strap tank harley pops up at Oley!

[Earl]

I can't say from looking at the pictures exactly what we have here. I wasn't able to get to Oley this year, so haven't seen this in person.

But I remember seeing an early New Era motorcycle at a museum, and it really made me do a double take, as it looked like an early Harley motor. So I invite everybody to Google "New Era motorcycle" and investigate. I'll look for those museum pictures that I took.

[silentgreyfello]

They used unions to complete the circle because they didn't have a LH/RH coupler. I have run a lot of black iron pipe in the last 8 years, but never thought I would see a strap tank harley nestled in between the stuff. I'll never look at a 3/4" T the same anymore. And check out the belt tensioner... foot activated. Way ahead of Harley here! I gotta hand it to the guy. He was resourceful. The bicycle portion (front and rear) looks to be elgin, and the middle section is schedule 40 black iron.

[Chuck#1848]

Ha! Is it just me or does it look like it's tack welded together?????

6011 or 7018?? Intresting in the ideas that people come up with when it comes to motorcycles pipe fittings who would have thought pretty creative in a way

[c.o.]

Yes thanks Rob and Lucy!..........now.. Cory, what do you figure they used for pipe thread sealant on that frame?

Ha! Is it just me or does it look like it's tack welded together?????

[Chuck#1848]

Yes thanks Rob and Lucy!..........now.. Cory, what do you figure they used for pipe thread sealant on that frame?

Look at that. Photos without even showing up! Awesome!!! You'll have to thank her for us Rob. Man, that's quite the homemade frame!

[c.o.]

Look at that. Photos without even showing up! Awesome!!! You'll have to thank her for us Rob. Man, that's quite the homemade frame!

[rwm]

plus she rotated them for us

[rwm]

No problem Rob. I guess you and Lucy get a pass in the photo department.
.

don't know how but the lovely lucy got photos for you guys

[silentgreyfello]

It doesn't seem logical that the factory would start their VIN numbers with 1800, but lets say they did. That means that from VIN number 1800 to the lastest known 8 bolt VIN number, which is 2278, about 478 machines were produced for 1907 and 1908 combined. Does that sound right?

I don't know what the logical number for vin numbers would be, but this we know. Harley claimed 150 machines for 1907, 450 for 1908 for a totoal of 600 in the two years. I don't think they would have made more than this and not published the number. I would tend to lean that they either produced that amount, but probably less. 600 right on the money? I think that is a conveniant number for publishing.

Let's assume their numbers of 600 are correct with no gap between 1907 and 1908. With the lowest (1823) and highest(2278) numbers that are known to exist, the lowest possible vin would be 1678 (if 2278 was last straptank), or the highest possible vin would be 2423 (if 1823 was first 1907). None of those number spreads include a conveniant number to start with, say 1000.

[c.o.]

kind of funny. lucy and i would always leave are things at dales space. she would watch his stuff as he went out looking. well for 2 years i have been working out of town that weekend so no photos sorry.
did harley make the first motors they used or did they buy them from evenrude?

No problem Rob. I guess you and Lucy get a pass in the photo department. Evinrude engines appear somewhat similar to the early H-D powerplants but I don't think they got their motors from Oley. Didn't Perry Mack have something to do with early design? I'm guessing that it's time to take a spin through Herbs' book again.

It doesn't seem logical that the factory would start their VIN numbers with 1800, but lets say they did. That means that from VIN number 1800 to the lastest known 8 bolt VIN number, which is 2278, about 478 machines were produced for 1907 and 1908 combined. Does that sound right?

I had a look through early reports and it seems that it was closer to 600 machines produced between '07 and '08. It's good to hear you got a good look at this latest piece. The photos don't really show the ground off letters very well.

[jurassic]

It doesn't seem logical that the factory would start their VIN numbers with 1800, but lets say they did. That means that from VIN number 1800 to the lastest known 8 bolt VIN number, which is 2278, about 478 machines were produced for 1907 and 1908 combined. Does that sound right?

[rwm]

Oh, photos would be cool! Hopefully Rob and Lucy made it to Oley!!!

kind of funny. lucy and i would always leave are things at dales space. she would watch his stuff as he went out looking. well for 2 years i have been working out of town that weekend so no photos sorry.
did harley make the first motors they used or did they buy them from evenrude?

[jurassic]

I dont think the "Comet " motor theory holds any water. For starters if you look at pictures of a comet, the comet engine really looks nothing like a harley engine. the 1823 engine looks exactly like a harley engine in every way, including the location of the 5 VIN numbers and the size and font of those numbers. Over the years I have seen several different makes of engines that were in rebadged chassis, or used for different applications, and all of them had the lettering removed professionally. Either by machining off the lettering or taking off the lettering prior to casting. When Dale brought 1823 back to his space we laid it sideways on the table and got a good look at where the lettering use to be, and you could definatly see evidence of where the lettering had been removed. And it wasn't machined off, it had been removed by hand as there were very small waves in the aluminum. I believe that when harley sold engines they left Harley Davidson on the cases.

[silentgreyfello]

It just goes to show that there could be more stuff that has yet to be uncovered.

No doubt about that! That's what keeps us turning over rocks I guess. I find it hilarious when someone will say "one of only 4 in existence" or whatever. It may be a small world when it comes to antique motorcycles, but not as small as one would think.

[c.o.]

I believe early on H-D sold engines for whatever application you wanted to use them for. I just don't know for sure how long they did this though. The lack of lettering has me a little puzzled. I guess it's time to hit the books!!! Man, that was a great find. It just goes to show that there could be more stuff that has yet to be uncovered.