Harley-Davidson Museum Blog | Harley-Davidson USA

Arthur H. Davidson Visits the Museum

Shortly before the Museum opened in the summer of 2008, I received a call from Arthur H. Davidson (the H stands for Harley). I recognized his name as the sole surviving son of one of the original founders of Harley-Davidson, Arthur Davidson. He said he had some “junk” to donate to the Museum. I drove out to his house on a beautiful summer day and met him and his wife Gertrude. The “junk” turned out to be the original passports his father used in the 1910s and 20s to travel overseas and build the foreign dealer network. Had he not...

Time Machine

My time machine seems to be stuck on fast forward. I vaguely remember fall, the holidays, we were doing 2010 planning. Suddenly 2010 planning is 2010 doing. We’ve got a lot of cool things happening this year. We’ve already kicked off our Tuesday Trivia, Wednesday Open Mic Night, and Thirsty Thursday Acoustic jams in Motor. Our Elvis spotlight is just about over so if you haven’t seen the special Elvis exhibit or enjoyed a peanut butter and nanner (banana) sandwich you better come on down quick. We are just a few weeks away from the Chili Bowl on January 31st...

Vocalist - Self Employed

<p>On January 8th the King of Rock and Roll would have celebrated his 75th birthday. We here at the museum decided it would be appropriate to throw a party. All month long the Museum will pay homage to the king. Stop down and see the special photo exhibit on loan from the Graceland archives documenting the production of Elvis’ legendary ’68 Comeback Special.</p>

It Looks a Lot Like Christmas

I have spent the last four weeks on the road—a little fun, a little work, a lot of family and even a little riding. It was great to come home to the Museum and see all of the holiday decorations in place. (Actually, it was a little like stepping back in time to the 60’s.) Out on the fourth corner, there is a huge 25 foot tree sparkling with lights and ornaments to welcome you to the grounds. The Founder’s Terrace is lit up with a forest of twinkling trees set off by the city lights in the background. The...

Motorcycles and Music

If you weren’t at the Harley-Davidson Museum last Friday night, you missed out on one of the best parties of the season. This was our second annual Members Holiday Party and I gotta tell you our Members know how to party! One of the highlights of the night -and there were a lot of highlights - was definitely the band. Cold Sweat and the Brew City Horns had the house rocking. Even Santa took to the stage with them for a slick version of Jingle Bells. Cold Sweat is a nine-piece group with a super tight horn section and a...

Rockin' Tree Lighting & One-day Food Drive

Once again, in the blink of an eye, the holidays are upon us. I swear it was just the other day we were planning for our Custom Bike Show hoping for good weather and a great event. We got both. I’m still hoping for good weather. This time now that hope isn’t for sunny and 80, it's just a plea to hold off on snow, ice, and sleet so we can fill up Milwaukee’s largest Bar & Shield - you know, the H-D logo - with canned food for Hunger Task Force. On Friday, November 27th, the Museum has planned...

Saosin... Say It’s So

A couple Fridays ago, I left my office and headed out to the Museum building to give a tour to some Museum guests. As I came across the archives bridge into the galleries, I was greeted with the most amazing sounds coming out of the experience gallery. The music was totally unexpected and sounded fantastic bouncing off the walls of the exhibits. As those of you have been in the experience gallery know, typically that gallery is filled with the roar of engines and sounds from the road. Not so, on this night. Early in the week, I had been...

Helmets: “Love them or loathe them – you can’t ignore ‘em!”

Some of you know that before I came to the Harley-Davidson Museum, I was a teacher. I spent 15 years teaching mathematics at the middle school and college level. I loved my time working with students and enjoyed the opportunity to teach. In fact, one of my former students, Aneel, is an intern at the Museum! While I love my new career at H-D, there are times when I miss the opportunity to work with enthusiastic students and shape their understanding of the world. When I was asked to be a part of the Helmet project, I could not wait...

