In this pictorial history of the first decades of the world-famous motorcycle manufacturer, John Carroll uses rare archive photographs to show the evolution of the Harley-Davidson from the pioneering machines of the early 1900s to the end of the Panhead era. His book is a sympathetic and expert guide for all Harley-Davidson owners and enthusiasts and for everyone who enjoys motorcycling history.
The author describes how the Harley-Davidson company survived and prospered despite the Depression, two world wars, technical challenges and changes and fundamental shifts in the motorcycle market. He recalls the conception of the robust V-twin engine which has been at the heart of Harley-Davidson motorcycles for almost a century. The company has always favoured consistent improvement over radical redesign, and the much-refined V-twin still powers the Harley-Davidsons of the present day.
The book illustrates the wide variety of types of Harley-Davidson that have been produced - military and sidecar versions, machines for police patrol work and escort duty and for racing, including on American dirt tracks, where Harley has dominated for decades - and the first customized Harleys of the mid-1960s. But the author concentrates on telling the story of the long line of strong, simple, powerful street bikes that are the mainstay of Harley-Davidson's reputation.
