Harley-Davidson Homecoming returns this year, running from tomorrow through Sunday, July 25 to 28, in Milwaukee. The festival will feature a special tribute to Willie G. Davidson, grandson of one of the founders and the brand’s chief styling officer for nearly 50 years.
Before the bikes come roaring in, here are three things you probably don’t know about the Milwaukee-based brand:
Four Founders: Harley-Davidson was actually founded by four men, not just two. William S. Harley, Arthur Davidson, and Arthur's two brothers, Walter and William A. Davidson, started the company in a small shed in the Davidson family's backyard.
Name Origins: The company is named “Harley-Davidson” and not “Davidson-Harley” because William S. Harley, one of the four founders, originally conceived the idea of a motorcycle. By 1907, after earning his engineering degree, Harley was producing 150 bikes annually.
Military Heritage: Harley-Davidson motorcycles were used in World War I. In 1917, when the US joined the war, the government purchased one-third of Harley-Davidson's bikes for the troops. The first US soldier to enter Germany after the ceasefire rode in on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Post-war, the brand expanded to 67 countries, becoming the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world.