MUMBAI: Harley-Davidson is not just a motorcycle but a symbol of Americana. Founded by Walter and Arthur Davidson and their friend Bill Harley who gave everything they had to ensure the survival of the company they founded. Featuring their journey through a three-part mini-series is Discovery channel.
The channel will premiere ‘Harley and the Davidsons on 14 October at 9 pm’. The series will air on three consecutive Fridays – 14, 21 Oct and 28 October at the same time.
It looks at how the founders continued to grow its loyal following like no other competitor– whether it was securing the American Army contract and teaching riders how to make repairs on the field to embracing boisterous motorcycle clubs across the nation. They would eventually channel all their resources with their biggest risk yet – creating the world’s first superbike, a state-of-the-art racing machine for the masses.
The series features Michiel Huisman as Walter Davidson, Robert Aramayo as William Harley and Bug Hall playing the role of Arthur Davidson. Other cast members include Stephen Rider, Jessica Camacho, Daniel Coonan, Annie Read, Wilson Bethel, Dougray Scott, Gabe Luna, Alex Shaffer, Essa O’Shea and Sean Scully.
Based on a true story, the show charts the birth of this iconic bike during a time of great social and technological change beginning at the turn of the 20 century. Walter, Arthur and Bill risked their entire fortune and livelihood to launch the budding enterprise. Each of these men faced very different challenges, but it was the motorcycle that united their dreams and ambitions.
For Walter Davidson, the venture was a chance to escape from the confines of society – to ignore the rules and build a bike that could go anywhere and ride hard. For Arthur Davidson, it was an opportunity to finally make good on his name. And for Bill Harley, the bike gave him hope to break free from his overbearing parents and apply his talent as an engineer.
Built in a shed out of Milwaukee, these motorcycles were able to survive nearly every condition imaginable. And Walter certainly put the bikes to the test. His ferocious ambition propelled him to become a top motorcycle racer while competing in the deadly competitions sweeping the nation. Walter’s daredevil exploits put Harley-Davidson on the map – and while risky – pushed the company to eventually overtake their archrival competitor, Indian, which had a stronghold on the market.
Fuelled by ingenuity, innovation and design, the founders of Harley-Davidson faced off against their much bigger rivals.
The series has already been a success in the US.
