He was a good swimmer, won swimming medals, rode horses and hunted, and drummed in a band.

[1] The Sunbeam team of 1914 consisted of Tommy de la Hay, Vernon Busby, Howard Davies, and Charlie Noakes.

Howard was entered in the Scottish Six Days Trial on a 6 hp AJS V-twin combination.

[1] On the first occasion he found his way back to his own lines, but the second time he and Lieutenant J R Samuel were captured at Karlsruhe becoming prisoners of war.

He joined the AJS team for the 1920 Isle of Man TT, and was entered for both the Junior and Senior.

The 2.75 hp (2.05 kW) AJS machines suffered engine problems and he had to retire early in both events with broken valves.

In July, riding an AJS in the Scottish Six Day trial, he won the gold medal at Stile Kop, making the fastest time, won another gold medal in the Darlington ACU trial, and broke 14 records at Brooklands, including flying kilometre, flying mile, and average mean speed.

He had often thought of building his own motorcycle, and perhaps influenced by the many mechanical failures he had racing the bikes of the day, decided to make his own.

[5] Howard left Hutchinson Tyres in August 1924 to set up HRD Motors using the slogan "Produced by a Rider".

[1] Davies rode his own motorcycles at the 1925 Isle of Man TT, coming second in the Junior and winning the Senior.

He worked first at Alvis, then Meadows Engines, and then Bill Lyon's Swallow and Coachbuilding Company at Coventry.

[1] He continued to attend TT riders reunions, which started in 1937, and would visit Mallory Park with Albert Clarke.