This man succeeded in turning an old bike into the first Harley Davidson
The story began in 1903 in Milwaukee city, when the machine transportation industry began to expand to America. The transportation products were cars, motorcycles, and trains. Apart from that, agricultural lands have also begun to be cleared to add to the railroad route. Many landowners had to sell their land by force to investors. And that’s also happened to a landowner named Walter Davidson. Elsewhere, there were two young men who were affected by the development of the automotive world at that time. The first young man named Bill Harley, who was a factory worker and also a dreamer. The
second one was Arthur Davidson, Bill Harley’s best friend who always believes in Bill Harley’s dream and vision. The two of them have been friends since childhood. Out of enthusiasm, Arthur often invited Bill to sneak into a Burlesque show, solely so that Bill could see a motorcycle that was the property of the show. When the others were fascinated with the dancer, Bill was busy glaring at the motorcycle. Then, they labeled their dream automotive company as Davidson Harley. One day, Arthur got an idea to add a motorcycle homemade engine to their bicycle. He then expressed his idea
to Bill. However, because they didn’t have enough money to start the project, they then submitted their engine design to Joe Merkel, a local motorcycle manufacturer.
Bill started working to install the machine that he designed. Time after time they worked on the plan, until at a point, Arthur’s actions were caught by the workshop supervisor. He was also punished and beaten in front of the public, but Arthur didn’t mind as long as he could take one more spare part he needed. One day, they finally assembled the machine and it started. However, a few seconds later, the machine exploded. These two young men were confused because there was no other way, and finally Arthur asked Bill to write a letter to Walter, his older
brother, to invest in their project. Some time later on Big Bill’s wedding day, Davidson’s brother, Walter also came. Walter immediately asked Arthur and Bill to show the motorcycle that they were designing. Then, Walter went into that old workshop. However, he was really disappointed because he thought that the motorcycle was already finished. Walter was knowledgeable about engines because he also worked for a railroad engine company. Therefore, he could see the potential in the drawings Bill made. Walter heard that their problem was always the engine chain, so he suggested they try using a belt which was commonly
used on tractor engines. They kept trying to assemble the motorcycle, and one day the motorcycle finally finished. Walter immediately tried the motorcycle to get around the village and also through the woods in Milwaukee. Walter was so impressed with the machine, so he immediately stated that he would be joining as a partner, not just an investor. Actually, Arthur still wanted to build this business with Bill alone. But he couldn’t do anything when his brother started to force him. On the other hand, Walter demanded that the machine go faster. He was willing to invest the money he
had, so Bill could design a machine according to his wishes. Tough, strong, and faster machines to be able to go on whatever terrain they want. However, at that time, something happened that stopped the joint venture to manufacture their dream motorcycle. Bill Harley was a smart person who came from a poor family. Therefore, Bill and his family dreamt that he could enter college to continue his higher education, hoping to get a bright future. At that time, Bill applied to the University of Wisconsin and he was accepted. As soon as the acceptance letter arrived at his house,
Bill was forced to say that he had to withdraw from the project. Although this made the Davidson brothers very angry, Bill was more concerned about his family’s future. After that, Bill left Davidson-Harley. Walter did understand about engines, but he was not an engineer. At that time, the problem with the motorbike they were manufacturing was in the carburetor. For that, they went to Joe Merkel’s shop to buy the spare part. Joe Merkel gave them the carburetor they asked for. They wanted to finish the motorcycle as soon as possible because George Hendee, the founder of Indian Motorcycles
which was on the rise at that time, wanted to visit their city. George Hendee was looking for local indie motorcycle manufacturers to become partners. The Davidson brothers wanted to make a good impression on George Hendee. Then, the moment came. George Hendee, the most famous bike manufacturer at that time, visited the area. He also announced that in the next month, he would be holding an Expo racing there. That moment should have been The Davidson’s opportunity to show their charm, but it failed miserably when the motorcycle caught fire due to a fake carburetor that Merkel sold to
them. George Hendee himself even laughed when he saw Davidsons were busy stopping the fire. These Davidson brothers really needed the presence of their engineer. Meanwhile, the engineer was actively studying on his campus. Bill also had a part time job as a waiter and it was there that Bill met the sons of a Ford company official. They were planning to build their own automotive company. Bill was invited to join to work under their company, Mason Gears. After the previous incident, Walter went to Merkel’s shop to find a calculation. At that time, Walter met Eddie Hasha, Merkel’s
