A short history on probably the most iconic motorcycle and well-known brand in the world today...Harley-Davidson. Used Harley-Davidson Motorcycles goo.gl/GV9Gp2
I'm 63 years old and one of the things on my bucket list is getting myself a Harley and ride from Toronto Ontario Canada 🇨🇦 all the way to Sturgis bike week some day.
I'm from South Africa, my dad and I work in the united States on an agricultural program, my dad had a Harley sportster that he won in a competition in 2006 but had to sell it in 2012 after the 2008 recession caught up with us. Last year I bought myself a 2015 sportster in Iowa I want to get my dad a Harley too but money is tight so we'll take whatever we can buy used and ride to Sturgis this year and hopefully yellowstone too. It doesn't have to be a Harley although a Harley is preferred for the experience. But don't let brands hold you back just get something and ride, enjoy the experience, you could always trade in for a Harley later.
Same here! Always owned japanese bikes and really liked them but now i bought a harley and its the greatest thing ever. Its hard to explain but im not gonna turn back.
Yes because we should believe what Sonny barger said. Eye roll. Buy what you want man. Don't let people sway you with negative opinions. I personally have had great luck with Harley's and they've all been quality/reliable...but buy what you like and ride. That's the most important thing.
Harley Davidson has always been in the back seat. I am a real man of family and growing older (45) . Most of my elders have passed along with my wife. It was a terrible time to watch . To see all of the car companys fold really added to my love of the past . I still have my late wifes 05 XLC . I have a thought that no matter what that These motorcycles will be here forever and keep us on the ground . God Bless the rock of Harley-Davidson. Always there when you need them. Never leave ya
Reading some of the negative comments is sad.a Harley Davidson is not a maintenance free machine. And haveing mechanical aptitude all though not a requirement for owning one. Is deffinetly a plus. Actually owning a unique machine that you yourself conceived and built is a spruce of intense pride and accomplishment not unlike ownership. Wich the bottom line is. If it has to be explained to you you won't understand it anyway.
Which is it: are Harley owners too dumb to articulate what makes their bikes good or are the plebeians who don’t own them too dumb to understand anything explained to us?
Harley-Davidson is the most stylish and the most beatiful bike in the world. Sure, the Ducati, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Honda are cool as well, but since I'm a cruiser and no speed freak, the Harley takes the cake! Greetings from Germany :)
1200 Sportster, Night Train, Heritage Softail, and presently ElectraGlide Classic, and still looking forward to my 5th Harley. Can you tell I'm hooked? At 71 years old, I try to ride daily and I am not a fair weather rider by any means!
Ed Morris Wow ! I thought I was bad ...I have a Anniversary Sportster and a 2002 Heritage and working on a low rider and to have it custom painted. Even my Bulldog is named Harley ! 🤣. But you "might" have me beat ! 🤣🤣
Bought my first bike which was a Honda shadow 750, 2 months after I turned 21 now I’m 23 with a 86 harley heritage softail flst evo and I’ve never been happier life is short and I’ll never be scared or regret making the purchases.
I started on a Suzuki marauder and had a few 70's Hondas, my wife bought me my first Harley as a wedding gift and my second Harley after our son was born
I'm okay with Harley Davidson motorcycles, though large, heavy, cruiser-style motorcycles aren't exactly my thing. I tend to want middleweight, standard or adventure-style bikes. Several of my best friends ride Harleys however, and I appreciate all the history and American pride associated with the brand. I especially like all the custom ones around, and respect the artists/fabricators/mechanics/enthusiasts who create and own them. I have had the opportunity to ride many of them over the years, and have done several long rides on them. And I can tell you that no bike munches highway miles and coddles your weary bones on a long trip quite like a road-ready Harley Davidson. I have always ridden Japanese bikes though, and unfortunately, several of the biggest douche-bags I've ever met in 50 years of avid motorcycling were rude, loudmouthed, outspoken Harley riders who absolutely hated my guts after simply seeing my non-Harley bike. A few of them over the years were actually ready to fight about it. So excuse me if I am somewhat cautious and slow to approach or try to get to know just anybody I happen to see on them.
Its funny I always got pulled over by the cops for screwing around on my sports bike now I screw around on my Harley and speed just like I did on the other bike but I never get pulled over. LoL
I rode dirt bikes for a couple decades and raced MX for about a decade, so my speed is all gone. I ride my Harley like a grandmother. In fact, my 90 year old mother drives a car faster than I do today. But at 57, and 18 years off, I picked up a dirt bike again and am looking forward to Michigan trails. My mother chickens out there, Ha!. :)
The Dudley Perkins SF dealership they spoke about just sold and now called SF Harley Davidson. Sad end to a dealership that was over 100 years old. The last several years they have been in South SF, bought 2 bikes from them and almost a 3rd.
