Harley-Davidson VIN Decoder & VIN Check — Models, Recalls, Specs, MPG & Safety
“Live to Ride. Ride to Live.”
Harley-Davidson Motor Company is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1903 by William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson (joined later by Walter Davidson and William A. Davidson), Harley-Davidson is one of two American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression and is the longest continuously operating American motorcycle company.
Harley-Davidson dominates the US heavyweight (601cc+) cruiser segment with the Sportster, Softail, Touring, CVO and Trike families. The 2024 lineup spans the entry-level Nightster and the X 350/X 500 small cruisers (built in partnership with QJ Motor in China) through the touring Road Glide and CVO Pan America adventure-touring flagship. The 2019 LiveWire was Harley's first electric motorcycle and was spun off as a standalone brand (LiveWire Group, NYSE: LVWR) in 2022.
Harley-Davidson trades on the New York Stock Exchange under HOG. Recall data for every Harley-Davidson motorcycle VIN sold in the US is reported to NHTSA. EPA emissions ratings, IIHS-equivalent moto safety data and consumer surveys provide independent benchmarks. ForCar.org decodes any Harley-Davidson VIN to surface trim, factory options, open recalls and original delivery price.
Harley-Davidson at a glance
- Founded
- 1903
- Founders
- William Harley + 3 Davidson brothers
- Headquarters
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Stock ticker
- NYSE: HOG
- US heavyweight share
- ~35-40%
- Iconic engine
- Milwaukee-Eight V-Twin
- First electric
- LiveWire (2019, spun off 2022)
- Adventure model
- Pan America 1250 (since 2021)
- Basic warranty
- 2 years / unlimited miles
- Powertrain warranty
- 2 years / unlimited miles
Decode any Harley-Davidson VIN
Enter a 17-character VIN below to retrieve the trim, factory options, original window-sticker MSRP and any open NHTSA recall affecting that specific vehicle. ForCar.org pulls the same dataset that Harley-Davidson dealers use to notify owners of safety recalls.
VIN Decoder
Signature Harley-Davidson technology
Harley-Davidson heritage
William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson built their first motorcycle in 1903 in a 10-by-15-foot wooden shed in Milwaukee. The 1907 incorporation of Harley-Davidson Motor Company introduced the V-Twin engine in 1909, an architecture the brand has maintained for 115 years. Harley-Davidson supplied military motorcycles to the US Army in both World Wars and was acquired by AMF in 1969 before a 1981 management buyout returned the company to independent ownership. The 1986 IPO took Harley-Davidson public.
Market position
Harley-Davidson dominates the US cruiser, touring and trike motorcycle segments with US market share consistently above 35-40% in heavyweight motorcycles. The brand competes against Indian Motorcycle (the only other major US heavyweight manufacturer), Honda, Yamaha, BMW Motorrad and Triumph. International sales focus on Europe, Japan and Australia. The Pan America (2021) and adventure-touring Pan America CVO (2024) represent Harley's push into segments dominated by BMW and KTM.
New-vehicle warranty
HARLEY-DAVIDSON VIN Decoder — Free VIN Check Video Guide
Watch our quick HARLEY-DAVIDSON VIN decoder walkthrough. Learn how to decode any HARLEY-DAVIDSON VIN number to get full vehicle history, recall alerts, specifications, fuel economy (MPG), safety ratings, and known problems — completely free on ForCar.org.
All Harley-Davidson models (380)
Frequently asked questions
When was Harley-Davidson founded and by whom?
Harley-Davidson was founded in 1903 by William S. Harley, Arthur Davidson, Walter Davidson, William A. Davidson and is headquartered in Milwaukee, USA.
Where is the VIN on a Harley-Davidson vehicle?
The 17-character VIN appears in four standard locations: dashboard at the windshield base (driver side), driver-side door jamb sticker, the engine bay (firewall or engine block stamping), and the vehicle's title, registration and insurance documents.
How many Harley-Davidson models can ForCar.org decode?
ForCar.org indexes 380 Harley-Davidson nameplates. Any 17-character Harley-Davidson VIN is decoded against the NHTSA dataset to return trim, factory options, open recalls and original window-sticker MSRP.
What is the Harley-Davidson warranty?
Basic: 2 years / unlimited miles. Powertrain: 2 years / unlimited miles.
How to check Harley-Davidson recalls by VIN?
Enter your VIN in the decoder above. ForCar.org queries NHTSA's open-recall dataset for that specific VIN and returns any safety recalls or Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) that affect your vehicle.
Disambiguation: This page covers Harley-Davidson Motor Company, the motorcycle manufacturer — not LiveWire Group (the spun-off electric motorcycle subsidiary, sold separately as NYSE: LVWR) or Harley-Davidson Financial Services.
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