employee. Eddie knew about Joe’s cunning and he felt bad for Walter. Therefore, when Walter asked the original carburetor, Eddie gave it to him. Walter saw that Eddie knew a lot about motorcycles, so he then recruited and took Eddie from Merkel. But even after Eddie came in, their engine kept breaking down and the oil was always leaking. They still needed Bill to join the project. Then, the duo Davidsons visited Bill on the campus. But they were surprised when they found out that Bill was with the Mason Brothers and he was going to work with them in
Mason Gears. Arthur and Walter Davidson were even more angry, and Bill felt bad about this. The expo racing event finally arrived. The event was attended by motorcycle enthusiasts. George Hendee was the initiator of the event, then he opened the event. At that time, Bill came with his girlfriend to cheer on the Davidson team. But instead he was chased out by Arthur. The Davidsons still feel betrayed by Bill. When the race was about to start, there was a controversy. George Hendee considered that the Davidson Team motorbike was overweight. Because of that, he banned The Davidsons from
participating in the race. Of course the decision was opposed by Davidson’s team. George Hendee was considered to be making things up and jealous of the appearance of their motorbike. However, George Hendee’s decision couldn’t be contested. The Davidson-Harley motorbike had to leave the track. Walter left the track but he didn’t go straight home. He left the track and was on the edge of the border, following the participants’ motorbikes. It’s not a matter of winning or losing the competition. For them, it’s very important for Davidson-Harley motorbikes to be able to show off so they could promote their
products in front of the public. Walter also continued to race his motorbike to compete with others, including the Indian Motorcycle. At the end of the track, Walter got in by breaking through the road divider and He was driving in first position. The Davidson-Harley motorbike didn’t win, but the appearance of the motorbike had attracted the attention of a large factory owner in North America, C.H. Lang. He offered to mass produce Davidson Harley engines and open dealers throughout America. The offer wasn’t a nonsense because a few days later, C.H. Lang sent a check for $1,000 as an
initial investment for the development of the Davidson Harley factory. They’re recruiting Big Bill, the eldest son of the Davidson family, as the head of the factory. After that, their motorcycle factory was started to build. And this time, they’re using the name Davidson Brothers Motorcycles. Meanwhile, Bill Harley fixed his position with the Mason Family, after being kicked out by Arthur. He was offered a position as head engineer for a car factory which they would build. Besides that, The Mason Family paid for Bill Harley’s tuition fees until graduation. The Harley family was very happy to hear the
news. But there was something bothering Bill Harley’s mind. The auto factory he was about to build, would not be his. After all, he would still be a Mason Gears employee. But Bill could not refuse his parents’ will, so he finally signed the contract. Bill Harley came to his old friends’ house, the Davidsons, to say goodbye. But his arrival made it even more difficult for him to leave. He saw that the motorbike that had become a part of him, now looked promising. Finally, Bill asked Arthur to convince him to stay. Bill was moved by Arthur’s words,
which emphasized that with their own company, they would have the opportunity to make their own name well known and also make their family proud. Arthur didn’t want to make the same mistake he once did to Joe Merkel. Now, he put his partner’s name in front of his own name. And finally, they succeed to build the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. They had made Bill Harley forget about a tempting offer from Mason Gears. Bill’s parents were disappointed, but Bill will work hard to prove that he didn’t make a stupid decision. The presence of Bill Harley made their company
more excited. Along with the passion of the motor racing world which is increasingly popular, this couldn’t be separated from the contra. The Milwaukee daily newspaper, Atlas, and its journalist, Ellie, were very much against the rise of motorcycles in society. To them, these fast vehicles carried a demonic aura and were extremely dangerous. They even called it Murder Cycle. But this female journalist would later become Arthur’s wife. Bill returned to convey his innovation from the engine side. He found a Butterfly Valve type machine that would improve their engine’s power. They would try this new invention to be
displayed at the Enduro Race event which will take place soon. The Harley-Davidson team hoped that the event would make their motorbike known as the motorbike with the best engines. The Enduro Race event arrived. A race to test the endurance of motorcycles that were held on Milwaukee forest trails. The Harley-Davidson team was targeting a person, he was Preston King. If C.H. Lang was the ruler of North America, Preston King was the ruler of the south. Walter will be riding a Harley-Davidson again. And the existence of the Harley-Davidson team came to the attention of George Hendee and
his team. The race then began, each participant must pass through the forest roads which were wavy and slippery, because part of the road was flooded. As usual, the Harley team and the Indian team were in the front position and competed to be the best. However, the competition this time seemed to be tougher compared to the previous ones, because the participants were free to do body checks and Walter fell after being bumped by an Indian motorbike racer. Walter returned to the starting position so he could get new goggles because the goggles he was wearing had broken.