And your '75 looks a lot like my '07 and a lot like a '57. Harley has refined the bike massively over the years, the frame, engine, everything, yet they have kept the basic look and character of the bike intact for half a century and more. Their look is classic.
75 Sportster or 07 Sportster, they look the same not because their look is classic, more because Harley has no imagination which is why my 73 FLH looks the same as a 17 Road king, well actually my 73 FLH looks better. All in all, i am done with Harley, last Harley i bought was a 2007 Harley Rocker C, gorgeous bike and today they call it a Breakout lol. Harley really needs new designers and have style and taste and Harley owners need taste also, every Harley on the road is black, nothing unique about owning a Harley, they are black, big deal. After moving to Indian in 2014, I've never been happier, in fact, I'm probably going to be buying a 2017 Indian Chieftain this year and give my 2014 Indian Chief vintage to my wife.
Id like to say that harley Davidson gives the consumer a base product that is dependable and American made. In my book that is huge. Harley Davidson was made big by the guys that customized their Harleys. The harley Davidson of today still holds true to idea. I love Harley Davidson thru and thru. Do I think they could give us a little more? Yes I do. BUT they are still giving us exactly what we want and that's a badass American made bike and a culture like no other and absolutely like no other manufacturer of anything has ever done.
Kenneth, My first Harley was a 76 Sportster bi-centennial edition. I just loved that bike leaks and all. I used to drive it into my apt kitchen every night and put a turkey dripping pan under it. It really didn't leak that much.
Ran multi spindle automatic screw machines at Harley Davidson York plant in 1982. Bought an FXE while there. 20% employee discount and a $500 rebate made finance about $4000. Sold to a friend and stolen from another friend 10 years ago or so. My middle bike of 3. Was about 25 when bought. Sold after son was born.
I've only owned a Honda Magna and Suzuki GS 750E back in the 80's and early 90's. I remember guys on Harley's would never wave to me on the road, guys on other bikes usually waved back. If I ever wanted to ride again (which I don't), I would buy a Harley but agree, people shouldn't feel like it's less cool to own a Honda or Yamaha, etc.
I just read your comment after I posted mine and I agree with you. I often start to wave at passing Harley riders only to be stopped short because they beat me to the wave with "The Bird". I would also guess that about 95% or more of those supposed tuff guys in their black leather and patches wouldn't dare raise a finger if we were standing face to face. Not only because they then would be forced to act civil instead of an ignorant, snob-ass prick that thinks they can get away with it by staying on the throttle, but also because they could tell by the look in my eye they might pull back a broken finger. I just hate pricks in general, thanks to the work force, mainly.
I owned a Honda and a few Suzukis including that weird Wankel RE-5 job and a GS1000... after many years not biking I just bought a 2007 Sportster. One thing has to be said for the Harleys, at least assuming they're mostly like mine. I added forward controls, replaced the exhaust system, moved the foot pegs and did other things and the bike was a dream to work on compared to my old Suzukis. They used aluminum phillips head screws - which often were stuck in place and the little tiny heads stripped out easily trying to get them to turn. Also on the Suzukis there was a ton of plastic on them. My Sportster has 100% high quality Torx or Allen socket head bolts on just about everything, and the only plastic is in the turn signal housings and the lenses; other than that there is no plastic anyplace. My Sportster is much better built. I remember stripping out screws and screw heads on my GS1000 when it was only a couple of years old. I did like my GS1000 but it wasn't built like a Harley.
Got my first Harley (05 FXDL) as a gift for my birthday this year and it was love at first sight. I am now customizing it to add my own personality to it and can't wait to have finished!
My first harley was a 59 sporster..I sold it some years ago and regret that decision to this day. I'm 53 and I now have a 17 street glide that i have kept mostly stock. It's amazing how 99% of motorists don't tailgate me or pass with a wider gap than nessary when I'm riding...not the same when I'm driving my 4 wheeler.
Not the fastest but the FINEST ride in motorcycling...Everytime I take out my 2016 FLSS Softail Slim, I get a comment , whether or not while moving or sitting still!!
Yes then my comments are ("hey yenkee dickhead, get your arse off that piece of shite 🌰and get a real motorbike 🇬🇧, like a English one for instance, don't fall for the harley hype and cowshite 🐮, good luck Yankee person 🤞
"You'll never wear out the Indian Scout, or its brother, the Indian Chief. They're built like rocks. To take hard knocks. It's the Harleys that cause the grief."
rode my 82flhs 1,200 miles to sturgis in 81, a group of us went, one on a darkhorse had a transmission failure and got trailered home, another on a newer scout had an electrical issue with only 800 miles on the bike? the rest were harleys and made the trip.
