Indeed, good weather brings out bikers from far and wide, and in certain areas in can feel as though there are more motorbikes on the road than cars!

Whether you enjoy motorcycling as a leisure activity, use your motorbike for practical purposes only (i.e. for getting from A to B) or have discovered the delights of a sport such as moto-cross or off-road motorcycling, the first and foremost issue in the mind of any serious biker must be safety. It is a sad fact that motorbikes have a higher fatality rate than cars, per unit of distance travelled. There are various reasons for this but the most obvious is that a motorcycle itself provides very little in the way of protection in the event of a traffic accident. Whilst modern cars have various safety measures, including “crumple zones” that take the brunt of the impact in a crash, motorcycles provide no real protection for the rider. However, all road users, whether motorcyclist, car-driver, cyclist or pedestrian, can do their bit towards making the roads a safer place for everyone.

The most obvious route to better motorcycle safety is better road awareness. This includes awareness of other road users, potential hazards, weather conditions, road layout and of course the rules of the road in whatever country you happen to be travelling. Car drivers can be notoriously oblivious of motorcyclists (and indeed cyclists and pedestrians!) so it is often down to motorcyclists to ensure that car-drivers are aware of them. However frustrating this may be, it is essential to try to see the road through the eyes of other users – has the car in front of you realized that you are there, or are you hidden in his or her blind spot? Has that pedestrian at the junction seen you about to emerge from a side road? Is the cyclist with the earphones in front of you at the traffic lights aware of your presence if he or she can’t hear you?

The other most practical and simple way to increase your awareness of motorcycling safety is to increase your awareness of your own vehicle. Getting to know your bike, its quirks and complications is the quickest route to better motorcycle safety. A responsible motorcyclist will be therefore be able to diagnose problems with his or her bike quickly and easily, enabling swift rectification of any issues. For example, a biker who knows his or her bike inside out and is accustomed to its various noises will instantly be able to identify a problem if the sound that his or her bike makes changes suddenly. He or she will not have to wait until the motorcycle’s annual service to find out that there is a costly and complicated problem that needs sorting as soon as possible.

The first Harley-Davidson motorcycle was produced in 1903. Although the sale of their motorcycles were very slow at the beginning. The single cylinder motorcycle that they created in 1903 sold very quickly and this motivated them to bigger and better things. But in 1905 sales dropped way off, as a matter of fact the only sold 11 motorcycles the entire year. So they knew they had to make some drastic changes and after trial and error in 1908 their business began to grow they sold a total of 154 motorcycles that year. The founders of Harley-Davidson motorcycles decided to move their production from the tiny barn that they were working in too a factory where they can have more space to build their motorcycles. They also hired their first employees a total of about 22 ramp-up your motorcycle production.

In just four years their business was booming they had over 200 motorcycle dealerships in the United States. Japan was also demanding a lot more bikes from Harley-Davidson as the interest for the motorcycle was really gaining popularity in Japan. Harley-Davidson was best known for its strong power in it’s motors it made a great racing bike, but that was not the reason the United States military chose to have Harley-Davidson build them 20,000+ motorcycles for the first world war. His huge contract made with the United States military pushed Harley-Davidson to the top they were the top motorcycle producer of that time and would stay that way for many years.

During the second world war the United States military again called on Harley-Davidson for their motorcycle needs they placed an order with the company for a vast amount of motorcycles. Although this was good for Harley-Davidson it was a bad time for anyone that was looking for motorcycle to buy from them because it was nearly impossible for any normal citizen at that time to purchase a motorcycle. This would be the Achilles’ heel for Harley-Davidson for a while as people got tired of waiting to be able to buy one they went to other companies to satisfy their needs for two wheeled transportation. This led to turbulent times for Harley-Davidson in the early 1950s but by 1957 they came out with a new brand called the Sportster and this would set them back on the top of motorcycle production companies. The Sportster seem to be what consumers were looking for at the time because of its sleek styling and it’s raw power.

From 1957 up until 1980 Harley-Davidson only made minor tweaks and adjustments in the style and design of the bikes they created but in 1980 they decided that they need to make some drastic changes in their selection of motorcycles. And in late 1980s they introduced the FLT it was equipped with a five speed transmission and instead of being chain driven Harley-Davidson went to a belt drive system. Then in 1984 they introduced what is known today as the V-twin motor. This helped them stay ahead of the competition.

Harley-Davidson has been one company that has always prided itself on feedback from its consumers. They would take into consideration all their consumers suggestions to make their product even better. In 1987 Harley-Davidson did something no other company had ever thought of they introduced their buyback plan which meant that they would give the consumer the full trade in value when they came in to purchase a newer model motorcycle. This was a big success with the consumers.

Since 1987 up until present day they have produced various new models that appeal to their customers wants and needs. They still have their popular Sportster, now made in various styles. The Dyna, a bike made for simplicity and speed, but they also have motorcycles made for comfort and cross-country rides such As the road king, the heritage classic soft tail, the electra glide, the Road glide, and many more and you can guarantee with the demand for a Harley-Davidson out there today there will be many more models created each and every year.

One thing that stood the test of time is that their consumers are definitely loyal customers because they won’t even consider riding any other type of motorcycle and I guess this is the reason that Harley-Davidson now has almost 65% of the market. With their attention to detail plus their commitment to keeping their customers satisfied you can guarantee Harley-Davidson will be around for a long time to come.