Short descriptions of vintage motorcycles Harley Davidson to Laurin Klement
Harley-Davidson
1901, United States, two friends had been planning in 1901 an easier possibility to move along: William Harley, a technical drawer and Arthur Davidson, tool making at his profession; their solution was in 1903 the foundation of a factory in a small shed of 3 x 4 square metres in the garden of Davidson at Milwaukee, Wisconsin; the first motor cycle: 410 cc four stroke engine, but already with 3 hp of power! In 1905 the production had increased to 50 motorcyles, 1909: 1.150 and in 1911 - 5.625;
Even in 1915 Harley-Davidson produced V-two cylinder-racing models with ohv-8-valve-engines, which were ridden with great success in Europe after the First World War either. The factory gained four world champion titles in road racing by the Italian Walter Willa: three times in the 250 cc class (1974, 1975, 1976) as well as one time in the 350 cc 1976; in 1970 exceeded Kal Rayborn with his record "cigar" the 400 km/h-mark: with a 1.500 cc Harley-Davidson engine he speeded up to 427 km/h, which hold for four years as record over the "flying kilometre".
Hercules
1886, Germany, one of the leading two wheels producers during the last decades of the 20th century, 125.000 motorized vehicles and 200.000 bicycles a year, started in 1886 - with bicycles of course, in Burghaslach, 60 km away from Nürnberg. Established by Carl Marschütz; already in 1894 he expanded with tricycles, in 1898 with the first vehicle on four wheel: a "elctrochaise";
After the First World War Hercules worked together closed with Fichtel & Sachs. JAP-engined 248 cc and 498 cc Hercules ohv racing machines, mainly ridden by Hans Kahrmann, won many races in the early 30s, while Charlie Geffers was for a long period the leading Hercules trials rider. The W2000, a Wankel-engined three-chamber single-disc machine with 294 cc, top speed 87,5 mph, was in 1972 the first commercially built Wankel-engined motorcycle.
Honda
1948, Japan, Soichiro Honda started in 1947 with the production of mopeds, followed in 1949 by his first motor cycle. Today Honda Motor Co. Ltd. is the largest motor cycle factory in the world. In 1960 the successful period for Honda racing motorcyles started in Europe: Jim Redman, Mike Hailwood, Bob McIntyre, John Hartle, Luigi Taveri...
Horex
1923, Germany
Husqvarna
1903, Sweden, the oldest Swedish motor cycle manufacturer Husqvarna tried to reach the top of Grand-Prix-Racing from 1930 on with a 500 ccm V2 cylinder ohv model. Gunnar Kalén already won 1933 the European Championship title with this bike. The last famous win with Husqvarna GP-model was realized by Ragna Sunqvist 1935 at the Berlin's AVUS-Circuit with an average speed of 171,2 km/h.
Indian
1901, United States
JAWA
1929, Czechoslovakia
KTM
1953, Austria; 1934 Hans Trunkenpolz established a metalworking shop at Mattighofen, a small town in Upper Austria near to the German border. Only three years later he started with the sale of DKW motorcyles and in 1938 with automobiles from Opel. After the Second World War, in 1952 the idea of his own motor cycle took shape. And only one year later the first prototype had been realized on its wheels: the “Moser KTM 100” with a 98 cc-Sachs-motor from the Rotax factory (Gunskirchen, Upper Austria). “Moser” because Hans Trunkenpolz had been the partner of a certain Moser & Co company. The name “KTM” however had been existing already, before in 1955 Ernst Kronreif became the new partner. Until 1955 “KTM” meant “Kraftfahrzeuge, Trunkenpolz, Mattighofen”, after 1955 the meaning changed to “Kronreif, Trunkenpolz, Mattighofen”. “Tarzan” was a model name in the Fifties, followed by the legendary “Ponny II” and the “Comet”. Since 1965 KTM is involved in Motocross Sport activities where it achieves great successes until today.
Laurin & Klement
1896, Czechoslovakia, At Jungbunzlau (part of the Austrian Empire), today Mlada Boleslav, had been founded a motorcycle factory in 1896, one of the pioneers in the history of motorcycles: the bookseller Wenzel Klement from Jungbunzlau and the mechanics Wenzel Laurin established "Laurin & Klement". Already in 1902 and 1903 they won numerous races with their motorcycle. And in 1907 they produced with 495 employees about 3.000 motorcycles.