What's so funny it is what it is an American motorcycle with the domino effect you know the girls tattoos parties long rides more girls a lot of parties...
when I bought my 2016 Fatboy total elation I'm six foot four 275 lbs I feel like it's Taylor made for me it's like that custom suit you buy thank you Willie G and Louie Netz for a great design
I was stationed on Okinawa Japan... and a guy had his Ultra Glide shipped over. When he took it in for inspection to get tags for it... the inspectors went nuts. "Oh no... no... no mod-e-fe-ka-tions". He knew what was coming, and had tons of information on it... owner's manual and lots of magazine reports. It included the front fork rake and length, shorty pipes with 12" mufflers, widey in the back and narrow in the front. It was bone stock, but it LOOKED like a mild chopper. They finally gave him tags for it... after comparing photos to the actual bike... and measuring almost every part on the entire bike for an entire day. But man... when he rode it all the locals would go crazy. Japanese law limited motorcycles to 750 cc (for locals, US military was exempt). And, any car over 1,000 cc had much higher tag fees. The fricking Harley had a bigger engine that half the CARS on the road over there!!! He'd back it against the curb on BC street (wall to wall bars), and blip the throttle a couple times. The whole bar would clear out to go and see it. He NEVER had to worry about going home alone!!! The girls would fight for the right to be seen on the back of that big Harley. Fun times.......................
They did the 750 b******* to the Americans because we did it to them because Holly was afraid that Japs would take over the bike industry which they did and are currently still doing
@@johnkennedy3531 Read much??? Because you sure as hell don't understand what your eyes are seeing. The 750 rule was for the Japanese in Japan, NOT the "Americans". The Kaw 900 sold in the States, was debored to only a 750 in Japan. When the max speed limit in Japan is only 80 K (50 MPH), you really don't need anything over a 250 anyway.
What comes to mind is the Armstrong sidley Aston martin shock unit underslung for rear arm shock & damper unit. I looked online couldnt find the unit i remember. Its a single cast internal unit.
Back in the 80's and 90's I worked at Hughes Aircraft and the chief engineer on the program ride a Harley. He was a great guy. I rode a Yamaha back then. Its not often you hear about someone that worked at Hughes any more (53:23). Even more rare, some one that worked at Ford Aerospace and North American Rockwell. They must have been in Orange County interviewing folks.
1970 xlch Sportster 900 hardtail chopper. Kick start only. Rear brake only. 1.4 gallon tank. Corbin Gentry king and queen seat. Chrome springer. Spoked wheels. I will ride it til I die.
just learned plus got my motorcycle endorsement plan on getting an 883 my dad owned a softail standard and ever since he bought that bike I knew what I wanted to do 😎
HD was always a copy of the existing successful running and racing Indian motorcycles, already invented in 1901. They studied under Oley Evinrude, and Oley helped them fixed their first engines. Look it up. Indian had invented everything a modern motorcycle would need by 1907. In 1914 Indian invented an electric start, electric light model the Hendee Special.
True, but the Cowboys ride Harleys. As much as people talk heritage, it is mostly bs. People just roll with whatever is most popular amongst the majority.
100% fact! I wish I could be an Indian guy but early Indians are impossible to find and if you find one you better pay up! I can always get a newer Indian but I love old bikes so much more! Maybe one day when I'm rich lol.
I thought Vincent broke the land speed record a few years later at Bonneville. Maybe they mean the record at Daytona in the pre Bonneville era.Which of course it will never be broken as they do not do speed runs there anymore.
cool video - seems dated and quaint but does instill the one fact that separates The Motor Company - it's that it' THE Motor Company. The original. And there's a lot to be said for that. For some people (not all, or even a majority - but SOME), a brand contributes a lot to their enjoyment of a product, whether it's a Mac over a PC, or a Harley-Davidson over a UJM. i've been shopping for a year now and weighing every possible metric i can think of, and i keep coming back to the Harley-Davidson, and more specifically the touring frame motorcycles. Its allure is not just the brand, its history and cool graphics and merchandise, world-wide network of people who share similar pride of ownership. If those kinds of things are important, including re-sale value (though no other bike feels as heirloom, begging to be kept til the big sleep and only then reluctantly handed down).. don't get me wrong. i'm still shopping. i like the big Yamaha's (i know there should not be an apostrophe but the word looks weird with out), and am intrigued at my advanced age by the DCT that Honda features on some of their cruisers, but i keep coming back .. to Milwaukee
Ive ridden Japanese bikes all my life but looking at getting my first Harley soon, currently saving up for one haha. But yeah Japan have probably always been the best for value, reliability, performance (although Europe and America have been too)
I traveled all through Europe and US on Harleys. My ultimate setup is 2 MC specific made luggage, one on passenger seat one on a cheap sissy bar. When I get to the hotel I take off the 2 bags which both have wheels and I am done. Takes 30 seconds. The tour pak they can easily steal btw.
