My first Harley-Davidson was a black 1980 1200 sportster, 40 years later, I am still riding a Harley. When i retire this year at 62 I will ride my Harley all around America! This has been on my bucket list since I got the fever in 1980! I will buy another bike this time Harley touring bike, because of the long distance riding I plan on doing! God Bless Harley-Davison it is an American icon!
My first Harley-Davidson was my 1994 883 Sportster Deluxe which I still have. In 2015 I purchased a brand new FLHP Road King Police. I always wanted one. I have had 14 bikes and I must give Honorable mention to my 1976 Triumph T140V Bonneville 750 which won every road race for 10 consecutive years! I still have my Triumph but these days as I approach 67 this month I have nothing to prove. I just want to ride a dependable comfortable machine such as my Road King Police. Life is Good. Have a great riding year.
Thanks Grieg. The 14 motorcycles were purchased over 40 years from 1975 till 2015. I was a draftsman that worked very hard and became an Engineer (self taught). I still have 4 motorcycles. My 1976 Triumph T140V Bonneville, my 1994 Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster Deluxe, my 2012 Honda Shadow Aero 750 and my 2015 Harley-Davidson FLHP Road King Police.
PeterDad60 power to you, wish you health and many more years of riding. I’ve also been a life long rider, love my Road King. Started with British bikes went to Japanese and ended up with Harley for the past 20 years. All the bikes l’ve had have been reliable and good to me. Just takes proper maintenance and a little tlc. Enjoy your passion.
Got my first Harley Davidson last Saturday. 2007 Sportster 1200 Custom for a good price. My family has always had Harley Davidson motorcycles and that was the only thing I was going to get, just to keep it within the family.
I ride an FLH and one day i was on a ferry in Eastern Canada an older fellow in his 80s came to me looking at my bike with a big intriguing smile on his face. He looked at the badge on the tank and looked at me and said son you have a real bike. That alone had made me realize that as a kid he had always wanted a Harley. He told me i envy you young man. Since that day i have always been an even prouder Harley owner just for that reason. When a man double your age can relate to you as owning a brand says allot about your ride. No matter what anyone says it will be Harley till i cannot ride another mile. Like any make some were good some were bad and some are just waiting to be rated.
I've been riding some 35 years, rode Hondas (XL125, VFR750, CBR1100XX, GL1500) great bikes all, Suzukis (GT125) good bike, rode Aprilias (RSV Mille) feraking awesome ride. Bikes aren't just a machine, they're a way of life, they're an entry to a community (and not just the 1%). The AMF days were dark days for HD, I'd never of dreamed of even wanting an HD back then. I used to say: "Bikes are about going fast, cornering in a rush and stopping before you die! So Harleys don't accelerate, corner like a barge and only stop when you hit a wall. So why call them a bike?" (I'm a Brit we still refer to motorcycles as 'bikes'.) "It doesn't matter what you ride, so long as you ride!" but now I'm finally moving into Harleys (2020 FXLRS), HDs are good for my age, satisfy my desire to be an individual (they customize better and easier than any other bike), going forward I think they need to appeal to the younger market and that's going to need a MUCH cheaper sports bike which I think will require them to replace the air-cooled V-Twin, even Ducati have given up trying to race a V twin.
It's good to see the late Martin "Jack" Rosenblum (The Holy Ranger) at the top of his form here as the official Harley-Davidson historian. R.I.P. Martin . poet, blues guitarist, and all-around great guy.
@@ajshovel1 making fun of things, you don't have any reasonable arguments about... 🙄😂😂 Even if it is true. This means, the whole LGBTPTSD crew is riding a technically more advanced, more reliable, faster, more powerful, better equipped, less expensive, way better accelerating bike.
had two 76 Sportsters a bobber and a chopper I look back and wished I would never have sold them. The price I paid for them then, and what they cost now, not only fun and nostalgia, but a bargain, of coarse you need some wrenches, but that was fun doing your own repairs and cheaper too.
Its a funny comment , because thats my choice as well and i have a 1997 sporty , wife says i cant sell the sporty even if i get a road king , now thats love right there boys ....
Harley Davidson is the best and their a great example of tenacity, and ingenuity . However, there are a lot of people who make negative remarks about Harley Davidson. I would bet detractors don't know anything about them, nor have they ever ridden a Harley Davidson. I believe everyone should buy what they want But, they don't have the right to make judgements based on antiquated stereotypes. It's not 1975 anymore, it's 2018 and for the last twenty five years, Harley Davidson have been building premium bikes ever since.
I owned three AMF Harleys , all three 1976. (2) xlch Sportsters and one Electra Glide. They all leaked a bit and broke down a bit, but I learned to be a some what decent customizer and a mechanic. I could fix em at home, on the road or where ever. I owned (2) Triumph Bonnies from the 60's used and a two yr. old 69 Honda 750 four also and they broke down just as much. I learned a lot in those days. If I owned a bike now that didn't break down, I don't know what I'd do.
The Evo Sportster is the only reliable Harley made even to this day. Harley still will not change the design flaws of the unreliable twin cam motors and continue to sell them at outrageous prices and mask the problems with nice paint and chrome. I've had several twin cam Harleys and had problems with all of them, had 3 Sporty 1200's, they were all reliable, comfortable and ran circles around the overpriced and underpowered twin cams
@@jamesferrell9404 no they are not twin cam they have only one camshaft and it is gear-driven therefore you do not have the problems that a twin cam has with cam chain drive and tensioner
Over the last 40 years have rode a lot of different motorcycles. Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki. Got my first HD in 2008, a Electra glide custom. Now riding a 2016 Road Glide Ultra. I'll own a Harley until I'm too old to throw a leg over it.
I can't wrap my head around why so many people are ready to start a war over there preferences. Before un-social media you could disagree and still have no ill will against the other person.
"Made in England" was once a proud boast. It led to the demise of BSA, Norton, the original Triumph. Laziness and hubris leads to nowhere. The reborn Triumph and Ducati show how to succeed. Modern technology, nimbleness, quality, ambition. If HD didn't have its home market it would have been dead years ago. It needs to learn, and fast.