Reflecting on the Road

Last weekend I loaded up my backpack for another weekend motorcycle trip. My riding buddy and I pointed our bikes to the west and headed toward some promised fun on the Mississippi River. We decided to take the country roads which meant a good five hours of riding ahead of us until we reached our destination. I jokingly said to my friend, “That’s a lot of personal reflection time!” Which I guess is part of the reason that we ride. It’s a chance to think about life and ponder the decisions that need to be made. As I was admiring...

The Pinstripe Legends

It’s not every day you get to spend time with a legend. So, imagine having the opportunity to spend the day with 13 legends—well that is lucky indeed! The Pinstripe Legends were hanging out at the Museum last Sunday for our first Custom Bike Show. I met the stripers in the morning and they quickly set up the tent with a couple of bike bays, a table of paint and some easels for panel work. After a cup of joe, the Legends hung out their shingle and started painting. The bikes began rolling in and it wasn’t long before the...

So… what is this “Helmet Project”?

This thing was born out of a variety of ideas, initiatives, opportunities, emerging needs…a big stew of disparate ingredients. In my first post I decided I wouldn’t go into all that, and would rather focus on the day-to-day reality, so here’s the deal as a three-part invention: 1. We have a developing relationship with the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), and I have over the past year come to understand what a great institution that is and how immensely talented its students are. So... how can we leverage that? 2. We have this great big multi-purpose space at...

The Call of the Open Road

The author of Camping Hints, T.J. Werle, camping in 1913 “Touring on a motorcycle and living by the way is a glorious sport. If one finds pleasure in living 'Close to Nature,' if one wishes to go about in a rugged, manly way, let him pack his tent aboard a motorcycle and live in the open.” Two men with two sidecar rigs camping in the desert, 1914 Roads and highways were built at a rapid pace in the teens and 1920s. Longer journeys, even cross-country trips, became possible for the adventurous motorcyclist. But road quality varied wildly, and places offering...

Hanging with the Band

Friday the 28th, we launched our new concert series, Country Rocks the City. In preparation for the kickoff, our event coordinator extraordinaire, Karen, was doling out assignments to the team. She pointed at me and said, “You’ve got the band!” That sounded like a pretty fun job to me—kind of like honorary band groupie for the day. The band was due to arrive at 1:00 and I had the rest of the day to show them around the museum. I met Craig, Tyler, Aaron and Jamie at the crossroads. After some quick hellos, we decided that lunch was the first...

“The Helmet Project” Kickoff

Last night we started what we expect to be an exciting journey. It’s going to be a quick trip, but I’m pretty sure we’re going to end up in an amazing place. In introducing what we’re calling “The Helmet Project,” I thought about trying to explain how we came up with the idea. But it’s a pretty convoluted tale. But thankfully, the wayward path often leads to a really good place, a place you’d have aimed for if you’d known it was there when you started. That’s where this one is going – a really good place- so I’m not...

A Family Affair

For the past few years I have been in contact with some very nice people from North Dakota, the Gullicksons. I happened to meet Greg and his father Ralph about 5 years ago at an antique meet in Minnesota. They told me their story of there 1914 Harley-Davidson twin that had been in their family’s possession since 1915. Ralph was a retired auto mechanics teacher in Minot and back in the 70’s he had retrieved the bike from the grainery on the homestead and restored the bike. Now with the help of his son Greg, they were restoring it once...

In the Hopper

Whew! I can’t believe that it is August already--where has the summer gone? Lately, I have been having those days where you get to work and the minute you look up, the day is over. I have a lot of things “in the hopper” as they like to say. I’m working on the plans for some really fun events, and I hope that you will come and check them out. Let me tell you about a few of them. My dad worked at John Deere for over 30 years, so when I heard we were talking about having vintage tractors...

Bike Night... Incognito!

Obviously, I have been to my fair share of bike nights this summer. I always have a great time giving away fun door prizes and of course, talking with riders. They share cool bikes and interesting stories that go right along with the bikes. I did begin to wonder though, are bike nights fun because I get to host them or are they fun on their own right? So a couple of weeks ago, I ditched my badge and my staff shirt and decided to attend bike night incognito. I met my friend, Nina, and we headed into Motor for...

