Need info about the first 1903 harley davidson bike ever made?
Chris
information about the material this bike was made and what kind of
engine this bike has. Where can I buy a 1903 harley davidson bike
replica new that look just like the same as the original 1903 harley
davidson was.
Thanks,
Chris
Hd36knuckl
Chris,
There is no 1903 Harley-Davidson bike known to exist. In 1903 Bill Harley and
the Davidson Bros. built an engine they put on a bicycle. It didn't work. The
engine was too small and wouldn't power it properly. The bicycle frame was too
weak to be used with an engine attached to it. So the boys stepped back and
took another approach. No known photos of the 1903 powered bicycle exist.
In 1904 they built another engine of a larger design. They built a new
heavyweight frame and fork to handle this new engine. Only one motorcycle was
produced in 1904 and it whereabouts today are unknown. C. H. Lang was
Harley-Davidson's first dealer and sat on their board of directors. He
purchased the 1904 bike from its third owner, Steven Sparough, in 1912. It used
to sit in the showroom of C. H. Lang's Harley-Davidson dealership in Chicago.
It has not been seen since the 1920s when Mr. Lang retired. There is only one
known photograph of this bike and is negative number 599 in the Milwaukee
County Historical Society. This photo was taken in 1912 when the bike was
purchased by Mr. Lang. The bike had over 100,000 miles on it at this time and
had many modifications done to it.
Harley-Davidson built their first bikes for sale in 1905. The bike that the
MoCo displays as "The 1903 Bike" is actually a 1905 model. This was discovered
by the Dr. Martin Jack Rosenblum of the Harley-Davidson Archives during its
restoration/correction a few years ago. They still display it as The 1903 bike
for some reason.
In 1998 there was a Harley-Davidson motorcycle display in the Milwaukee County
Museum for Harley's 95th Anniversary. They Had the Elvis Sportster and a lot of
other bikes from the H.-D. collection there. Lo and behold there sat a brand
new 1905 model that had just been built by the students at a Milwaukee trade
school. Where it is today I have no idea.
If four young men without funding could build a motorcycle from scratch in
1904 I am sure someone with resources could duplicate it today. It just depends
on how much you want it and how much you can afford.
On another note there are several people reproducing vintage Harley parts
today. It would be possible to build a new 1909 model using these parts. All it
would take is a wheelbarow full of money.
Later,
Chris
Who you callin' a CURMUDGEON!
If you ever see my bike on a trailer, CALL 911! Its stolen.
Iron Butt association
Pull my joint to reply
SSBassman
wrote:
>>Chris axed,
>>I need info about the first 1903 harley davidson ever made bike and
>information about the material this bike was made and what kind of engine this
>bike has. Where can I buy a 1903 harley davidson bike replica new that look
>just like the same as the original 1903 harley
>davidson was.
>
>Chris,
>There is no 1903 Harley-Davidson bike known to exist. In 1903 Bill Harley and
>the Davidson Bros. built an engine they put on a bicycle. It didn't work. The
>engine was too small and wouldn't power it properly. The bicycle frame was too
>weak to be used with an engine attached to it. So the boys stepped back and
According to the Big Book of Harley Davidson, an official moco
publication, what you're describing above took place in 1902. In 1903
they built 3 motor cycles, 3 more in 1904, 7 in 1905, 50 in 1906.
>took another approach. No known photos of the 1903 powered bicycle exist.
> In 1904 they built another engine of a larger design. They built a new
>heavyweight frame and fork to handle this new engine. Only one motorcycle was
>produced in 1904 and it whereabouts today are unknown. C. H. Lang was
>Harley-Davidson's first dealer and sat on their board of directors. He
>purchased the 1904 bike from its third owner, Steven Sparough, in 1912. It used
>to sit in the showroom of C. H. Lang's Harley-Davidson dealership in Chicago.
>It has not been seen since the 1920s when Mr. Lang retired. There is only one
>known photograph of this bike and is negative number 599 in the Milwaukee
>County Historical Society. This photo was taken in 1912 when the bike was
>purchased by Mr. Lang. The bike had over 100,000 miles on it at this time and
>had many modifications done to it.
The history of the first production bike is that it was built in 1903,
paid for before it was built, for someone named Meyer. He put 6,000
miles on it before selling it to George Lyon who put another 15,000
miles on it. It was then owned by a Dr. Webster, Louis Fluke and
Stephen Sparrow who all put another 62,000 miles on it.
In 1913, Harley Davidson advertised that their first motorcycle had
covered 100,000 miles, was still in operation with it's original
bearings and had no major components replaced.
This is all according to that book above, from 1991. If what you're
saying is correct, they must have revised their history recently.
Steve
Hd36knuckl
Steve,
The Harley-Davidson history has been often modified to fit their needs of the
time. Like their claim of 88,000 WLA models produced during W.W.II. That is a
fantasy for sure.
Author Herbert Wagner has spent years in the Library Of Congress, Milwaukee
County Archives and even in the Harley-Davidson archives doing research to find
the true story. He has interviewed and has statements from the children and
grandchildren of the Founding Fathers about the formation of the MoCo. He has
found and gathered all the information by the Founding Fathers and Board of
Directors in sworn testimony from a patent infringement trial in the teens. He
has original 1905 and later sales brochures detailing the when's and where's of
the MoCo. John Harley has "The Holy Grail" of Harley-Davidson. This is a single
sheet drawing of the bicycle engine drawn by his Grandfather in 1901.
Now at last, Thanks to Mr. Wagner, the true story and its actual time frame is
here.
His book is titled "At The Creation". Buy a copy from Amazon.com and you won't
put it down until you have finished it. All the myths are exploded. All the
truth is found and documented. Facts are checked and cross checked. He even
names the first man to start lying about the Harley-Davidson history in 1910
and why he left to MoCo in 1920.
Don't put much faith in "The Big Book Of Harley-Davidson. It is full of myth's
and lies and plain old wives tales.
Bill Farnsworth
"Hd36knuckl" wrote
> Steve,
> The Harley-Davidson history has been often modified to fit their needs of
the
> time. Like their claim of 88,000 WLA models produced during W.W.II. That
is a
> fantasy for sure.
> Author Herbert Wagner has spent years in the Library Of Congress,
Milwaukee
> County Archives and even in the Harley-Davidson archives doing research to
find
> the true story.
> Chris
Here's a website to go along with Chris' MOST EXCELLENT information.
http://www.atthecreation.com
Bill F.
Hd36knuckl
http://www.atthecreation.com/speeches.etc/talk.mchs.html
SSBassman
wrote:
[...]
> His book is titled "At The Creation". Buy a copy from Amazon.com and you won't
>put it down until you have finished it. All the myths are exploded. All the
>truth is found and documented. Facts are checked and cross checked. He even
>names the first man to start lying about the Harley-Davidson history in 1910
>and why he left to MoCo in 1920.
> Don't put much faith in "The Big Book Of Harley-Davidson. It is full of myth's
>and lies and plain old wives tales.
>Later,
>Chris
Thanks for the info. Will check it out.
Steve
