Harley-Davidson of Utica started in 1975 amid the AMF years. In the beginning, the franchise was part of Don’s Ford on Route 12 North in Utica. While it may seem an unlikely combination, times being what they were in the mid-1970s, it was a win-win relationship from the beginning. Harley-Davidson Motor Company had significant pressure from Japanese imports at the time and was looking to increase its dealer ranks to market its line of lightweight (250cc and smaller) motorcycles, made by Aermacchi, Harley-Davidson’s Italian motorcycle subsidiary. With gasoline shortages and price hikes spurred on by the Arab oil embargo of 1973, buyers were looking for fuel-efficient vehicles.