After all these years, I am so surprised that it took until 2016 for anyone to film a biography of Harley Davidson Motorcycles and their erstwhile founders. I was also surprised at how enjoyable it was. Especially given that I had to forget what I actually knew, as with most historical biopics these days, Harley and the Davidsons is not without its fair share of revisionism and historical inaccuracies.
The story takes us from the first time William Harley, Arthur Davidson and Walter Davidson Snr designed and built their first motorcycle in a garden shed in 1903 (something that did actually happen), to the time that Walter Davidson Snr gave their 1936 Knucklehead prototype to his son Walter Jnr to race at an outlaw bike meet, (something that almost certainly didn't).
In the interim years we're shown the lasting bond that the founders form with each other, their families and their friends as well as the enemies they make in their efforts to climb to the top of the motorcycle world.
Whilst the rivalry between Harley Davidson and Indian Motorcycles was certainly legendary on the track as competing manufacturers, it has been embellished way out of proportion here to show that the rivalry was personal and that Indian Motorcycles were petty and underhanded by purposely finding a patent infringement in one of William Harley's clutch designs and Sues them in order to bankrupt them. Try as I may, I have struggled to find any evidence that such a law suit or malicious attempt by Indian ever took place and this is likely something made up by the scriptwriters to add some dramatic flair, rather than have three feature length episodes just showing three blokes designing and building motorbikes.
Other historical inaccuracies include :
The design sales to the Japanese was completed as early as 1929 and not in the early 30's when the Servi-car was being designed and built.
Shrimp Burns didn't ride for Harley Davidson until after WWI and he was 20 years old rather than before the war when he was 17 as the biopic shows.
Eddie Hasha was killed in a Motordrome in New Jersey and not Milwaukee and 5 others died at the same time, (including children in the crowd).
The term 'knucklehead' was not used to describe the 1936 OHV (over head valve) model until years after it's release.
Sadly, the role of William Davidson Snr is also greatly diminished and he is shown here as more of an outsider, rather than the active contributer to the direction of the company that he was.
However, despite these 'irks' I found Harley and the Davidsons to be a very enjoyable binge watch. The acting is really good, the story, (as fictitious as it no doubt was), was enjoyable and it was great to see old model Harleys involved and in many ways it is these machines who become the stars of the show and why not? After all, the three most beautifully created things in the world are the female body, the Fender Stratocaster guitar and a Harley Davidson motorcycle. C'mon, tell me I'm wrong.
Enjoy!
The story takes us from the first time William Harley, Arthur Davidson and Walter Davidson Snr designed and built their first motorcycle in a garden shed in 1903 (something that did actually happen), to the time that Walter Davidson Snr gave their 1936 Knucklehead prototype to his son Walter Jnr to race at an outlaw bike meet, (something that almost certainly didn't).
In the interim years we're shown the lasting bond that the founders form with each other, their families and their friends as well as the enemies they make in their efforts to climb to the top of the motorcycle world.
Whilst the rivalry between Harley Davidson and Indian Motorcycles was certainly legendary on the track as competing manufacturers, it has been embellished way out of proportion here to show that the rivalry was personal and that Indian Motorcycles were petty and underhanded by purposely finding a patent infringement in one of William Harley's clutch designs and Sues them in order to bankrupt them. Try as I may, I have struggled to find any evidence that such a law suit or malicious attempt by Indian ever took place and this is likely something made up by the scriptwriters to add some dramatic flair, rather than have three feature length episodes just showing three blokes designing and building motorbikes.
Other historical inaccuracies include :
The design sales to the Japanese was completed as early as 1929 and not in the early 30's when the Servi-car was being designed and built.
Shrimp Burns didn't ride for Harley Davidson until after WWI and he was 20 years old rather than before the war when he was 17 as the biopic shows.
Eddie Hasha was killed in a Motordrome in New Jersey and not Milwaukee and 5 others died at the same time, (including children in the crowd).
The term 'knucklehead' was not used to describe the 1936 OHV (over head valve) model until years after it's release.
Sadly, the role of William Davidson Snr is also greatly diminished and he is shown here as more of an outsider, rather than the active contributer to the direction of the company that he was.
However, despite these 'irks' I found Harley and the Davidsons to be a very enjoyable binge watch. The acting is really good, the story, (as fictitious as it no doubt was), was enjoyable and it was great to see old model Harleys involved and in many ways it is these machines who become the stars of the show and why not? After all, the three most beautifully created things in the world are the female body, the Fender Stratocaster guitar and a Harley Davidson motorcycle. C'mon, tell me I'm wrong.
Enjoy!