c.1925 Harley-Davidson Model J

Harley-Davidson first launched the Model J in 1915 specifically for use by the military in the First World War. The Model J was an innovative bike for its electric lighting and ignition system, three-gear transmission and bigger engine. In the 1920s, Harley made some significant changes to the Model J. The JD Model, which this bike is, has a V-Twin engine, which added considerable power and performance. In 1925, Harley made several design changes to to modernize the model -  they changed the gas tank to the teardrop shape which has become an iconic Harley feature, they lowered the seat three inches and made the the wheels smaller but wider to improve the profile. The JD Model was also only available in one colour, Olive Drab.

Engine: V-twin, four-stroke, air-cooled
Displacement: 1.0 L (60.35 ci)
Bore and Stroke: 84.1 x 88.9 mm (3.3 x 3.5 in)
Power: 13.42 kW (18 hp)
Weight: 181 kg (399 lb)
Original Cost: US $335

Chronology:

1903 - William A. Davidson, Walter Davidson Sr., Arthur Davidson and William S. Harley founded Harley-Davidson in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
1904 - Prototype machine raced in Milwaukee
1905 - Started producing a limited number of motorcyles
1906 - Harley-Davidson built their first factory
1907 - Production increased and introduced their V-Twin prototype
1911 - Introduced their improved V-twin model
1912 - Introduced their patented "Ful-Floteing" seat
1917 - Started producing bikes for the military and also launched a line of motorcycles aimed at the domestic market
1920 - Harley-Davidson becomes the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world
1921 - Otto Walker, riding a Harley, set the record for the first motorcycle to win a race at greater than 100 miles per hour
1929 - Harley introduced the Model D - a flat-head V-twin aimed to compete with Indian and Excelsior. Vivian Boles drove 5,000 miles acoss the United States and Canada on a Model D
1929-1933 The Great Depression caused sales of motorcycles to plummet but Harley-Davidson still continued to produce motorcycles
1934 - Harley-Davidson unveiled a new line-up of motorcycles
1936 - Knucklehead engine models introduced
1939-1945 - Harley produced a large number of motorcycles for military efforts during World War II
1969 - After years of financial troubles, AMF buys the Harley-Davidson Company. To make the company profitable, AMF streamlined production and slashed the workforce, causing sales and quality to decline
1969 - Stan Reynolds purchases this motorcyle from Washington State, USA
1981 - AMF sold Harley-Davidson and the new investors changed operations, adding new technologies and improving quality and slowly growing the brand repuation
1984 - Stan Reynolds donates this to the Reynolds-Alberta Museum
1990 - Harley introduces the Fat Boy motorcyle which became the industry leader in the heavyweight motorcycle market
2003 - Harley-Davidson celebrates their 100th anniversary