It isn't everyday you get to brush elbows someone who has a lineage that is known the world over. Jean Davidson and Sarah Harley-O'Hearn are not household names but the family they come from is arguably one of the best known names in the industrialized world. They are of course descendants of two of the original four founders of Harley-Davidson. Jean is a granddaughter of Walter Davidson, the first president of Harley-Davidson and Sarah is the granddaughter of original founder William S. Harley who was the Chief Engineer and Treasurer of the Motor Company. My only other brush with the Harley-Davidson name was meeting Willie G's son, Bill Davidson, at the Harley-Davidson Open Road Tour in Barrie, ON in 2002, Canada's only stop celebrating their 100th anniversary.

Growing Up
Their childhood didn't seem different from the other kids at school for the most part. Sarah said she felt like a normal kid with no favouritism as did Jean. It wasn't until Jean was older that the name seemed to get in the way of everyday life. Sometimes Jean would use a different last name like Smith because she wanted to be known for herself and not part of one of the largest industrial families of Wisconsin. "Sometimes boys would figure out who I was and ask me to see if my dad could get them a motorcycle," Jean says. She continues, "I just retired from teaching at a college and none of the faculty or students knew I was related to the Motor Company until I started to travel in 2000 for my first book signings. They were very surprised and shocked". Sarah adds, "when I was growing up I found nobody cared about the name or that I was related to the Harley's".

Females seemed to have had a different place in the world of manufacturing and business in the first half of the century. It was a known fact, that any woman who worked at the Harley-Davidson factory was single, once married she would be let go as the Principles of the company believed it was more appropriate for a married woman to be home looking after the family. My first thought after reading the book, is that it was a boys club, but a person has to remember that it was a different generation and lifestyle.

Although they are not involved with the company itself, neither Jean or Sarah feel they missed out on anything being females in a seemingly male dominated business. "I loved to be at the track and loved to watch the races but girls couldn't race. That may be why growing up I wanted to be a boy and I was a tomboy until I found out that kissing boys was fun," Jean says smiling and Sarah chuckles.

Jean's first attempt at riding was at 12 years old on a 1949 Harley-Davidson. After constantly bugging her father to let her ride, he finally agreed after a quick run-down of the hand and foot controls. She rode it straight into the lake. "My father was laughing hysterically but my mother didn't think it was so funny," Jean says laughing. "There were no small bikes around then and I probably would never have thought of riding anything other than a Harley-Davidson". As for Jean's thoughts on riding motorcycles today, she says in a matter-of-fact tone "Oh Ya, much more fun on a bike than in a car". Jean doesn't ride too much these days and has just had a hip operation. "I'm just getting my balance back. When I'm on a bike now, it's on the back and I still really enjoy it," she comments.

Sarah on the other hand rides her 2003 Ultra Classic as much as she can. Sarah and her husband make a special point of planning time to ride regardless of their schedules. Sarah keeps busy in a sales and marketing firm teaching bankers and mortgage lenders marketing strategies for consumers who are financing or re-mortgaging their homes.

Growing up I was surrounded with motorcycles. "Some of our earliest memories are riding in a side car," Sarah says. In kindergarten and grade school my brother would pick me up at school, he had a Superglide with a side hack on it and wasn't at all happy about picking up his baby sister at school. I was taught at an early age, you hop in the sidecar and you hang on".

Sarah started riding as a child on an M50. "It was a bike you put together in your basement and came in a box about five feet long, you bolt it all together and away you go. The ladies didn't get a motorcycle for their 16th birthdays the way some 16 year olds get a car handed down to them these days. "We just rode whatever was around, there were always lots of choices. The unwritten rule was, you rode anything as long as you could start it. You just hoped you didn't fall over because they were too heavy for a teenage girl to pick up" Jean says. Jean admits that in her childhood and teenage years she would have much rather been riding a horse over anything else.

Both Jean and Sarah said their fathers would talk shop over the dinner table on occasion. Gordon McLay Davidson, (Jean's father), Vice President of Manufacturing, would not necessarily talk technical or about the company itself but tended to talk about people. "He was most comfortable down on the shop floor. He'd dress casual for work and felt he was one of the boys working in the factory."

