Harley-Davidson: The Unknown Side of Speed

Let’s picture the garage of a family home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is the year 1903, and William S. Harley, together with brothers Arthur and Walter Davidson, begin a project. This was the starting point of one of the most iconic brands in motorcycle history: Harley-Davidson.

Harley-Davidson is a mythical and legendary name, dreamed of by many as a symbol of freedom, long journeys, and a brotherhood-like lifestyle shared by its riders.

If you want to dive deeper into its history, you can find countless articles online. In this piece, however, we will focus on two milestones that move away from the usual image of Harley as a brand made only for cruising, enjoying the road, and letting the destination — not the speedometer — set the pace.

The reason is simple: many people do not realize that speed has also been a key part of Harley-Davidson’s legacy, along with record-breaking achievements. And that is exactly what this article is about.

In the circuit racing scene of the 1920s, Harley-Davidson became the first motorcycle manufacturer to achieve average speeds above 100 mph (162 km/h).

In 1937, Joe Petrali, riding an E V-Twin Streamliner , set a land speed record at Daytona, reaching 271.892 km/h — an astronomical figure for that era.

Just imagining the thrill of hitting that speed on a motorcycle with extremely thin tires, no suspension, and with riders wearing open-face helmets and almost no protective gear, is enough to give you goosebumps.

And as if that were not impressive enough, a new speed record was broken in 1970. This time it was rider Cal Rayborn aboard the legendary Harley-Davidson “Godzilla” .

To achieve this milestone, he reached the staggering speed of 424 km/h. The Godzilla looked more like a horizontal rocket than a motorcycle: 4.8 meters long, powered by a Sportster engine. The chosen stage was the dry and endless Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

In the unique world of competition, beyond the speed needed to win races — something Harley achieved repeatedly — the Harley-Davidson XR750TT set the tone in terms of style.

Its iconic orange, white, and black color scheme still captivates Harley fans today.

Harley-Davidson has a history of speed that many riders are unaware of. We hope you have learned something new today about this great American brand .