Harley Davidson or Harly Davidson?
If you are in the market for that special ride, and you see a motorcycle with Harly painted on the side - do NOT buy it no matter how good the deal seems to be.
Harley-Davidson is a registered trademark and only real Harleys can carry the logo. Notice that is Harley with an "e", not Harly.
The Harley-Davidson Motor Company was established in 1903 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin by co-founders William Harley, Arthur Davidson, Walter Davidson, and William Davidson. The three Davidsons were brothers, and William Harley was Arthur's friend. They named the company Harley-Davidson with the hyphen in the middle to tell people there was more than one founder. Rumors for the reason Harley's name is first range from because it sounded better, to because he came up with the design for the first engine. The hyphen is often left out, especially on websites such as this one and when people and search engines are searching online.
If you search for "Harly" on the Internet you will come up with results, even though it is not the proper spelling of the name. This happens either due to typos, or cleverly designed search engine optimization of websites and ads.
Whatever the reason, many of these sites are still legitimate. You need not necessarily be afraid to order from them or follow their advice just because they used an advertising ploy to get your attention.
HOWEVER, any products for sale with the word Harly, are not legitimate. They are either cheap knockoffs or out right scams. Don't waste your money.
Legitimate Harley-Davidson dealers are located all over the United States, as well as in the United Kingdom, Australia and Europe. Most dealerships sell not only motorcycles, but also Harley Davidson clothing and accessories as well. The very first recorded Harley dealer was C.H. Lang. He opened for business in Chicago, Illinois in 1904 and sold one of the first 3 production Harley Davidson motorcycles ever sold.
Custominzing Your Harley not Harly
Once you have purchased a Harley-Davidson you might decide you want to customize it. Once again if the parts say Harly Davidson, look elsewhere. If the guy selling you the parts is named Harly...well that's just one heck of a coincidence...I hope.
There are many kits available that can help you customize your bike yourself, or you can take it to a shop specializing in this sort of thing. Ask your local Harley dealer or other local riders where they had their bikes done.
If you can afford it you may even want to have your own customized bike designed and built just for you. Some people choose to customize to increase functionality. This may include installing luggage racks. Some people customize to fit their riding style. This is where chrome comes in. Chrome fenders are just the beginning. Chrome hardware such as polished screws and bolt covers can actually be matched to your other accessories. A chrome master cylinder cover and chrome hand levers complete the look.
Custom paint is another way you can establish your own personal style. You will probably want to have this done by a professional unless you are an artist yourself. Even then, just being a good artist is not enough. You need to know what paints to use and how to apply them. What you, as an artist, are accustomed to working with might not work in the hot sunshine or cold winter weather.
Any bike can be custom painted whether it is a touring bike, a cruising bike, or a racing bike. Just make sure the artist paints Harley-Davidson, not Harly-Davidson. The paint job should reflect the riders personality.
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