@@ajshovel1 Just look at HD now, they are not doing very well. In the past they were able to survive through government aid (import taxations on foreign bikes). And yes I love HD, just not their arrogance towards customers.
@@bartb7790 I think you make a good point....don't know that I'd call it arrogance, but back in the mid 80's when HD decided to go "all in" to help yuppies live out their fantasies, they had to know it was a fad with these folks and eventually, they'd die off, get old and quit riding, or move on to the next shiny object. They were selling a lot of bikes so I guess I can't blame them. They just abandoned their loyal base and their future, upcoming (young folks) loyal base. Tough call I guess.
That 1901 engine was a copy of a De Dion-Bouton engine, everybody copied this motor for it's light weight and reliability for the time.. they made 1 1/4 hp stock, but a racer modded one up and got six hp or so out of it, and put a solid rear axle , with ring and pinon gear ..(De Dion made trikes at this point), it's considered the first hot rod in history.. Guy's name was Louis Renault, the rest is history..
If you go out alone its considered self isolation , i approve go for a ride , i did and it was nice no cars or texting drivers ahhh , sorta felt like a dream but was a nice ride ...
We are allowed to go riding just stay out of groups and crowds. Nobody's being bothered by the police or the troopers and they have seen us on our bikes. So ride bothers and sisters ride ! Enjoy it!
You can thank China for all this virus crap. President Trump will hopefully move american manufacturing back to America the way it used to be before money trapping politicians like the clintons moved it over seas to line their pockets.
I started on a Yamaha XS650, then got a bolt, and now I’m on a dyna. I’ve also owned royal endured, dr650, boulevard, and a rebel. My dyna is hands down my favorite motorcycle I’ve ever ridden. It’s pure, its old school, and it feeds my soul far more than any other cruiser ever did. That’s why Harley riders, that get it, are so loyal.
i can give you a HD history...they started the company in 1903 and 115 years later are still building the same motorcycle...BTW what do all you die hard fans think of the great HD now that they are shutting down plants in US and moving production to china???
I realize this video seems to only focus on manufacturing here in America, but I was still hoping they would at least list Aermacchi in the timeline. I believe Harley Davidson invested in the company in 1960, which then gave Harley Davidson the ability to compete with the small Honda's mentioned in the documentary. Aermacchi was also able to give Harley Davidson it's ONLY world championships in 1974, '75 and '76. I know it's not the American engineering, but they were great machines and were possible because of Harley Davidson's support. A side note, when Harley Davidson sold Aermacchi, it was purchased by and became Cagiva, which went on to win many world championships. Too bad.
Evel Knievel had the best bike in the 1970s 750 but nobody could buy it and AMF had nothing to do with the building of that bike. My dad bought me a Honda after you look at the Honda quality compared to the Harley-Davidson quality of the dirt bike. What a shame because Evel Knievel was promoting Harley-Davidson but nobody should have bought those bikes back then
i just picked up another 1981 harley fxs low rider shovelhead. i have 2 1981 fxs now. each son will get one when i die. harleys are great machines you just have to do your maintenence on them.
Love my 2016 Ultra Limited, and I miss my 2001 Road king! Once you own a Harley, and only then, will you understand the feelings we share as a family. Keep your BMW’s and Honda’s. You guys sound like sewing machines going down the road. No one can hear you coming on your bike and therefore don’t notice you until it’s too late. Loud pipes save lives, baby!
I've ridden and owned a few. It was very "meh". Like trying to ride a bloated hippo. If you're into it though, good for you. Oh and if loud pipes save lives, just imagine what learning to ride that thing safely can do.
Once I was bit by the harley bug! Instantly transitioned from a sport bike to the Cadillac of the bikes (harley). Now I see what the big fuss is about!
Hello when I was 20 years old picked up 1950 FL Panhead 1500 bucks two years later took it all apart weld it up stress cracks Stress relieved the frame frisco where the lock used to be, hallcraft made Two custom 6 inch over stock springers the owner kept one I got the other extended the rocker inch and a half gave me a Cadillac ride and looked awesome Holdcraft spool no front brake fishtails custom-made seat triple stitch one solid piece of stitch leather ape hangers eyebrow highs no dangles hanging off my handlebars anyway 22 years later sold it because I got custody of my two kids just paid off my lawyer arrears IRS 1099 finish carpenter sold it got $8000 got me a place for me and my two kids now finishing up my hot rod afterwards may build another like mine except evo engine and trans. much more done to it but that’s all for now, One more thing when people think they know all about Harleys they’re puzzled ? they say to me how do you oil the upper end ? there’s no oil line going to the heads and the know it all dumbasses are opening their mouth then they say why are the heads oval in shape they know it all right check this out when I explained what’s up with this engine they got really pissed at me because they didn’t know anything just blabbermouth One pulled a big screwdriver on me, threaten to stick me I backed up lifted up my shirt that squash that, Punk ass know it all‘s. All they know is what they read in books no hands-on.🕶
My father was a harley, wont lie i still like them myself and wouldnt mind owning one. But my first bike was a 79 honda cb650 i learned the mechanics of a bike first hand, then a 82 cb750, then a honda rc51 super bike, and now a 84 cb650sc. I really like my older hondas how they ride and feel. I have ridden one harley it was nice but it felt off to me not having as much room to lean in curves ( or least didnt feel comfortable doing so) but if a chance ever came up and i had the cash id buy an oldee harley with out batting an eye
Good to see Uncle Bob alive and well. Getting struck by lightning is no joke. His nephew Bud should've rode a Harley from Spur to Pasadena instead of a Ford pickup.
@@randyhutchinson9910,.....Before Honda moved Gold Wing production to Japan in 2011, the Gold Wing DID have a higher percentage of North American parts in it than HD.
