Vintage Pics of the Day

[grease monkey]

That is some dressed up Harley! Is it possible to buy whitewall tires that WIDE anymore?? OR maybe those were porta walls?

That whitewall is probably a "Beck Frontrunner"

[ihrescue]

Vintage Pic of the Day - May 30, 2021


Mike Love

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[droptopford]

That whitewall is probably a "Beck Frontrunner"

Real good questions Jim. Lets hope we get some comments about that.

Mike Love

Only took 8 months and 82 pages (and 20 minutes for me to figure out what the heck you guys were talking about).

[Steve Slocombe]

Thanks for the Wilkinson-TAC info guys, I didn't know the early bikes were air cooled. Wilkinson was the sword company and Tacchi the designer

[BigLakeBob]

4Canadian-Army-Dump-Holland_zps085f16b4.jpg

[BigLakeBob]

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[BigLakeBob]

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[BigLakeBob]

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[ihrescue]

Vintage Pic of the Day - May 31, 2021

A look down a Main Street of New Martinsville West Virginia. Could be that if the buntings on the building were Red, White and Blue, they may just be celebrating Decoration Day or now commonly know as Memorial Day.

Mike Love

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[ChiefTwoKicks]

just wondering... in pic # 1220, I notice there is a pretty even split between the HD 45 and the Indian741's, and a pretty even split among the mechanics , working on the respective brands.
Wondering if the military educated the servicemen on the specific brands (Indian,Harley), or assign the M/C soldiers to a specific motorcycle, remaining brand specific, or just exactly how the troops were assigned the vehicle. What happened if the soldier wrecked, or disabled his assigned unit ? Was the soldier assigned another M/C of the same brand ? Were the Indian bikes left handed, or were all of them converted to right hand throttle ? Among all the DIS-similarities between the two brands, I wonder how the Army may have dealt with the issue.

Seems to me, the gov't has always had a one-size-fits-all approach to nearly everything. Obviously, there is a significant difference with these two motorcycles. Did the Army have a "Harley Company" vs. an "Indian Company", with specific platoons, or separate squadrons... Was there a rivalry among the troops, as who had the "better bike" ? Same questions for the Motor Pool mechanics, although it maybe easier to understand the mechanics may be better educated to work on the units collectively, no matter which brand they were assigned to repair.

Interesting questions, maybe just going too deep, but in todays world, and it sure is different, theres alot of HD mechanics who know nothing about Indians. I just wonder how these oddities were resolved during WW2. The Military has always been able to adapt. But, how ? Anyone have any thoughts, or documented answers ? just wondering... and yes, I am a Veteran. US ARMY, 101st Airborne, 504th Qtr.Mstr, Corp.,VietNam, '69.

Roger C2K

[T. Cotten]

Today we remember the sacrifices made to keep us free.

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My thanks to all who served.

....Cotten

[jcrawford]

Hi Roger,

I would bet that honorary AMCA member Kenny Edmiston might have some answers to your WLA, WLC vs. 741s questions if he was still with us, and I sure wish he was.
He was gone before this Forum came about, but was always willing with an interesting answer if he had one.
(Hope I can get to Billings if border opens and maybe see you there>)

John

[Ross]

just wondering... in pic # 1220, I notice there is a pretty even split between the HD 45 and the Indian741's, and a pretty even split among the mechanics , working on the respective brands.
Wondering if the military educated the servicemen on the specific brands (Indian,Harley), or assign the M/C soldiers to a specific motorcycle, remaining brand specific, or just exactly how the troops were assigned the vehicle. What happened if the soldier wrecked, or disabled his assigned unit ? Was the soldier assigned another M/C of the same brand ? Were the Indian bikes left handed, or were all of them converted to right hand throttle ? Among all the DIS-similarities between the two brands, I wonder how the Army may have dealt with the issue.

Seems to me, the gov't has always had a one-size-fits-all approach to nearly everything. Obviously, there is a significant difference with these two motorcycles. Did the Army have a "Harley Company" vs. an "Indian Company", with specific platoons, or separate squadrons... Was there a rivalry among the troops, as who had the "better bike" ? Same questions for the Motor Pool mechanics, although it maybe easier to understand the mechanics may be better educated to work on the units collectively, no matter which brand they were assigned to repair.

Interesting questions, maybe just going too deep, but in todays world, and it sure is different, theres alot of HD mechanics who know nothing about Indians. I just wonder how these oddities were resolved during WW2. The Military has always been able to adapt. But, how ? Anyone have any thoughts, or documented answers ? just wondering... and yes, I am a Veteran. US ARMY, 101st Airborne, 504th Qtr.Mstr, Corp.,VietNam, '69.

Roger C2K

Regarding the photo 1220 I think I've seen it before. I believe this might be Holland and part of the lend lease program by Canada. The bulk of the HD 45's are 1943 WLC models..

[Steve Slocombe]

Let's see if Bob has more details on the military bikes picture. Maybe they are not army mechanics but just guys sorting through a pile of surplus bikes for sale in 1945/46. For Roger, the WLCs had left hand throttle, presumably because the Canadians had Indians early in WW2. Most of the bikes were left in Holland and the UK after WW2, with many of them still running today. Dealer Fred Warr told me he didn't sell a new Harley in the UK until the late 1950s, and I've seen 200 45s at the Old Timers Rally in Holland. They are cheered as they ride through the streets of Den Haag, because the Dutch call the Harley 45s 'Liberators' and have a folk memory of GIs riding in to rescue them from Nazi occupation. There are a lot of nos parts in Holland too, so the enthusiastic owners just keep those bikes going.

[BigLakeBob]

Regarding the photo 1220 I think I've seen it before. I believe this might be Holland and part of the lend lease program by Canada. The bulk of the HD 45's are 1943 WLC models..

The picture heading said 'Canadian Army Dump Holland', whether accurate or not I don't know.