Motorcycle was producing over 500 bikes. Other British firms were Royal Enfield, Norton and Birmingham Small Arms Company who began motorbike production in 1899, 1902 and 1910, respectively. Indian began production in 1901 and Harley-Davidson was established two years later. By the outbreak of World War I, the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world was Indian, producing over 20,000 bikes per year. During the First World War, motorbike production was greatly ramped up for the war effort to supply effective communications with front line troops. Messengers on horses were replaced with despatch riders on motorcycles carrying messages, performing reconnaissance and acting
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).