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Harley-Davidson History
It was in April 1917 that America actually entered
the First World War, although long before this is it had been supporting the Allies with supplies and vehicles. Like
all the major US bike manufacturers, Harley-Davidson had been fulfilling military contracts that came its way since 1915,
so the mechanism was already in place to supply in volume this distinctive drab olive green machines to the armed forces.
The
company had also learned valuable lessons concerning military requirements when its bikes, in both solo and sidecar trim,
had peen part of a home-based military operation. This took place in 1916 after the Mexican government had allowed the
US to enter its territory to deal with the problems that it was encountering with bandits, who had been crossing the border
and attacking and sometimes killing Americans adjacent townships. The force of 20,000 soldiers, under the command of General
John 'Black Jack' Pershing, failed to capture the freedom fighter Pancho Villa and his men, but they did gain valuable experience
in the use of motorized units, known as 'Mounted Infantry', or 'Motor Mobile Infantry', and they were used where heavier vehicles
were unable to go because of the mountainous terrain. Pancho Villa himself was a motorcyclist owning an Indian, but
despite the failure of Pershing's campaign, motorcycles had proved their worth on the battlefield. There was a roughly
fifty-fifty split between Harleys and Indians in the unit, with just a few Excelsior machines thrown in for good measure.
On
the strength of this, and the huge orders which were beginning to come through from Europe at the outset of the First World
War, Indian nearly bankrupted itself and its dealers by turning over virtually all its production to the military, and starving
civilian showrooms. It also sold the military machines at almost cost, which may have been laudable for the war effort,
but didn't do its cash flow any good. Harley was rather more cautious, and it was not until the middle of 1917, after America had entered
the war, that is actually turned 50 per cent of its production over to military machines. Many of these bikes were shipped
abroad, either to the front lines or to be used at bases as supply vehicles, or as part intelligence-gathering operations. One problem was that readily apparent was the lack of training,
not only of the riders, but also of those expected to maintain the bikes and keep them running, often in difficult conditions
and sometimes with incorrect equipment. Training schools were eventually established by Thomas Butler, a government
representative appointed to solve this problem, who liaised with the various manufacturers meeting military contracts and
formulated a common strategy. These 'Training and Servicing Facilities', as they were known, were most successful, and
paved the way for the bike and vehicle manufacturers to found their own service schools after the war. The Harley-Davidson
school was set up by Joseph Ryan, and eventually trained about 300 people during the war, going on to train dealers afterwards.
In
fact, Harley-Davidson did well out of the First World War. Quite apart from making sure to keep the home market supplied,
as well as the military contracts, it was able to increase exports while most of the competition was overseas and out of the
picture due to the war. It even managed to bag a few military contracts from foreign forces long before it really supplied
the US military in a big way. One of these was the Dutch army and the other, the Russian, which took delivery of gun-carrying
outfits along with ambulance units. The latter carried the stretcher at saddle height, the patient benefiting from the
soft ride provided by the decent sidecar springs. Apart from special outfits like these, there were few differences between the
specifications of civilian and military machines, and in fact both benefited at the same time from the general improvements
in Harleys. The V-Twin Model 8 progressed in leaps and bounds with better handling as a result of the rider being repositioned near the center of
the bike. Rider comfort had also improved, due to better springing, a lower seat height, and a more acceptable riding
position that made it less tiring to ride.
The motors themselves had been re-engineered,
which resulted in more power: the capacity was also upped to 61 cubic inches (1000cc) to bring it in line with the opposition.
Then there was a hub clutch, step starter - the list went on. In 1915 the latest version of the Model 11J appeared with
98 improvements. Now with a three-speed gearbox and dry multi-plate clutch that could easily be adjusted, it had a proper
gate on the gear level. There were numerous engine improvements and it now gave 15 bhp: this, coupled with the improved
gearbox, made it popular as a sidecar hauler. With this in mind, the frame was strengthened around the head-stock and
it was generally beefed up to cope. Perhaps more importantly, it was thee first bike to offered with and electric headlight
as a standard equipment. In 1916 the pedals as a means of starting disappeared totally, replaced by the kick-starter,
and new forks appeared on the Model 16J, which had various styling alterations to make it better-looking as well as functional.
