Harley-Davidson ENGINE HistorY

Sometime in 1903 William Harley and three brothers Arthur, William and Walter Davidson, built the first "Harley-Davidson" motorcycle in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

This new machine was really just a bicycle with an engine mounted on it and riders had to contribute some 'horsepower' by pedaling their motorcycles up the hills and grades.

Nevertheless, the bike became a huge success. By the time 1909 rolled around the company had upgraded its design to feature a new engine design that consisting of two cylinders arranged in a "V" configuration.

The new "V-Twin" Harley-Davidson® engine produced a the well-known deep, rumbling sound that would soon become the trademark of the Harley-Davidson® motorcycle company. The more powerful engine gave the motorcycle the power allowing it to exceed 60 mph, pedaling up the hills soon became a thing of the past.

On this page we have linked to other pages with more facts on the various Harley-Davidson® engines designs and the nicknames assigned to each by Harley® enthusiasts.

FLATHEAD® [1909 - 1936]

KNUCKLEHEAD® [1936 - 1947]

PANHEAD® [1948 - 1965]

SHOVELHEAD® [1966 - 1983]

EVOLUTION® [1983 - PRESENT]

TWIN CAM 88® [1999 - PRESENT]