1943 — Many servicemen returning from WWII came home with the nagging feeling that the cookie-cutter lifestyle mainstream society was selling them (with the white picket fence, 2.5 kids, and a 9 t0 5 job) was not their “American Dream.” What they yearned for was an escape from the world’s hamster wheel mentality. For many, coming home didn’t mean settling in, it meant finding the thrill to replace what they felt was missing in everyday life. You had pilots who were looking to replace the thrill of flying, and GI’s who had ridden motorcycles in wartime coming home and buying Harley-Davidsons for the rush of freedom and speed they were so desperately craving. They also missed the camaraderie and brotherhood they had with their fellow soldiers at war, so many went out and formed motorcycle clubs. — Image by © Harley-Davidson Archives
