Although the company was still in its infancy, it managed to sell 10,000 11F models.
In 1915, it was the second year of World War I, Woodrow Wilson was President of the United States, the Ford Motor Company was producing its millionth Model T, and Harley-Davidson, which was only 12 years old, launched the model 11F. Although it still looked like a motorized bicycle, for its time the 11F was a big novelty. Notably, it featured a 30 cubic inch V-twin engine with a three-speed transmission and electric lighting. At that time, most motorcycles had only one gear. Equipping a motorcycle with multiple gears was a major turning point that would propel Harley-Davidson as the leading motorcycle brand we know today. Although the company was still in its infancy, it managed to sell 10,000 11F models. This goes to show the mass appeal this brand had in its early years.