Exhibits at the Harley-Davidson Museum®

Harley-Davidson has always been on the front line-right next to the troops - from the factory workers in Milwaukee, Wis. who made specialized military bikes, to the soldiers who used them beginning in 1916 throughout WWII. The Harley-Davidson Museum, located in downtown Milwaukee, tells awe-inspiring veterans stories along with the Motor Company’s efforts to serve our country.

Government orders motorcycles for military use during 1916 US-Mexico border conflict

1916: The first formal order for military application was during the U.S.-Mexican border conflict of 1916. General John "Blackjack" Pershing was big into using new technologies and liked the motorcycle’s agility, ease of use and durability.

1917: The Harley-Davidson Quartermasters School began in 1917 as a facility in Milwaukee to train mechanics in the military. Known for decades afterward as the Service School, it still exists today as Harley-Davidson University, where motorcycle mechanics from Harley-Davidson dealerships around the country are trained on motorcycle service techniques.

Harley-Davidson motorcycle in use during World War I

1917-1918: About one-third of H-D’s production during World War I went to the military. Harley-Davidson motorcycles were used for a variety of wartime efforts, including courier and dispatch services.

1918: On November 12, 1918, Corporal Roy Holtz was the first American to enter Germany after World War I. Corporal Holtz rode into Germany on a Harley-Davidson; just one day after the Armistice was signed.

1919: Legendary boardtrack racer Otto Walker served as an aviation mechanic during WWI. After serving, he returned to motorcycle competition in 1919.

Supply runs being made on H-D motorcycles

1942-1945: During WWII, Harley-Davidson played an important role by supplying the United States and its allies with motorcycles, which helped the Motor Company to survive and allowed it to do its part for the Country. Harley-Davidson built a variety of motorcycles during World War II – such as the WLA, a Navy version of the Model U for Shore Patrol use and experimental XS with Sidecar. Almost 70,000 WLA bikes were produced with one-third sold to England and Russia as a part of the “Lend-Lease” agreement with the Allies. After the war, British WLA’s in good condition were repainted and sold in England.

Women working the production lines during the war

1942-1945: With large government contracts to fill, and many men away at war, Harley-Davidson hired women as a source of labor. Women operated light machinery and inspected and packaged spare parts.

1942-1945: Numerous servicemen wrote letters to The Enthusiast, the official magazine of Harley-Davidson, thanking H-D for keeping up with their frequent redeployment and getting them the latest issue.

1942 – 1945: Harley-Davidson wins the Army/Navy “E” Award for Excellence in Wartime Production for three consecutive years. The award was given to companies in honor of their contribution to the war effort.

1942: During WWII, Harley also produced the lesser-known XA model, designed for desert use. The government cancelled the contract after the war had moved out of North Africa, and the XA never saw action. Only about 1,110 were built and shipped.

Late 1940s: As soldiers returned from the war, many looked turned to motorcycling to help transition to home life. Veterans purchased surplus WLA’s and customized them with paint schemes and bobbed fenders to reflect a different look. Some soldiers wore military issue flight jackets giving way to the leather jackets we know today.

1965 – 1970: Soldiers and sailors, this time from Vietnam, write to the Enthusiast, stating how glad they’ll be to get back on the roads upon their return home.

1966: S/FC Byron Glass flies to Milwaukee one day after returning from Vietnam to pick up his new Sportster personally in Milwaukee. Sergeant Glass placed his order from a Saigon dealer, one of the longest “will call” orders ever placed for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle up to that time.

1967: Captain Jack Gravis, U.S. Air Force, takes delivery of his new FLH Electra Glide. According to Gravis, “ ‘If I ever get out of this alive, I’m going to buy the biggest, most beautiful motorcycle Harley-Davidson has ever built.’ That was my comment to no one in particular when I was sitting my life raft several hundred yards off shore in the Gulf of Tonkin after being shot down during a strike on North Vietnam.”

1995: The most recent military motorcycle manufactured is the MT500 which first saw action in the Falklands in 1982. The MT500 features blacked out lights and body components of composite plastic.

H-D employees are serving in the military around the world

2003 – Present: Dozens of Harley-Davidson employees are in service in all branches of the military, including the Guard and Reserve, in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

2008: Harley-Davidson coordinates flag signings around the country. Guests at events are encouraged to sign Harley-Davidson flags with messages wishing the troops well. The flags are sent to Iraq, Afghanistan and many other countries where service people are stationed.

2007 – 2009: Harley-Davidson donates more than $1,000,000 to the Disabled American Veterans and Mobile Service Office program. In prior years, support was also given to the Traveling Vietnam Wall, Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally, National Veterans Wheelchair Games and more. Harley-Davidson also supports our active duty troops deployed overseas by providing a quality of life benefit through our special overseas military sales purchase program through the base exchange systems.