Harley Davidson is the biggest name in mortor cycling hands down , it seems to me that people who don't own one are the most haters , just don't understand why full grown adults carry on like children, just let it go
I knew i knew that guy from somewhere. turns out i know him from a lot of movies and tv. Dukes of hazzard, king of the hill, walker texas ranger, matlock, lonesome dove, mash just to name a few.
the buy back was the result of AMF bad management.....they ( the future buyers)didn't want it to go to bankruptcy.........which AMF stepped in in the late 60's and saved it from a bankruptcy....in the beginning...but AMF wanted quanity not quality.......sorry they are not telling the whole story
Also somewhat didn't give some credit to The Evo being developed while under the AMF banner. Quality did improve under AMF, but Harley Purists wouldn't recognize it.
I had a street bike for 6 months👎🏽. I Decided to traded in for a Harley Davidson, oh man... I can tell you I made the best decision ever. Now I'm a Harley Davidson family. 👊🏽
I still have my gsxr sixxer prep for race and yet, the only brand of motorcycle I ever kept buying is Harley I had 3 and to this day I still think all 3 is great choice, on my old man heritage now but still a beast in disguise lol
I've had 3 Japanese bikes--two Hondas and a Suzuki. Never had any problems to speak of with any of them. Never had a Harley, was never attracted to them. That doesn't mean they aren't good bikes. To each his own.
Did you get a harley eagle tat and socks and undies and a orange and black toothbrush and a gay hat like Willie G. and buy the required Ness billit stick ons?
@BBQ Nut I own 9 street bikes, currently 4 are HD's. Enjoy them all, but when you put big touring miles on they will cost serious $$ compared to the metric bikes to keep riding em. First 50k miles on most bikes are near trouble free, other than normal maintenance. See comparably few HD's over 100k still touring.
@@larryj8924 Wrong. Before the Evo, Harleys were designed to be worked on by their owners. There are tons of knuckles pans and shovels STILL on the road with MANY more miles than that.
Harley davidson motorcycles have went to many changes from engines to new technology within the motorcycles. And now in 2018 HD has a new engine/motor, new technology, new brakes, new lighting etc etc. But 2014 to 2018 HD can no longer lag in the technology department and/or keep older tech in their designs due to the competition leaping ahead causing harley davidson to play catch up or wait for governmental regulations to force change. Then there is the dealership network that are nothing more than money pimps who over price everything harley davidson selling bike above the MSRP. Once again HD is on top barely but the one thing spoken of now is the use of the outdated chain primary drive in lieu of a gear drive system that smoother, simpler, and less maintenance.
I think the apple pie analogy didn't work so well. A better one would have been as American as baseball or the NFL as both were created in the US. The guy on the motorcycle at 29:15 isnt even a biker, the photo was staged by a newspaper to give motorcycles and the MC's a bad rap.
I picked up a new 2021 Pan America 6 months ago and love it. Looking forward to when they build a sport tourer using that engine and the same Brembo brakes.
American iron all the way. The sad thing is Harley has gotten so full of themselves a lot of shops have closed. Cutters in Janesville Wisconsin sold and the new owners had to many shops already, or so I hear, so couldn't get a deal. My bike bought at Cutters with mods done right there. 23 years later that 98 low rider still run like a champ. Same for the shop in Princeton Illinois. Had some of the best mechanics you could find and I think it was at the time thee oldest Harley Davidson dealership in Illinois. Wasn't gonna give in to Harleys demands and closed the doors. Sad, but, I'm still a Harley rider.
"Harley could build more bikes... but they said they don't want to sacrifice quality." -- I wonder how many times he had to read that line during rehearsal without choking or laughing.
Well now it is Aug 2018, I started riding Harleys during the AMF days. Hey a little oil on the ground I got to be areal good bike wrencher. Then came the EVO. Yay. That is where they should have stopped.
why dont they get on with new technology like a 4 valve head overhead cam engine that flat puts it down with 200 plus hp then make it stop with oversized brake rotors and brembo calipers and lighten it up with drilled titanium bolts and aluminum frame with some state of art carbon fiber wheels and then they might be the leader of the pack vrooom vrooooom!!
why dont they put rocket engines on it, and wings, and giant robot arms, and solar panels, and fucking laser while they're at it, right!? You're literally 12.
If all those things were to happen then that would be the reason for me Not to buy Harley Davidson, I only like the old stuff anyway as it gives the modern world the middle finger....
There was/is an auxiliary fan mounted between the cylinders opposite the air cleaner carburetor area between the cylinders. Police bikes were set up with them that had to do slow traffic situations
American made?? Asian made shocks,forks,instruments, engine parts,carburetors,and fuel injection parts, stators,etc.,etc. Please do your homework people. You are making yourselves look stupid,and that makes me sad. Seriously.
There is a fair amount of , shall we say, "truth bending" and omissions in this so called documentary. I have to wonder how much HD "donated" to have this presentation made........
At 26:50 the guy rides into the camara man , lol you can see why you dont ride with a gun in your hand . And this guy fought for you , ya he most likely didnt live but he gave it all , of course after apologizing to the camara man ...
Interesting how everything always becomes an American invention when Americans talk about history (Pizza, Hamburger, the motor car, telephone, light bulb, etc...). HD did not invent the motorcycle as the video implies. The first motorcycle in its sense was steam powered and invented by a French guy named Pierre Michaux in 1869. The first bike with a combustion engine was constructed by the German Gottlieb Daimler in 1885 and was basically a test platform for the later built first motor wagon. The first series-production motorcycle which als really carried the German word "Motorrad™" was built in 1894 by the company Hildebrand & Wolfmüller in Munich (Germany). Neither HD was the inventor of the motorcycle, nor have they ever been the leader of the pack... Harleys didn't play any role in the world market before the end of WWII. Europe was dominated by the European brands and other markets basically didn't exist yet. After the war ended, they were exported along the American culture by the victors into the whole world, but never have been very popular, at least not in the places that I know. They were expensive, unreliable and of poor build quality, thus they always only served a niche market outside the US. Just like US cars. This has never changed. The quality got better in the 90s, but HD had decided to become a premium product. even more so abroad. In Europe the same models costed about 30-40% more compared to US prices. Up to today you pay more in Europe for an HD compared to the US. That's why at some point HD didn't allow dealers to sell new Harleys to people who could not prove, that they were US residents, since a huge grey export market for HDs had developed in the 80's and 90's. So, who is buying Harley outside the US? People with too much dispensable income and in need of a status symbol: lawyers, bankers,... or people who think they are (wannabe) bad ass and are in an MC. Do I like the HD motorcycles? Yup. I was thinking about buying one several times. A Road King Classic or a Softail Deluxe. Why didn't I do it? Too expensive and too much of a status symbol for dickheads. I went for a BMW instead... Different philosophy. More bang for the buck. Better quality. I don't care if some people are die-hard fans of a brand or if a company is doing some promotion video about its history. But when the facts are lied about like this... I have to say something.
