The first motorcycle Holden made was in 1896, and in history it became the first motorcycle in the world with a four cylinder engine. The engine is placed horizontally and two cylinders at the front side and the other two at the back side, the piston rod is connected to the piston with the horizontal positional placement in the middle.

Holden tried to manufacture their motorcycles as a series, but the fate of the company was also similar to the history of the Munich’s company: the splash enthusiasm quickly turned into disappointment, and commercial success did not happen. For the public, who gave a rising torch flame to motorcyclist’s hopes, stood the French inventors Graf Albert De Dion (1856-1946) and George Button (1847-1938).

And in 1898 the production of new models started with more powerful engines. The vehicle was very popular: in the beginning of 1901 more than 3500 “Werner” motorcycles were released, under license their production was tuned up in Germany and Great Britain, not saying anything about the many imitations. One of the first trade marks of the motorcycle “Werner” still with the surface ignition brought in the Czech industrialist Vatslav Clement in 1898. Clement from 1895 along with Vatslav Lauren made the bicycles “Slavia”. And he got an idea of expanding the production program copy to the French’s latest. The manufactured perfection of his copy did not suit the others, and for better stability they decided to shift the engine to the lower frame angle. Their motorcycle, came out into the world in 1899, had a single cylinder four stroke engine with a working capacity of 293 cm3 and a power of 1.75 horse power, an ignition from magneto self construction, driving on the hind wheel with a flat belt, weighed 55 kilograms and raised a maximum speed of 55 kilometers per hour. Basically, this was the first motorcycle with a modern composition, if we don’t take into consideration the Daimler. But however, only to the brothers of “Werner” did the idea come into mind to patent it – that’s why formally they are treated as the developers of the modern motorcycle. “The New Werner”, released in 1901, not only was a big commercial success, but also stood as an example for all of the motorcycle constructors – from Russia to the USA.

The Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight, in the company’s Sportster segment, sits at a cross-cultural intersection in the cyclemaker’s lineup. It apparently represents the spot where bikers meet skateboarders. It seems that the stripped-down looks and functional-jewelry design of the Forty-Eight is well appreciated by skaters who don’t like their rides to make any extraneous fuss.

The bike is only one small part of what some call a larger trend, that of skateboarders increasingly moving into the world of bikes. It isn’t that skateboarders want to be bikers but, according to a skate shop owner, “We’re just wired a certain way. For some reason the death and danger are just a part of us.” And you don’t have to look any further than a motorcycle to find death and danger.

Harley has used the rendezvous to help market the Forty-Eight, including hiring skaters like Heath Kirchart and Matt Ball to appear in its promotional materials. The Milwaukee firm isn’t targeting skateboarders only with this bike, but they certainly want to welcome them to the family.