HARLEY-DAVIDSON CONFIDENTIAL
HARLEY’S HIDDEN SECRETS
If there is a shrine to motorcycling in America, this has to be it, here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The iconic brand, 115-years-old this year, tells the story of this great nation’s popular culture and industrial might
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The 'Tsunami Harley' - floated across the Pacific Ocean in a shipping container.
Dot Smith and her brand new 1939 EL Knucklehead. Dot cofounded the US women's motorcycle club, Motor Maids, in 1940.
STORY: RODERICK EIME PHOTOS: RODERICK EIME. ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY FROM H-D.
LET IT ALL OUT FOR BIKE NIGHT
S
he sits astride the burly motorcycle like it was made for her. With custom-made, personalised gloves, scarf and a dainty bow in her tiedback hair, Dorothy “Dot” Smith smiles like all her birthdays have come at once. Her svelte figure and delicate demeanour completely subdue the intimidating machine, a 1939 Harley-Davidson EL “Knucklehead”, as if it were some savage beast, entranced as I am by her effortless beauty and poise. Dot's story is just one of many hundreds, including a surprising number of women, collected here at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was one of the founding members of the all-girl “Motor Maids” motorcycle club in 1940, along with 50 others including Linda Dugeau and Australian-born “Dot” Robinson. If Dot Smith were alive today, she would be well over 90. The club, however, continues to thrive with more than 1200 members in the USA and Canada. Overall head of the museum is Bill Davidson, great-grandson of founder, William A. Davidson. ARR was fortunate
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Celebration of the bike is a thing in Milwaukee, and you’ll find every Thursday night the city comes alive with motorcycles of every type enjoying the open air, food, music and camaraderie. Naturally enough, the hub of activity is the H-D Museum, which fills to capacity with — as you’d expect — Harleys of all descriptions. There’s live music, barbecue, drinks and lots of fraternising among the many fans around MOTOR, the in-house restaurant and bar in the 20-acre campus. But bike night is not for HOGs alone. Breakaway events take place at other venues around the city, like The Iron Horse Hotel, just over the bridge, where you’ll find the Indians and other British, Italian and Japanese makes hanging out, also enjoying the live music and ambience, especially in the warm summer evenings. Official events tend to wrap up around 9pm, but you’ll find informal “kick on” events at such bike-themed venues as the Fuel Cafe at either of its two locations — Center Street or Walker’s Point. H-D family member, Bill Davidson heads the H-D Museum.
This 1909 model was H-D's first production V-Twin.
to meet Bill and his wife Angie when they toured down under in 2017 for the brand's Australian 100-year celebrations. “The museum is not only the story of Harley-Davidson — it’s the story of America, told through the lens of an iconic company,” says Bill, “and here we are 115 years later and that dream of my Davidson relatives and Bill Harley is still alive and going strong.” The presence of this hallowed shrine here in the state's capital, just a short drive north of Chicago, ensures a steady flow of leather-clad faithful to the city from all over the world. If you want to get a picture of the strength of this international congregation, be here on a Thursday night for “Bike Night” [breakout below] when hundreds upon hundreds throng the parking lot with their wildly customised Hogs, revelling in music and good times. The collection comprises some 400 bikes either on display or in archive storage on the 20-acre campus, coddled and guarded by roundthe-clock security. The venerated motorcycles range from the ultra-rare, highly prized and priceless to the simply curious. I stand in front of the famous No.1, a part-pedal-powered bicycle, enthroned in its own chamber, adjacent the first 60 deg V-Twin of 1909 which set the marque on its trademark design journey. The value of these two bikes alone is incalculable. Then there are the weird and wacky, like the 2004 Night Train which took a year to float 4000 miles across the Pacific Ocean in a sealed container from Japan after the tsunami. Its owner, respectful of the immense tragedy, refused an offer of a new bike and donated the corroded remains to the museum, where it sits in a display case like an archaeological find. And then there is the mighty “King Kong”, a dual engine, radical customisation akin to a vintage sci-fi spacecraft. As you've already gathered, this museum is more than just bikes. It's a celebration of American folklore, culture and legend as much as it is engineering and innovation. Many of the great movie motorcycles can be found here, such as those from Easy Rider, Marvel's Captain America, Terminator and Elvis’ own 1956 KH, as well as the stories that bring them to life. Those with a confirmed dedication to the Milwaukee icon should allow themselves at least a full day (it took me three!) to absorb the total experience, and it is this writer's strong recommendation to find the extra four bucks for the superbly researched and produced audio tour that details not only the machines on display, but the personalities behind them. When you visit, be sure to give my love to Dot.
