Harley-Davidsons are great motorcycles with great motorcycle parts, but even the best "Hogg" out there will sometimes break down. After all, the best made parts in the world can still wear out with time and heavy riding. Harley riders tend to be different than other motorcyclist, and sometimes a trip to the local Harley dealership can be like heaven to a dedicated biker. But even though you may enjoy hanging out at the Harley shop and talking bikes with other local riders, sometimes you simply need a part, and you don't have the time to ride all over town looking for it.
In these situations, buying Harley motorcycle parts online makes a lot of sense. Often you can find the exact part you are looking for quickly with just a simple search command. And there is no denying that online motorcycle parts are often cheaper than those purchased at your local dealership.
The reason for this is simple; by purchasing motorcycle parts online you are effectively cutting out the middleman, and buying direct from the distributor. This can result in big savings on many parts, and can even mean that you get the parts you need quicker. The fact is, even the largest Harley-Davidson dealerships do not carry all possible parts for every Harley motorcycle. Their inventory would simply have to be much too large, and they would probably require several oversized warehouses to store that many motorcycle parts, not to mention a mammoth computer inventory system to keep up with it.
This means that often, your local Harley dealership will have to order your parts and have them delivered after you purchase. And where do you think they're going to order your parts from? That's right; more than likely, the dealership will order all from one of the many great Harley motorcycle parts dealers online?
Besides saving money and time, ordering your Harley parts on the Internet is just way more convenient than "schlepping" all over town in search of what you need. Most online motorcycle parts distributors have a handy search function that will allow you to search for the exact parts you need in just a second. After you've located your parts, you can simply click "check out" to quickly and easily pay by credit card, and then you're done! What could be simpler than that?
And if you're concerned about Internet fraud, or using your credit card to purchase online, you can relax. All modern online stores use 128 bit SSL encryption to ensure that your personal information -- and your credit card information especially -- is kept completely private at all times. In fact it is now much safer to purchase from these secure online checkouts than to order by phone.
So the next time you need to buy motorcycle parts for your Harley, save yourself lots of time, frustration, and most importantly, money, by shopping with online motorcycle parts dealers. Most online dealers also have toll-free 800 numbers for any questions you may have about the part and there are often articles and other resources about installation of parts and recommended procedures on their web site. With so many great resources available these days, buying motorcycle parts online for your Harley is a no-brainer.
Why Customize Your Harley Davidson Motorcycle?
I think that question has been asked by thousands of wives around the country right after hubby brings home a new Harley Davidson. Why did you buy it if you just want to change it?
They just don't get it. You buy a Harley Davidson so you can customize it. That is half the darn fun of owning the motorcycle, at least it is for me and a lot of other Harley owners so I am sure you are no different. Let's take a look at some of the more common reasons Harley owners customize their motorcycle.
* More comfortable - Seats, shocks, windshields etc can all dramatically impact the comfort level of your motorcycle. You will need to get more familiar with your motorcycle before you find out what you want to change to make it more comfortable.
* Better Performance - Stage 1, 2 or 3 upgrades can dramatically improve the power of your Harley Davidson motorcycle. Most new harley owners perform a Stage 1 upgrade before the bike even leaves the dealer. Stage 1 is a new set of harley pipes, an air cleaner and remap or rejet of the fuel mixture.
* Appearance - Better looks. What looks good is very personal so to each their own but many new owners customize their Harley Davidson simply to make it look better.
* Personalization - I think you can sum it all up with this one. By customizing your Harley Davidson, you make it yours. It's built the way you want it, with the dress up parts that you want on it and its individualized to your own tastes.
By far the most common modification made to your harley is typically a new set of Harley pipes. You can find harley pipes in all shapes, sizes and configurations as the Harley Davidson aftermarket is one of the largest ones of any bike brand in the world. Harley pipes can be bought in chrome finish, ceramic finish, black painted finish and more.