I had an AMF Harley once, worst vehicle of any kind I've ever owned...my twin cam is much more reliable, but the bar it had to get over was pretty low...Lol!
The shameful thing about Harley and various other US manufacturers is their arrogance to be unconcerned with what is best and instead focus simply on the ability to sell ...I personally am ashamed to be an american when it comes to motorcycles ....Harley by now SHOULD dominate or at least be in the top running in every genre of motorcycling but they just don't care ....and I don't think they even will care until they get the diagnosis of terminal ailment ....Big vee twin cruisers ...sucking of the bad asks chopper biker image? I think? Is DOOMED to extinction....F#(K Harley Davidson until they actually begin to CARE about something other than one fad ....chickenshit business model if you ask me ...they have enjoyed immense profit NOT by continuing to be world innovators but simply for a long running fad and much ignorance in the US market
My first Harley-Davidson was a black 1980 1200 sportster, 40 years later, I am still riding a Harley. When i retire this year at 62 I will ride my Harley all around America! This has been on my bucket list since I got the fever in 1980! I will buy another bike this time Harley touring bike, because of the long distance riding I plan on doing! God Bless Harley-Davison it is an American icon!
The dedication of a Harley owner has no bounds. Have you ever seen anybody with a Honda tattoo?
I did see a guy with a Gold Wing tattoo on his calf.
You won't see a Honda tattoo. Honda owners can remember what they ride even when drunk.
hard to compare Harley with Honda.. Harley never made cars..
Yes my wife Rhonda has one that says, my name is Rhonda and I'm fonda Honda.
just shows your Trumplike IQ thick as two short planks
My first Harley-Davidson was my 1994 883 Sportster Deluxe which I still have. In 2015 I purchased a brand new FLHP Road King Police. I always wanted one. I have had 14 bikes and I must give Honorable mention to my 1976 Triumph T140V Bonneville 750 which won every road race for 10 consecutive years! I still have my Triumph but these days as I approach 67 this month I have nothing to prove. I just want to ride a dependable comfortable machine such as my Road King Police. Life is Good. Have a great riding year.
Thanks Grieg. The 14 motorcycles were purchased over 40 years from 1975 till 2015. I was a draftsman that worked very hard and became an Engineer (self taught). I still have 4 motorcycles. My 1976 Triumph T140V Bonneville, my 1994 Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster Deluxe, my 2012 Honda Shadow Aero 750 and my 2015 Harley-Davidson FLHP Road King Police.
PeterDad60 power to you, wish you health and many more years of riding. I’ve also been a life long rider, love my Road King. Started with British bikes went to Japanese and ended up with Harley for the past 20 years. All the bikes l’ve had have been reliable and good to me. Just takes proper maintenance and a little tlc.
Enjoy your passion.
Got my first Harley Davidson last Saturday. 2007 Sportster 1200 Custom for a good price. My family has always had Harley Davidson motorcycles and that was the only thing I was going to get, just to keep it within the family.
I ride an FLH and one day i was on a ferry in Eastern Canada
an older fellow in his 80s came to me looking at my bike with
a big intriguing smile on his face. He looked at the badge on the tank
and looked at me and said son you have a real bike. That alone had made me
realize that as a kid he had always wanted a Harley. He told me i envy
you young man. Since that day i have always been an even prouder Harley owner
just for that reason. When a man double your age can relate to you as owning a brand
says allot about your ride. No matter what anyone says it will be Harley till i cannot
ride another mile. Like any make some were good some were bad and some are just
waiting to be rated.
Newfoundland ferry? Pei ferry? Canadians love Harleys! I get compliments on mine all the time, I love it and I love the bike!
Awesome vintage clips in this video. The main reason I watch it every few years.
Took me 51 years to afford one , got my 2005 wide glide in july .... f ing love it.
I've been riding some 35 years, rode Hondas (XL125, VFR750, CBR1100XX, GL1500) great bikes all, Suzukis (GT125) good bike, rode Aprilias (RSV Mille) feraking awesome ride. Bikes aren't just a machine, they're a way of life, they're an entry to a community (and not just the 1%).
The AMF days were dark days for HD, I'd never of dreamed of even wanting an HD back then. I used to say:
"Bikes are about going fast, cornering in a rush and stopping before you die! So Harleys don't accelerate, corner like a barge and only stop when you hit a wall. So why call them a bike?" (I'm a Brit we still refer to motorcycles as 'bikes'.)
"It doesn't matter what you ride, so long as you ride!" but now I'm finally moving into Harleys (2020 FXLRS), HDs are good for my age, satisfy my desire to be an individual (they customize better and easier than any other bike), going forward I think they need to appeal to the younger market and that's going to need a MUCH cheaper sports bike which I think will require them to replace the air-cooled V-Twin, even Ducati have given up trying to race a V twin.
Kind of like the dark days of Obama
It's good to see the late Martin "Jack" Rosenblum (The Holy Ranger) at the top of his form here as the official Harley-Davidson historian. R.I.P. Martin . poet, blues guitarist, and all-around great guy.
Very nice .Learned a lot. Enjoyable to watch
Watched the whole beautiful documentary!
I'm so glad to have a Honda
So is the whole LGBTQ community!!! Congrats!!
@@ajshovel1 what's wrong with a honda?
@@Mr_Fancypants There's a whole alphabet that says "not a thing".
Mr. Fancypants it's not a Harley.
