The Royal Enfield was name under which the Enfield Cycle Company made motorcycles, bicycles, lawnmowers and stationary engines. This legacy of weapons manufacture is reflected in the logo, a cannon, and their motto "Made like a gun, goes like a bullet". Use of the brand name Royal Enfield was licensed by the Crown in 1890. The original Redditch, Worcestershire based company was sold to Norton-Triumph-Villiers (NVT) in 1968. Production ceased in 1970 and the company was dissolved in 1971.
In 1956 Enfield of India started assembling Bullet motorcycles under licence from UK components, and by 1962 were manufacturing complete bikes. Enfield of India bought the rights to use the Royal Enfield name in 1995. Royal Enfield production, based in Chennai, continues and Royal Enfield is now the oldest motorcycle brand in the world still in production with the Bullet model enjoying the longest motorcycle production run of all time
Industry: Motorcycles, lawnmowers
Successor : Royal Enfield (India)
Founded: 1893, as Enfield Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
Defunct: 1971
Headquarters: Redditch, Worcestershire, England
Key people: Founders Albert Eadie and Robert Walker Smith
Products: Royal Enfield Clipper, Crusader, Bullet, Interceptor, WD/RE, Super Meteor
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
Harley-Davidson often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression. Harley-Davidson also survived a period of poor quality control and competition from Japanese manufacturers.
The company sells heavyweight (over 750 cc) motorcycles designed for cruising on highways. Harley-Davidson motorcycles (popularly known as "Harleys") have a distinctive design and exhaust note. They are especially noted for the tradition of heavy customization that gave rise to the chopper style of motorcycle.Except for the modern VRSC model family, current Harley-Davidson motorcycles reflect the styles of classic Harley designs. Harley-Davidson's attempts to establish itself in the light motorcycle market have met with limited success and have largely been abandoned since the 1978 sale of its Italian Aermacchi subsidiary.
Founded: 1903
Founder(s): William S. Harley
Arthur Davidson
Walter Davidson
William A. Davidson
Headquarters: Milwaukee, Wisconsin,United States
Key people: Keith E. Wandell, CEO
Products: Motorcycles
Revenue: US$4.86 billion (FY 2010)
Operating income: US$259.7 million (FY 2010)
Net income: US$146.5 million (FY 2010)
Employees: 6,300 (December 2010)
Website: www.harley-davidson.com
To more info visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harley_davidson
* * * *
DUCATI
Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. is a motorcycle manufacturer in Bologna, Italy. It produces motorcycles for both road use and motorcycle racing.
Type: Private
Industry: Motorcycle manufacturer
Founded: 1926
Founder(s): Bruno Ducati.Adriano Ducati,Marcello Ducati.
Headquarters: Bologna, Italy
Key people: Giampiero Paoli (Chairman)
Gabriele Del Torchio (CEO)
Products: Motorcycles
Revenue: €403.2 million (2008)
Net income: €32.3 million (2008)
Employees: 1,172 (2008)
Subsidiaries: Ducati Corse (MotoGP and SBK Superbike racing)
Website: www.Ducati.com. http://www.monster.ducati.com/
In 1926, three brothers, Adriano, Marcello and Bruno Ducati, founded Societa Scientifica Radio Brevetti Ducati in Bologna to produce vacuum tubes, condensers and other radio components, becoming successful enough by 1935 to construct a new factory in the Borgo Panigale area of the city. Production was maintained during World War II, despite the Ducati factory being a repeated target for Allied bombing.
From the 1960s to the 1990s, the Spanish company MotoTrans licensed Ducati engines and produced motorcycles that, although they incorporated subtle differences, were clearly Ducati-derived. MotoTrans's most notable machine was the 250 cc 24 Horas
* * * *
Yamaha Corporation is a multinational corporation and conglomerate based in Japan with a wide range of products and services, predominantly musical instruments, electronics, motorcycles and power sports equipment.
After World War II, company president Genichi Kawakami repurposed the remains of the company's war-time production machinery and the company's expertise in metallurgical technologies to the manufacture of motorcycles, Yamaha Motor Company Limited is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company. Yamaha Motor is part of Yamaha Corporation.
Yamaha Motor produces motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, boats, marine engines including outboards, automobile engines, personal watercraft and snowmobiles.
Founded: July 1, 1955
Headquarters: Iwata, Shizuoka, Japan
Area served: Global
Key people: Hiroyuki Yanagi, President & Representative Director
Products: Motorcycles, Commuter Vehicles & Scooters, Recreational Vehicles, Boats, Marine Engines, Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft, Electrically Power Assisted Bicycles, Automobile Engines, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Golf Cars, Power Products, Pools, Compact Industrial Robots, Wheelchairs, Parts including Apparel, Helmets
Revenue: US$12 billion (2005)
Operating income : US$900 million (2005)
Net income: US$550 million (2005)
Employees: 39,300 (2005)
Website: http://www.yamaha.com/