Archive photo of female rider on her motorcycle

“A few years ago, a girl riding a motorcycle would cause a sensation, but today we see them going down the highway and operating their motor as it should be. We have clubs now that are composed entirely of girl riders; they thoroughly enjoy this grand sport.” - The Motorcyclist, June 1940

Women have been riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles since the early days of the sport. Seeking independence and driven by the desire to do something new and exciting, female riders took to the roads and haven’t looked back.

Since the 1980s, the number of women in motorcycling has increased greatly. More clubs exist than ever before, organizing events and providing camaraderie. Female riders continue to find inspiration in their motorcycles, the open road, and each other.

The Harley-Davidson Museum celebrates women riders in a new display that opened at the beginning of May. It features two unique bikes owned and ridden by female enthusiasts, along with clothing and other memorabilia that help to tell the story of women saddling up.

As you begin your tour of the Harley-Davidson Museum® you'll find yourself on the Museum's second floor staring down a line of bikes, three wide and 180 feet long. These bikes begin to tell the story of the company's first fifty years.

Each bike in the gallery was specifically chosen for its noteworthy heritage, as well as its unique expression of signature Harley-Davidson elements – beauty, performance, functionality and style.

Running along the east side of the second floor, you'll find five interconnected galleries designed to bring the first five decades of Harley-Davidson's rich and illustrious history to life.

Our story opens in the south-most gallery with the motorcycle that is often referred to as "Serial Number One." Dating back to the first years of the company, this is the oldest known Harley-Davidson® motorcycle in existence. Winding your way north through the galleries, the stories of the people, products, culture and history that made the Harley-Davidson Motor Company what it is today continue to unfold.

Highlighted stories include the launching of a global, independently-owned dealer network; the Motor Company's contribution to America's efforts in two world wars; the emergence of color and style in the mid-20s; and the not-to-be-ignored Knucklehead motorcycle that helped define the styling you know today.

Lined up three wide and nose-to-tail, this exhibit features bikes from the late 1940s to the present. These vehicles comprise the continuation of the motorcycle gallery which began on the upper level.

As you meander downstairs to continue your tour, you'll enter another set of galleries which feature some of Harley-Davidson's more recent history.

At the foot of the stairs sits a diorama recreating a window display from a 1951 Harley-Davidson® dealership. Making your way through the galleries, you'll experience some of Harley-Davidson's most successful and most challenging events of recent years – from the launch of the Sportster® model in 1957 to the merger with AMF in 1969.

Not to be missed is the three-screen video that tells the courageous story of all those involved in buying the company back from AMF in order to regain control of Harley-Davidson's destiny.

As you enter this gallery, it is impossible to miss the Exploded Bike display. Separated into a multitude of pieces, this 1940s Knucklehead is a mechanical drawing brought to life. The display highlights signature design and styling elements that define a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle.

Across the north wall resides our version of a "family tree." Set against a wall of orange, the engines on display illustrate the evolution of the Harley-Davidson engine from its earliest to its latest incarnation. Spread throughout the rest of the gallery, you will find interactive exhibits showcasing engine mechanics.

Within the frosted-glass walls of this gallery lie the testaments to Harley-Davidson's neverending drive towards uncompromising quality and design.

From a hand-written design notebook dating back to the 1940s, to the original clay styling prototype of the 2002 V-Rod® motorcycle, you can trace Harley-Davidson's design influence. This exhibit covers the early Engineering Departments as well as the first Styling Department formed in 1963 – all the way to today's Willie G. Davidson Product Development Center.

Competition is the theme for most of this gallery. Faster. Higher. Farther. Those were the words of the day. Standing thirteen feet tall, a replica section of board track sports five vintage Harley-Davidson® motorcycle racers. This exhibit accurately portrays the forty-five-degree board track curve that allowed racers, without brakes, to achieve top speeds of over 100 mph.

From board track racing and hillclimbs, to club rides and endurance events, this gallery pays tribute to the grassroots movements of the early twentieth century that revolved around the camaraderie, thrill-seeking and competitive spirit that drove the motorcycle culture of the day.

This gallery is dedicated to the personal expression and creativity that permeates the Harley-Davidson culture. While riders have been customizing their bikes since the early 1900s, it was not until after the Second World War that individuals started the customization movement we see today.

From stripped-down bikes to attire with attitude, these nonconformists unknowingly created an "outlaw" image. This small movement quickly turned into a cultural phenomenon thanks to Hollywood's sensationalizing storytelling machine. Make sure to see the "King Kong," a custom creation with two engines that measures nearly 13 feet long!

Boy on a motorcycle in the Experience Gallery

For some of you, this is the moment you've been waiting for. That's right, go ahead and swing your leg over one of the many motorcycles that inhabit the gallery.

Chosen for their diverse scale, feel the history, the bikes in this gallery are here for you to sit on, touch and admire. And while sitting in the saddle of one of these legendary rides, enjoy a video that allows you to experience the great roads of America and the camaraderie of riding that is at the heart of the Harley-Davidson experience.