24 Although Harley-Davidsons were sold overseas early on, it wasn’t until 1913 that The Motor Company sent Export Manager H. C. “Doc” Garner on a six-month tour of Europe to gauge the desire and the market for the Milwaukee brand. Upon his return, he noted that the British motorcycles proved to be tough competition throughout Europe, but that many Europeans wanted to ride an American Harley-Davidson. Immediately following his exploratory trip, The Motor Company began opening dealerships across the continent.
25 In 1908, when most of the country was still using horses as transportation, Harley-Davidson began using automobiles to transport parts. Brush built the first truck in use by The Motor Company. It was little more than a pickup-type bed on a chassis with a couple seats and a steering wheel in the front. Without the steering wheel, it was indistinguishable from a horse-drawn carriage.
26 After spending a summer working at the Meiselbach Bicycle factory in Milwaukee, Bill Harley learned all about bicycle construction and deduced that the traditional triangle frame wouldn’t be strong enough for motorized use, even though, in 1901, most motorcycle companies used them. So Bill set to work designing a strong, loop-style frame specifically for use with a motor. That frame design worked so well that it remained in use into the 1950s when production of the WL ceased.
27 Before 1909, H-D oil tanks were fitted on top of the gas tank and to the frame’s backbone by a pair of nickel-plated steel bands. Because of this design, the earliest motorcycles are called “strap-tanks.”
The early strap-tank Harley-Davidsons built from 1903 through 1908 carried 1-1/2 gallons of fuel in the large tank underneath and two quarts of oil in the flat tank on top. Janet Davidson’s handiwork is evident on the pinstripes and lettering on this 1906. However, someone else added the Bar & Shield logo at a later date; this logo wasn’t used until 1910.
28 Harley-Davidson offered its first sidecar for sale in 1914 to compete with the numerous other motorcycle companies that offered a “sidehack” option. Rogers, a notable sidecar company, built the company’s first sidecar, but H-D began producing and selling its own sidecar in 1915. Sidecars added a major dose of practicality and usability to any motorcycle, especially for the workingman’s cycle. For the average family, automobiles were still far in the future, but a whole family could fit on a motorcycle and enjoy trips and adventure never before imagined. The sidecar remained a staple accessory for Harley-Davidson’s civilian, commercial, police, and military functions until production ceased abruptly in 2011.
29 The first Harley-Davidson prototype motorcycle used a basic triangular bicycle frame design, but Walter’s first ride quickly revealed that the design did not support a four-stroke engine well. Following that ride, Bill Harley designed a loop-style frame that cradled the engine and allowed a more secure mounting. The first handful of motorcycles remains relatively unchanged between 1903 and 1905; they featured rudimentary bicycle-style seats and handlebars, and had no suspension. A coaster brake stopped the 178-lb. machine (plus rider), which was spread out over a 51-inch wheelbase. All machines up until 1905 were black and had gold pinstriping with red and gold Harley-Davidson lettering, all applied by Janet Davidson.
30 The first suspension appeared on a Harley-Davidson in 1907 in the form of a Sager-Cushion leading-link front fork, which was the precursor to the famous Harley-Davidson springer fork. The two rear legs of the fork mounted solidly to the motorcycle’s frame neck on the top; a pivoting bracket on the bottom connected to the wheel and another set of tubes. The forward set of tubes had springs inside; they compressed as the wheel hit a bump, which then actuated the pivoting bracket.
By 1907, Harley-Davidsons were painted the traditional Renault Gray and featured a higher level of polish (overall) than previous models. This motorcycle is equipped with the standard Sager-Cushion leading-link front fork and all-white tires, which help define the look of that era. The gas tank lettering is much straighter and more consistent than previous years; although it was still hand-rendered, a more scientific process had been developed.
31 The 1909 Harley-Davidson took a major leap forward from its strap-tank predecessors with a more durable frame, front end, and chassis layout. The new frame used a twin backbone design to mount the new, longer, one-piece gas/oil tank, which is tapered at the front and rear for a streamlined look. The new frame’s wheelbase was 56-1/2 inches, which made room for the molded and painted compartment that sat behind the rear downtube, in front of the rear wheel. It could house tools, gear, and the battery if so equipped. A stronger and more effective front fork was used, as was better seat suspension.
32 In 1909, Harley-Davidson began offering diversified models to its customers with different equipment at different price points. The previous year, the company began naming its machines based on their production pedigree. The 1908s are Model 4s, while 1909s are Model 5s. The most popular model in 1909, with 1,030 sold, was the Model 5, which had the standard 28-inch wheels and a battery, and was priced at $210. The 5A, of which only 54 were built, featured a Bosch magneto and a $250 price tag. B and C models were also available, which matched the 5 and 5A, respectively, but used 26-inch wheels for shorter riders. 27 individuals opted to purchase the $325, twin-cylinder machine in 1909, designated the 5D. Single-cylinder Model 5s weighed in at 235 pounds, a significant jump from previous years; it was a number that only kept increasing.
33 Electric headlights weren’t available on Harleys until 1915. Before that, owners or dealers had to mount their own acetylene headlamps to the handlebars. Illumination came from mixing carbide pellets in a water reservoir underneath the lamp, which created the acetylene gas that could be lit; it burned with a relative amount of efficiency and control. They were used for lighting the road, but functioned better at making the motorcycle visible at night. Most acetylene headlamp models had red and green colored glass gems on either side, which also alerted vehicles approaching from the side. A chimney sat on top and released the burnt gas. Many also used an adjustable knob that could control the brightness of the flame. I have an acetylene headlamp produced by Twentieth Century Manufacturing Company that uses a rounded, magnified glass in front to increase the flame’s brightness. These are beautiful pieces that have an incredible amount of design and detail in such a small package. However, these lamps could also potentially set your motorcycle on fire if you hit a big bump or fell over.
34 With the addition of a powerful twin to its lineup, and the single becoming more potent with each year, Harley-Davidson introduced a new frame for the 1911 Model 7s that used a straight front downtube. This new tube was stronger than the curved downtube it replaced, and placed the engine closer to the ground. The wheelbase stayed the same but a new seat with better suspension moved the rider forward a few inches toward the center of the wheelbase. A new, larger gas and oil tank now held 2-1/2 gallons of fuel and one gallon of oil.
35 For the 1912 model year, the company redesigned what can best be described as its rear suspension to a system that was used right into the early 1970s. Instead of using just the small front and rear springs on the seat, which did very little to cushion the rider from impact, Model 8s saw the addition of a 9-inch-long spring inside the frame’s rear downtube, on which the seat post sat. This provided about 4 inches of suspension travel for the rider in addition to helper springs on the seat. The Motor Company called this new setup the Ful-Floeting Seat.
36 Some worthwhile changes were made to the frame in 1912 that show a change toward the Harley-Davidson motorcycle’s future shape. The rear downtube was shortened, dropping the seat slightly into the middle of the motorcycle; the top backbone was curved down in the back to meet it. The rear of the gas tank was also curved down to match the curve in the frame and the handlebars now stood taller