Seeing Walter being injured, Eddie, as the backup racer, volunteered to replace Walter. However, Walter refused. He was very passionate and had a high ego for revenge. Walter returned to the forest again and met the Indian Motorcycle’s racer again. The fight between them happened again, but this time Walter didn’t hesitate to make a foul. When he found the right moment, he pushed the Indian driver with his foot, preventing his rival from continuing the race because his bike was broken. At the finish line, people are gathering. George Hendee offered stock options to dealers so they would sell
Indian motorcycles exclusively. This business strategy made the Harley-Davidson Team even more depressed. Therefore, even though Walter arrived in first place, they were not happy because George Hendee had already taken over the market. To become a motorcycle manufacturer, it required not only skill to make good machines, but also shrewdness to be able to sell their products. Knowing this, Walter went furious. In front of the crowd, he punched George Hendee. This brutal act was also witnessed by the media and Preston King, and they were all disgusted by Walter’s actions. Due to the turmoil, Harley-Davidson was only able
to secure two dealerships, while their rival, Indian Motorcycle, managed to secure 100 dealership contracts. Arthur was very annoyed by his brother’s behavior, but it turned out that Walter did not regret what he had done. According to Arthur, yesterday’s incident was very bad and made their image poor in public. But on the other hand, according to Walter, the incident could actually strengthen the good image of their motorbike, as a product for strong and brave men. Arthur didn’t care about that if the result was they had to be frustrated because they couldn’t pay the operating costs. Big
Bill also said the same thing. The eldest of the Davidson brothers even thought that Arthur and Walter were stupid. Because of this, a fight ensued between the Davidson Brothers, until finally their mother had to intervene to separate them. The mother threatened that if they continued to fight, she would beat them one by one. But after that, the three brothers ended up laughing together. After that, Harley-Davidson had difficulty in marketing their products. The majority of dealers were already controlled by the Indian Motorcycle. But then, they got another chance when a consortium chaired by someone, will hold
a racing competition in the velodrome arena. They were currently building 30 venues called motordromes throughout America. The Harley-Davidson team was expected to be able to participate in competing with its main competitor, the Indian Motor. The rules of the race were prioritized on engine specifications. The machine used must be of the J-Forces type which could accelerate the motorbike’s speed to 100 miles per hour. In addition, each motorbike was not allowed to be fitted with a brake. Hearing this, Arthur immediately protested. He disapproved of Harley-Davidson participating in the race. On the other hand, Walter felt that this
race was the last chance for their motorbike to appear in public. He felt that Harley-Davidson had to join this competition. These two brothers got into a fight again and were even worse because of Eddie Hasha. Eddie suggested that he would go to the motordrome but Walter refused again. Eddie, who had been waiting a long time for the opportunity to be able to come on stage, finally got mad. He then resigned from Harley-Davidson. In the end, the majority decision was meaningless if Walter insisted. And finally, Harley-Davidson took part in the race. In the arena, Walter would
compete with Eddie, who had joined the Indian team. It could be predicted that this race would be very fierce and dangerous. At the beginning of the race, there were already some motorbikes with the engine exploding and then falling. Because of emotion, Eddie really wanted to conquer Walter who was considered to have hampered his career as a racer. The battle between these two racers was very fierce. The longer, the more motorbikes explode and fall in the middle of the arena. At that time, Eddie was in front and managed to overtake Walter. Eddie’s attention was too focused
on his rival, so he slightly forgot to pay attention to what was in front of him. At that time, there was a burning motorbike lying down. Eddie dodged suddenly and he finally crashed into the motordrome wall at high speed. And because of that, Eddie died instantly. Eddie was buried and the funeral was attended by the family and the members of Harley-Davidson. Walter felt very devastated by the death of his best friend who was considered his own brother. Even though they were fighting at the last moment. Walter was out of control and continued to drink alcohol.