Bigger fillers on the fuel tanks went with fuel taps below, while filters where fitted inside to help stop blockages in the
carburetor due to poor filtration. These benefits were further enhanced a year later on the 17J with the introduction
of a generator and a battery system. This was just in time to make it the model that would take Harley to war, albeit
with a reduction in bright nickel plating. Some Harleys had already seen action, having gone to war with the Canadians, who
declared war shortly after Great Britain. The riders, who were often the owners as well, soon found the weight to be
a problem, compared to the smaller British-built machines in service alongside them. This was particularly noticeable
when the bikes needed to be pushed through the inevitable mud of battlegrounds. As a result, most were retained and
used for long runs on better-surfaced roads, where reliability and comfort were more important than off-road capability.
The
army made certain demands when it placed those first contracts to ensure that bikes became as universal as possible.
This was to make rider training, such as it was, easier, and to facilitate the stocking and supply of spare parts. All
bikes had to have a right-hand twist-grip, the gearshift lever on the left of the fuel tank, with the lowest gear all the
way forward. The clutch was to be foot-operated on the left, with the rear brake on the right. All fittings were
to be of a standard size, which assisted with the number of tools required, as were the chain sizes for driving the bikes.
The tires were to measure 28 x 3-in (711 x 76mm). Happily, the Harley-Davidson Model J met all the demands from the
word go. The US Government ordered about 70,000 bikes in 1917 and this contract was split between Harley, Indian, and
Cleveland. Research suggests that Harley-Davidson supplied 26,486 bikes, and while it failed to make a massive profit
from them, it fared far better than Indian, which sold a near loss. It would seem that 7,000 of these Harleys were shipped
to England and France to see active service as convoy escorts, in dispatch roles, scouting and intelligence work. The
models the military was using were mostly V-Twins: the 18J with generator and battery, the 18F with magneto, and the 18E model, which was directly geared to the rear
wheel. Due to the contract requirements, there were large amounts of interchangeability between components of these
bikes. All models benefited from the new lubrication system to the inlet-valve mechanism and a new bearing for the clutch.
Of
course, this contribution to the war effort was of benefit to Harley-Davidson, but it was nothing compared to the effect of
Corporal Roy Holtz. In November 1918, in Germany, an army rider was picture in the US papers riding a Harley outfit
past captured German soldiers. Pictured with caption, 'The first Yank to enter Germany', Corporal Holtz achieved fame
as a result of actually having been captured the day before. Lost behind enemy lines on the last day of the war, he
was released immediately after the Armistice was signed. But he was picture heading back to meet the advance, not as
was claimed at the time - heading it! When the American War Department finally closed all its contracts for the supply
of bikes at the beginning of 1919, it had 14,600 Harley-Davidsons still on its books, 300 of these being sidecar outfits.
So ended Harley's first involvement in military transport, but it was not to last! The war had done Harley a few favors and now in peacetime
it was clearly the largest motorcycle producer in the US. Some of the smaller firms had disappeared altogether, having
failed to survive in any shape of form. Others were in difficulty, having had no military contracts to sustain them
and therefore had been unable to purchase raw materials to build bikes for a dwindling market.
Harley's J-model was sufficient to carry it
through the immediate post-war years, being unable for police use and also as a civilian mount sold through its dealerships.
This was to give Harley the breathing space it needed to develop more up-to-date models. In 1918 it invested a further
$3.5 million in the factory, re-equipping it with the latest machinery and adopting the newest mass-production techniques.
The
new Sport Twin of 1919 was quite unlike any previous Harley and bore a strong resemblance to the flat-twin British Douglas
machines that had served so well during the war. The US military bought three for testing, seeing its potential as a
lighter alternative to the traditional V-Twin, although there is no record of how they fared or whether there were any repeat orders. One spin-off from the war was that many Europeans, who had
never previously seen a Harley, were brought into contact with them. They were able to buy up surplus bikes that weren't
shipped home, forming the basis for Harley's open market. The Model J actually continued to be built until 1929, so
spares, such as were required, were always readily available from the factory. The military's own spares stock was sufficient
to keep it going anyway, but in 1932 it ordered a batch of 100 R models to supplement the bikes still on the fleet.
Two
years later it took delivery of some VDS models, which were based on the V and VL bikes intended purely for the civilian market.
