Harley-Davidson's "Belated" or Correct (1904-1954) 50th Anniversary?

[HarleyCreation]

In defense of the other 1905 Harley-Davidson!

I received this email (copied below) of Bruce Linsday's, whom everybody knows owns a running 1905 Harley that he rode from Ohio right up to the doorstep of the Juneau Avenue plant in Milwaukee in 2003.

In his email Bruce is responding to the HOG Museum bold statement about SNO#1, which they now call a "c.1903" (actually it has a 1905 "Model 1" motor).

Here I quote the Museum: "Only one thing is for sure: this is the oldest Harley-Davidson in the world."

Bruce's reply:

SNO #1 is the oldest HD in the factory's collection, but how do you determine that it is the oldest 1905? I'm tempted to make the case that my '05 could be older .

Both '05 motors are made from the same patterns. Mine has an original cylinder. The cylinder on the SNO#1 bike is a flawed casting (a large void in the cylinder bore area) that has never been run, and obviously was added later. The motor has some use on it, the cylinder doesn't. (Maybe the cylinder was added during the motor companies first restoration. )

The factory motor is higher compression than mine, because the deck surface of the crankcase was milled a bit lower.

Would they have experimented with higher compression on their earlier motors in 1905, or would that have been something they did later in the year? I'd suggest that it is more likely that the higher compression was experimented with on the later motor. It's a guess, but suggestive.

I've never heard any discussion of which 05 came first, so expect to be greatly entertained.

Bruce Linsday
AMCA #683

Since we know that 1905 model production Harleys first appear in the historical record around April of that year, and that the first races they entered didn't take place until June, Bruce makes a good point.

It's clearly possible that Bruce's motor could be one made early in the season -- in April or May -- before they built a motor with a milled down deck to increase compression for racing purposes as found on the SNO#1 bike.

Although from the known facts we can't prove Bruce's motor is older than SNO#1's, that is a distinct possibility. Clearly, it's NOT "for sure" that SNO#1 is the oldest Harley-Davidson in the world. Bruce's motor could be older.

[Chris Haynes]

It would be interesting to see what number is stamped inside Bruce's motor. Perhaps it is also a number 1. Could be that the number 1 stamp was put on parts after a prochudre was done on themn. Today you find numbers and letters stamped in a variety of places. I wouldn't want him to tear it down just for that. Besides, the MoCo sez gaskets are obsolete.

[DaveSwanson]

I wonder: Are any 1954 "50th" models in the new HOG Museum?

Herb, I thought a picture of the 54 would be appropriate. As an extra bonus it is Anniversary Yellow!

[jurassic]

page 2

[c.o.]

Wow Herb, it certainly seems to me that Bruce's observations are plausible. Pretty interesting stuff.

[Paps]

Pretty much case closed.

[Chris Haynes]

It would appear that the MoCo is enguaging in false advertising. Isn't that a crime? Shouldn't some Legal Beagle take them to court over this?

[HarleyCreation]

It would be interesting to see what number is stamped inside Bruce's motor. Perhaps it is also a number 1. Could be that the number 1 stamp was put on parts after a prochudre was done on themn. Today you find numbers and letters stamped in a variety of places. I wouldn't want him to tear it down just for that. Besides, the MoCo sez gaskets are obsolete.

The procedure notion to account for the little "1" crossed my mind too. To jump from a number stamped on an internal part of a bike with a claim that it's the entire motorcycle's production serial number is not justified at all. It also shows a poor understanding of what a production serial number is. It's not just any old number you find stamped on some random part. Plus we know early Harley's didn't have production serial numbers.

[HarleyCreation]

Herb, I thought a picture of the 54 would be appropriate. As an extra bonus it is Anniversary Yellow!

What a great bike! I would love one of those (yes, in yellow) seeing how unique and nutty the entire K/KH story was in retrospect. What a nice sporty runner that baby would be too.

This one still has the 50th fender medallion on it right next to the 1954 sign. What a speed bump that is for modern Harley's mixed up ideas!

From the H-D letter Lonnie posted (p.2) I learned a new word for the KH: "joyboat."

Nice!

[HarleyCreation]

Thanks Lonnie, that is one fine letter. Pretty much tells the story. But I'm afraid that
the marketing and advertising departments will still be able to spin the story.

When I was at the archives prior to 2003 I wanted to see the original 1903 drawings and blueprints. I was told they don't exist or that maybe they might be in another part of the plant such as engineering. I tried making contact and never received a reply. I was told that the archives had pretty much been plundered and what wasn't stolen was thrown away by AMF. This has been confirmed by more than one source and is now common knowledge. That may very well be but there must be something left from 1903/04/05. If not in the HD archives/empire then in someones private collection. I'm afraid though anything in private collections will be hidden from the public view as HD can come after anybody who has stolen items from their archives unless you can provide a chain of evidence as to how the items were acquired legally. I believe the answers are out there but are being hidden or kept under wraps.

Hopefully some day these important documents will surface but don't hold your breath.

Dick

I'd be surprised if nothing more from 1901-1905 shows up.

The three outstanding things that I want to know is this:

1) What did their first motorized bicycle project look like? (We have only a 1901 dated blueprint page showing parts of a tiny motor).

2) What did the 1904 prototype H-D motorcycle look like when it was new, c1904-05?

3) What the heck happened to that bike after 1919?

[HarleyCreation]

Bruce:

Both '05 motors are made from the same patterns. Mine has an original cylinder. The cylinder on the SNO#1 bike is a flawed casting (a large void in the cylinder bore area) that has never been run, and obviously was added later. The motor has some use on it, the cylinder doesn't. (Maybe the cylinder was added during the motor companies first restoration.)

This is an important clue about SNO#1's history.

If the cylinder has a major flaw in it, that means it was found in somebody's junkpile of old discarded parts. It also suggests that the motor bottom was lying around without a cylinder on it for some time. Again, somebody's old junk. It definitely suggests this machine is an early cob job parts bike project sometime previous to 1938, and most likely was not an old runner.

[HarleyCreation]

From Lonnie's H-D letter, page 1:

This year marks Harley-Davidson's 50th Anniversary. It was in 1903 this company was organized. The new [1954] models, therefore, carry the distinction of being the Golden Anniversay models.

This is as clear as can be. There is nothing "forgotten" and no "mistake" that AMF/H-D had to correct in 1978.

"Organized" in 1903 correctly meaning that was the year they got their act together.

That year they discovered what a REAL motorcycle should contain and began work on a machine that was finished in 1904, for certain by September 9 when it took part in a race (finished 4th).

Thus the 1954 bikes got the 50th medallion.

What could be plainer than that?

There was no 1903 model Harley-Davidson motorcycle at all, therefore none were sold, and none in the HOG Museum factory collection today. And every 1903 replica H-D is a bogus bike too.

How come we know this stuff (based on original H-D material), but the modern MoCo remains clueless, befuddled, dazed and confused?

[bear54]

Interesting color. Is this a bike at the new museum? I't more difficult to tell in the photo, but that color looks like the "Champion yellow" that is very popular but did not come out until 1956 I believe.

[jurassic]

page 3 , color options

[bear54]

Hey Jurassic

I see and know that Anniversary Yellow was offered in '54. My thought and question is that that K model looks like Champion Yellow. I've seen a couple of the anniversary version and it appears more greenish?