Arthur had to expel his brother from the funeral. Based on the results of the previous race evaluation, Harley-Davidson issued a stipulation that their company opposed and boycotted the motordrome race. The boycott even binds suppliers who still support their teams to participate in the competition. Walter was now no longer able to argue against Arthur, although he still believes that the most strategic way to boost the motorcycle sales still has to go through racing competitions. Their condition was not really good, but Arthur was still looking for ways so that Harley-Davidson could still have a place in the
market. He carried the idea to create a club for Harley-Davidson motorcycle lovers. He also tried to enter the institution market. Build a motor for postal courier purposes. Around this time, the two Davidson brothers married their respective spouses. Walter, who always loves to race, one day invited the others to see a track which was now more widely used by racing fans to try out the abilities of their motorbikes. This track has a challenge on the muddy and bumpy runway. He suggested that Harley-Davidson initiate an engine power type competition using the arena. On the other hand, Arthur
still felt pessimistic because now, the affairs of the competition race were controlled by the motordrome with a challenging arena to increase speed. Once at an event for the association of motorcycle manufacturers, George Hendee announced his resignation as president director of the Indian Motorcycle company. At that moment, he announced the person who would replace him, a person named Randall James. The people from Harley-Davidson wanted to meet George Hendee, but they instead ended up teasing each other with the new president of their rival team. Randall James sarcastically teased the Harley-Davidson motorcycle that never joined racing competition again
and chose to produce a conventional motorbike. Walter used this moment to threaten Randall James that they had built a new machine that had very high power. In front of everyone, Arthur challenged the Indian Motorcycle to race in the mud arena and placed a 1000 dollar bet that the Harley-Davidson motorcycle would beat the Indian Motorcycle on the mud track. As the new president, Randall James had to maintain his prestige. He would serve Walter’s challenge. Therefore, the Harley-Davidson team hurried up building an engine they didn’t have and a track that still didn’t exist. Part 2 The Harley-Davidson
Team was starting to prepare for the upcoming event. As much as possible, Bill designed the latest machine that was reliable to drive on muddy and bumpy terrain. A machine with great power. Walter then recruited Harley-Davidson motorbike riders, and the person he chose was Ray Weishaar, an experienced racer who was considered very good on flat tracks. The race was held at the Savannah Track arena, and all elite teams also joined as participants such as the Excelsior and Indian teams. Ray, as a Harley motorcycle rider, was impressed with the new engine power they had. Before the event
started, a child entered the arena and performed an attraction that attracted the attention of the audience. Ray knew that the child’s name was Shrimp Burns, a little racer. However, he could not participate in the competition because he was not even 17 years old. The child was dragged off the track by the committee. After that, the race started. Every participant competes fiercely even though it was not a motordrome race, which was considered the most prestigious race. In the middle of the race, Shrimp Burns suddenly entered the arena and joined the race with the participants. Because it
was considered a distraction, Ray Weishaar nudged him to the side of the track and Shrimp Burns fell. Luckily, he only suffered minor injuries. At the end of the race, the Harley-Davidson team won ahead of the Indians, although they could only take the second position because the first position was won by the Excelsior team. After the race, sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles increased by as much as 6 percent in a short period of time. Therefore, Arthur became excited to continue the dirt runway race. And to achieve a more significant increase in sales, they must improve the prestige
of the race too. An idea emerged to open a free beer booth with saleswomen who would welcome the important guests and journalists. Arthur began to cover the world of motor racing in a style that seems to continue to this day. And now, he was directly involved in recruiting the Harley team. He wasn’t looking for race champions, but men who looked cool and stylish on their motorcycles. One time when it was raining heavily, they were surprised by the presence of someone doing a motorcycle stunt in the factory yard. And that person was Shrimp Burns. He came
with an eccentric style. He announced to Harley officials that next week he would be 17 years old. Arthur really didn’t like his style which was considered annoying, but Walter really liked him. Without the approval of the rest of Harley-Davidson’s team, Walter recruited this bad boy. Early in 1916 at the Dodge City racetrack, Kansas, the next race was held. The competition was now getting livelier and officials from each team were present. Not only that, important guests such as the people’s representative council and bank officials also attended the event. National media reporters also came to cover the
