William A. Harley

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Son of the original Bill Harley who succeeded his father as chief engineer on his death in 1943. However, he started with a lowly job in the shipping department, at his father's behest, and learned every aspect of the production process by practical experience. William A. was also an enthusiastic rider, and did some test riding during the development of the Knucklehead. As head of engineering, he supervised Harley-Davidson's post-war model program, the 7ci (125cc) Harley-Davidson Hummer, the Panhead and Sportster; but according to author Harry Sucher, he was a cautious and conservative man when it came to engineering. He retained his job (not to mention the vice-presidency) after AMF took over in 1969 but sadly died in August 1971. His son John was parts and accessories manager.