At some point, you've likely encountered the term "hog" in reference to Harley-Davidson motorcycles. While this term can technically apply to any motorcycle brand, it's most commonly associated with Harley-Davidson.
It's curious how a term for a farm animal ended up describing a high-powered motorcycle. But the connection actually goes back to Harley-Davidson's early racing days. The term "hog" originated from a memorable event in 1914 at the Dodge City 300 race. The story starts with a piglet named Johnny, who became a symbol of success for Harley-Davidson’s racing team.
Johnny, the piglet, played a key role in the debut of the Harley-Davidson "Wrecking Crew" racing team. Although they didn't win that race (the victory went to Indian Motorcycle), the Wrecking Crew soon began dominating the sport. By the 1920s, after a brief hiatus during World War I, the team was back and more formidable than ever. Ray Weishaar, one of the team members, adopted Johnny the piglet, who joined victory laps perched on the gas tank and quickly became the team’s mascot.
The presence of Johnny delighted fans and journalists, who began calling the team the "Harley Hogs." This nickname was a nod to Johnny's pig status and the team's dominance, leading to the term being shortened to just "hogs." Harley-Davidson embraced this term, formalizing it with the "Harley Owners Group" (HOG) acronym in the early 1980s.