Production Numbering Sequence

[ba6336]

I'm trying to pull together some facts regarding production numbering in 1953. I read where there werw 1,986 FL's produced and also there were 3,351 FLF's also produced. I'm trying to piece together how the numbers would start from 1st bike off the production line to the last? Do the production numbers restart for each model?

[Lonnie]

It's been awhile since you asked the question so I hope you found your answer elsewhere. But, as I recall, the H-D number sequence would have started with 1000 in '53. The sequence would have run for all models within that engine group, in your case panheads, irrespective of the model designation. So, FL's and FLE's would be scattered throughout the entire production run in theory. And the designations for foot shift or hand shift, though noted in the production letter designation, were not differentiated on the actual motor number, the VIN. One last thing to be aware of, it is very reasonable to speculate that the numbers quoted in the Harley-Davidson publication "The Legend Begins" relate to calendar year production since the numbers were supposedly pulled together by an admin assistant for a Harley-Davidson board meeting years after the fact. In that case the calendar years overlap with the production years and the production numbers noted are not to be considered as the gospel.

Hope this helps