Harley-Davidson

Book excerpt: From the appearance of the first single cylinder engine, followed by its twin cylinders, the Harley-Davidson has distinguished itself by its imposing models, known for their trustworthiness and endurance, and by their many wins on the racetrack. The motorcycles, powered by V-Twin Harley-Davidson engines, have forged the legend of this American brand - already in business for over a century - through families of highly prestigious names: Hydra Glide, then Duo Glide and finally Electra Glide, and also Softail, Dyna, V-Rod and Sportster--names that exist and have persisted, in the case of certain models, for more than 50 years. In spite of competition that in late years from America and then from the UK and Japan, Harley-Davidson has prevailed because of the innovations it has introduced - at times belatedly, but always the fruit of sensible reflections - and because it has diversified its family of motorcycles to make them correspond to the public's expectations. Without falling into the trap of expanding technological innovations to an exaggerated level, the new Harley-Davidsons have become motorcycles offering modern performance while at the same time conserving the spirit of the brand and, above all, that special Harley-Davidson character. All you need to do is climb onto the saddle and rev up a Harley-Davidson to discover a new motorcycling universe, where the concept of pleasure reveals new meaning. This is the universe that this book invites you to discover, through the history of the brand's main models, embodying nearly 110 years of motorcycling adventures, and touching upon touring, sport, customisation and a simple and outright passion for motorcycles. AUTHOR: Pascal Szymezak is a motorbike journalist. He has worked as an editorial consultant for music-themed volumes and, in particular, he was the curator of the title 'Heavy Metal,' and worked on graphic design for the book 'Dream Cars of the Twenty-First Century' (2013). Illustrated