event. The event was even more lively when the Harley-Davidson team joined in enlivening the event before the race started. The wayward Shrimp Burns, even provoked his own teammates before the race started. Ray, who was more senior, didn’t like being teased by Shrimp Burns. There was almost a fight between them if Arthur didn’t immediately come to separate them. Finally, the race started. Competition occurred again between the three leading teams, Excelsior, Indian, and Harley-Davidson. But then, the race only narrowed between the two teams, between the Indian and Harley-Davidson because the Excelsior’s racer fell while competing with Ray
Weishaar. Shrimp Burns then took advantage of the opportunity. He spurred his motorbike on a straight line and managed to overtake the Indian team that was in front of him. The Harley-Davidson team, which excelled in engine power, finally succeeded in placing first and second, Shrimp Burns and Ray Weishaar. Shrimp Burns was so pleased with his victory that he immediately approached the crowd and they applauded him. This made Ray Weishaar jealous and furious. He attacked his teammates resulting in a tussle between them in front of everyone. A journalist then called the Harley-Davidson team as the wrecking crew,
not the racing crew. After the race, the Harley-Davidson team celebrated their victory. Shrimp Burns arrived and brought a piglet as a peace statement to Ray Weishaar. At that time, Arthur said that he was determined to bring this race into a new era of motorcycle racing, which not only competed with the expertise of racers, but also competed with the expertise of the vendor’s own team as an automotive company in designing motorbike engines. It was a very inspiring night for the Harley-Davidson team to continue their existence in the motorcycle industry in America. However, the romantic moment did
not last long, because a few days later, the boss of the Indian Motorcycle had an important guest. The man who previously was a tough opponent of the Indian Motorcycle, Shrimp Burns, came at the invitation of the leader of the Indian Motorcycle. Randall James seemed very interested in the performance of this young racer, and Shrimp Burns himself noticed it too. Therefore, without further ado, Shrimp Burns immediately asked about the extra payment he would get as an Indian motorbike racer. A few days later, the excited mood at the Harley-Davidson office was shattered by the arrival of a
package. It was a package sent from their racing star, Shrimp Burns. He returned the Harley-Davidson jersey and slipped on a turkey feather identical to the Indian symbol. The next flat race was held in Nashville and competition was heating up between the Indian team and the Harley-Davidson team. The mainstay of the Harley team driver has just been hijacked by a rival team. That race in Nashville was won by Shrimp Burns, but in the following race in Tulsa, it was the turn of the Harley-Davidson team to win it. During the one-year race period, Indian Motorcycle and Harley-Davidson
took turns beating each other. In a race at Richmond, it was won by Harley-Davidson. Ray Weishaar brought a piglet onto the podium to taunt his former teammate, Shrimp Burns. It was also a happy year for Walter, as he had a son named Walt. In April 1917, the Harley-Davidson office was shocked by the news that the US government had made military service mandatory for all men aged 18-31 years. At that time, America would participate in the First World War. And because of that, Harley-Davidson threatened to lose most of its employees. Wartime regulations also stipulated that the
US government prohibited the use of fuel for non-substantial activities, which meant racing that was deemed not an important sector, would lose its license. So, it could be predicted that in the future, the automotive world will dim. Walter suggested that they cooperate with the military, to at least keep their production alive. But Bill, who rarely reacted strongly, was now the most outspoken against it. Bill Harley apparently has an older brother named Joe, a civil war veteran who has experienced deep trauma. Now his brother was in a sanatorium for people with mental disorders. Bill regularly visits his
brother. And at that time, Bill told what was happening out there, where the war was going on and he was trying to go against Walter’s wishes. Hearing the debate going on at Harley-Davidson, Joe unexpectedly supported Walter and asked Bill to do something to help Joe’s friends who were on the battlefield. Some time later, two officials from the two largest motorcycle companies in America at the time, the Indian Motorcycle and Harley-Davidson, pitched to a general at the headquarters of the American armed forces. In welcoming the conditions of war, the American army needed 40,000 motorbikes. They made
