DESTINATION: MILWAUKEE

Back in 1928, South African mechanic Louis Chanquin was one of many enthusiasts travelling from across the world to train in Milwaukee

Photos courtesy of the Harley-Davidson Archives

This year we celebrated 121 years of the Motor Company. The city draws Harley-Davidson^® enthusiasts from far and wide every year and has done so for more than a century. In 1928, among many other travellers, it drew a young mechanic all the way from South Africa to come and train at the service school.

H-D was already trading in South Africa and, in 1914, had made its largest international shipment to date bound for the country. The Enthusiast^® was already featuring stories on South African competitions, dealers making the trip over to the U.S. and photographs of riders, including Louis Chanquin. His picture appeared in Issue 118 of The Enthusiast in 1928, standing alongside his wife and a motorcycle with sidecar.

He had appeared in the previous edition (see photo at top), as part of a group shot from the factory service school. This school evolved from shows and sales gatherings, which date back to at least 1913. However, it wasn’t until the First World War that a formal school was founded, with the aim of training personnel in motorcycle repair for the military. After the conflict came to a close, the classes were instead tailored towards dealers and mechanics, providing an overview of all aspects of Harley-Davidson servicing.

These courses were important for maintaining the brand’s reputation and standards. As one bulletin put it: “Men from all parts of the United States have come here to learn better ways of servicing Harley-Davidson Motorcycles. This work is one of the most important phases of selling motorcycles and keeping them sold. Without adequate servicing – without expert servicing, sales are not made on a lasting basis.”

In 1919, Walter Davidson himself observed: “The fact that Harley-Davidson dealers and their repairmen are coming to the factory in large numbers speaks well for the service that can be expected by Harley-Davidson riders.”

Chanquin was one of many to complete such a course. At the time, despite being only 29 years of age, he had already been riding a motorcycle for 18 years and had 13 years of experience working as a mechanic. He was employed by Bartle and Co., headquartered in Johannesburg and, after spending a little under a month at the service school in February, he left with notes on his report card praising him as “a good man – careful worker” who was “interested in his work”.

While little else is known about him, his long-running interest in motorcycles and willingness to travel such a distance for specialist training speaks to the wide-reaching appeal of the brand, which resonates to this day. Bartle and Co., while headquartered in Johannesburg, had eight other branches as the appeal of Harley-Davidson motorcycles spread and lives on through the chapter communities today.

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