Harley and the Davidsons

Historical accuracy

The miniseries is largely based on actual events and praised for its use of period motorcycle reproductions, but several creative liberties were taken for dramatic effect. The rivalry between Harley and Indian is exaggerated, with George Hendee and the fictional Randell James depicted as arrogant executives using patent trolling and bribery. Some races and subplots are fictitious or highly dramatized, including an endurance contest and a fistfight between Hendee and Walter Davidson over dealership bribery.

Eddie Hasha's death is downplayed; in reality, his crash killed five people, including a boy and three other children, whereas the series shows him colliding with a wall after avoiding a racer. Hasha's role in the first episode is expanded: he actually befriended Arthur Davidson and raced a loaned Harley, unlike the series where he betrays the company for Indian. Arthur Davidson's proposal of 20,000 motorcycles to the U.S. military for World War I is fictionalized—Indian supplied 41,000 units while Harley produced 15,000.

The 1936 EL was unveiled at a fictional outlaw race in the series, but in reality it was shown at a 1935 dealers convention. The "Knucklehead" nickname did not become common until after World War II.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the miniseries holds an 80% approval rating based on ten reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The critics' consensus calls it "Good acting and fun action sequences lift Harley and the Davidsons from longform advertisement into a celebration of the storied motorcycle brand." Metacritic gives a score of 57 out of 100, indicating mixed or average reviews. Larry Lawrence of CycleNews gave a mixed to negative review, finding it highly entertaining but criticizing the dramatized Harley/Indian rivalry and the unresolved cliffhanger in the second episode, as well as the fictional outlaw race in the third. Harley-Davidson itself responded positively; Bill Davidson and Bill Jackson commended the producers' recreation of motorcycles and the era, though they noted William A. Davidson's reduced role despite his importance as a founder.