Harley-Davidson, Inc., H-D, or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1903 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Along with Indian, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression. The company has survived numerous ownership arrangements, subsidiary arrangements, periods of poor economic health and product quality, and intense global competition to become one of the world's largest motorcycle manufacturers and an iconic brand widely known for its loyal following. There are owner clubs and events worldwide, as well as a company-sponsored, brand-focused museum.
A chopper is a type of custom motorcycle which emerged in California in the late 1950s. A chopper employs radically modified steering angles and lengthened forks for a stretched-out appearance. They can be built from an original motorcycle which is modified ("chopped") or built from scratch. Some of the characteristic features of choppers are long front ends with extended forks often coupled with an increased rake angle, hardtail frames, very tall "ape hanger" or very short "drag" handlebars, lengthened or stretched frames, and larger than stock front wheels. The "sissy bar", a set of tubes that connect the rear fender with the frame, and which are often extended several feet high, is a signature feature on many choppers.
Ed "Big Daddy" Roth was an American artist, cartoonist, illustrator, pinstriper and custom car designer and builder who created the hot rod icon Rat Fink and other characters. Roth was a key figure in Southern California's Kustom Kulture and hot rod movement of the late 1950s and 1960s.
A softail is a motorcycle with its rear suspension springs or shock absorbers located out of direct view, so as to look like a hard-tail motorcycle.
Maisto is a brand of scale model vehicles introduced and owned by May Cheong Group, a Chinese company founded in 1967 in Hong Kong by brothers P.Y. Ngan and Y.C Ngan. The company has also subsidiaries in the United States, France, and China. MCG also owns other model car brands such as Italian former company Bburago and Polistil.
Erik F. Buell is the founder, former Chairman and Chief Technical Officer of the Buell Motorcycle Company, which eventually merged with Harley-Davidson Corp. Buell is a pioneer of modern race motorcycle technology. Buell is also the founder of Erik Buell Racing.
David Mann was a California graphic artist whose paintings celebrated biker culture, and choppers. Called "the biker world's artist-in-residence," his images are ubiquitous in biker clubhouses and garages, on motorcycle gas tanks, tattoos, and on T-shirts and other memorabilia associated with biker culture. Choppers have been built based on the bikes first imagined in a David Mann painting.
The Harley-Davidson Museum is an American museum located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin celebrating the more than 100-year history of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The 130,000-square-foot (12,000 m2) three building complex on 20 acres (81,000 m2) along the Menomonee River bank contains more than 450 Harley-Davidson motorcycles and hundreds of thousands of artifacts from the Harley-Davidson Motor Company's 118-year history. The museum attracts an estimated 300,000 visitors annually.
Riding Into History is a non-profit vintage motorcycle event founded in 2000 by Billy Aldrich. It was created in order to celebrate the heritage and history of motorcycles, and also to raise money for charities. It has now become one of America's premier motorcycle events and the attendance figures have increased every year.
Arlen Darryl Ness was an American motorcycle designer and entrepreneur best known for his custom motorcycles. Ness received acclaim for his designs, most of which are noted for their unique body style and paintwork.
A bobber, originally called a 'bob-job' from the 1930s through 1990s, is a style of custom motorcycle. The typical construction includes stripping excess bodywork from a motorcycle; removing the front fender, and shortening the rear fender, which is "bobbed", and all superfluous parts removed to reduce weight.
Chrome Specialties was an American manufacturer and distributor of custom and replacement parts for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Founded in 1984 by brothers John A. Kuelbs and Gregory G. Kuelbs, Chrome Specialties grew into one of the largest aftermarket motorcycle parts distributors in the world, offering over 12,000 products from a 900-page catalog. Chrome Specialties brands and products were available at over 3,500 retailers worldwide by the time it was merged with Global Motorsports/Custom Chrome Inc. in 1997. Chrome Specialties' original brands, such as Motor Factory, Highway One and Jammer, continue to be available worldwide.
Motorcyclepedia is a motorcycle museum containing over 600 mostly American motorcycles, mainly from the first half of the 20th century, with a special emphasis on Indian motorcycles, including a model from every year of the original Indian brand on display, covering 1901 to 1953.
The Kansas Motorcycle Museum is a historic motorcycle museum in Marquette, Kansas on the southeast corner of Washington and Third Street in downtown Marquette. The museum contains "over one hundred superb bikes... [s]cores of early American bikes are presented."
J&P Cycles, Inc. was founded by John and Jill Parham in 1979. It sells motorcycle components, apparel, and gear for the American V-twin motorcycle rider. Owned by Motorcycle Aftermarket Group (MAG), the company has retail outlets in Ormond Beach, Florida, Anamosa, Iowa, and Sturgis, South Dakota, and Pigeon Forge,Tennessee.
David Uhl is an American artist who specializes in oil paintings of vintage Harley-Davidson motorcycles and is known for his Women of Harley-Davidson collection.
The Martin Auto Museum is a privately owned non-profit automobile museum located in Phoenix, Arizona. The museum is dedicated to the preservation of collectible automobiles for educational purposes. Admission is a $10 donation per person over the age of 12. Some of the services provided by the museum include guided tours for such groups as local schoolchildren, veteran organizations and car clubs.
The Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, is a V-twin softail cruiser motorcycle with solid-cast disc wheels. Designed by Willie G. Davidson and Louie Netz, Harley-Davidson built a prototype Fat Boy in Milwaukee for the Daytona Bike Week rally at Daytona Beach in 1988 and 1989. Fat Boys produced from 1990-2017 are coded FLSTF, and FLFB from 2018.
Transport World is an Invercargill, New Zealand organisation that invests in tourism in Southland. So far they have four products: Bill Richardson Transport World, Classic Motorcycle Mecca, The Lodges At Transport World and Dig This Invercargill and have a restaurant and cafe on both Bill Richardson Transport World and Classic Motorcycle Mecca sites. The Grille Cafe is located at Bill Richardson Transport World at 491 Tay Street. Meccaspresso Cafe is located at Classic Motorcycle Mecca at 25 Tay Street. Bill Richardson Transport World and Classic Motorcycle Mecca are transport displays, The Lodges At Transport World are boutique apartment accommodation and Dig This Invercargill is an attraction that allows anyone to operate diggers and heavy construction equipment in a safe and controlled environment.
The Evel Knievel Museum is a non-profit museum located in Topeka, Kansas, United States. The museum houses the largest collection of authentic Evel Knievel memorabilia in the world, including interactive experiences. It is 13,000 square feet (1,200 m2) and two stories. The museum is located adjacent to Topeka’s Historic Harley-Davidson and opened in June 2017.
