Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, An American Legend

In today’s society, you often times hear people throw the word Legend around like an old football in the backyard. So many people misuse the term Legend that it’s begun to lose its meaning. Though the iconic motorcycle manufacturer had some brushes with disaster in the past, Harley Davidson remains a real American Legend.

This video (below), was filmed at Harley’s 110 year anniversary this past labor day weekend. More than 100,000 people showed up to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to celebrate the legacy of the last American motorcycle manufacturer. To truly understand the passion Harley rider’s feel about their bikes, you have to know how Harley-Davidson began from next to nothing.

Many people actually believe that Harley Davidson was named after 1 man but it’s actually the last names of 3 different gentlemen who would forever change the landscape of the automobile industry. In 1901, at the tender age of 20, William S. Harley began to design an engine to be used in unison with a regular bicycle frame. Over the next few years, William Harley and his 2 childhood friends, Arthur and William Davidson probably had no idea that their names would 1 day be engraved in the fabric of American culture. The Davidson brothers assisted Mr. Harley and they completed their first engine in 1903.

Unfortunately, the engine wasn’t powerful enough to propel their motor-bicycle up hills in their hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The 3 innovators immediately began building a second motor-bike which was dubbed the 1st real Harley.

Nearly 120 years have passed since that 1st Harley was unveiled at Milwaukee’s State fair park in 1904 but they remain a force within the motorcycle industry. Many bike manufacturers spend their time conceiving ways to make their bikes faster but Harley riders enjoy cruising on their hogs because they love the bond between man and machine. Besides, when you have a vehicle that’s as pleasing to the eyes as a Harley, you’ll want to ride slow so everybody can get a gander at your 2 wheeled masterpiece.

Only in America could 3 young men with a love for building motors become national icons. The 110 year anniversary celebration was an epic event held in the birth place of Harley-Davidson, Milwaukee Wisconsin. Kid rock’s amazing performance was the perfect ending to a weekend dedicated to the love of the hog.

Watch the video celebration, click the link below.

Last Night to Rip It Up!