Harley-Davidson 1930-1941: Revolutionary Motorcycles & Those Who Rode Them [Paperback]

Herbert Wagner (Author)

Book Description

Relive the golden age of Milwaukee motorcycling with this unique book that goes beyond the rest. Read intimate accounts from company officials, dealers, and riders of classic Harley Davidson motorcyles of the 1930s. Hundreds of period photographs from private collections and massive text trace the development of the H-D Big Twin from the sidevalve VL to the '61 and '74 models, and the legendary Knucklehead. Experience the Milwaukee motorcycle scene from the men and women who lived it.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This significant era in the history of Harley-Davidson motorcycles marks the introduction of the "Knucklehead" overhead-valve engine model. Presenting a dramatic evolution in performance, reliability, and styling, the Knucklehead became the basis of all future Harleys and is considered to be the single most important Harley ever built. Based largely on interviews with Harley employees of the time, who also supplied most of the photographs used, this work by a Wisconsin-bred, lifelong motorcycle enthusiast and sometime motorcycle mechanic provides considerable detail about the development and impact of the Knucklehead. His work effectively places its context within such events as the Depression and the sweeping popularity of motorcycle clubs. Wagner provides insight into the culture of Harley riders and factory men. His narrative flows well, but glossy paper and very small type hinder reading. Nonetheless, this is an important source, not only for its in-depth focus on an obscure area but also for its use of primary sources. For public and academic libraries, especially in Wisconsin, where Harley-Davidson has been rooted since 1903.?David Van de Streek, Pennsylvania State Univ. Libs., York
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Schiffer Pub Ltd (December 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 088740894X
• ISBN-13: 978-0887408946
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #251,857 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #42 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Transportation

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great human perspective., October 12, 1999

By 

Timothy Steinbrecher ([e-mail]) (Sidney, Nebraska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harley-Davidson 1930-1941: Revolutionary Motorcycles & Those Who Rode Them (Paperback)

This books first hand accounts of this pivotal era of harley davidson history make it a must read for any harley nostagia buff. The photos alone are worth the purchase price. Mr Wagner has done a fine job of bringing a bygone era to life.I have enjoyed this volume many times.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Knucklehead History, May 11, 2001

By 

Kirk Perry "Plumber and VT" (S. Calif.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Harley-Davidson 1930-1941: Revolutionary Motorcycles & Those Who Rode Them (Paperback)

A historical tale (from the factory workmans' point of view) explaining the deco-design of the first 61 cu.in. Knucklehead motor. If you own an original, or you're building a V-Twin (Tedd Cycle,Inc.) Replica Knuckle, you'll appreciate this book for stoke. A chronicle of club-life in Wisconsin before the 2nd World War, there are family names repeated in this text (i.e; Kokesh; Knuth; Deckert; Ulicki; Beguhl; and Matheus) connected with Harley-Davidson, that you still hear about today. An insight as to the working conditions at the factory (in the best of times) can be read in this excerpt: "The founders had divided their responsibilities early and stuck with them. They demanded top quality work and usually got it. They desired to build things correctly - they only accepted what they knew was right. For that reason, there weren't many surprises around Harley-Davidson. The atmosphere was predictable, calm, and relaxed. So many guys had worked there all of their lives, that some referred to the company as the "Old Soldiers' Home". It was the last place you'd expect a crisis... -
If you were known around the factory, like Frank Matheus was, they didn't care much where you went or what you saw. That's how Frank saw the prototype Sixty-one Overhead two years before the rest of the world".
As this book illustrates, Wisconsin had their own scene. They didn't need California. This is a darn-good read and once you start building a machine, a re-reader.
- Plumber ~ Mechanics & Owners Guide 1941-1959 Harley-Davidson OHV Big Twins - Vol. 2 ~

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A review of H-D 1930-1941, January 9, 2001

By 

Joseph A. Brewster "Citypol86" (Poughkeepsie, New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Harley-Davidson 1930-1941: Revolutionary Motorcycles & Those Who Rode Them (Paperback)

The book gives a refreshing view of incredible machines and what they were truly designed for. The author describes, in depth, how the machines were used for everything from the sublime to the rediculous on a daily basis. He walks the reader into a time that is long gone, dwells there with him (or her) in the legendary Visitors' Room, then races the reader onward to the swamps and backlands that earned the cycles' reputation. He illudes to a peaceful, contented feeling that can only be shared, alone, on a quiet hidden roadway that only the rider knows exists. He shows just how a cycle was meant to be ridden by the men who refined the machine, not the men who designed it. I can't say enough about this book. NOTE: If you believe that a motorcycle is a work of art and should be kept spotless and under glass, don't purchase this book. You'll be sorely disappointed.

JB#52