VISITING THE MUSEUM Felix Predko's 1941 'King Kong'.
The Museum is open October to April, 10am6pm Mon-Wed and Fri-Sun. Thursdays 10am8pm (from 9am May to September) and parking aUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 119
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Visitor Centre at Powertrain facility.
STAYING NEARBY Iron Horse Hotel Classy, retro motorcycle-themed hotel, an easy walk from the museum. 500 W Florida St, Milwaukee, WI 53204 PH +1 414.374.4766 TripAdvisor 4.5/5
STEEL TOE TOUR
Iron Horse Hotel.
is free. For more information on the museum’s galleries, exhibits, special events, tickets, theme tours and more, visit www.h-dmuseum.com. HOG members are free. The complex includes a vast gift shop plus bar and restaurant. 120 | aUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER
If you’ve made it all the way to Milwaukee, you’d be crazy not to go the whole “hog” and see the Pilgrim Road Powertrain Operations facility in nearby Menomonee Falls, euphemistically known as the “Steel Toe Tour” for reasons that are obvious when you get there. You’ll need to find your own way by cab or Uber, but once there you can choose from three tour options depending on your time constraints and interests: one or two hours, or 30 minutes. I did the two-hour tour and found every minute riveting. Our small group was led around a yellow path that tracks the construction of the Big Twin, Milwaukee-Eight and Sportster (Evolution) powertrains. You’ll see almost shapeless billet forgings transformed into gleaming, precision-engineered components like crankshafts, conrods and flywheels. Robots ensure precision assembly of many
critical components and wrench torquing as well as spraying and machining. Thanks to hi-tech automation, the number of actual workers on the assembly line is surprisingly few at just 100 per shift. The tours are for looking only, so no cameras or videos, although a photo will be supplied along with a commemorative pin (don’t we love those?) and yes, you can keep the hi-vis vest!
FUN FACTORY FACTS: • The factory floor occupies the equivalent of 15 football fields (8ha). • In 2017, H-D recycled more than 3000 tonnes of steel, nearly 1000 tonnes of aluminium and almost 150 tonnes of paper, cardboard and re-claimed cutting oils. • Nearly 50,000 litres of gasoline are saved annually since switching to cold (electronic) testing of engines. • The factory produces in excess of 250,000 units annually. • Forgings come from an outside supplier in Michigan and rocker arms from Tennessee. aUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 121
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'The King' was an unknown when he appeared on the cover of Enthusiast in May 1956.
OL’ NUMBER ONE The maybe original 'Captain America' from 1969's Easy Rider.
EASY RIDER ICON — CAPTAIN AMERICA This wild machine became a counter-culture icon when Peter Fonda rode it in the 1969 movie Easy Rider. The 1962 FLH panheads were purchased, ironically, at a police auction for $500 apiece and transformed by two African-American bike builders: Clifford "Soney" Vaughs, who designed the bikes, and Ben Hardy, a prominent chopper builder in Los Angeles, who worked on their construction, although everyone, including the film’s producers, have differing accounts about who did what. The bike on display was “probably” one of the four used in the movie, but no one is going to swear to it. The last supposed authenticated “Captain America” sold in 2014 for US$1.35 million.
2008. Elvis featured on the cover of HarleyDavidson Enthusiast magazine with this bike in May, 1956, with the tagline, “Who is Elvis Presley?”
FIT FOR THE KING: ELVIS’ 1956 KH Always a bike fan with a particular leaning towards Harleys, Elvis bought his first in the early 1950s, before his first deal with Sun Records. In 1956, the 21-year-old Presley had just recorded "Heartbreak Hotel" and traded up to this KH side-valve-model Harley for $1143, his second, which has been at the museum since opening in 122 | aUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER
Ol'Number One.
You could say this is what you came here to see. The Holy Grail of motorcycles perhaps, it’s the very first Harley from 1903 and is the centrepiece of the museum, displayed like some religious icon behind blast-proof plexiglass. Well, maybe not, but it is the crucifix of this cathedral. Restored to better-than-new condition, it has been valued at around $15 million. Not that it will ever be for sale. WTF!
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HARLEY-DAVIDSON CONFIDENTIAL
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Harley-Davidson Motor Company’s Pilgrim Road Powertrain Operations facility in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin is home of the Big Twin, Milwaukee-Eight™ and Sportster® powertrains. Pilgrim Road employees produce engines and transmissions for the final assembly plants in York, Pennsylvania and Kansas City, Missouri. Engines and transmissions are also produced for sale through Harley-Davidson® Genuine Motor Parts and Accessories business.