These were fitted with the LT sidecar, but a few sidevalve RL models in solo trim also came with a repeat order in 1936 for
a few more. A year on, the WL had its first mention in the order books, but for only 50 machines. Although in military terms business was slow, with just
a few overseas contracts keeping things going. Harley was doing quite well. What with police machines and sales
in general it was doing better than Indian, while Excelsior, the third member of the Big Three, had long since gone to the
wall. But
the situation was soon to change: even before was was again declared in Europe, the US had been convinced that it would be
involved. But as had happened 20 years before, Harley-Davidson was supplying military contracts well before war was
declared by the White House. Five thousand solo machines were shipped to England, for example, after the Luftwaffe destroyed
the Triumph factory at Coventry. Not to be caught out this time, Harley re-opened its service school, training mechanics
and at the same time submitting bikes for the army's extensive testing program. Harley itself had two test tracks at
Fort Knox and Lousiana, where bikes were subjected to merciless endurance and engine fatigue tests. Finally, after a great deal of thought, Harley produced
what it considered to be the best possible machine for military use, with the WLA, the A standing for Army. This was
a militarized version of the 45 cubic inch (750cc) side valve, twin that had been selling well in the late 1930's in the normal
civilian market. Its compression had been lowered and it now sported aluminum cylinder heads to prevent overheating
problems caused by escort work. Larger bearings, a better oil pump, and a stronger gearbox and clutch were also part
of the improvements to deal with low-speed convoy work. It was tuned to give power at lower revs at the expense of top-speed
performance, which was not seen as important. Fitted with a special large air filter for the Linkert carburetor, this
would enable it to deal with hostile running conditions. The tubular forks were lengthened by 2.75 in (7cm) to help
increase ground clearance, and comfort for the rider was ensured by a large pan saddle supported on a sprung pillar.
There were crash bars to help protect it from damage and a bash plate to look after the underside of the engine and frame.
In addition, there were various attachment points for different weapons. The standard package also included fork-mounted
scabbard for a gun and a rack for carrying items at the rear. This was capable of carrying a 40-lb (18-kg) field radio
and two saddlebags full of other items, without breaking down too often.
There was also a WLC model, the C indicating
Canada. This model had the clutch lever and brake on the left with the gear-change on the right as specified by requisition
orders from the Canadian military. It also had a box on the front fender to carry miscellaneous items. The
WSR also appeared and was a sidecar version of the Russian forces, which other military outfits bought, finding it suitable
for their needs. Unlike the previous conflict, civilian sales virtually ceased as the war progressed, though bikes were built
for the home market. Home-based forces got grey-painted bikes, as opposed to olive green, with SP painted on them to
denote their function as Shore Patrol. Apart from these general-purpose machines, records show several 74 cubic inch
(1200cc) UA models along with some 61 cubic inch (1000cc) E and ELC OHV bikes bought for military staff use. But the WLA was
Harley-Davidson's standard as well as most often produced military machine. The US Army ordered an initial 421 of them
in 1940, followed by two further orders totalling 2,451 bikes. In 1942 a slightly modified version was produced, remaining
the stock army bike until 1945. It has been suggested that over 88,000 bikes were produced for the forces at Milwaukee
during the war, but this is always going to be difficult to confirm, especially with the various versions on offer.
In 1945 Harley had an order for over 11,000 bikes cancelled when the government sensed victory, which confuses matters even
more. Certainly,
when the hostilities ceased, there were several thousand brand-new bikes left with enough parts to build an estimated 30,000
more. This is confirmed by the fact that the bikes were still being sold into the mid-1950's at rock-bottom prices,
complete with all the military fittings! The price was $450 dollars, for which you could never have a ten-year-old bike
that had been used. But while the WLA was well known as America's ubiquitous military machine, it was almost eclipsed by something
very different - the XA. This was a horizontally-opposed twin, and an almost exact copy of the equivalent BMW.
It was Harley's second departure from the V-Twin and again came as a result of its military involvement: despite some reluctance from Harley-Davidson, the top brass was convinced
that a shaft-drive flat-twin would make the perfect military motorcycle. The company's answer, after purchasing a BMW for evaluation,
was the XA, which produced 23bhp at 4,600 rpm and had a low 5.7:1 compression ration to allow it to function in desert conditions.
With its cylinders sticking out into the air for additional cooling, it was hoped that it would fare better that a V-Twin
or single in hot weather. It also featured a wet sump to tackle the heat problem and was estimated to run nearly 100
degrees cooler than a V-Twin engine. Other notable design features on this model included a hand clutch, foot gear-change, with a down-for-down and up-for-up
shift pattern on the lever. Some where fitted with sidecars and Harley experimented with a drive to the sidecar wheel
like the BMWs, although this was never put into production. During testing, a few problems emerged, but not enough to stall the project: at
one time there was talk of an order for 25,000 XAs, and a reduction of WLA orders. In the end, the army took 1,000 in
1943 and then no more. None of them actually saw service, remaining in the US at military bases. Despite all the
development work that had been put into the XA and the lessons learned about such thins as shaft drive, Harley never used
any of this knowledge or engineering in post-war bikes, almost to the extent of pretending the XA had never happened.
