Harley Davidson Lore 1903-1965 [Hardcover]

Herbert Wagner (Author)

Book Description

Series: Harley-Davidson | Publication Date: September 1, 1999

The first in what will be a two volume set offers a rare glimpse into the historical art and legendary lore that Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company has spawned over a century of riding.'

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Harley-Davidson Lore: Origins Through Panhead is a collection of black-and-white photos culled from the Harley-Davidson archives spanning the first 60 years of the famous motorcycle manufacturer. For most of the book the photos, which date back as far as 1903, are simply allowed to stand on their own, uncluttered by text. In the back of the book, author Herbert Wagner supplements smaller reproductions of the plates with explanations of each photo's origin and bits of the Harley-Davidson mythos. Gearheads will love the meticulously chronicled changes in the Harley-Davidson design (were you aware that 1910 was the last year of the "beehive" motor with horizontal cooling fins in the head area?) and model nicknames like the "Silent Gray Fellow." Fans can track the Harley's growing popularity as a sport and pleasure bike, as well as its workhorse side as a delivery vehicle and military tool. Though Harley-Davidson novices may be briefly puzzled by insider notations such as "[A] prototype 61 OHV--the first Knucklehead" and "Everyone knows that William G. Davidson--better known as Willie G.--is H-D's vice-president of styling," this book will be readily enjoyed by anyone who admires the lines of a well-made machine. --Ali Davis

About the Author

Herbert Wagner started to ride in 1971, when, after doing exhaustive research and collecting Harley-Davidson parts and accessories, he put together a vintage bike. He has written about Harley history for over a decade and contributed numerous articles to magazines including the American Rider, Rider, and the Enthusiast.(r) He lives in Minnesota, where he rides his Harley year-round, through rain, sleet, and snow.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811825736
• ISBN-13: 978-0811825733
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,034,607 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars disappointing and too pretentious, January 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Harley Davidson Lore 1903-1965 (Hardcover)

Was very disappointed with this book. Before writing this review I read a review of the other book in this series titled "Harley-Davidson Lore: 1966 to Present". That review is completely applicable to this book also. So instead of writing the same message in my own words I took the liberty of taking a little cut and paste action.

<quote> "I looked forward to reading this book to learn about H-D tradition, company exploits, and product development. My reason for writing this review is to let others with similar interests know that this book offers very little on those subjects.

What Herbert Wagner has done is to merely compile a set of photographs of such things as H-D advertisements, products, and events, and annotate them in as spartan a manner as you could possibly imagine. This book borders on being completely uninformative!

Just as dissapointing is the format that was chosen by the author and his publisher. The beginning of the book, comprising the vast majority of the pages, contains photos without text. The end of the book is a series of pages that duplicate, in thumbnail sized images, all of the photos found in the beginning of the book. Next to each of these miniature images you will find a few words of descriptive text. Interestingly, the text is so small that it challenges people (even those with eagle-like vision) to read without squinting or without reaching for reading glasses." <end quote>

Couldn't agree more. Adding that also the pictures in the body of the book are way too small. Maybe 25% of the page is used for a picture, the rest is blank. Either they should have selected a larger page size (if the 25% is important) or they should have used a larger portion for the picture.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The book looks & feels great inside & out., December 17, 1999

By 

DJ Rix (NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harley Davidson Lore 1903-1965 (Hardcover)

That Hog lover in your life will be delighted by this classy collection of American Iron photographs. & these are beautiful, historic photos from as far back as 1903. Because the bikes speak for their own beauty, the viewer is pulled back just enough to allow for appreciation of the photographs, too, presented as in a gallery with lots of space around them. Wagner respects them & the tales they tell enough to save his commentary for the final pages of the book. Harley Davidson Lore looks & feels great inside & out. Wash your hands before you pick it up.

Bob Rixon

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Harley Collectible Book, December 16, 1999

By 

Rides-a-Superglide (OHIO,USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harley Davidson Lore 1903-1965 (Hardcover)

I feel this book portrays through the use of historical postcard type pictures an era of days gone by just like the title of the book says from Harley Davidson's birth in 1903-1965. Makes an excellent collectible for future generations to enjoy.