@@ajshovel1 making fun of things, you don't have any reasonable arguments about... 🙄😂😂
Even if it is true. This means, the whole LGBTPTSD crew is riding a technically more advanced, more reliable, faster, more powerful, better equipped, less expensive, way better accelerating bike.
God bless America and Harley Davidson!! Can I get an amen!!!
1975 sporty Amen !!!!
Started riding HD since the 70s. Probably ride till I die.
Love my 2001 Sportster.. hope to get a new Road King one day.
had two 76 Sportsters a bobber and a chopper I look back and wished I would never have sold them. The price I paid for them then, and what they cost now, not only fun and nostalgia, but a bargain, of coarse you need some wrenches, but that was fun doing your own repairs and cheaper too.
Its a funny comment , because thats my choice as well and i have a 1997 sporty , wife says i cant sell the sporty even if i get a road king , now thats love right there boys ....
@@stephend9087 qqqqqqqqq...
....,
......
....
Buyers market now. Best time for used bikes
Harley Davidson is the best and their a great example of tenacity, and ingenuity . However, there are a lot of people who make negative remarks about Harley Davidson. I would bet detractors don't know anything about them, nor have they ever ridden a Harley Davidson. I believe everyone should buy what they want But, they don't have the right to make judgements based on antiquated stereotypes. It's not 1975 anymore, it's 2018 and for the last twenty five years, Harley Davidson have been building premium bikes ever since.
That's just it, people don't understand the difference between premium and run of the mill.
My God man up and stop being a goddamn Fanboy for god sakes
1975 sporty love it !!!! .
After my 2016 HD spent tons of time in shop (check engine light, peeling chrome, and bad clutch) I switched to (new) Indian. Amazing ride!!
@Jim Mason Harley is the one that has flown pistons and cam chain problems not Hodges or any of the other Japanese manufacturers
I owned three AMF Harleys , all three 1976. (2) xlch Sportsters and one Electra Glide. They all leaked a bit and broke down a bit, but I learned to be a some what decent customizer and a mechanic. I could fix em at home, on the road or where ever. I owned (2) Triumph Bonnies from the 60's used and a two yr. old 69 Honda 750 four also and they broke down just as much. I learned a lot in those days. If I owned a bike now that didn't break down, I don't know what I'd do.
7:27 That picture is beautiful to me.
Hero stuff.
The Evo Sportster is the only reliable Harley made even to this day. Harley still will not change the design flaws of the unreliable twin cam motors and continue to sell them at outrageous prices and mask the problems with nice paint and chrome. I've had several twin cam Harleys and had problems with all of them, had 3 Sporty 1200's, they were all reliable, comfortable and ran circles around the overpriced and underpowered twin cams
I have a 1340 Evo are they twin cams?
@@jamesferrell9404 no they are not twin cam they have only one camshaft and it is gear-driven therefore you do not have the problems that a twin cam has with cam chain drive and tensioner
Over the last 40 years have rode a lot of different motorcycles. Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki. Got my first HD in 2008, a Electra glide custom. Now riding a 2016 Road Glide Ultra. I'll own a Harley until I'm too old to throw a leg over it.
Amen !!!!
Very well put together nice show...!
How about the Aermacchi-HD and the HD Cagiva ventures? No mention of them? Bit of a shame isn’t it.
DUO GLIDE!!......Watch out for that Edsel making a left hand turn!
I can't wrap my head around why so many people are ready to start a war over there preferences. Before un-social media you could disagree and still have no ill will against the other person.
Cuz people are miserable in their own skin.
Emotional children.
It wasn't a garage... it was a SHED! lol
"Made in England" was once a proud boast. It led to the demise of BSA, Norton, the original Triumph. Laziness and hubris leads to nowhere. The reborn Triumph and Ducati show how to succeed. Modern technology, nimbleness, quality, ambition. If HD didn't have its home market it would have been dead years ago. It needs to learn, and fast.
Well, they've made it well over 100 years without your advise. I think they'll be alright. And if not, you can say "I told you so!"
@Jay Attard Just stating an absolute fact. And BTW, stubbornness like mine kept the brand afloat in some very lean time youngster.
@@ajshovel1 Just look at HD now, they are not doing very well. In the past they were able to survive through government aid (import taxations on foreign bikes). And yes I love HD, just not their arrogance towards customers.
@@bartb7790 I think you make a good point....don't know that I'd call it arrogance, but back in the mid 80's when HD decided to go "all in" to help yuppies live out their fantasies, they had to know it was a fad with these folks and eventually, they'd die off, get old and quit riding, or move on to the next shiny object. They were selling a lot of bikes so I guess I can't blame them. They just abandoned their loyal base and their future, upcoming (young folks) loyal base. Tough call I guess.
That 1901 engine was a copy of a De Dion-Bouton engine, everybody copied this motor for it's light weight and reliability for the time.. they made 1 1/4 hp stock, but a racer modded one up and got six hp or so out of it, and put a solid rear axle , with ring and pinon gear ..(De Dion made trikes at this point), it's considered the first hot rod in history.. Guy's name was Louis Renault, the rest is history..
Love my road king!!
92,500 USA miles on my 2003, still running mech cam chain tensioners. Just put in set 3
I forgot what it was like to go out and ride my bike with these stay at home orders, thanks alot 2020
If you go out alone its considered self isolation , i approve go for a ride , i did and it was nice no cars or texting drivers ahhh , sorta felt like a dream but was a nice ride ...
We are allowed to go riding just stay out of groups and crowds. Nobody's being bothered by the police or the troopers and they have seen us on our bikes. So ride bothers and sisters ride ! Enjoy it!
You can thank China for all this virus crap. President Trump will hopefully move american manufacturing back to America the way it used to be before money trapping politicians like the clintons moved it over seas to line their pockets.
I’m a late bloomer, I got my 883XL(02) on July 11, 2020 my rebirth
I started on a Yamaha XS650, then got a bolt, and now I’m on a dyna. I’ve also owned royal endured, dr650, boulevard, and a rebel.
