Police Bike Identification

[panhead_jim]

oldmot10.jpg

Came across this photo and was interested to find out more about the motorcycle. Is that piece that runs up the side and over to the middle of the tank part of the radio system? Looks like a '31 to '33 VL... Anyone know about this machine?

Thanks,

Panhead Jim

[Chris Haynes]

That is the megaphone for the speaker.

[sirhrmechanic]

Chris is right. Think "His Masters Voice" and the radio cone pointing at the dog... applied to a motorcycle.

That image, BTW, is colorized and on the cover of a neat book called "Harley Davidson Police Motorcycles." Believe by Classic Motorbooks and, unfortunately, out of print I think. Well worth finding a copy, but they are getting spendy.

Cheers,

Sirhr

[panthersteve]

Not too expensive here if anyone wants one http://www.amazon.com//gp/offer-list...=bf-ns-home-20

[Steve Slocombe]

Dear Jim, it's the cover picture from Harley-Davidson Police Motorcycles by Robert and Robin Genat, an excellent book. It is described there as from Wichita Falls, Kansas. The bike looks to be a 1932 VL with the first receive-only radio fitted, and that is the speaker coming up from underneath. There is another great picture of an early radio-equipped bike in the 1934 Harley Police brochure, which was reprinted in the AMCA magazine a few years ago.

[panhead_jim]

I guess they couldn't produce a loud enough speaker, so they used that tube/horn to increase the volume.