Headlight shell

[diablo]

Is the Palmer book correct—“Harley used a brass headlight shell and reflector from 1935 to 1942”????

[exeric]

Curious why you question Palmer's book? I've seen many pre-war brass Guide, and Moto Lamp headlight shells that are brass, because brass is easier to die form. Generally brass was the go-to metal for headlights going back to the early days of oil, gas, and electric lamps; but as time, and aesthetics changed, many of those shells were painted black. WW2 made brass a military priority commodity so it would have been hard to source brass after Pearl Harbor and the start of WW2. Steel was used later but only because metal forming, and war-learned technology made steel alloys more conducive to forming. I don't know about reflectors, but most are generally silver plated on a brass stamping.