Chalk up another success

Even the threat of strange and inclement weather was not enough to hold back this last Tuesday’s Car Night participants at the Harley-Davidson Museum. Then again, perhaps it was FOX 6’s Vince Condella and his steely meteorological glare that kept the rain at bay. Vince did the weather live from Car Night talking gas and oil with all those showing their cars. Chalk up another success for what is growing to be a fixture in Milwaukee’s classic and custom car scene. Oldsmobile, Chevy, Ford, Pontiac, Dodge – all the old standards were represented, but there are always a few unicorns...

Cruisin' on Canal

Yes! Tuesday night, the rays finally smiled down on us and we had an absolutely perfect evening for Car Night. I had a great time hosting the evening and what a fun night it was. Connie and Karen planned an amazing line up of cars and entertainment. As you cruised down Canal Street, you were greeted by the Porsche Club of America displaying their collection of gorgeous cars. Harley-Davidson's own Larry Miley, who works at the Product Development Center showed his 1988 Porsche and talked 20 of his club mates into doing the same. It was quite a sight to...

Calling All Knuckleheads!

It’s hard to believe that it has been one year since we have opened our door to the public for the first time. It seems like just yesterday we had finally found a suitable piece of property at 6th and Canal streets here in Milwaukee. In the past year we have been able to share this world class institution to hundreds of thousands people from all over the world. One of our most popular galleries is the clubs and competition gallery where the visitor gets to learn about motorcycle club activities from the golden age of motorcycling , the 1940’s....

I’m No Bill Rodencal, but...

So when I signed up to host one of our bike nights, the first thing I said was, “I’m no Bill Rodencal!” Those of you who attend Bike Night know Bill, who is quick to whip out a “winner winner chicken dinner” every now and then and is a popular host of our bike nights. I knew I would have my work cut out for me to keep up with his high standards. However, I got the rundown of my duties, a quick tutorial with our sound guy, Dan, I was ready to roll. One of the great things about...

Five Million Mile Monday

I am sure you all got the call to head out on June 29th for Five Million Mile Monday. The folks over at H.O.G. were so impressed by your participation last year; they were ready to raise the bar to the five million mile mark. Impressive goal -- but could it be done? Wanting to help the cause, the collective Museum folks put their heads together to figure out how we could do our part to encourage our riders to take to the road. Once the plan was put into place, Karen and I asked, but what can we, the...

From the Bricks to the Sticks

Take a group of riding buddies, a few Harley-Davidson bikes, an open road, a farm in the middle of nowhere and one missing chef and what do you have? Hogstock! Last weekend, I took my first motorcycle camping trip. A group of friends planned a ride from Milwaukee to Houston, Minnesota for some awesome riding and whole lot of fun. I grew up camping on the sandbars of the Mississippi River, but honestly, it has been a long time since I unrolled my sleeping bag. I wasn’t exactly sure I was cut out for this kind of motorcycling experience! Our...

Everyone was there….with Buells on!

What a fun night it was. Last Thursday night, the Harley-Davidson Museum hosted our friends from Buell for a Buell Homecoming event. Jim Fricke and his team put together an awesome display of Buell motorcycles in the garage. They pulled 10 bikes from the archives collection and some “vintage” Buell banners for the viewing pleasure of our Buell fans. We threw open the garage doors and invited everyone to come inside and have a look—and that was just for starters! Eric Schmitt was on hand tweeting and taking pictures for the new Buell Facebook page. Bill Rodencal was manning the...

Finding the Sun

While we have been a little weather challenged here in Wisconsin as of late, I recently got to see my old friend, Mr. Sun! This past weekend, I kicked off my own riding season with a trip out to sunny California. There, I hooked up with my friends at the Golden Gate HOG Chapter and as usual, they took me on some awesome rides. I got the whirlwind tour—riding the coast, the mountains, the redwood forests and beautiful Napa Valley. There were those fun twists and turns through the majestic redwood trees, the ups and downs of the mountains with...

