The Motorcycle Industry in Wisconsin

by John Stumpner

Wisconsin is famous among bikers as the home of world-famous Harley Davidson motorcycles. But, as most of us know, motorcycling and the motorcycle industry is much more than just Harley Davidson. Wisconsin is also home to other important companies serving bikers in Wisconsin, the United States and around the world.

One such company in Wisconsin is Drag Specialties. Tom Rudd was a motorcycle drag racer in the 1960’s. His modified Harley Davidson Sportster was very fast and other bikers wanted his help to make theirs fast too. So, in 1968, Tom opened a small parts and accessories store in Minneapolis called Drag Specialties. Drag Specialties eventually merged with a larger company and moved to Janesville, Wisconsin. Drag Specialties products are now sold through dealers, mostly independent bike shops, with next day shipping to the dealer. The hundreds of thousands of parts and accessories available from Drag Specialties can be used to make your bike as plain or fancy as you want, or to even build your own, one-of-a-kind, motorcycle.

While a biker can get a speeding ticket with a motorcycle straight from the factory, some bikers just want to go a little faster or get an engine with better performance. S&S Cycle meets the needs of those bikers. Started in 1958 in Blue Island, Illinois, S&S moved to Viola, Wisconsin in 1969 and built an additional facility in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 2004. S&S primarily makes performance parts and replacement engines for Harley Davidsons. One of their products is a high-performance V-Twin engine used by many custom bike makers and super expensive motorcycle manufacturers. S&S also makes engines in the style of the old types of Harley Davidson engines, including Knuckleheads, Panheads, and Shovelheads. Especially interesting is that S&S was the first engine manufacturer to make sure that its engines met the rules and regulations for replacement engines from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

One of the oldest motorcycle brands in the world is Royal Enfield. First made in England in 1901, Royal Enfield motorcycles have been made in India since 1955. When the company that makes Royal Enfields wanted to open a North America headquarters, where else but Wisconsin. So, in 2015, the North American headquarters and first company owned dealership was opened in Milwaukee. Royal Enfield makes a variety of mid-sized, classic style motorcycles for cruising, touring and off-road adventures. You can even get a rack to carry your surfboard on a Royal Enfield.

As you can see, motorcycles and motorcycling are a big money maker for the Wisconsin economy. ABATE of Wisconsin of which you are a part, works to ensure that this will be true for many years to come.

John