Two Wheeled Dream

The Harley-Davidson Empire began in 1901 when twenty-one year old William Harley completed a blueprint for an engine that could be mounted to a bicycle.  In 1903 William Harley and Arthur Davidson produced the first motorcycle ever made, production began and the invention, originally meant for racing caught America’s eye and motorcycles became mainstream transportation.  It’s interesting that something as exciting as a motorcycle has a logo that is really just the name of the company laid out like an emblem, but the logo is distinctive nonetheless, and it is mainly due to the font.  The Harley Davidson font would be identifiable standing on its head and they have never wavered from the fairly blockish letters fit into a shield that resembles a policeman’s badge.  The shield has been embedded into an eagle’s breast and set into an American flag but the Harley Davidson signature font has never changed and it has served the company well, standing as the icon of the all American motorcycle.  It is distinctive and memorable and exactly what it is intended to be – a simple representation of a reliable company.  There is no mistaking it or ignoring it – exactly what you want from a logo.