The Origin and Naming of Hogs - Harley Davidson

In the argot of the cycle world, the Harley is a “hog,” and the outlaw bike is a “chopped hog.” ~Hunter S. Thompson

I always thought that Harleys were called “hogs” because compared to other motorcycles, they used a lot of gas. While I’ve seen alternate stories, that isn’t one of them. Here are two that are somewhat similar. Similar to each other, that is. Not my supposition. The first is from Harley Davidson Insurance – over 100 years ago, a member of the Harley Davidson racing team shared a coke with a piglet. Little was said about the pig then, but over time it was referred to as a hog. The second, from The Rock Harley Davidson site – a member of the racing team used to take victory laps with a pig mascot, Johnny, sitting on the gas tank. The two were called Harley hogs because Harley was hogging victories. Take your pick. Likely it has something to do with a racing team member, but past that, you’re on your own. Back to what I’m sure of.

As I live close to a hoppin’ Harley dealership and my stomping grounds are in alarming proximity to Tail of the Dragon, I see more motorcycles than I would in any other locale that isn’t in the middle of a rally. That, and a recently viewed documentary on the progression of two-wheeled transportation piqued my interest. I needed to know more about how it all started.

Slow start; hang with me for 90 seconds

American Business History Center provides a brief background on the evolution of bicycles, which is where we have to start. They were certainly the Harley’s precursor. Bikes, as we know them, have been around for less than 150 years. Sure, there were earlier models, but they were inoperable by most riders who weren’t acrobats or athletes. Fortunately for the U.S., Colonel Albert A. Pope attended the World’s Fair in 1876 and saw the exhibited “penny farthing” bicycle, a British model. Its design was odd,* with a front wheel 3-4 times the size of the rear. Colonel Pope was inspired to build something better, and in 1878, he outsourced production of his design, the “Columbia.” Not a surprising turn of events? I think it was.

Colonel Pope’s business was in the shoe industry, and he hired the Weed Sewing Machine Company to build bikes. His design more closely resembled the bikes we [euphemistically] ride today, compared to the penny farthing. Within 10 years the company was building 5,000 a year and was the largest employer in Hartford, Connecticut. Still. Bicycles weren’t used for transportation until 1888 when a British company, Rover, introduced the current model. It had 26″ tires and was lighter, faster, and safer since the rider’s feet could touch the ground. Most of the U.S. bicycle manufacturers shifted their focus to this new style that lent itself to daily use. By 1893, at least 5, 000 Chicagoans were riding bikes to work.

* Odd compared to what we see now.

Harleys, BMWs, and 80 MPH with no Hands! All photo credits to Nathan Gibson

So what does this have to do with Harleys?

Engines. And we’ll have to go back across the pond, according to TÜV Nord. While some were designing bicycles in the 1860s, Etiénne Lenoir was working on a gas engine. His version worked, but not well. It was too heavy, and didn’t produce enough power. The first practical alternative to steam was invented by Nikolaus Otto, but he used Lenoir’s version to work with. He gets credit for the first functional four-stroke engine in 1876, but that one was still too heavy. It was in 1883 that Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach were able to produce a smaller version that was ready for mass production. One of the engines was quite small and well-suited to a 2-wheel vehicle. Enter Harley and the Davidsons, back in Milwaukee.

William Harley and Arthur Davidson grew up on the same street and were fast friends.* Both loved bicycles, but it was William who had a job in a bicycle factory at age 15. He rose through the ranks and designed his own combustion engine based on a version by de Dion-Bouton, a French auto manufacturer. It was William’s idea to build a motorcycle. He and local colleagues built one, but the prototype was a bust. He needed help, so he brought in friends with special skills, and some of them were Davidson brothers. With the varied abilities of this select group, Harley Davidson Motor Company, Inc. was formed in 1903, the same year they produced their first viable motorcycle.

*Multiple sources have the same story, but I used the Harley Davidson Insurance site.

The rest of the story

Harley retained chief engineer status until he retired, and was the driving force behind new product development. He was an introvert, and Arthur was the opposite. The combination was crucial to business success, as Arthur was instrumental in creating a Harley Davidson mechanic school that would keep service at a high-quality level. He also developed relationships–then contracts with groups such as USPS and the police who used motorcycles often.

Bill Davidson left a lucrative position at the Milwaukee Railroad (gulp) to join the fledging company. He procured necessary machinery and tools for production and kept close contact with the line employees to catch and resolve issues early.

Walter Davidson, a mechanic, was the brother called to help after the prototype issue and he was the one who finished the first bike. He became the first President and General Manager when the company incorporated in 1907.

Harley Fun Facts

Harley Davidson has led the market in the past, but its buyers are aging out. It holds 19.9% of the U.S. market, but is outpaced by Honda.
That, and Peugeot actually produced a two-wheel vehicle in 1898, five years before Harley, but called it a motor scooter. There’s that, and …
Harley’s marketing is masterful. Though it does not always compare favorably with BMW and Honda, it has the cachet and the roar. King of the Jungle kind of thing.
The heads on a Harley are square, but round on a BMW. This will mean more to some of you than others. Thought I would throw it in there for the mechanics among you.
Harleys have EVO/Evolution/Block design engine. BMW has an opposing piston. Blockhead equates to v-shaped to me and the opposing piston is lateral – for those of you with my low level of all things machine-like.
The Wheels Through Time museum in Maggie Valley, NC houses over 300 motorcycles you may never see anywhere else. I have it on good authority that it’s worth the trip. And, no. I don’t have stock in that venture.

Journey's end

This post is full of names associated with risk-taking (yikes!) and perseverance. It also illustrates the steps some people’s minds take when they look at an established product and can imagine what comes next. Then actually make it happen. That’s incredible. But there’s more.

Not only did the founders of Harley Davidson (and thousands of other entrepreneurs see the potential, but they also recognized their limitations. Harley was a draftsman, an engineer. He knew he needed a mechanic if he was ever going to have the functional motorcycle he dreamed of, so he reached out to someone who was both capable and (fortunately) willing. And someone who had a marketing talent. Otherwise, we might never have heard of William Harley. And the Tail of the Dragon might not be a target destination for hundreds of thousands every year.

No matter how smart or strong or willing we are, we can’t do it all. Almost nobody gets “it” right the first time, and sometimes we need a little help. You can bet the next glorious sunrise that someone would be delighted to help you. Win-win. Just ask.