Hub gear

Hub gears, mounted in the rear-wheel hub were used before the gearbox and chain drive as we know them appeared. The earliest Harley-Davidsons had a single-speed direct-hell drive; a hub-mounted clutch was introduced in 1912 (so you didn't have to restart the motor every time the machine was stopped) and a two-speed hub was unveiled in 1914, though Bill Harley had patented a two-speeder four years earlier. But this was only a stop-gap, as a three-speed countershaft gearbox, with chain primary and final drive. came in the following year. The basic engine/transmission layout for Harley-Davidsons would not change for the next 65 years.