My dyna is hands down my favorite motorcycle I’ve ever ridden. It’s pure, its old school, and it feeds my soul far more than any other cruiser ever did. That’s why Harley riders, that get it, are so loyal.
i can give you a HD history...they started the company in 1903 and 115 years later are still building the same motorcycle...BTW what do all you die hard fans think of the great HD now that they are shutting down plants in US and moving production to china???
Hope china keep sending hd parts here ,
I realize this video seems to only focus on manufacturing here in America, but I was still hoping they would at least list Aermacchi in the timeline. I believe Harley Davidson invested in the company in 1960, which then gave Harley Davidson the ability to compete with the small Honda's mentioned in the documentary. Aermacchi was also able to give Harley Davidson it's ONLY world championships in 1974, '75 and '76. I know it's not the American engineering, but they were great machines and were possible because of Harley Davidson's support. A side note, when Harley Davidson sold Aermacchi, it was purchased by and became Cagiva, which went on to win many world championships. Too bad.
Just bought my first HD, 2010 softail, hope it lives up to the hype.
Did it?
Evel Knievel had the best bike in the 1970s 750 but nobody could buy it and AMF had nothing to do with the building of that bike. My dad bought me a Honda after you look at the Honda quality compared to the Harley-Davidson quality of the dirt bike. What a shame because Evel Knievel was promoting Harley-Davidson but nobody should have bought those bikes back then
TELEVISIONARCHIVES Ouch
You have NO idea what you are talking about.
i just picked up another 1981 harley fxs low rider shovelhead. i have 2 1981 fxs now. each son will get one when i die. harleys are great machines you just have to do your maintenence on them.
Barry Corbin is the perfect narrator...
below james earl jones and morgan freeman.
for this piece of work anyway.
Love my 2016 Ultra Limited, and I miss my 2001 Road king! Once you own a Harley, and only then, will you understand the feelings we share as a family. Keep your BMW’s and Honda’s. You guys sound like sewing machines going down the road. No one can hear you coming on your bike and therefore don’t notice you until it’s too late. Loud pipes save lives, baby!
Try South East Asian road.
I've ridden and owned a few. It was very "meh". Like trying to ride a bloated hippo. If you're into it though, good for you.
Oh and if loud pipes save lives, just imagine what learning to ride that thing safely can do.
Only ignorant fool will compare BMW´s and Honda. two completely different bikes and styles.
Riding skills saves youre ass
@@KuopioKallavesi its all jam crap! Keep it in One hung low
Really sad about having sold my 883 Sport 100 Years Anniversary...
It would take a lot for me to sell mine 2001 883 .had it 17 years and it still looks new lol ..
What year did this come out and who is the narrator? He looks familiar.
Once I was bit by the harley bug! Instantly transitioned from a sport bike to the Cadillac of the bikes (harley). Now I see what the big fuss is about!
Ain't that weird ? I got tons of army buddy that
rides all import bikes like busa and Ducati
Once they get on a Harley they have 2 each now lol
+MotorPsycho yes sir! had a sportster at first then bumped up to a V-rod. ride once and your hooked
MotorPsycho just retired after ten years in Army and bought a sweet Wideglide.
@Pistanbroke Your username tells us all we need to know about your anti-Harley comment.
Hello when I was 20 years old picked up 1950 FL Panhead 1500 bucks two years later took it all apart weld it up stress cracks Stress relieved the frame frisco where the lock used to be, hallcraft made Two custom 6 inch over stock springers the owner kept one I got the other extended the rocker inch and a half gave me a Cadillac ride and looked awesome Holdcraft spool no front brake fishtails custom-made seat triple stitch one solid piece of stitch leather ape hangers eyebrow highs no dangles hanging off my handlebars anyway 22 years later sold it because I got custody of my two kids just paid off my lawyer arrears IRS 1099 finish carpenter sold it got $8000 got me a place for me and my two kids now finishing up my hot rod afterwards may build another like mine except evo engine and trans. much more done to it but that’s all for now, One more thing when people think they know all about Harleys they’re puzzled ? they say to me how do you oil the upper end ? there’s no oil line going to the heads and the know it all dumbasses are opening their mouth then they say why are the heads oval in shape they know it all right check this out when I explained what’s up with this engine they got really pissed at me because they didn’t know anything just blabbermouth One pulled a big screwdriver on me, threaten to stick me I backed up lifted up my shirt that squash that, Punk ass know it all‘s. All they know is what they read in books no hands-on.🕶
??? that's a long run on sentence that made no sense
Made sense to me a real man that supports his kids.
ILike Harley - Davidson Motorcycles ✊Full power Harley -Davidsons in the world
My father was a harley, wont lie i still like them myself and wouldnt mind owning one. But my first bike was a 79 honda cb650 i learned the mechanics of a bike first hand, then a 82 cb750, then a honda rc51 super bike, and now a 84 cb650sc. I really like my older hondas how they ride and feel. I have ridden one harley it was nice but it felt off to me not having as much room to lean in curves ( or least didnt feel comfortable doing so) but if a chance ever came up and i had the cash id buy an oldee harley with out batting an eye
13:20 bill Goldberg entrance music lol
ya wtf lol
I've instantly shouted 'GOOOOLDBERG GOOOOOLDBERG'
@@yuroichi6418 yahoooo
Great video
i wonedring if this is on dvd somewhere
Yes it is. I got mine from Amazon.
Cool Video
Good to see Uncle Bob alive and well. Getting struck by lightning is no joke. His nephew Bud should've rode a Harley from Spur to Pasadena instead of a Ford pickup.
The Gold Wing has more American made parts than any of the HDs now.
YTRulesFromNM no it doesn't
@@randyhutchinson9910,.....Before Honda moved Gold Wing production to Japan in 2011, the Gold Wing DID have a higher percentage of North American parts in it than HD.
Yeah everything is made overseas now cheap parts cheap labor
Harley Davidson is the biggest name in mortor cycling hands down , it seems to me that people who don't own one are the most haters , just don't understand why full grown adults carry on like children, just let it go
Is the narrator the same actor that plays the angry old man in the TV show, Anger Management?
forzared101 it is the same guy
forzared101 yes
forzared101 Anger Management is a movie.
