IMO: That Ain't NO 1906 Harley!

[HJahn]

Paging through new Spring issue of club mag. On p.32 in the "Heroes of Harley-Davidson" article. Good stuff, except when I looked at the bike that is listed as "A 1906 restored Harley single."

What did they do? Restore it as a 1908 model?

It's got the 8-stud crankcase, the spring fork, the ribbed fenders, and the rounded tanks -- all later features. Probably lots more 1908 details but I don't pretend to be the expert that Earl is on the early bikes.

I wonder if that's just a typo in the mag, or is the bike really tagged that way for the display?

[Earl]

Nice bike ! And the owner should be very proud !!!

But I agree with HJahn, it has mostly 1908 features.

All 1906 photographs that I'm familiar with, show a 6-stud crankcase. The single motor with an 8-stud crankcase is first shown in the 1907 sales brochures. So the motor could be a 1907, but the rest of the features of the bike are from 1908 vintage. (I hope somebody asks me about the Harley 1906 single that's at York now, and has an 8-stud crankcase)

Spring fork: for 1907 they advertised the Sager cushion fork. For 1908, they advertised it "greatly improved, with heavier sides, larger springs, larger recoil springs, and hardened bushings at every joint". (1908 Harley sales brochure) It's very easy to see the difference, and the fork on the bike in question has the larger improved fork.

Ribbed fenders:for 1907,"front and rear guards are three inches wide" and appear to be non-ribbed (1907 sales brochure). And from the 1908 sales brochure: "We are furnishing mud guards of ample width, 3-3/4 inches, to protect the rider and machine from all mud and dust. These guards are of an entirely new and original design......." Looks like 1908 fenders.

Rounded tanks, plus gas filler in the front of tank: "The tanks now used are rounded and the filler holes are larger than heretofore, being large enough to admit the largest funnels." (Cycle & Automobile Trade Journal, Feb 1, 1908, page 160) Looks like 1908 tanks.

"A hand operated cut-out is fitted to the muffler on the 1908 machine." (C&ATJ, Feb 1, 1908, page 160) This cut-out rod didn't appear in 1907 advertising or sales brochure. This is another 1908 feature that the bike pictured has.

So the 1906 date in the mag could just be a typo, because what the bike pictured represents is a 1908 machine.

[HJahn]

Hey Earl, I mentioned the "missing" 1906 collection bike in the Willie G. book thread.

Anybody go to the actual AMA exhibit and notice if this "1906" (really 1907/1908) is actually tagged as an '06?

Yes, it is a very nice bike. Looks quite authentic as a 1908 from the photo.

Earl, can you make out if the belt tightener has several stops or just on and off? I think the 1908 model was the first year with several stops.

What is that little thingie above the battery box?

I wonder what the serial number on this job is? Number should be on that side of the crankcase, but I can't make it out. That would be a clue whether the motor is 1907 or 1908.

Wonder how much of this bike is original and how much repro?

Is this a machine seen before in books?

Looks like a good runner!

[Earl]

Originally posted by HJahn
Yes, it is a very nice bike. Looks quite authentic as a 1908 from the photo.

Earl, can you make out if the belt tightener has several stops or just on and off? I think the 1908 model was the first year with several stops.

What is that little thingie above the battery box?

I wonder what the serial number on this job is? Number should be on that side of the crankcase, but I can't make it out. That would be a clue whether the motor is 1907 or 1908.

Wonder how much of this bike is original and how much repro?

Is this a machine seen before in books?

You're correct in that several stops for belt tightener adjustment was first advertised for 1908. But I cannot be sure looking at the picture of the bike in the club mag to see or not see this feature.

Not sure what that "thingie" is. (or is that thingy??)
Almost looks like possibly a motor hand crank, but can't be sure.

Repro vs. original is hard to determine these days. It seems like just a few years ago, the known early strap tank jobs could be easily counted. But now, it seems like everybody has one. Something smells fishy here.....

I'm don't recall seeing this machine before, but understand that it's owned by somebody from Colorado, and is available.......

Also just heard of a "real" 1908, or mostly real anyway, that was sold at auction last friday for $310,000.00

[HJahn]

Originally posted by Earl


Repro vs. original is hard to determine these days. It seems like just a few years ago, the known early strap tank jobs could be easily counted. But now, it seems like everybody has one. Something smells fishy here.....

I'm don't recall seeing this machine before, but understand that it's owned by somebody from Colorado, and is available.......

Also just heard of a "real" 1908, or mostly real anyway, that was sold at auction last friday for $310,000.00

$310,000 is pretty steep for a bike that sold originally for what? $250? If it's original that is...

Any link to that auction? That's not another of those eBay wonders, is it?

I gotta start checkings the sheds and old barns around here again. Old Harleys are where you find them...

The majority of the early tankstrap Harleys were sold in the Midwest, esp. in Chicago, and of course some in and around Milwaukee.

It would be nice to find a barn full of the real early stuff. Something untouched since about 1910. Some early Harley buff near Milwaukee who wanted to have one of each year. Then he died young and his wife kept his collection intact as a memorial to him all these years. She is about 110 years old and hears of my interest in early Harleys and contacts me:

"Give them a good home," she says, "esp. that very very early one that my husband bought from Mr. Lang in Chicago."

"Charles Lang?" I ask (testing her authenticity).

"No," she replies with a knowing smile (she has an internet connection to the MoCo website), "I mean Carl Herman Lang."