 mph for 250CC motorcycles on a modified Harley-Davidson Sprint. Bart Markel, aboard a Harley, won the second of his three AMA Grand National Championships. With the addition of an electric starter, the Duo Glide became the Electra Glide in 1965, which was also the last year of the "Panhead" engine. Harley-Davidson became a publicly-held company when it issued stock in 1965.

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1966: 'The ShovelHead' engine was introduced. 1966 production: 36,310 motorcycles.

1967 Sprint

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1969: After going public in 1965, Harley-Davidson took a new turn in 1969 by merging with the American Machine and Foundry Company (AMF). Rodney Gott, AMF's chairman, had been a Harley fan since before World War II.

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1971: Joe Smith, riding a drag bike powered by a single Harley-Davidson motor, was the first to break the nine-second barrier in motorcycle drag racing. 1971 also marked the introduction of the FX 1200 Super Glide, considered the first true factory custom.

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1972: The 1000 cc XLH/XLCH Sportster models were introduced. 1972 saw the first disc brakes on a production Harley-Davidson cycle.

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1974-1975: To help meet the demand of a booming motorcycle marketplace, chassis manufacturing and final assembly operations moved to a plant in York, Pa. Engine and transmission operations remained in Milwaukee, along with the corporate headquarters.1975 production: 75,403 motorcycles.

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1976-1978: Continuing the Harley-Davidson tradition of racing dominance, Jay "Springer" Springsteen won the AMA Grand National Championship in 1976, 1977 and 1978.

1977 Police Special - a hog or a pig?

In 1978 Harley-Davidson sold the Italian operation (the old Aermacchi company) and the sales of Italian motorcycles with the Harley-Davidson name was halted.

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1980: The 80 cu in FLT Tour Glide, with five-speed transmission, oil bath enclosed rear chain and a rubber-mounted engine (the predecessor to today's Harley-Davidson touring motorcycles) was introduced.

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1981: Harley-Davidson executives bought the company back from AMF and a developed new models and a new image. With improved manufacturing and quality process, many of the old flaws of the HD design were resolved.

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1983: President Reagan imposed additional tariffs on the import of Japanese motorcycles, improving Harley-Davidson's ability to compete against high-quality foreign manufacturers. H.O.G. (the Harley Owners' Group) was established.

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1984: The "Evolution" engine was introduced. The first Softail models and Air Assisted Anti-Drive debuted.

1985 Harley

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1986: By offering stock Harley-Davidson once again becomes publicly owned and traded. 1988 Patented Springer front-end returns to HD models.

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1990: The Dyna model debuted.

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1991: All Harley-Davidson models finally featured a 5-speed transmission.

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1992: Belt drives became universal on all models.

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1995: Recognizing that it is behind the competition, Harley-Davidson introduces its first fuel-injected models.

2000 Softail Classic. Yeow!

BIKER SLANG

BAB (Born Again Biker) = "Someone who has recently returned to riding after a period of absence and really ought to get some advanced training" Matt the Rat

Big End = Top Speed

Big Slab = Interstate Highway

Biker Friendly = "A business establishment that doesn't treat you like you have the plague when you walk in wearin' leather

Blue Hairs: Elderly Cage Drivers WATCHOUT!

Bubble Gum Machine = Law ahead, usually patting the top of your helmet warns those behind you that a cop is ahead.

Burnout = Spinning the rear wheel while holding the front brake

Cage = Car

Cager = Car Driver

Canyon Carving = riding the twisties to an extreme.

Chrome-Slut = Those addicted to putting on more and more chrome, regardless of the functionality.

Corn Snakes = Dried cornstalks that blow across the road especially at harvest time.

Countersteering = turning the bike's handlebars in one direction(at higher speeds) and having it go in the opposite direction

Crack It = Turning up the throttle

Daytona 2000 - Main Street

Death Grip = usually how a first time rider grabs the handle bars.

Econo-box, cage, dresser = Car

Endo = When you hit a log or something and go back over front (opposite of Odne)

Eat Asphalt = Crash

Fluid Exchange = Stopping for gas and to take a leak.

Daytona 2000 Get Off = Crash, "Eat Asphalt"

Ginmill = bar

Grabbing a Handful = Applying Brakes or twisting the throttle in excess.

Hammer Down = Open the throttle fully or accelerate rapidly

High Siding = Wrecking a bike by flipping it over. Usually caused by releasing the rear break during a skid.

"I" = "Interstate, when on a long ride one will say, I had to ride the "I" from such a place. Or like me I hate the "I's". I'm a backroad rider."

Massachusetts Insta-biker = Anybody who goes down to the local bike shop and buys the Bike, Gear and fake tattoos so they can hang out with their new "Bros" (also Poser or Poseur)

Iron Butt 50CC = A coast to coast endurance ride, for example, Jacksonville Florida to San Diego California in under 50 hours

Iron Butt Rat Bike = "Bike made from several machines and kept on the road using as cheap as possible and painted matt black. now has a class of its own and defined as anything Mad Max would shoot at." Jamie Bye

RUB = Rich Urban Biker. A term usually used by real Harley Bikers to describe the weekend wannabe accountant types who buy a Harley 'cause they can and the status of it, but couldn't tell a camshaft from a brake pad.

Rubberside = Towards the bottom of the bike, or bottom area of a part or component

Shiny Side Up = Drive Safe, Don't Lay the Bike Down

Sidewalk Commando = Outdated term for motorcycle wannabe. Vaguely insulting to Norton owners.

SO = Significant Other (usually refers to someone's wife or husband)

Stewartized = When some Bikers take great pains and expense to color coordinate their bike colors, leathers, helmet, boots, gloves. Named after Martha Stewart

Tagged = as in tag you're it.old term for finding out there is a cop or narc undercover in your bar or club. (South)

Twisting The Wick = Speeding up, Roll on the throttle.

Wannabe = Name used by some Harley riders for non-Harley riders riding a Harley-look-alike clone

Weekend Warrior = Insta-biker types

Wing Comander = Police term for sports bike rider as in missed the runway Wing Comander ----Courtesy of Matt