Happy times: A biker in the centre of Brechin where the  Harley-Davidson’s gathered as they celebrated the restoration of Arthur and Mary  Davidson’s historic house

Celebrating history: Crowds assembled as the bikers  showed off their Harley-Davidsons in Brechin

The couple left the tiny house in 1852 to  head for the U.S., and had five children; Ann, Margaret, Alexander, William C  and John.  It was William C Davidson who fathered the  three Davidson brothers, Arthur, Walter and William A, who co-founded the  Harley-Davidson Motor Company, with William S Harley.
Harley, age 21, completed a blueprint drawing  of an engine designed to fit into a bicycle back in 1901, and two years later he  and Arthur Davidson made available to the public the first production  Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The bike was built to be a racer, with a  3-1/8 inch bore and 3-1/2 inch stroke.

Job done: Enthusiasts and helpers outside the cottage  that has safeguarded a little piece of history

Restored: Three Harley-Davidson enthusiasts have  successfully rebuilt the home that is steeped in motor history
The factory in which they worked  was a 10 x  15-foot wooden shed with the words ‘Harley-Davidson Motor  Company’ crudely  scrawled on the door. Arthur’s brother Walter later  joined their  efforts. In 1904 the first Harley-Davidson Dealer,  C.H. Lang of Chicago, IL, opened for  business and sold one of the first three  production Harley-Davidson  motorcycles ever made.
A H-D motorcycle won a 15-mile race in  Chicago with a time of 19mins 02secs. In Milwaukee, the first full-time employee  was hired in 1905

Pioneers: Founders of Harley-Davidson; William Davidson,  Walter Davidson, Arthur Davidson and William Harley started ‘a small motorcycle  company’ 97 years ago

Flashback: Alexander Davidson, pictured with his wife  Mary, left Aberlemno in 1852 for America, and it was three of their  grandchildren who made Harley-Davidson into a worldwide brand

In good shape: The restored ‘Serial No. 1’ motorcycle  currently on display in the lobby of the Juneau Avenue building, in Milwaukee,  was the first motorcycle sold to the public

The Davidsons went from a two to a three,  when William A. Davidson, brother to Arthur and Walter Davidson, quit his  job  as tool foreman for the Milwaukee Road railroad and joined the Motor  Company in  1907, and the rest, as they say, is history. Today, Harley-Davidson sells heavyweight  (over 750cc) motorcycles designed for cruising on highways and the company  sustains a loyal brand community which keeps active through clubs, events, and a  museum.

On the road: Harley’s passing a Pictish stone at  Aberlemno heading to the gathering in Brechin via the Davidson family’s restored  home

Work: The factory in which the Davidsons and William  Harley worked was a 10 x 15-foot wooden shed