Other
prototypes and experiments tried during the Second World War included a sidecar with a driven wheel like the BMW outfits.
This was a totally separate project to the XA and was called the Model XAS. It was tried at the insistence of the US
government in 1942, but the right-hand mounted sidecar machine failed to get further than the prototype. There was a
separate design study for a machine using a 45 cubic inch (750cc) engine with special forks, frame and sidecar, which again
came to nothing.
Slightly more suitable were the various trike
projects, one being a Servicar with a shaft-drive Knucklehead engine and which rolled along on solid disc wheels. Designated the TA, it suffered from handling problems, lots of vibration,
and leaked oil in copious amounts. These problems were rectified, and despite being approved by the army in 1941, it
went no further and certainly not into production. Another undeveloped prototype was a Canadian mini-tank, powered by
two Knucklehead motors mated together. But
while experiments were in process, the solo motorcycle continued to have a role in the war effort. While radios were
more reliable than ever before, messages could still be intercepted and there was still no substitute for hand delivery, for
which a motorcycle was invariably the fastest means. Dispatch riders were also the best people to keep intelligence
up to date in the constantly changing scene of the battleground. However, the role was still basically one of support:
leading convoys was probably the closest the rider got to the front line along with DR work. This non-combat role did
not prevent a fairly high casualty rate; but this was caused by accidents rather than enemy gunfire. It should be also be remembered that it was not only in
Europe that Harley WLAs performed their duty. North Africa was another, and they appeared throughout the Commonwealth
as countries began to use them as security or shore patrols like the US. In fact the US Navy also had a fair number
of them travelling on ships to provide transport when docking at the various ports. Likewise, we should note that the Japanese were still producing
Harley copies under the Rikuo, or 'King of the Road' brand name, having taken over total control of the Japanese factory from
Harley in the late 1930s. These machines could also be found as part of the war machine in both solo and three-wheeler
trim. There was also a much rarer Kuro Hagare, or 'Black Iron' machine in use, which was also Harley-based. Meanwhile, Harley-Davidson was given the US Army/Navy 'E'
award for excellence in 1943 and 1945, in recognition of its significant contribution to the war effort. This was all
very well, but it seems that the government failed to honor the total cost of spares produced by the company, and Harley is
reported to have only made a 10 percent profit on each bike it sold to the military. But as before, there were spin-offs:
many overseas riders saw Harleys for the first time, and many GIs learned to ride at Uncle Sam's expense, with the result
that when they returned after the war, they were keen to have their own bikes. Throughout the 1950's, military production was almost non-existent. In 1963,
Harley gained an order from the military police and shore patrols, totalling 418 bikes. The were XLAs, basically Sporsters fitted with fiberglass fairing and a windshield, and were more use on base rather than out in the operations field.
In fact, the XLA was the last true Harley-Davidson supplied for military use. No new contracts came out of the Vietnam
war, and in any case the army still had plenty of old WLAs in stock. But Harley's military history doesn't end here, as the company did land another
contract as late as the mid-1990s. Ten years earlier it had purchased the world manufacturing rights to the Armstrong
MT500. Armstrong was a British company which was making a trail-style military bike powered by a 30 cubic inch (500cc)
Austrian Rotax engine. This
successful machine had followed on from the Can Am Bombardier 15 cubic inch (250cc) single that had been acquired by many
armed forces throughout the world, between 1977 and 1985. It had revolutionized the military market with its lightness and responsiveness and was capable
of withstanding both off-road as well as on-road situations without a weight penalty. Needless to say, it was popular
with riders due to its all-round ability. The Armstrong machine provided more power, being double the size, and had
taken over quite nicely from the Can Am and was selling well. Harley was to re-badge these as its own, so when in 1995
the British Ministry of Defense awarded a new contract, it was to Harley-Davidson. 
A total of 1,450 bikes were ordered and all were
delivered on time; but three years later the contract was cancelled, possibly because the use of bikes for anything other
than convoy work was diminishing. On the road, the Japanese Honda Pan Europeans, military variants of police bikes,
provided the escort bikes and other Japanese manufacturers now sell their trail bikes and Quads to military buyers who only
need the odd off-road machine, rather than standardized military bikes as in the past. So it appears, as Harley moves
toward (past now) its 100th birthday, that it will no longer be selling military bikes in any quantity; hopefully, there will
be no need for it to do so again.
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