an order for 25,000 motorbikes from the Indian Motorcycle company, and ordered another 15,000 motorbikes from the Harley-Davidson company. On that occasion, Arthur presented the design of the motor that they would use for the American military. A motorcycle specifically designed to deal with war situations. Arthur also stated that they had also provided a free course package for the US military on knowledge about maintenance of Harley-Davidson motorbikes, so that US soldiers could repair their own motorbikes instead of having to wait for factory technicians to come. The presentation really caught the general’s attention, especially since the Indian team
did not make any presentations, it seemed that they were waiting for the contract to be finalized before they started working. Because of Arthur’s presentation earlier, the general changed his mind. Now, motorbike orders will be divided equally. 20,000 motorbikes each. And it turned out, the free course idea was Arthur’s spontaneous idea, because Walter was also shocked when he heard it. Arthur explained that the idea was the opening act for the birth of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle lover’s club. He hoped that after the war ended, the veterans would return to their homes with a love for Harley-Davidson motorcycle
engines. The first world war ended in 1918. Americans were now starting to feel relieved. They hoped the situations would return to normal. And the prediction that Arthur had talked about actually happened. At the time the German army surrendered, there was a photo of an American soldier on a Harley motor, making the headlines of a newspaper. A few days later, their office had a veteran who expressed his gratitude to the Harley-Davidson company. He considered that Harley motorbikes had helped his troops a lot in times of war. The veteran handed over his battalion flag which was signed
by all the members as an expression of their gratitude. Now, the media has also stated that Harley-Davidson was the largest motorcycle company in America. That moment of war was an absolute victory for Harley-Davidson against the Indian Motorcycle whose traces were no longer visible. However, in responding to the defeat, Randall James did not respond with a positive innovation or movement. He was focused on finding ways to hurt the Harley-Davidson company. Randall bought all kinds of Harley motorcycles, and with his technician he disassembled Harley-Davidson motorcycles to find fault with the motor. A few days later, an important
letter arrived at the Harley-Davidson office. The letter stated that they had committed a copyright infringement against the use of spare parts on their motorbikes. The letter was on behalf of several motorcycle companies who felt that their spare parts had been used by Harley-Davidson without permission. Bill, as production director, denied that all this time he had stolen spare parts for other motorcycles, because all spare parts for Harley-Davidson motorcycles were his creations. But there was a weakness that he just realized that during those 10 years, he had never patented any of his products. The Harley-Davidson company then
consulted with lawyers and they threatened to lose a lot of money from this case. A counterclaim was possible, but it would cost them even more money. At home, Arthur had calculated every possibility, and it would end up running out of their company’s money. Win or lose in court, they would still lose about 300,000 dollars and that was a very large amount. Even if they win later, they will have to face a patent filing court which will also cost a lot of money. Bill felt very guilty, he was ready to step down so they could still
save the Harley-Davidson name. However, his idea was rejected by the Davidson brothers. They have to win together as Harley-Davidson, and even if they have to lose, they will also lose together on behalf of Harley-Davidson. Bill was very depressed because of this problem. At home, he was always comforted by his wife so that his anxiety could subside. A few days later, Arthur and Bill, who had just walked into the office, received news that Walter had previously made the decision not to go to court and instead pay the damages that had been claimed against them. Instead of
continuing to bother dealing with unclear problems, Walter chose to move on even though they had to start over from scratch. He then showed off the prototype of the first Harley motorcycle they built 20 years ago, in their workshop. The motorbike still uses original Harley-Davidson spare parts for the first version, which have not been modified. And when they tried to turn it on, the engine was still running well. They could start over from there, from motor components that have never been patented by any party. Long story short, in the 20s decade, Harley-Davidson was still surviving and
was able to compete in the American motorcycle market along with its competitors. The film then shows the 1930s, a time when America experienced the worst situation, The Great Depression era when the dollar experienced the worst inflation in history. Poverty appeared everywhere and the crime rate soars sharply. This difficult economic condition certainly affected the world of motorcycles. The sales dropped and enthusiasm for the race also got lower. This triggered the emergence of large groups of motorbike lovers who carried out activities outside the official activities. They started to make modifications to their motorbikes with used spare parts.