You can buy a 2 into 1 harley pipe or the standard 2 into 2 configuration if you prefer and you can find all of these in various brands like Vance and Hines, D&D, Santee, Cobra, Supertrapp and many, many more. A quality set of Harley pipes can really put some bark into your Harley Davidson but like I said before, it's all about making the bike right for you.
They just don't get it. You buy a Harley Davidson so you can customize it. That is half the darn fun of owning the motorcycle, at least it is for me and a lot of other Harley owners so I am sure you are no different. Let's take a look at some of the more common reasons Harley owners customize their motorcycle.
* More comfortable - Seats, shocks, windshields etc can all dramatically impact the comfort level of your motorcycle. You will need to get more familiar with your motorcycle before you find out what you want to change to make it more comfortable.
* Better Performance - Stage 1, 2 or 3 upgrades can dramatically improve the power of your Harley Davidson motorcycle. Most new harley owners perform a Stage 1 upgrade before the bike even leaves the dealer. Stage 1 is a new set of harley pipes, an air cleaner and remap or rejet of the fuel mixture.
* Appearance - Better looks. What looks good is very personal so to each their own but many new owners customize their Harley Davidson simply to make it look better.
* Personalization - I think you can sum it all up with this one. By customizing your Harley Davidson, you make it yours. It's built the way you want it, with the dress up parts that you want on it and its individualized to your own tastes.
By far the most common modification made to your harley is typically a new set of Harley pipes. You can find harley pipes in all shapes, sizes and configurations as the Harley Davidson aftermarket is one of the largest ones of any bike brand in the world. Harley pipes can be bought in chrome finish, ceramic finish, black painted finish and more.
You can buy a 2 into 1 harley pipe or the standard 2 into 2 configuration if you prefer and you can find all of these in various brands like Vance and Hines, D&D, Santee, Cobra, Supertrapp and many, many more. A quality set of Harley pipes can really put some bark into your Harley Davidson but like I said before, it's all about making the bike right for you.
Motorcycle Manufacturer
Harley-Davidson is a manufacturer of motorcycles based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that was started with small plans in 1901 by a 21 year old named William S. Harley. In 1903, Harley enlisted help from his friend Arthur Davidson and Davidson's brother Walter to build a motorcycle strong enough to climb the hills of Milwaukee without using pedals. On September 8, 1904 a Harley-Davidson motorcycle made its first public appearance at State Fair Park in Milwaukee when it was entered in a race and driven by Edward Hildebrand.
The largest manufacturing job for Harley-Davidson came during World War I, while the company was still in its infancy. The United States wanted motorcycles involved in the war effort and asked Harley-Davidson to begin mass-producing bikes for the country. The company produced 20,000 motorcycles for the war effort. Before World War I Harley-Davidson manufactured a handful of motorcycles for the military to use in its border skirmishes with Poncho Villa but did not manufacture as many as they did for World War I.
Harley-Davidson was one of only two motorcycle manufacturing companies to survive the Great Depression in the United States and began supplying the government with motorcycles for use in World War II. During the span of the war Harley-Davidson manufactured over 90,000 motorcycles for the allied forces. Almost 30,000 of the 90,000 manufactured were sent to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease program.
During the company's history Harley-Davidson endured periods of tarnished reputations because of movies and relations to motorcycle gangs. Harley-Davidson motorcycles were used in Hollywood films that depicted outlaw biker gangs during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Harley-Davidson was also associated with the gang the Hells Angels and other motorcycle gangs because their bikes were those gangs' bikes of choice.
The models being manufacture presently by Harley-Davidson are the Sportster, the Dyna, the Softail, the Touring and the Revolution. All of these models have been in production by Harley-Davidson for decades now.
The Harley-Davidson company has four manufacturing plants across the country and they are located in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin; York, Pennsylvania; Tomahawk, Wisconsin and Kansas City, Missouri. The Harley-Davidson museum opened in 2008 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and includes exhibits, an archive, a restaurant and café and a museum store. Tours are offered at all four of the company's manufacturing plants as well as the museum in Milwaukee. The museum opened on July 12, 2008 and is located at Sixth and Canal streets in downtown Milwaukee. It is a three-building, 130,000 square feet operation that includes a variety of bikes on display as well as other memorabilia. The construction and operation of the museum is costing the Harley-Davidson company an estimated $75 million and should attract close to 350,000 visitors annually from around the world.
