Harley-Davidson got it’s lowly start up when William Harley and Arthur Davidson produced the first production motorcycle in 1903. The motobike that was built was a racing bike. It was produced in a small shed wooden branded Harley-Davidson Motor Company on the front door. After one year they developed 3 motorcycles for the public. Harley Davidson V-Rod
Harley-Davidson hired their first personnel last 1905 when they won the first race. 3 years later, they sold the first motorcycle to the Detroit Police Department and was used as a police service. In 1912 H-D started constructing it’s 6 story factory and exports it’s first bikes to Japan, the very first time sales were extended outside of the United States.
H-D entered the national racing circuit in 1914 and became named “the wrecking crew”. By 1917 one-third of all motorcycles built would be sold to the military, and have also been the start of the Service School for Harley-Davidson Mechanics, for both military and civilian bikes.
By 1918 half of all bikes made were brought off to military for service in World War 1, and Corporal Roy Holtz is considered the first soldier to ride a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle in Germany. H-D became the largest company of motorcycle in 1920. That were there over 2000 dealers in 67 countries globally.
The Harley-Davidson competitor’s were gone in 1931 except for the Indian Motorcycle Company. Harley-Davidson and Indian are the only two motorcycle companies in America, until 1953.
As the world gets into into World War 2, so does Harley turn back into Military motorcycle construction, and the service school is turned back into the military motorcycle service school, often known as the Quartermaster School for military mechanics. This is the very time that the public had a hard time to have their hands on a H-D Motorcycle.