A Salute to Those Who Serve

I have been surrounded by pilots my whole life. I have an uncle, brothers, cousins and friends who are all pilots and love the thrill of taking off for the skies. I have flown with them and know how the view from the sky gives you a whole new perspective on the world. I can see why they love it so much. During the holiday weekend, I always think of my cousin, Eric Z. who serves as pilot in U.S. Navy. He has dedicated his life to protecting all the things that we value most about this great country of...

One American Hero

As a museum curator, I have the privilege of being able to peruse materials that few people ever get the chance to handle. These artifacts might be really old, or rare, or valuable. Or, at first glance, they might seem like ordinary items—many of us may even have pieces like this in our own homes. But, artifacts truly can reveal a special, private insight into a particular event or someone’s life. Recently, I had the opportunity to look through some powerful materials in putting together the museum’s newest display, One American Hero, which is due to open this coming Friday,...

Riding Season—Kicked Off!

What a way to kick off the riding season! First Rumble began with an inspirational start on Saturday May 9. The gospel choir got us in the mood and Deacon Nick and the Rev got us thinking about all of our blessings. Then the fun really began! Our members enjoyed a great breakfast with Bill Davidson and members of the Harley-Davidson race teams. Andrew Hines and Eddie Krawiec definitely left their mark as they did a burn out in front of the Hill Climber statue. Make sure you check that out the next time you’re visiting the Museum — it’s...

It’s a go!

“I love it when a plan comes together...” That was the catch phase that Col. John “Hannibal” Smith would say on television's A-Team when the planets all aligned and things all fell into place. Things are falling into place around here for our first Thursday Bike Night at Motor Restaurant. In fact, I was just told that none other that biker favorite ‘Tuck Pence’ will be on the Patio this Thursday from 5:00-9:00pm to play all those classic road songs we love so much! Motor's own Chef Travis just got his new Custom Harley-Davidson Grill and will be whipping up...

Let’s Get Ready to Rumble

It’s been pretty busy here on the Museum campus. Trucks and trailers have been arriving all week unloading cool stuff. It’s been fun planning First Rumble and even better to see this party coming together. The demo fleet arrived on Tuesday and my buddy, Eric Dohr, and the demo staff unloaded and washed all of the bikes. I have to say there is nothing like a row of polished motorcycles just waiting to go for a ride. Yesterday, the sun was out, the temps were up and the temptation to ride was just too great. So, a bunch of the...

Women's Ride: Blaze Orange is the New Black

At least for me it is! Today, I got to be a part of the “landing team” for the Milwaukee Women’s Ride to the Museum. I donned my best blaze orange parking vest and grabbed my blaze orange parking flags, and headed out to the crossroads to greet the 300+ riders that signed up to ride. After a brief meeting, the landing team took our positions outside to get the ladies landed and parked on the Museum campus. We got the call that the ride had left Miller Park and would be arriving shortly. A crowd began to gather as...

Mom Still Rules the Kitchen

Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate Mothers everywhere, but in particular your own mother. Mothers have a way of making you feel special and warming your heart at the same time. One way my own Mom did this for me was through her food. I would like to share some of these fond memories with you. Mom knew the one way to wake me up in the morning and get me off to school was to whip up some of her famous biscuits and gravy. Getting me out of bed was no small feat either; I’m not an early...

Demo Doc

Last weekend, as I was firing up my motorcycle for the start of the riding season, I was thinking back to this time last year when I didn’t even own a bike! I found myself in that awkward stage of wanting a bike and not knowing which one would be right for me. I had taken Rider’s Edge, rented a Buell Blast a few times, and ridden my friend Kurt’s Sportster. I also went to my local dealership and sat on a lot of bikes there, but it wasn’t the same as actually being able to ride and feel the...

