Like a Stetson, a Concorde or a Mercedes, you simply know what the brand name denotes, and so it is with probably the most famous motorcycle brand in the world - the Harley-Davidson, that's getting its own historical brand creation TV retelling in the new Harley and the Davidsons mini-series starting on the Discovery Channel (DStv 121) tonight at 21:00.
The 6-hour, three-part mini-series Harley and the Davidsons is based on the true story of the creation of the "Harley-Davidson" - the motorcycle built to go anywhere - as Walter, Arthur and Bill risked everything to create the motorbike of their dreams and today remains the most admired and coolest motorcycle brand in the world.
Harley and the Davidsons is set at the turn of the 20th century - a time of great social and technological upheaval echoing the waves of vast changes reshaping the modern world today - as the young Davidson brothers and William Harley took on the growing motorcycle industry as the sons of immigrants to create an iconic vehicle.
Built in a shed in Milwaukee, the Harley-Davidson motorcycles were able to survive nearly every condition imaginable as the brothers' ambition propelled them to take part in motorcycle races. Later, fuelled by ingenuity, innovation and design, the founders of Harley-Davidson faced off against much bigger rivals.
Then the Great Depression hit America and the motorcycle industry was decimated but the Harley-Davidson founders continued to defy the odds with their forward-thinking business ideas.
Whether it was securing the American army contract and teaching riders how to make repairs on the field, to embracing boisterous motorcycle clubs across America, 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.
As viewers will see with great attention to engineering detail in Harley and the Davidsons, while the three men all faced very different challenges, it was the motorcycle that united their dreams and ambitions.
