Down The Road

Our short bike trip from our State Fair campground north on I894 past Miller Park

then east on I94 to downtown Milwaukee 

past the real Po' Town

and across the Milwaukee River took us to 

the reason we are visiting this area.  As veteran museum attendees and Harley riders, this is the place to be in Milwaukee WI.  

The museum does an excellent job of telling the Harley-Davidson story from its humble beginnings with childhood friends Bill Harley and Arther Davidson along with Arther's brothers Walter and William tinkering  in "the shed", to the internationally successful company of today.

This is either the first bike the friends made or has parts from the first bike.

With their first motorcycle on the market, the company struggled to grow in the marketplace.

During armed conflicts, military contracts helped keep them afloat. 

During peacetime, including during the Depression, the company tried to appeal to all market sectors  with the introduction of colors and styles that would appeal to a variety of people, including scooters for young moderns, "muscle" bikes for serious riders, and racing bikes.

Originally races were run on board tracks.  The bikes had no brakes, but used the curve on the tracks to slow down and stop. 

This is a cross country racing bike, taken along bare tracks through trees, water, mud and whatever else was along the route.

The only thing I know about engines I learned on American Pickers:   pan head, flat head, and knucklehead.  Now I think I might be able to pick them out.

Engine on our  Eagle

We perused the museum for three hours  via guided tour and self-guided tour, including the current offering in the special exhibits building next door, then headed back to our parking spot in Carney Town, where our neighbors were all at work at Summerfest for the day.

Next, pix from our "behind the scenes" tour.

Louise and Duane