Life in the Fast Lane

It was last January when my coworker Jenny and I got a “you need to check this out” phone call from our boss. It was January in Milwaukee and we were in the midst of a 22 inch snow dump, so believe me when I say, no one had to ask me twice to head for the sunny skies of California. I found myself in Pomona, California looking for something called Acceleration Nation located in Nitro Alley. Little did I know that I was in the heart of drag racing country, and what an amazingly cool place to be in....

Snake Charmer?

When we began thinking about this really cool Indiana Jones bike that made its way into the collection. A group of us were brainstorming some different ideas to make it a fun experience for the folks who walk through our doors. As we were throwing out ideas, one that stuck to the wall was the idea of having live snakes in the Museum. Now, I have to be honest and tell you I am not a big fan of the snake. In fact, I really don’t like snakes very much at all, and generally speaking I don’t like being in...

Della Crewe – Where She Goes, Trouble Follows

At a time when even the hardiest of men would think twice about making a cross-country trip through nearly impassible roadways, a young woman was about to show them how it’s done. Della Crewe and "Trouble" at Juneau Avenue Miss Della Crewe, a native of Racine, Wisconsin, was an experienced traveler, having explored almost all of North America, Alaska and Panama. Her decision to try motorcycle travel came from a suggestion by her nephew during a visit to her hometown. After Della had remarked on the number of motorcycles she had observed, her nephew suggested that a motorcycle would be...

Fun, Fun, Fun

Till daddy takes the T-Bird away! Fun for all is what is happening this summer at the Harley-Davidson Museum - with a 20 acre site and parking for over 500 cars, we figured why limit the fun to motorcycles only? So, beginning on May 19th and continuing for the rest of the summer, the Harley-Davidson Museum brings you... Car Night! Fire up that Hot Rod, Rat Rod, or Daily Driver and head down to 5th and Canal Streets in Milwaukee for a night of fun! There will be food, music, friends and plenty of great rigs to check out! Whether...

The Rev.

There is a crazy cast of characters here at the Museum and without them; I assure you, I would not get anything done. I feel very lucky to get to work with so many talented folks. Some do their own blogs and I hope in this blog, I can introduce you to a few more of the people who make this place run like a well-oiled knucklehead. A few weeks ago, my partner in crime, Karen, and I were working on planning a bike blessing as part of our First Rumble event. I know that, to many bikers, a blessing...

Thrill Your Taste Buds

I remember my parents coming home with an Indiana Jones fedora for me in the mid 80’s. It even had the official Indiana Jones pin on the side. Boy, did they get their money’s worth out of a timeless classic. What young man didn’t want to be on an adventure like Indy and look cool doing it? Those are great memories for me. Now, with the opening of the Harley-Davidson Museum’s Indiana Jones exhibit, I have the opportunity to create delicious food around those childhood memories. “Don’t Call Me JR” Sliders, tasty mini beef burgers; Dr. Jones Bones, BBQ Baby...

You Do What?

Hi there! Let me introduce myself... I am Chris Kutsch and I have been working at Harley-Davidson for about two years now. I was pretty new to the world of motorcycling, but I took a Rider’s Edge Course and loved it! Last summer I bought my first motorcycle, a Dyna Street Bob, and I haven’t looked back since. I can’t believe I work in this amazing place and get to breathe in Harley-Davidson every day. Admittedly, I have this kinda goofy job title at the Museum. I am the Program Development Manager. When I tell people that, I get a...

Inside the Indiana Jones experience at the H-D Museum

We’re currently showing two of the motorcycles used in the movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in the museum. We get a lot of questions about these bikes; here are some of the answers. The bikes were customized for use in the film by Justin Kell of Glory Sales & Service Inc., in Los Angeles. Harley-Davidson provided the filmmakers, Lucasfilm, with five 2007 FLSTSC Softail Springer Classics, and Kell modified them to reflect the movie’s 1957 period setting, modeling them on post-WWII “Knuckleheads.” The most frequently asked question is “Why use new bikes rather than vintage...

Screw Winter, Let’s Ride!

