Harley-Davidson motorcycles are made by Harley-Davidson, Inc., a publicly traded American company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with primary assembly at the York Assembly Plant in York, Pennsylvania, and engine manufacturing at the Menomonee Falls facility in Wisconsin.
Harley-Davidson is known as the quintessential American motorcycle brand, with a heritage stretching back to 1903, a thundering V-twin engine sound recognized worldwide, and a devoted ownership community that rivals any other brand in consumer loyalty.
Harley-Davidson is a publicly traded American company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker HOG, with no foreign parent company or controlling shareholder, operating as an independent American corporation since its founding in 1903.
Knowing where Harley-Davidsons are made helps buyers understand the brand’s US manufacturing commitment, where each model is assembled, and how Harley’s production footprint compares to its key competitor Indian Motorcycle.
This article covers Harley’s founding, manufacturing locations, current model lineup, and how Harley-Davidson compares to Indian Motorcycle and Honda.
So let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Who Owns Harley-Davidson?
Harley-Davidson, Inc. is a publicly traded American company with no single controlling shareholder. Institutional investors hold the majority of shares. The company is led by Jochen Zeitz, who has served as CEO since February 2020.
Harley-Davidson has operated as an independent publicly traded company for most of its history, with the exception of a period from 1969 to 1981 when it was owned by AMF Corporation. A management buyout in 1981 returned the company to independence.
Harley-Davidson also owns the LiveWire electric motorcycle brand, which was spun off as a separate publicly traded company in 2022 but has since been taken private under Harley-Davidson’s majority control as part of a restructuring of the electric motorcycle strategy.
When Was Harley-Davidson Founded?
Harley-Davidson was founded in 1903 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin by William S. Harley and childhood friends Arthur Davidson, Walter Davidson, and William Davidson. The four founders built their first motorcycle in a small wooden shed in the Davidson family’s backyard.
By 1906 the company had outgrown the shed and moved to a larger facility on Chestnut Street in Milwaukee. By 1920 Harley-Davidson was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, a position it held through much of the early 20th century before the influx of Japanese competitors in the 1970s.
Harley-Davidson survived near-bankruptcy in the early 1980s after the AMF era and rebuilt its reputation for quality and heritage through the decade. The H.O.G. (Harley Owners Group) was founded in 1983 and has grown into the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle club in the world.
Where Are Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Made?
The primary Harley-Davidson assembly plant for North American market motorcycles is the York Assembly Plant in York, Pennsylvania. The York facility assembles the Softail, Touring, and Sportster families for the US and Canadian markets.
Harley-Davidson’s Powertrain Operations facility in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin manufactures the V-twin engines and transmissions that power its motorcycles. A third major Wisconsin facility, the Pilgrim Road plant in Wauwatosa, also supports production operations.
Harley-Davidson also operates assembly facilities in India and Thailand for motorcycles sold in those markets, reducing import costs and meeting local content requirements. These international facilities assemble models for regional markets, not for export to the US. Full model details are at Harley-Davidson’s official website.
What Models Does Harley-Davidson Currently Make?
Harley-Davidson’s lineup is organized into four main families. The Cruiser family includes the iconic Softail models: Fat Boy, Heritage Classic, Breakout, Low Rider, and others. The Touring family includes the Road King, Street Glide, Road Glide, and Ultra Limited, designed for long-distance riding with extensive electronics and storage.
The Grand American Touring family represents the brand’s top touring motorcycles. The Adventure Touring Pan America is Harley’s entry into the adventure bike segment, competing against BMW GS and KTM Adventure models in a category Harley had previously not participated in.
The Nightster and Sportster S serve as lighter, more performance-oriented models targeting younger and newer riders entering the Harley ecosystem at more accessible price points.
Harley-Davidson vs Indian Motorcycle vs Honda: Who Makes Each?
All three are major motorcycle brands but from completely different companies. Harley-Davidson is an independent publicly traded American company. Indian Motorcycle is owned by Polaris Inc., an American powersports company. Honda is made by Honda Motor Co., Ltd., an independent publicly traded Japanese company.
Harley-Davidson leads globally in the heavyweight cruiser and touring segment by a wide margin, selling approximately 190,000 motorcycles annually. Indian has been growing its share in the US cruiser market since Polaris relaunched the brand in 2011 but remains significantly smaller.
Honda is the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer by total volume but does not compete directly in the American heavyweight cruiser segment where Harley dominates. Honda’s US market strength is in sport, adventure, and commuter categories.
Frequently Asked Questions About Where Harley-Davidsons Are Made
Are all Harley-Davidsons made in the USA?
Harley-Davidsons sold in the United States and Canada are assembled at the York, Pennsylvania plant, with engines made in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. Motorcycles sold in India and Thailand are assembled at local facilities to meet regional content and tariff requirements. The US-market bikes are entirely domestically assembled.
When was Harley-Davidson founded?
Harley-Davidson was founded in 1903 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin by William S. Harley, Arthur Davidson, Walter Davidson, and William Davidson. The brand has been in continuous motorcycle production for over 120 years, making it one of the oldest continuously operating motorcycle manufacturers in the world.
Is Harley-Davidson still owned by Americans?
Harley-Davidson is a publicly traded company, so ownership is distributed among institutional and retail investors globally. However, it has no single foreign controlling shareholder and operates as an independent American corporation headquartered in Milwaukee. The company has never been foreign-owned.
What happened to the Harley-Davidson electric motorcycle?
Harley-Davidson’s electric motorcycle brand, LiveWire, was spun off as a separate publicly traded company in 2022. After underwhelming sales and investor interest, LiveWire was effectively reintegrated under Harley-Davidson’s control as Harley maintained majority ownership. The LiveWire brand continues to produce electric motorcycles including the LiveWire One and Del Mar models, but as a much smaller operation than originally envisioned.
I am Jack Neel, a mechanical engineer, researcher, and writer. I created this website to share my knowledge about different brands and products with you. I research the manufacturers behind the brands and provide you with the information you need to make smart buying decisions.