Harley-Davidson

THE IDEA of a motorcycle—a motor-driven bicycle—was popularized by a swindler by the name of Edward Pennington. Pennington demonstrated a prototype motorcycle in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1895, and this demonstration was the talk of the town. Shortly afterwards, he left for England, where he raised money from backers, then disappeared. Pennington had a real gift for publicity, and his demonstration sparked the idea of a motor-driven cycle in a lot of people, possibly including two Milwaukee teenagers, William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson.

THE IDEA of a motorcycle—a motor-driven bicycle—was popularized by a swindler by the name of Edward Pennington. Pennington demonstrated a prototype motorcycle in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1895, and this demonstration was the talk of the town. Shortly afterwards, he left for England, where he raised money from backers, then disappeared. Pennington had a real gift for publicity, and his demonstration sparked the idea of a motor-driven cycle in a lot of people, possibly including two Milwaukee teenagers,