Motorcycles

Novelty Helmet

BMW Motorrad is the brand used by the German company known as BMW for its motorcycles, manufacturing the bikes  and motorcycle gear since 1923. The history of the BMW motorcycle originally began in 1921 though. 1923 was when the first motorcycle was released but during World War I the company manufactured aircraft engines as its first product. The R32, the first motorcycle introduced by BMW Motorrad, featured the flat twin boxer engine, which is most associated with the company’s motorcycles during its history.

The plant for producing BMW Motorrad motorcycles is located in Berlin, Germany. China, Austria, and Taiwan are other locations where BMW Motorrad engines are manufactured outside of Berlin, Germany. The most popular model in the year 2008 for BMW was the R1200GS, which was just one of the over 100,000 motorcycles sold by BMW in 2008. BMW Motorrad was launched into serious motorcycle competition with the introduction of the G450X model. Aside from motorcycles, BMW Motorrad also manufactures motorcycle gear such as carbon fiber helmets and motorcross helmet.

There are four main series currently in production by BMW Motorrad. The F series, the G series, the R series, and the K series are the four main series manufactured by BMW Motorrad. The F series features parallel twin engines, the G series features single cylinder engines, the R series features twin cylinder boxer engines and the K series four cylinder engines. BMW Motorrad is the first non-British manufacturer to win the Isle of Man TT race, which they won in 1939. The 2009 Superbike World Championship features Team Alpha BMW for the first time in the history of the company. Ruben Xaus and Troy Corser are the drivers for the factory team for BMW Motorrad. Enthusiasts of BMX and Motocross can also purchase BMX helmets and motocross helmets from BMW Motorrad. Side car motorcycles were manufactured by BMW Motorrad in the past as well. World War I and World War II featured side car motorcycles because they could carry more than one person at a time. The pre-war motorcycles manufactured by BMW Motorrad are the most coveted of the company. An auction is held each year in Las Vegas, Nevada for historic BMW Motorrad motorcycles.

Discount Helmets

Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the popular home of not only breweries but also the Harley Davidson company. The company was started in the year 1903 by William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson. The main product that the company produces is motorcycles. The company located in Wisconsin also manufacturers motorcycle helmets for their customers.

Less than 10,000 employees work for the company, which pulls in roughly $6 billion per year. The public can purchase motorcycle gear all over the country from a variety of locations. The hobby of owning and riding a motorcycle has grown over the past handful of decades to enormous proportions. The history of the company’s motorcycles is documented in its museum along with other clubs and events that the company sponsors. Cagiva, MVAgusta, and the Buell Motorcycle Company are other operations owned and run by the company.

Arthur Davidson, a longtime friend of William S. Harley, founded the company at the ripe old age of 23. Harley first drew up plans for a small engine to be used in a small bicycle frame. Davidson and Harley were childhood friends, making it easier for the two to get along and form one of the most popular and successful motorcycle production companies in the world. Motorcycles were used during the Poncho Villa Expedition along with the World War I effort by the United States government. Helmets were also mass produced by the company during the war effort for the riders of the bikes. The three wheeled delivery vehicle known as the Servi-Car and power plants based on the company’s motorcycle engines were manufactured during the Great Depression to keep the company in business. There have been leather helmets manufactured by the company in the past but not the main helmet product is fiberglass. Some of the helmets manufactured during the company’s history have had face guards and some haven’t. The company’s largest manufacturing plant, in York, PA, suffered a strike in 2007. Over 440 people in Wisconsin lost their job due to the strike. Harley, Davidson, Walter Davidson and William A. Davidson were all inducted into the Labor Hall of Fame for their efforts founding and operating the company.