In 1983 the Harley-Davidson company formed a 'fan club' for the owners of its bikes and they penned it the Harley Owners Group. As an acronym it appears as H.O.G. Hog is also a nickname for motorcycles. In 2006 Harley-Davidson had its NYSE symbol changed from HDI to HOG.
The largest manufacturing job for Harley-Davidson came during World War I, while the company was still in its infancy. The United States wanted motorcycles involved in the war effort and asked Harley-Davidson to begin mass-producing bikes for the country. The company produced 20,000 motorcycles for the war effort. Before World War I Harley-Davidson manufactured a handful of motorcycles for the military to use in its border skirmishes with Poncho Villa but did not manufacture as many as they did for World War I.
Harley-Davidson was one of only two motorcycle manufacturing companies to survive the Great Depression in the United States and began supplying the government with motorcycles for use in World War II. During the span of the war Harley-Davidson manufactured over 90,000 motorcycles for the allied forces. Almost 30,000 of the 90,000 manufactured were sent to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease program.
During the company's history Harley-Davidson endured periods of tarnished reputations because of movies and relations to motorcycle gangs. Harley-Davidson motorcycles were used in Hollywood films that depicted outlaw biker gangs during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Harley-Davidson was also associated with the gang the Hells Angels and other motorcycle gangs because their bikes were those gangs' bikes of choice.
The models being manufacture presently by Harley-Davidson are the Sportster, the Dyna, the Softail, the Touring and the Revolution. All of these models have been in production by Harley-Davidson for decades now.
The Harley-Davidson company has four manufacturing plants across the country and they are located in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin; York, Pennsylvania; Tomahawk, Wisconsin and Kansas City, Missouri. The Harley-Davidson museum opened in 2008 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and includes exhibits, an archive, a restaurant and café and a museum store. Tours are offered at all four of the company's manufacturing plants as well as the museum in Milwaukee. The museum opened on July 12, 2008 and is located at Sixth and Canal streets in downtown Milwaukee. It is a three-building, 130,000 square feet operation that includes a variety of bikes on display as well as other memorabilia. The construction and operation of the museum is costing the Harley-Davidson company an estimated $75 million and should attract close to 350,000 visitors annually from around the world.
In 1983 the Harley-Davidson company formed a 'fan club' for the owners of its bikes and they penned it the Harley Owners Group. As an acronym it appears as H.O.G. Hog is also a nickname for motorcycles. In 2006 Harley-Davidson had its NYSE symbol changed from HDI to HOG.
Some Great Early Model Motorcycles by Harley Davidson
From the beginning of their very first motorcycle, Harley Davidson has continued to deliver some terrific motorcycles that have continued to fascinate and thrill consumers for many, many years.
After the introduction of the Harley's XL Sportster in 1957, Harley Davidson developed a more sporting version known as the XLCH in 1959. The "CH" was supposedly standing for competition hot. These motorcycles were stripped-down models that were oriented toward on-road and off-road work with magneto ignition, high exhaust pipes, solo seat, smaller "peanut" tank, and lighter overall weight. It also featured the now-famous "eyebrow" headlight cover that remains a Sportster trademark.
Harley-Davidson also offered the XLH, which was a dressed-up and touring influenced version that was outsold by its sportier sibling. Power rose steadily over the next few years, which earned the fleet Sportster the nickname of "King of the Drags," which is an unofficial title it would hold until the late 1960s. Of course, this was at a time when most of their competitors were British 650-cc twins, which spotted considerable displacement to the 883-cc Sportster and in drag racing, size does matter a great deal.
