Power, Glory & Style

There is no aspect of motorcycling where raw power is more important than it is in hill climbing and drag racing. Both share the simple objective of executing a short, straight course from a standing start in the shortest time possible.

Both types of racing have generated their share of heroes – hill climbers like Dudley Perkins and his protégé Tom Sifton, and drag racing champions like Elmer Trett (above) – men whose need for power propels them to ever greater speeds.

Yet other Harley-Davidson owners take an entirely different course. To them, the bike is a blank canvas, a tool for personal expression – a fact not lost on the Motor Company's management.

In the late 1960s, Harley-Davidson was at a low point in its history – it had failed in the small- and mid-range motorcycle market, and its big twins were being declared passé by a technology-crazed motorcycle press. Style carried the day in the guise of the 1971 FX Super Glide. 

It was Willie G. Davidson's (left) first great contribution, and it taught Harley-Davidson how to excite and expand its model line by mixing and matching available parts and styling components.

Willie G. became the Motor Company's great styling guru by paying close attention to the street. He saw what customers did to modify their Harley-Davidsons and imitated some of those ideas. His efforts have helped turn Harley-Davidson into an American icon and propelled the Motor Company to a level of success undreamed of thirty years ago.

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