John Edward Harley, (Sarah's Father), Product Engineer, would talk more about technical matters. "He would talk about things like new engine designs and experimental ideas. I was quite interested listening to him and asked a lot of questions," claims Sarah. Both women agree that it was understood that anything said in the house about business stayed in the house and nothing was to be mentioned to anyone outside of the family.

Jean was 16 years old when the Indian Motocycle Company declared bankruptcy in 1953. Harley-Davidson was celebrating its 50th anniversary. "It was a sad time despite the 50th birthday for the company. No one at Harley-Davidson wanted Indian to close its doors. Indian was its closest competitor and they liked knowing who their competition was. It was a friendly rivalry. Harley-Davidson tried to save Indian but it didn't work out," Jean says.


Bad Boy Image
Jean mentioned the "Bad Boy" image that was created by the pictures and the incidents of Hollister, California and the image that Hollywood had cast on motorcyclists in general in the 50's. Management of Harley-Davidson tried desperately to undo the bad image they were receiving which was partly to blame for lost revenues. It may well have been that image that helped the company become a world recognized icon. I don't know of any other company who has such a cult-like following for their products. Both Jean and Sarah are quite proud to see people with tattoos honouring their heritage. "This afternoon a guy came up to us and lifted his shirt to show us his tattoo. His whole back was a tattoo of our grandfathers," Sarah said. Jean adds "I have been on the road for three years and I find it very interesting seeing all the tattoos but my father would not be happy. He was interested in building the best quality motorcycles and was a very ethical person".

Jean travels almost every weekend promoting her books and is grateful to the people who 'look after' her in all the cities she visits. "I usually get picked up at the airport and get chauffeured around by members of the local HOG chapter or a representative of the local dealership. I really appreciate not having to find my own way around in strange cities," Jean says. Sometimes people put two-and-two together because of her name and the motorclothes she wears. "I enjoy the recognition and it doesn't get overwhelming," she says, then smiles and continues jokingly "no, I'm not Willie G. I don't have that kind of following, I don't need body guards...Yet".

Jean's books as only a family member can tell it. www.jeandavidson.com
'Growing Up Harley-Davidson' - "Memoirs of a Motorcycle Dynasty" - Jean's describes her memories and childhood in the Davidson family as well as the years prior to the start of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. How childhood friends William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson wanted nothing more than an easier way to get to the fishing hole. That easier way would be to mount an engine into a bicycle frame so they wouldn't have to pedal as much. That dream turned into one of the longest operating and best known motorcycle manufacturers in the world.

Jean recalls her first memories of riding in a sidecar to riding on the motorcycles as they were being built on the assembly line. Even though it may seem like a fairytale, her whole childhood was not rosy, as she explains the sorrow her family felt when tragedy struck and she lost her younger brother. From a rebellious early age she was always independent, doing things her own way and getting into trouble.

Jean tells of the friendships between Indian and Harley-Davidson and the closing of the Indian Motocycle Company and how the men in charge at Harley-Davidson tried to save Indian. She explains the troubles the Motor Company began having in the mid-50's and reasons why the company was sold to AMF in 1969.

From outlaw bikers to famous racers, police departments to the US Military, Jean tells of the many diverse groups in our society who have helped make Harley-Davidson the company it is today.

Very entertaining reading for anyone who wants to know about the Harley-Davidson Motor Company as only a family member can tell it. 272 pages ($29.95 hard cover)

'Jean Davidson's Harley-Davidson Family Album' - As the title insinuates, this book is a collection of photographs of the last 100 years of the Motor Company's history and some of the people who helped make it famous. The book starts with family trees of both the Harley and the Davidson families and explains how her great-great-grandparents settled in North America. Includes photographs up to present day.

All chapters begin with an introduction and all photographs have descriptions.

128 pages ($24.95 hard cover)


"My Daddy Make the Best Motorcycle in the Whole Wide World-The Harley-Davidson'

This book is geared toward a much younger audience as the name suggests. Mainly a picture book. I had Emily (12), Ashleigh (12), and Courtney (10) critique this book for me. We thought this book was interesting because it talked about when Jean Davidson was eight and how her dad worked at Harley-Davidson. It's about how her grandfather and his friend Bill Harley built the Harley-Davidson. This would be a great storybook for families because it is easy to read, informative and fun at the same time. Great to take babysitting and makes you want to know more about motorcycles.