Aside from a new tank badge and paint scheme, the 1963 Harley-Davidson FL Duo-Glide did not offer many changes, which the successful formula of previous FL models did. However, Harley Davidson had tried something different for the 1961 models, when the age-old "waste spark" ignition was traded for a more modern ignition, but more complicated system employing two sets of points and coils. Unfortunately, the experiment only lasted through 1964 after which the waste-spark setup returned. This motorcycle was a fairly stripped example of the big FL, as most were fitted with saddlebags and two-passenger buddy seat and the addition to the windshield, which were all being requisites of the well-dressed touring motorcycle. The chrome trim on the fenders added a new classy touch to the Harley-Davidson FL Duo-Glide.
The 1963 Harley-Davidson Topper motorcycle was among the casualties when the very short lived scooter craze subsided and the Japanese brands began to take an ever-growing share of the American motorcycle market. It had a 165-cc two-stroke single that started with a recoil starter, which is like one on a lawn mower, this caused them to capitalize on the late-1950s popularity of scooters, which drove through a variable-ratio automatic transmission called Scootaway Drive. Up front was a simple leading-link fork, and there were small drum brakes on both wheels while beneath the hinged seat was a large storage space, but if that was not enough a luggage rack was available.
For those not content with carrying only two people and luggage, a sidecar was offered on the fully loaded models with the rig proving to be agonizingly slow. Other accessories included a passenger's backrest and windshield, but despite carrying the revered Harley-Davidson name, the Topper did not sell particularly well in a market and quickly become dominated by Japanese machines. It was not long before the scooter craze subsided, taking the Topper as one of its early casualties.
After the introduction of the Harley's XL Sportster in 1957, Harley Davidson developed a more sporting version known as the XLCH in 1959. The "CH" was supposedly standing for competition hot. These motorcycles were stripped-down models that were oriented toward on-road and off-road work with magneto ignition, high exhaust pipes, solo seat, smaller "peanut" tank, and lighter overall weight. It also featured the now-famous "eyebrow" headlight cover that remains a Sportster trademark.
Harley-Davidson also offered the XLH, which was a dressed-up and touring influenced version that was outsold by its sportier sibling. Power rose steadily over the next few years, which earned the fleet Sportster the nickname of "King of the Drags," which is an unofficial title it would hold until the late 1960s. Of course, this was at a time when most of their competitors were British 650-cc twins, which spotted considerable displacement to the 883-cc Sportster and in drag racing, size does matter a great deal.
Aside from a new tank badge and paint scheme, the 1963 Harley-Davidson FL Duo-Glide did not offer many changes, which the successful formula of previous FL models did. However, Harley Davidson had tried something different for the 1961 models, when the age-old "waste spark" ignition was traded for a more modern ignition, but more complicated system employing two sets of points and coils. Unfortunately, the experiment only lasted through 1964 after which the waste-spark setup returned. This motorcycle was a fairly stripped example of the big FL, as most were fitted with saddlebags and two-passenger buddy seat and the addition to the windshield, which were all being requisites of the well-dressed touring motorcycle. The chrome trim on the fenders added a new classy touch to the Harley-Davidson FL Duo-Glide.
The 1963 Harley-Davidson Topper motorcycle was among the casualties when the very short lived scooter craze subsided and the Japanese brands began to take an ever-growing share of the American motorcycle market. It had a 165-cc two-stroke single that started with a recoil starter, which is like one on a lawn mower, this caused them to capitalize on the late-1950s popularity of scooters, which drove through a variable-ratio automatic transmission called Scootaway Drive. Up front was a simple leading-link fork, and there were small drum brakes on both wheels while beneath the hinged seat was a large storage space, but if that was not enough a luggage rack was available.
For those not content with carrying only two people and luggage, a sidecar was offered on the fully loaded models with the rig proving to be agonizingly slow. Other accessories included a passenger's backrest and windshield, but despite carrying the revered Harley-Davidson name, the Topper did not sell particularly well in a market and quickly become dominated by Japanese machines. It was not long before the scooter craze subsided, taking the Topper as one of its early casualties.
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