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to the Sound of the Harley!

Harley-Davidson, often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle company founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1903. That was also the year the first Harley-Davidson motorcycle was manufactured. Harley Davidson was one of only two major American motorcycle manufacturers that survived the Great Depression.

Within a 95-year period, Harley-Davidson began in a shed, went to war, became the symbol of American individualism, and ended up "King of the Road." Buying a Harley is so much more than just buying a motorcycle; it is buying a lifestyle and an experience.

In the 1970s, the very existence of Harley Davidson was threatened. During that time, it was a subsidiary of American Machine and Foundry Company (AMF). In 1981, thirteen members of the Harley-Davidson management team (led by Vaughn Beals) purchased the company in a leveraged buy-out.

During the next five years, the Harley Davidson Company streamlined its business, improved its manufacturing techniques, and focused on improving its market share by improving the quality of its products. U.S. government protection in the form of import duties of foreign-made products helped them survive. Harley-Davidson once again gained a strong position in the heavy-duty segment of the United States motorcycle market.

Harley Davidson sells heavyweight motorcycles designed for cruising on the highway. These motorcycles, popularly known as Harleys, have a distinctive design and exhaust note.