History of the motorcycle manufacturer, with their motorcycles being sold by dealers in 67 countries. By the late 1920s or early 1930s, DKW in Germany took over as the largest manufacturer. BMW motorcycles came on the scene in 1923 with a shaft drive and an opposed-twin or "boxer" engine enclosed with the transmission in a single aluminum housing. By 1931, Indian and Harley-Davidson were the only two American manufacturers producing commercial motorcycles. This two-company rivalry in the United States remained until 1953, when the Indian Motorcycle factory in Springfield, Massachusetts closed and Royal Enfield took over the Indian name. There were over 80 different
SHL (motorcycle) SHL (motorcycle) SHL is a brand of Polish motorcycles, produced from 1938 until 1970 by Huta Ludwików, later KZWM Polmo-SHL in Kielce (small parties were made in the WFM in Warsaw). The Huta Ludwików ("Ludwików Ironworks"), founded in 1919 in Kielce, produced first hardware and agricultural machines. Since 1938 it started production of a motorcycle of own design, using British Villiers 98 cm³ engines (parts of engines were locally manufactured). The motorcycle was named SHL 98 - SHL being a short of "Suchedniowska Huta Ludwików" ("Ludwików Ironworks of Suchedniów", for the works were initially owned by a foundry in Suchedniów).