This is a little thread, i'd call it a blog, but we all know this boy's no "bloger" ... so just consider it the story of what i'm going to do with Harley number seven.. I've always completed the projects and this is no biggie so your invited along.. pictures and popcorn.. were rock'n kids.. but before i tell you about my scoot let me give y'uns a bit of American Motorcycle history..
Before WWII there were a number of motorcycle companies. They were America's first "mass" transportation, and anyone who had a bicycle and an engine started a motorcycle company.. There's a miss conception that it was Harley and Indian.. nope.. dozens of companies were putting out total loss oil system (recirculated.. we don't need no stink'n recirculation) motorcycles that got from point A to B.. on dirt roads.. when ever i read about the early days i think what amaz'n stock we came from..
tough men and women that rode summer and winter. on dirt roads.. oh yeah and forgot the oil from the total loss systems.. quick note on that, in 36 Harley came out with an engine which is very close to todays sportster engine, it was the first to recirculate the oil back into the tank, instead of just letting it drip onto the road after completing it's "job".. when ever i read stuff like that i think about enviro wackys and how they have to sorta "vibrate" when they read about the old days..
Then ol Henry Ford and his mass manufactured car came out all of that changed, but even at the start of WWII companies like Thor, and Crocker were building thousands of bikes, and in direct compation with Harley and Indian in terms of sales.. Seems everyone has a reason that Indian went out of business, including Harley out bidding them for war contracts on the bike i'm going to copy. I'm not to sure on that.. Indian moved ahead in terms of technology and introduced a vertical twin.. something like the British were building, this was a big thing, as Harley and Indian were in bed much like Chevy and Ford are today... (oh gosh an F150 and a Siverado that are inside $50 of each other..come on..) the only real difference was Harley's tank shift was on the Left and Indian was on the right.. When they broke tradition and went "hi tech" the sales suffered .. then again there was that pesky WLA...
Harleys lettter codes are a trip.. i've been studying them for 40 years and my firm conclusion is ... sometimes they just put letters together to confuse people.. i won't go into detail here... it's like baseball fanatics quoting ERA's from the NL in 1956.. i will say that some, like our buddy Sugerland and his FLH blank blank blank (don't know the last) are simple.. FL is the big boy.. Flash and i both have XL's notice the L.. notice that it's also in the WLA.. the W series was that recirculated thing i was talking about.. and although a flat head engine much like Roger and my Sportsters (and anyone else who owns one.. my pard "had" one.. the lop's gon'a get another one too, but that's another story).. back to the engine.. the same size as mine now, and the same dedicated one cam and pushrod for every valve.. thats why you see four equal pushrods going up on sporster engines.. (note here or flash will deck me.. his is larger.. THE ENGINE)... sheesh
Ok.. so the gov had trials for a war motorcycle.. Harley won.. and the result was the WLA.. very close to todays sportsters, and indeed there's a company somewhere building warboys.. that are converted sportsters made to look like old WLA's..
MINE WILL !! .. ha ha.. not that big a deal.. i'll paint the scoot OD.. with a big white star on both sides of the tank.. i have a single seat and windshield ordered.. pic's follow.. i'm getting the 3% power warning.. so will close this and more pictures when i have more to show you all.. thanks for reading.. and remember .. "i don't want a pickle" ... "i just wanta ride on my motor....... cycle".
note.. no wicki was used or damaged in building this thread..
Before WWII there were a number of motorcycle companies. They were America's first "mass" transportation, and anyone who had a bicycle and an engine started a motorcycle company.. There's a miss conception that it was Harley and Indian.. nope.. dozens of companies were putting out total loss oil system (recirculated.. we don't need no stink'n recirculation) motorcycles that got from point A to B.. on dirt roads.. when ever i read about the early days i think what amaz'n stock we came from..
tough men and women that rode summer and winter. on dirt roads.. oh yeah and forgot the oil from the total loss systems.. quick note on that, in 36 Harley came out with an engine which is very close to todays sportster engine, it was the first to recirculate the oil back into the tank, instead of just letting it drip onto the road after completing it's "job".. when ever i read stuff like that i think about enviro wackys and how they have to sorta "vibrate" when they read about the old days..
Then ol Henry Ford and his mass manufactured car came out all of that changed, but even at the start of WWII companies like Thor, and Crocker were building thousands of bikes, and in direct compation with Harley and Indian in terms of sales.. Seems everyone has a reason that Indian went out of business, including Harley out bidding them for war contracts on the bike i'm going to copy. I'm not to sure on that.. Indian moved ahead in terms of technology and introduced a vertical twin.. something like the British were building, this was a big thing, as Harley and Indian were in bed much like Chevy and Ford are today... (oh gosh an F150 and a Siverado that are inside $50 of each other..come on..) the only real difference was Harley's tank shift was on the Left and Indian was on the right.. When they broke tradition and went "hi tech" the sales suffered .. then again there was that pesky WLA...
Harleys lettter codes are a trip.. i've been studying them for 40 years and my firm conclusion is ... sometimes they just put letters together to confuse people.. i won't go into detail here... it's like baseball fanatics quoting ERA's from the NL in 1956.. i will say that some, like our buddy Sugerland and his FLH blank blank blank (don't know the last) are simple.. FL is the big boy.. Flash and i both have XL's notice the L.. notice that it's also in the WLA.. the W series was that recirculated thing i was talking about.. and although a flat head engine much like Roger and my Sportsters (and anyone else who owns one.. my pard "had" one.. the lop's gon'a get another one too, but that's another story).. back to the engine.. the same size as mine now, and the same dedicated one cam and pushrod for every valve.. thats why you see four equal pushrods going up on sporster engines.. (note here or flash will deck me.. his is larger.. THE ENGINE)... sheesh
Ok.. so the gov had trials for a war motorcycle.. Harley won.. and the result was the WLA.. very close to todays sportsters, and indeed there's a company somewhere building warboys.. that are converted sportsters made to look like old WLA's..
MINE WILL !! .. ha ha.. not that big a deal.. i'll paint the scoot OD.. with a big white star on both sides of the tank.. i have a single seat and windshield ordered.. pic's follow.. i'm getting the 3% power warning.. so will close this and more pictures when i have more to show you all.. thanks for reading.. and remember .. "i don't want a pickle" ... "i just wanta ride on my motor....... cycle".
note.. no wicki was used or damaged in building this thread..
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