SINGLE SPEED HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLES
Pedals are a part which seem to have patchy availability. Currently I can’t find any repops but these are the ones going on the 12. They are a mix of stainless and mild steel so the ends have now been plated. They will probably end up with white blocks.
Here are a couple of seat post images. All seat posts are the same but they are not.
The one on the right is original and from a 1916. The next (two from the right) is original and from a 1914. Three from the right is a good quality repop and the one on the left is a disappointing repop. The good thing is that the original ones are cheaper (!) but they are harder to find.
Look at the quality of the rivets location and fitting, and the shoulder step on the repop bodies.
The painted parts are starting to arrive now. It has been a long wait but they look great. I am still waiting for the frame and a few small parts. The rims have gone to the wheel builder and I have to check again to determine the correct striping on the chain cover.
The little 10C we bought from Holland has not been running that well so after going through the basics we decided to pull the motor. The problem was quickly evident. Back in the day a repair was made which included adding a top to the piston. This may have been done to repair the piston crown, to make a ‘too small’ piston larger or even to alter compression but regardless, they used the wrong material and the damage is clear.
We have re-honed the cylinder, we have a piston we can use but we need to make some rings, then put her back together. Fortunately there is no other damage to the motor.
This great 7D has just been listed on eBay. It has the same motor as my 8D, the only difference as far as I know being the B suffix after the letter A.
Letter A for 1911 with the smaller 50ci motor. Letter B for the first ‘big twin’ 61ci motor in 1912 and letters AB for the very early 1912 still with the smaller motor before the change to the larger 8E. This was presumably to utilise the remaining stocks of the 50ci motors already manufactured.
The plating has also taken far longer than I had hoped for but the quality is great. The delay is not so important as the painted parts are also not ready yet. Some parts of the motor need to be plated and then the motor re-assembled, the wheels need building and then the full assembly can begin. I am really pleased with the plating, it’s nickle but looks almost like chrome, but it will dull down.
The polishing and preparation are so important and the Eclipse front hub and Ful-Floteing seat bar engravings are clearly visible. These are great original parts which could have easily been spoiled with excessive plate.
Well the summer is near over now and I was hoping to have had all the painted and plated parts back by now so I could start the build on the 8XE.
The paint went off some six months ago but when the painter applied the lacquer to the decals everything blistered and they had to be removed. I ordered more decals from Rick Simpson, who is extremely knowledgeable and always offers great service, and they hit the UK within the week. I am now waiting for an update from the painter.
If you click on the image you can see the blistering. The two images below are before the lacquer was applied.
This original rear hub has been fully rebuilt and came from Mike at Antique bike in Sweden. He has also supplied the rear rim. The two belt sheaves shown will be cut and welded together to create the wider 2″ version I need. I will have the spares sides if anyone needs them although the remaining narrower pieces will need a section welding in between them, a slightly more difficult job.
Original seat posts, pedals and other small parts collected over time.
The exhaust is all original apart from one end section. Some nice linkages and pipes.
This lovely frame also came from Dewey Rice. It hasn’t been drilled for the motor yet and one or two other jobs will need attending when it is matched to the rest of the bike. It’s been rusting away over the last few months and will need some oiling to match the original parts being used.
I went to the Davenport meet a couple of years ago to collect these repo bars that Tom Faber had made for me. They are lovely. But before I had even collected them I found these original bars complete with spirals, internals and cables. What a find! The new bars join my pile of parts for sale…later.
These great forks came from Dewey at Early Harley. They are reproductions but look the part perfectly and fit great. I have original top covers and original rockers so when the patina is sorted they will enhance the overall look. The internals are a mix of original and repop. The Alemite grease fittings are the later 1914 type, I need to do a trade – anyone?
This original oil tank and tool box came complete with all the fittings when I got the motor. It’s a lovely part and the matching door is also original; it came from Dewey again.
The original rear stand came of a 1914 I had some years ago.
