Motorcycles Then and Now

[sirhrmechanic]

In another thread, C.O. wrote: "Sirhr! That's another great story for sure. I'm wondering if you had the time to start a "Then and Now" thread if others would follow. It is definitely a good idea."



With encouragement from C.O., I will see we we get any interest in a new thread for "Then and Now" pictures of your bikes.

Have an old photo of the bike with original owner and a current picture? How did your bike look decades ago vs today? Before/After restoration pictures?

I loved the story of the 1912 with all the old pictures. Maybe this will help unearth some more.

Here are a couple I can post:

DL before restoration.jpg

This is my '31 DL before the previous owner (who had owned the bike since 1933) started restoration on it c. 1980. He had owned, ridden and updated it for 40 years before parking it, adding the latest emblems, repainting, etc. to keep it looking up-to-date. He bought a Pan new in 1955 (with sidecar) and his son still has it. After buying the Pan, he rode the DL occasionally until parked in the '70s. After he retired, he restored the DL to the way it looked when he got it. His Pan is a time warp and won't ever leave the family!

dl 4.jpg

This is how the DL sits today (except now it has new tires and I fabricated a new correct exhaust).

The second one is my JD... the first two pictures were take in Daytona, probably around 1988.

JD before book 1.jpg
This picture is taken from Shaun Barrington's book Harley Davidson An Illustrated History. I believe that at this show, the bike is fresh from restoration.

jd before book 2.jpg
This picture is from the same book and shows the bike as having belonged to a Dr. L. Friedman, who I was told was an AMCA member. I've not been able to find out anything about him or the bike pre-restoration. When I bought it, it had basically not been run in years. Tanks and sump dry. I was told it was restored in New Hampshire, but I can't confirm that. If anyone knows more about Dr. Friedman or this machine's past... please, let me know!!!!

pewter 5.jpg
This is the same bike at the 2010 Pewter Run where it won its class (though the other two bikes DNF'd, so win was luck more than skill.) Since I recommissioned, it's been a 1 kick start bike since and I ride it a lot. The white fender tip is a bandage because I went down on it in 2008, scratching the fender. I did the white tip as a quick fix and it's since grown on me...

I look forward to seeing more Yesterday and Today pictures from those of you who have them.

Cheers,

Sirhr

[talbot-2]

"MOTORCYCLES THEN AND NOW"................1912 Harley-Davidson


I copied this from my original posts about my 1912 Harley-Davidson hoping to help create more interest in this new thread of "MOTORCYCLES THEN AND NOW".


This is a copy of a 1912 photo that I just recently acquired of my 1912 Harley-Davidson, single, battery ignition, with the original owner on board.


Nolan1912H-D2.jpg


I purchased the 1912 H-D cycle from the original owner in 1967, got it running and rode it in several local antique vehicle functions and parades through about 1978. I stored it until after retiring a few years ago and have since replaced the original tires and had the saddles redone. I plan to take it to a meet next year to earn the AMCA "Century Award". About a year ago I made contact with one of the decendants of the original owner who just recently emailed me the photo of his ancestor (the original owner) on the cycle. I was thrilled to say the least. The photo below is a photo of the cycle as it is now. Since the photo was taken, I have finally reinstalled the disk on the front wheel that runs the speedometer. The original H-D tandem came with the original purchase too. The original owner of the H-D was the original owner of a 1908 Indian, single, battery ignition, that I also purchased at the same time. The original owner, a real gentleman, only asked that I keep the cycles and not resell them. I really feel very lucky that I did not have the money to restore either cycle back in the 1960's and 1970's and feel very fortunate to have been the steward of the cycles for the past forty-four (44) years.

My H-D is identical to the one that was sold at the Hartung auction... only eleven (11) numbers difference in their motor serial numbers.


IMG_1380.jpg


This is a circa 1974 photo of the 1912 H-D with our youngest son, now 47, on the tandem.


scan0002.jpg


These are photos of the 1912 H-D in the 1976 Bicentennial parade.


scan0001.jpg-----------scan0003.jpg


Enjoy! Talbot-2

[c.o.]

Great stuff guys!!! I hope this one takes off!!!!

[talbot-2]

I finally found these photos in my motorcycle archives. These photos are of my 1910 Minneapolils, single, battery ignition, that I purchased from the original owner in 1968.

The first is a photo was taken on the day that it was purchased in 1910 by the original owner.

1910Minneapolis2.jpg

This photo is of the original owner taken on the day of purchase in 1910. I also have a photo of the original owners father on the Minneapolis in front of their home in Indianapolis.

1910Minneapolis3.jpg

This photo was taken in 1968 on the day that I purchased the Minneapolis from the original owner.

scan0001.jpg

This photo was taken in 1968 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Swap Meet.

1910Minneapolis1.jpg

This photo was taken in 2010 at the Viking Chapter National AMCA meet featuring made in Minnesota motorcycles.

IMG_0779.jpg

[talbot-2]

This is a photo taken in 1970 of the 1910 Minneapolis prior to a parade.

scan0002.jpg

This is a photo taken in 1976 of our oldest son (now 50) in the 1976 Bicentennial parade.

scan0003.jpg

This is a photo taken this summer after a ride around the block

IMG_0257.jpg

That's all...........

[c.o.]

talbot-2 you have some awesome bikes!!! Thank-you for sharing them and their history!

Oh, are the rest of you folks going to let these two guys carry all the load of this thread? This has the makings of something good. I've got a photo of a "now" and hopefully in a few years I can make it a "then". I tried to dig up a copy of the dark photo of it in the barn that it was found in but I seem to have misplaced it. I've posted pics of this bike before but here's a different angle.... Check out that upside down Schebler!!!!

[Matt McManus]

This is my 1951 FL with the original owners child sitting on it sometime in the late 1950's

This is the original owner and his wife sitting on the bike in April of 1971


I bought the bike last year from the original owners estate sale, It had the last registration card with it from 1971 and still had the 1971 Washington tag on it.

[c.o.]

That's what I'm talking about!!! Thanks Matt!!! Cool Pan....

[Matt McManus]

This is an interesting bike..... started life as a 1941 FL it is the bike pictured in the middle. The kid on the left you will see again. Him and his father(the original owner) rode the knucklehead and the 45 through the woods setting up local enduros in the 1940's in Alabama. The kid in the picture, now a 77 year old man said the bike was ordered as a police bike for the montgomery alabama police department, they some how ended up with too many bikes and sold the extras. His father purchased this one. He told me that his father painted it as soon as he got it and that it probably had a tractor tire on the back in the photo for all of the riding in the woods they did.


When he was 16 he won the 1950 Alabama state enduro on this motorcycle. By that time it had been modified a good bit. He had a intalled a hydraglide front end from a wrecked 1949 panhead made a front fender from a ford spare tire cover. It was great to hear all of his stories he knew all of the small details about the bike. This is a picture of him posing with the bike and his trophy that he won in 1950.


here is is today, I opted to put the 19" starhub wheel that he use to run back on the front, he gave it to me with the bike.

[Tom Lovejoy]

Great thread guys, keep em coming - awesome machines!

[sirhrmechanic]

Matt:

That is an amazing Knuckle!!!

Cheers,

Sirhr

[Matt McManus]

Thanks Sirhr,

I was really excited to find it and having the opportunity to meet the man who modified it and rode it made it 10 times better.

[20scout]

My great-uncle's 1929 Indian Chief he purchased used in 1933.



That same bike today.

[c.o.]

Oh man, that Chief wreaks of 1929!!! Only time can provide a finish like that. What a gem!!!