I knew i knew that guy from somewhere. turns out i know him from a lot of movies and tv. Dukes of hazzard, king of the hill, walker texas ranger, matlock, lonesome dove, mash just to name a few.
I know him from Red Alert 2
Dam, I’m related to Wilbur, Arthur, and Walter from Scotland .
the buy back was the result of AMF bad management.....they ( the future buyers)didn't want it to go to bankruptcy.........which AMF stepped in in the late 60's and saved it from a bankruptcy....in the beginning...but AMF wanted quanity not quality.......sorry they are not telling the whole story
Also somewhat didn't give some credit to The Evo being developed while under the AMF banner. Quality did improve under AMF, but Harley Purists wouldn't recognize it.
@@crotaflyingsolo4759 "Quality did improve under AMF"????? Who told you that? You certainly didn't experience it.
Thank you
I had a street bike for 6 months👎🏽. I Decided to traded in for a Harley Davidson, oh man... I can tell you I made the best decision ever. Now I'm a Harley Davidson family. 👊🏽
I still have my gsxr sixxer prep for race and yet, the only brand of motorcycle I ever kept buying is Harley I had 3 and to this day I still think all 3 is great choice, on my old man heritage now but still a beast in disguise lol
I've had 3 Japanese bikes--two Hondas and a Suzuki. Never had any problems to speak of with any of them. Never had a Harley, was never attracted to them. That doesn't mean they aren't good bikes. To each his own.
Did you get a harley eagle tat and socks and undies and a orange and black toothbrush and a gay hat like Willie G. and buy the required Ness billit stick ons?
@BBQ Nut I own 9 street bikes, currently 4 are HD's. Enjoy them all, but when you put big touring miles on they will cost serious $$ compared to the metric bikes to keep riding em. First 50k miles on most bikes are near trouble free, other than normal maintenance. See comparably few HD's over 100k still touring.
@@larryj8924 Wrong. Before the Evo, Harleys were designed to be worked on by their owners. There are tons of knuckles pans and shovels STILL on the road with MANY more miles than that.
Didn't expect to see a young Jay lino in this. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since he has hundreds of motorcycles.
Madcatdave He has as much Japanese as Harleys
You might wanna research that, Einstein
Harley davidson motorcycles have went to many changes from engines to new technology within the motorcycles. And now in 2018 HD has a new engine/motor, new technology, new brakes, new lighting etc etc. But 2014 to 2018 HD can no longer lag in the technology department and/or keep older tech in their designs due to the competition leaping ahead causing harley davidson to play catch up or wait for governmental regulations to force change.
Then there is the dealership network that are nothing more than money pimps who over price everything harley davidson selling bike above the MSRP. Once again HD is on top barely but the one thing spoken of now is the use of the outdated chain primary drive in lieu of a gear drive system that smoother, simpler, and less maintenance.
Love my primary drive
awesome video
some of the street bikes are awesome, I don't really fall into the stupid us agents them hype but I'll only buy Harley.
'us agents'? or is it 'us against them'? Maybe it's kind of the same thing.
If Harley Davidson builds a good bike, I will probably buy one. They got rid of the VRod and BUEL so that only leaves crap!
I think the apple pie analogy didn't work so well. A better one would have been as American as baseball or the NFL as both were created in the US. The guy on the motorcycle at 29:15 isnt even a biker, the photo was staged by a newspaper to give motorcycles and the MC's a bad rap.
They've simply" rode it to the wheels fell off" and now the party's over.
I picked up a new 2021 Pan America 6 months ago and love it. Looking forward to when they build a sport tourer using that engine and the same Brembo brakes.
American iron all the way. The sad thing is Harley has gotten so full of themselves a lot of shops have closed. Cutters in Janesville Wisconsin sold and the new owners had to many shops already, or so I hear, so couldn't get a deal. My bike bought at Cutters with mods done right there. 23 years later that 98 low rider still run like a champ. Same for the shop in Princeton Illinois. Had some of the best mechanics you could find and I think it was at the time thee oldest Harley Davidson dealership in Illinois. Wasn't gonna give in to Harleys demands and closed the doors. Sad, but, I'm still a Harley rider.
"Harley could build more bikes... but they said they don't want to sacrifice quality." -- I wonder how many times he had to read that line during rehearsal without choking or laughing.
Why didn’t they mention Aermacchi?
The guy @ 26:50 runs into the camera man! 😆
Is that Maurice from Northern Exposure ?
Yes
I miss that tv show
Harley use to be American as apple pie. Not anymore. Parts are made all over the world including in Asia.
so,s your washing machine ,lawn mower, air condition, tv, phone, etc....
@@jeanlau4988 yup, and usually by the lowest bidder.
Well now it is Aug 2018, I started riding Harleys during the AMF days. Hey a little oil on the ground I got to be areal good bike wrencher. Then came the EVO. Yay. That is where they should have stopped.
You don't like the twin cam 96 or 103? Those are great motors
bullshit twin cans are fucking junk motors!
@@camgnilpe9300 96 twin cam with 35,000 miles. No issues.
why dont they get on with new technology like a 4 valve head overhead cam engine that flat puts it down with 200 plus hp then make it stop with oversized brake rotors and brembo calipers and lighten it up with drilled titanium bolts and aluminum frame with some state of art carbon fiber wheels and then they might be the leader of the pack vrooom vrooooom!!
why dont they put rocket engines on it, and wings, and giant robot arms, and solar panels, and fucking laser while they're at it, right!? You're literally 12.
If all those things were to happen then that would be the reason for me Not to buy Harley Davidson, I only like the old stuff anyway as it gives the modern world the middle finger....
How are air-cooled motorcycles going to operate in city traffic? I want an Electra Glide but it has to be liquid-cooled .
There was/is an auxiliary fan mounted between the cylinders opposite the air cleaner carburetor area between the cylinders. Police bikes were set up with them that had to do slow traffic situations
God bless American made muscle.