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THE DIFFICULT AMF ERA It’s within the memory of most of us and certainly in the memory of all at Harley-Davidson. The so-called “AMF years” between 1969 and 1981 is an era many would say was the low point in H-D brand history. Yes, AMF’s buyout did save Harley-Davidson from likely bankruptcy, but the company’s undoubted expertise manufacturing bowling equipment, bicycles, snow skis, tennis racquets and golf clubs didn’t help much and almost spelled the death of the great American brand. A whole section is devoted to this curious time, when Harley-Davidson made radical changes to design and production processes, resulting in motorcycles that fell far behind the build quality of the newly arrived Japanese machines. The 1981 buyback by a private consortium led by Willie G Davidson is celebrated as a virtual rebirth of the brand. The half-decent Sportster 1000 XLCR Cafe Racer, designed by a team led by Willie G, was one of the better examples to emerge from this era and is still sought after today.
“The mini-cycle that's mighty like a motorcycle” PENSTER PROTOTYPE John Buttera, the legendary customiser and race car builder, was hired by H-D for design and prototype work for the company. In 1998, he built the original version of this tilting reverse trike and over the ensuing years, the company refined the design until it was production-ready by 2006. Whether it was the GFC or handling issues, either way the Penster was stillborn.
GHOST IN THE MACHINE He’s neither rock star nor celebrity, and his 1941 WLD Special Sport Solo is not particularly unique, but the story is quite a tear jerker. Wallace Van Sandt, a regular 22-year-old from Birmingham, Alabama, left his prized motorcycle with his parents for safe-keeping while he completed his tour of duty as a B-17 tail gunner in Europe. His was about the most
1977: Sportster 1000 XLCR Cafe Racer.
KING KONG
SHORTSTER
Built by eccentric custom motorcycle builder, Felix Predko, the King Kong truly is a machine to behold. With two Harley-Davidson frames and more than 13ft long, this FL 74 OHV Twin has two complete V-Twin Knucklehead engines and transmissions, four pipes, two saddles and two sets of handlebars. Basically, two bikes in one.
“The mini-cycle that’s mighty like a motorcycle” was H-D’s smallest ever motorcycle. Released during the AMF era from Aermacchi in 1972, with a 65cc two-stroke and three-speed transmission, it was nonetheless a formidable machine in its class.
Ghost in the machine
THE LOW-DOWN ON BREWTOWN Milwaukee is no sleepy town. There are festivals, museums and outdoor activities for all. Here are just a few. Located in Oshkosh, two hours north by road from Milwaukee, is the internationally renowned EAA Aviation Museum with more than 100 airplanes on display. Its signature event, AirVenture, takes place every July. eaa.org Milwaukee's own science museum includes interactive exhibits, educational programs and more. Located on the Lake Michigan shore, there are interactive exhibits, the Reiman Aquarium, which features 10 tanks including the 75,000-gallon Lake Michigan Tank, and the walk-through tunnel Caribbean Tank. discoveryworld.org Located in the hip Historic Third Ward, the Tory Folliard Gallery is Milwaukee’s premier art gallery and exhibits and sells both emerging and established artists with an emphasis on the Midwest. Follow up your art tour with a visit to the stunning Milwaukee Art Museum. toryfolliard.com, mam.org If you want a 101 in Milwaukee famous brewing history, stop by the old Pabst Brewing Company downtown for a guided tour and a frosty ale or lager. bestplacemilwaukee.com The year-round indoor Public Market is a great place for gift shopping, light meals and exotic snacks. You can even see cooking demonstrations. milwaukeepublicmarket.org
DINING IN MILWAUKEE • Doc’s Smokehouse serves southernstyle meats. Go hungry! docsbbq.net • Motor. Great American food and drink at the H-D Museum. motorrestaurant.com • Fuel. Two sites in town serving fast and flavoursome fare. fuelcafe.com For comprehensive information about attractions in Milwaukee, visit the official website: visitmilwaukee.org 1972 Shortster. 126 | aUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER
Stillborn: 1998 Penster Prototype.
Wallace Van Sandt and his 1941 WLD Special Sport Solo.
dangerous position on the entire aircraft, and when the heavy bomber was shot down over Yugoslavia in 1944, Sergeant Van Sandt went down with the wreck. His body was later recovered by his family and brought home,
where his grief-stricken parents gave him a proper burial. His WLD was cared for lovingly by the family until there was no one left. It’s on a rotating display at the museum and regularly appears on Veteran’s Day. Lest we forget. aRr aUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 127