Many people got the legs and knees hurt when they tried to start the compression engine of the old glide models. They glide came out with an electric starter in 1969.
I think the comment "It's the Ferrari of Bikes" is more appropriate for Ducati. I'd say it's the "Harley-Davisdon of bikes" lol. There's really nothing else like them to compare them to in the car world. A modern mass produced car with 50's styling doesn't exist and may have died with Checker Cab Co.
vl5150 I agree. Regardless of manufacturer, cruisers are like 1959 Cadillacs you can still buy. The only major changes are improvements in quality of nearly everything. The looks and feel are still stuck in the past (thankfully).
Stuck in the past but still updated. I can't afford a new bike but I made sure to buy at least an '07 to get fuel injection and electronic engine controls. I have no love of carburetors. And my '07 Sportster has almost no plastic in it - real metal, real chrome, and torx or allen socket head bolts throughout. You can actually work on this bike and take it apart and put it together without stripping out flimsy aluminum philips screws like on my old Suzuki. One more thing - AMERICAN WRENCH SIZES, at least up through my '07. Don't know what the newer ones have.
+townhall05446 I tried to restore an old Suzuki GS a few months ago and the fasteners were made out of butter so I parted it out lol. Although I differ with you a bit and like the carbs from my experience working on old bikes. Having said that don't have lots of saddle time on the big twins. My brother has a Dyna Super Glide and I do not feel very uncomfortable on it. I have the sensation that the front wheel is going to wash out and that it won't stop. So I thought about it and decided to get an older tube frame Buell with low miles and have been enjoying that bike very much. I have the responsive handling and braking that I like coupled with the hot-hodded Sportster engine.. I think the Fat Bob may be the perfect stable mate for the Buell.
Even when my GS was only a couple of years old, as soon as the screws started reacting with the material of the engine or whatever they didn't want to turn. I have a theory that people who design and mfr philips screwdrivers have never actually seen or held a philips head screw. Anyhow even when the bike was fairly new it was very easy to end up grinding out the head of the screws so they were just little craters with nothing to grab. OTOH working on my 10 yr old Harley, every fastener came out - and I was able to use a torque wrench to tighten them back up properly, nothing even threatened to strip out. What a difference, this bike is meant to be worked on as long as someone wants to keep it going. I haven't ridden a Super Glide of any sort in ages but I have the impression that the Sportster definitely outhandles other Harleys, which is to be expected. I bought mine specifically with the controls in the standard location and regretted it - replacing them with the forward controls has made a huge difference in comfort. And as for carburetors, they're OK if the vehicle is run regularly but if left to sit they inevitably gum up and gunk up. Since cars went to fuel injection etc they're so much easier to live with, you just turn they key and they start. My Sportster is the same way. I know some people prefer carbs because you can futz with them but I did enough of that with my GS1000 - the Harley starts instantly at the press of a button. Love that.
if hardly ableton was built in khazakstan nobody would buy them, image is a big selling point with these vintage tractors. I get the Harley image and all that, but my little 2 stroke tuned scooter runs rings around them on English roads. back in the 80s I went to fred warrs hd dealership for some brake pads, he put 2 pads and 6 rivets on the counter....... 6 rivets???? yea, cos harleyists rivet their own pads bro 😁
@@lancefawcett1809 Anyone who plays a guitar can play Jimmy Hendrix. Anyone who is accomplished on the guitar can probably play Hendrix better than Hendrix. But what are they playing ? They are playing some Jimmy F-ing Hendrix !!! I hold the same point of view about Harley's and it's one bike MOST cycle manufacturers have their own version of copying the original style of Harley because Harley Davidson has the distinct privilege of being just that, an Original. 👌
I always loved H.D. even as a kid. The first one I ever noticed was a police bike that was parked in my neighbors garage when not in use patrolling the streets of Milwaukee.
The Henry Ford success is a big reason why more motorcycles were not made in the USA, as they were in Europe. The first affordable car overshadowed the desire to buy a motorcycle. That is the way it goes, but a shame to me never the less.
