What Makes Harley Davidson Unique?

What Makes Harley Davidson Unique?

Harley Davidson is an internationally known motorcycle brand instantly recognizable in sound and sight. You'll likely hear a Harley Davidson engine before you see it. Some classic model fans might recognize the model as the hog approaches. A Harley Davidson motorcycle isn't just a motorcycle; it's an experience first captured by William Harley and Arthur Davidson in Milwaukee, WI, more than a century ago. 

William Harley and his brothers Arthur and Walter Davidson started the Harley-Davidson Motor Company in 1907. Other companies figured out people wanted to watch motorcycle racing. The different motorcycle brands competed in races in front of spectators. Kawasaki and other scooter companies were making a shift from motorized bicycles. The early, pre-World War One Harley Davidson motorcycles looked like bicycles. 

Harley Davidson Culture 

Harleys have been called hogs, fat-boys, and knuckleheads, the latter being a description of a knucklehead-looking engine. These are affectionate nicknames for a unique motorcycle brand. Hog has nothing to do with the distinctive sound the first Harley Davidson motorcycle made when it rolled out of the workshop. As motorcycle companies sprang up everywhere, the Harley Davidson Motor Company chose a pet pig as a mascot. The pig set the brand apart from others as they entered their Harley Davidson motorcycles into closed circuit track races that were often interrupted by crashes.

If you know what to listen to and look for, you'll spot the details about what makes Harley Davidson unique. Visit Redline Harley Davidson for your personal sound display.

Listen for that Distinctive Engine Sound

The sound comes from the V-twin engine shape and the position of the spark plugs that would only spark at 45 degrees. A single connecting rod connects to both cylinders so the crankshaft must rotate a little more than usual, giving the engine the distinctive potato-potato sound.

You'll hear a Harley motorcycle first. It doesn't sound like a Japanese Honda or a German BMW. A Harley motorcycle rumbles with a resonance you might feel as it approaches. It's a low-throat sound that chops through the air in what some describe as a "potato-potato…" sound even at higher RPMs. You'll feel the rumble as you sit on the saddle. As you say potato over and over, you can picture an easy rider in the sunset.