American made?? Asian made shocks,forks,instruments, engine parts,carburetors,and fuel injection parts, stators,etc.,etc. Please do your homework people. You are making yourselves look stupid,and that makes me sad. Seriously.
'Murica. HD. Huge guts. Apple pie. God. Cheap beer. Guns. 'Murica. 🇺🇸
TOTALLY AWESOME!!!!
Cannot really follow Fonda's comment, still no acknowledgement to Hardy&Vaughs apparantly.
I know right! He didn't build anything, he's not a mechanic, he's barely an actor
WTF General Ben Carville from Red Alert 2!
parts accessories made in china, including, leathers,pants,,,,,,etc etc....
Better than not being made at all
@@OzBloke damn right
If you snowflakes stop bellyaching about the mistreatment of animals. maybe we can produce USA made leathers.
There is a fair amount of , shall we say, "truth bending" and omissions in this so called documentary. I have to wonder how much HD "donated" to have this presentation made........
they probably donated a lot fool...its a Harley presentation....what's the truth bending genius?
Norman May Ouch
'Murica. HD. Huge guts. Apple pie. God. Cheap beer. Guns. 'Murica. 🇺🇸 /s
jrb17bomber Everything great. Thanks for the recap!
Joseph Marton we
Ride On. 🇩🇪
Harley Davidson's heritage and legacy are her future..........Truer words have never been spoken.
Anyone else here Goldberg at 13:24
At 26:50 the guy rides into the camara man , lol you can see why you dont ride with a gun in your hand . And this guy fought for you , ya he most likely didnt live but he gave it all , of course after apologizing to the camara man ...
Interesting how everything always becomes an American invention when Americans talk about history (Pizza, Hamburger, the motor car, telephone, light bulb, etc...). HD did not invent the motorcycle as the video implies. The first motorcycle in its sense was steam powered and invented by a French guy named Pierre Michaux in 1869. The first bike with a combustion engine was constructed by the German Gottlieb Daimler in 1885 and was basically a test platform for the later built first motor wagon. The first series-production motorcycle which als really carried the German word "Motorrad™" was built in 1894 by the company Hildebrand & Wolfmüller in Munich (Germany). Neither HD was the inventor of the motorcycle, nor have they ever been the leader of the pack...
Harleys didn't play any role in the world market before the end of WWII. Europe was dominated by the European brands and other markets basically didn't exist yet. After the war ended, they were exported along the American culture by the victors into the whole world, but never have been very popular, at least not in the places that I know. They were expensive, unreliable and of poor build quality, thus they always only served a niche market outside the US. Just like US cars. This has never changed. The quality got better in the 90s, but HD had decided to become a premium product. even more so abroad. In Europe the same models costed about 30-40% more compared to US prices. Up to today you pay more in Europe for an HD compared to the US. That's why at some point HD didn't allow dealers to sell new Harleys to people who could not prove, that they were US residents, since a huge grey export market for HDs had developed in the 80's and 90's.
So, who is buying Harley outside the US? People with too much dispensable income and in need of a status symbol: lawyers, bankers,... or people who think they are (wannabe) bad ass and are in an MC.
Do I like the HD motorcycles? Yup. I was thinking about buying one several times. A Road King Classic or a Softail Deluxe. Why didn't I do it? Too expensive and too much of a status symbol for dickheads. I went for a BMW instead... Different philosophy. More bang for the buck. Better quality.
I don't care if some people are die-hard fans of a brand or if a company is doing some promotion video about its history. But when the facts are lied about like this... I have to say something.
America may not have invented it but we perfected it and every motorcycle company on the plants is measured against Harley-Davidson.
@@lisar3006 Haha. Good one! :)
I'm on my 3rd Harley-Davidson would not own any other
I had an AMF Harley once, worst vehicle of any kind I've ever owned...my twin cam is much more reliable, but the bar it had to get over was pretty low...Lol!
Yes I love my Harley but for the price of it they could have put seat that doesn't feel like a big rock
Is it bad if I want a Harley
Ride What you want to ride
No, it is really good.
Nicely done vid though
The shameful thing about Harley and various other US manufacturers is their arrogance to be unconcerned with what is best and instead focus simply on the ability to sell ...I personally am ashamed to be an american when it comes to motorcycles ....Harley by now SHOULD dominate or at least be in the top running in every genre of motorcycling but they just don't care ....and I don't think they even will care until they get the diagnosis of terminal ailment ....Big vee twin cruisers ...sucking of the bad asks chopper biker image? I think? Is DOOMED to extinction....F#(K Harley Davidson until they actually begin to CARE about something other than one fad ....chickenshit business model if you ask me ...they have enjoyed immense profit NOT by continuing to be world innovators but simply for a long running fad and much ignorance in the US market
I do too I started on a 77 sportster
First to be last 4 valve engine.
Cuts rose scents ??????
And here they are again facing another downturn. Over priced and market saturation.
I wouldn't buy anything but a Harley !! I have my 2020 Softail and loving it !!
Hosted by Barry Corbin A.K.A Gen. Ben Carville
As the saying goes: " Buying my first Harley was a happy day, but the happiest day was selling it"
what derelict came up with that bullshit?
@@martincvitkovich724 Had to have been a RUB!!
Not me. I own two. Never had a problem. I doubt you've ever owned, but maybe your husband did.
Fool !!!!
Never heard that one before. I've heard that about owning a boat though.
Last time I cared what Peter Fonda had to say was🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔fuckin never!
On a sport bike you want to eat up road, on a Harley Davidson,...you OWN the road.
Until Janice rolls over you in her SUV while putting on her makeup.
I would rather stay home than ride anything other than my Harley!
I agree.
Ditto Jeff!!
I'd rather give up riding than ride a Harley.
Just my opinion!
Jeff Fowler - I would rather stay home than ride a Harley!
I'd ride anything with 2 wheels. But i prefer my fxdf
Within the first 49 seconds there were already at least three incorrect statements ..
SPEED KILLS Buy a HD.
Trade speed for noise.
😂 Nice. I like it.
One of my old favorites: Harley Davidson - The most effective way to turn fossil fuels into noise without producing any horsepower.