The Great Unremembered Threat to Harley-Davidson.
Launching its first motorcycle in 1904, the Feilbach enterprise would eventually knock heads, SOHC or otherwise, with another Milwaukee upstart company, Harley-Davidson, although it seemed Feilbach had the upper hand with a better motorcycle.
Arthur Otto Feilbach and his brother William tinkered together their first machine within their small home garage. This was coincidentally in the same vicinity and at the same time as Harley-Davidson was housed across town in a 10 x 15 foot shed. Apparently the wrenches were flying at both shops with H-D selling their first machine in 1903 although the bikes first appeared in the historical records in 1904. Then for the next five years the Feilbachs went at it and managed to build a limited number of motorcycles which quickly earned a reputation for being well-engineered and reliable mounts. Customers were also somewhat limited to the Milwaukee and Wisconsin state area because there was no advertising available. It was home grown and home sold.
