William Harley and Arthur Davidson: Men Behind the Iconic Motorcycle

According to Harley-Davidson lore, William Harley and Arthur Davidson met in the late 1890s. They became fast friends because of their shared interest in mechanics and design.

By the turn of the century, one was working as a draftsman, the other a pattern-maker. But they still hadn’t hit upon an idea to combine their interests and talents.

As fate would have it, while out on the town one night, the two men attended a performance of Anna Held. She was a Vaudevillian performer known for her risque stage shows.

Although there was much to gawk at on stage, Harley and Davidson were only interested in a prop Miss Held used to propel herself across the stage. It was a three-wheeler (trike, if you will) run by a single-cylinder engine.

Though nobody in the audience could have guessed, that short ride sparked the imagination of the two men. It would effectively ignite a revolution in vehicle and manufacturing history.

In 1903, William Harley and Arthur Davidson founded Harley-Davidson. This is now one of the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturers and an iconic brand widely known for its loyal following of bikers, enthusiasts, and collectors.

Today there are owner-clubs and events held worldwide, as well as a brand-focused museum.

William S. Harley

William S. Harley was born in 1880 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to William Harley Sr., a railway engineer, and Mary Smith of Cambridgeshire, England.

Little is known about his childhood. But at the age of 15, Harley started working at a bicycle factory. First in assembly, then as a draftsman. Harley’s interest in bicycles, coupled with his natural mechanical inclination, sparked his curiosity about motorized two-wheelers.