Spring has not yet “sprung “here in Milwaukee, and it can’t happen soon enough for me. This winter has been exceptionally long and I am ready for it to be over! Unlike certain areas of the country, we don’t have a year long riding season and the snow and salt covered roads at times feel like they are never going to thaw. Everyone around the museum has the itch to get back on two wheels. Being surrounded by the greatest collection of motorcycles in the world all winter long doesn’t make it any easier! It’s like having a best friend...

Indy Bikes

I have a confession to make. I stole something. It was 1981. I was at the Spring Mall Theater in Greenfield. My friends were going to see a new movie called “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” I was up for it even though the title sounded lame to me. Raiders? Ark? I pictured a bunch of Vikings chasing poor Noah off his ark and eating all the animals. This was gonna suck. But at age 11 it didn’t matter. You did what your friends did and went where they went. Our world was small. As we sat in the cool...

Bob Stuth Movie Night - A family affair

If you were one of the 400+ in attendance, you already know this: Our first movie night was a fantastic success. Home movies, friends and relatives, popcorn and beer - what could be better. More than two dozen of Bob Stuth's extended family and friends showed up, converging on Milwaukee from all over the country. At motorcycle rallies it's customary to give a "Long Distance Award" for the rider(s) who travel the greatest distance to the rally. Our movie night Long Distance Award has to go to Steve from Carlsbad, CA, who showed up Friday night wearing his uncle Bob's...

Movie Night at the H-D Museum: The Bob Stuth Collection

One of the great things about working in the Harley-Davidson Archives building is that I’m just a quick stroll across the bridge from the museum. I and my staff regularly do tours and give gallery talks, but we can also just walk over and see what’s happening in the museum. I regularly meet fascinating people from all over the world, get wonderful feedback on our museum, and hear amazing tales of riding, camaraderie, and the cool stuff in garages, basements, and barns around the world. One afternoon during Harley-Davidson’s 105th Anniversary celebration, on my way back to my office after...

Get the best chili in Milwaukee at Motor and Cafe Racer!

Motor and Cafe Racer, restaurants at the Harley-Davidson Museum, won the People’s Choice Award for Best Chili at the 3rd annual Milwaukee Chili Bowl, sponsored by milwaukeefood.com. The coveted Golden Ladle was awarded to Motor and Cafe Racer for their Roadhouse Chili. Touted as Milwaukee’s Largest Chili Cookoff, Motor and Cafe Racer beat out more than 25 restaurants and 60 types of chili. Roadhouse Chili is served by the bowl at both Motor and Cafe Racer and is now available in 64 ounce convenient to-go containers for a limited time. Each container serves eight people for only $19.95. Phone orders...

Enter for a chance to win a Nightster® motorcycle at The Shop

During the Winter Chillabration at the Harley-Davidson Museum (going on now), we have a giveaway for a Nightster® motorcycle. Sure that’s fun, but how much do you really know about the Nightster? Let’s dig up some dirt on this bad boy. The Nightster is a Sportster® with a dark side. Bare-knuckle styling, with old school forked gaiters and a chopped rear fender. Low suspension for prowling those back alleys. Swift-kick-to-the-gut performance from its rubber-mounted 1200cc Evolution® V-Twin. The model we’re giving away comes from the motorcycle family that represented the 105th anniversary model year - but this bike has never...

“Chill” Out at the Harley-Davidson Museum

Think that a little (okay, a LOT of) cold and snow is going to slow things down at the Harley-Davidson Museum? Think again. We’ve got a “Winter Chillabration” going on - here’s what’s hot at the Museum while the weather’s cold. XR1200 Snow Sculpture To welcome the newest Harley-Davidson motorcycle, the XR1200, a team of snow sculptors will be creating an giant ice-and-snow version of the XR1200 on the Museum grounds over a three-day period starting at noon on Saturday, January 24. Milwaukee’s own Tom Queoff captains the USA Snow Sculpting Team and is lending his talents to capture a...