In addition, they also hold their own race outside of the official race held by the American Motor Association. Their activities were strongly opposed by the AMA, they were even reported to the police and considered a criminal group. Thus, the police banned the activities of the motorcycle club which were considered illegal. Walt, Walter’s son, has become a teenager and he also joined the bikers club. In the 1930s, Harley-Davidson was produced using the RL-45 model, but at the beginning of its appearance, this latest model always had problems with the oil. Bill Harley seemed to be unfocused to
the point of missing things like that before launching the product. One day, someone from the Ford Motor Company, the largest car manufacturer at the time, visited their office. They came with a three-wheeled motorcycle design called Servi-Car. The Ford company proposed a joint-venture with the Harley-Davidson company to co-produce the tricycle product. In that discussion, all initial production was borne by Harley-Davidson. Ford would buy their products and then act as distributors. Both company logos must be on the motorcycle body. Walter really didn’t like the proposal because they had to pay the initial costs and the possibility of
a return on investment was also long. But Arthur didn’t see any other opportunities they could use to survive in this crisis period. He thought this was one opportunity for them. Some time later, C.H Lang came to the Harley-Davidson office. He was their most loyal old friend. C.H. Lang had just returned from a vacation abroad and there, he met a Japanese businessman who was interested in buying a Harley-Davidson engine license. It was another business opportunity. In contrast to the contract offered by Ford, this partnership did not require Harley-Davidson to spend money first. But Arthur was still
not willing that the results of their hard work for nearly 30 years would be used on other people’s products just like that. They will still explore business with Ford. Bill Harley was not present at the meeting. He still had a problem that was hidden from his colleagues at Harley-Davidson. This was related to the health of his wife who was feared to have chronic cancer. This couple was currently experiencing the most stress in their lives. One day, the factory received 300 motorbikes that were returned by a dealer from Saint Louis. They were forced to return all
the motorbikes because the distributor went bankrupt. Considering the worsening conditions, Walter was finally forced to agree to Arthur’s willingness to work with Ford. Meanwhile, Walt gets closer to the group of bikers. He took part in repairing their motorbikes and posted the race flyers even though they were later chased by the police. Fortunately, he was the son of Walter Davidson. One time, Walt chatted with a black biker named William Johnson. At that time, Walt just found out that they were modifying motorbikes not just for fun but also for economic reasons. Their modified motorbikes will be sold
if they win the race because the price will definitely go up as a champion motorbike. In fact, Walt had been asked by his father to join the Harley-Davidson office so he could start learning to manage their automotive business. But Walt still refuses, because he didn’t feel fit to work in an office. As a young man, he was still engrossed in activities with his friends. Walt and his father fought very often. And one day, Walter didn’t see his son coming to the office because he was going to compete in a field with his fellow bikers. Walter
and Arthur then went to the place, and it turned out that there was Joe Petrali, a professional racer who was about to take part in the race. From Joe, Walter and Arthur, they learned that this group was a group of enthusiastic motorbike lovers who were very hungry to participate in the race. And they were not just chasing money, because they are a group of true motorcycle lovers. At that time, Walter tried to prevent his son from participating in the competition, but Walt, who was as rebellious as his father, challenged his father instead. Before the race
started, people from AMA and the police came to raid the race which was considered illegal. Walter did not accept that a group of Harley-Davidson motorcycle lovers had been raided by the police for no apparent reason. And finally, it was he who stopped the raid and ordered the racers to race, including his own son. The race took place and was won by William Johnson. The AMA still insists that the police arrest the racers, but the police were reluctant to do so without a clear reason because they have great respect for Walter Davidson. This seemed to be
a green light from Walter for Walter Junior, if his son really wanted to get involved in racing. In the end, cooperation with Ford in making Servi-Car, made it even more difficult for Harley-Davidson. In the prototyping process, Ford often comes up with new requirements for its product specifications, which in turn makes production funds swell. Big Bill and Walter were getting annoyed. Secretly, Walter called C.H. Lang to reopen the possibility of cooperation with the Japanese side. When he discussed this with Arthur, the debate broke out again because Arthur still didn’t want other vendors to adopt their machine
designs. One night, Bill Harley’s house was visited by their personal doctor. At that time, the doctor said that Bill’s wife’s illness was actually not cancer, but a disease called Paget syndrome, which at that time could not be further diagnosed because the symptoms were the same as cancer. But it was good news for Bill which made him very happy and excited again. Bill and his colleagues at Harley-Davidson celebrate this. Bill started back to the office and into his study room. He has also started to draw a new motor design. One day on the road, he ran
into Walter Junior and saw a modified Harley motorcycle being driven by the boy. The frame was set lower so that the motorcycle could go faster. And after that, Bill Harley became inspired. On the day of signing the contract with the Ford company, Bill came with a new design. This was a design of the latest Harley-Davidson motorcycle inspired by Walt Junior’s modified motorbike. This time, Bill came in high spirits. He asked them to cancel their cooperation with Ford and sell their license to the Japanese. If the cooperation occurs with Ford, they have to produce for one
year and they will likely only get a profit in the next two years. But if they cooperate with Japan, they will have the capital to produce their new motorcycle. It will be the fastest motorcycle ever. Bill predicted the speed will reach 100 miles per hour on a flat track. After hearing three opinions from his colleagues, Arthur finally gave up. Walter finally walked into the room and was confronted by the man from the Ford company. Without further ado, he said that the Harley-Davidson company would cancel the partnership with Ford. The Servi-Car whose intellectual rights were handed
over to Harley-Davidson, they will use it for production someday. But not for Ford. Some time later, people from a Japanese motorcycle company came to the Harley-Davidson office to start their collaborative project. As planned, the deal happened. The design of Harley-Davidson motorcycles was produced by the Japanese Rikuo motorcycle. With the money from selling their engine license, Harley-Davidson built a cool new motorbike that was very fast. And Walter himself who tried the prototype. He raced the motorbike down an empty street and Walter was shocked by the speed performance of this machine. He felt that this was the
Harley-Davidson motorcycle he had wanted to create. Like the Harley-Davidson image he wanted, strong and fast. But after the experiment was done, they were all surprised when Walter’s shoes were stained with oil. Turns out, the engine still had a leak. The launch plan then had to be postponed. The Harley-Davidson team and Bill, who were directly involved in assembling the engine, tried to overcome the engine’s weaknesses. Then, they found the last component of this mainstay motorbike. A component with an aluminum cover named Knucklehead. The title was finally attached to the motor version, which they called The Knucklehead.
To launch this product, the Harley-Davidson team decided not to do it at an event held by the AMA. They prefer to introduce their products to the motorbike lovers, the Walt Junior bikers gang. At the weekly racing event held by the bikers group, the Harley-Davidson team brought The Knucklehead. Before the race started, they launched a prototype of their motorbike whose body was in the shape of a teardrop. Everyone was impressed with the cool new bike. Then, Walter Junior was asked to race using the motorbike. The race then started, and of course Walter Junior won the race
with his most powerful new motorbike. On that occasion, Arthur trusted William Johnson to open a Harley-Davidson dealership. With that, he can fulfill the requirements to be able to take part in official competitions held by the AMA. When Johnson asked Arthur why he had placed his trust in him, Arthur replied that he considered Johnson to be a man of principle, a moral that Harley-Davidson adhered to. Arthur also believed that everyone has the opportunity to make their own name legendary. William Johnson was the first black man to become a licensed dealer for an American motor company. Thus
the Harley-Davidson founder team closed the decade of the 30s by leaving a legend, because the next model was based on the knucklehead model they created. The next generation of Harley-Davidson motorcycles was developed by Walter Junior.
