the first Harley's

[Chris Haynes]

Some of us had thought the end of the road had been reached on finding new stuff on Harley origins, but not so. A very old man related to an H-D founder turned up and filled in critical gaps and the thing took off again. If the club wants it, there could be a story about the greatest unsolved treasure hunt mystery puzzle in all of motorcycling involving both Lonnie's dad's green bike and the lost and still missing 1st ever Harley-Davidson motorcycle ever built. A story really beyond compare.

Oh oh! You are changin' things. What about the 1979 demise of the '04 bike?

[c.o.]

The suspense is killing me.......... It's going to be a grand tale when it surfaces!!!

[c.o.]

I found this clip of the # 1 bike in the museum. It's interesting how they present it. I do find that the last sentence is a little odd though...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGzVI...eature=channel

[Slojo]

First Bike ?

I sold Harley the 1990 Fat Boy now in their museum, a bike I purchased new from Cummings Harley Davidson Flint Michigan (Home of the flattrackers) in September 1990. The sale of the Fat Boy back to H.D. came with a tour of the then difficult to enter Archives. While in the Archives the “#1” bike was in pieces being restored and available for my inspection. It did have a very small #1 hand stamp on all the engine parts.
Handling the chassis and all the engine parts was truly a privilege. Too bad I did not have a digital camera, the film that I brought was needed to photo the 09 so I would have details available to me when my 09 was to be built. Whatever that bike is I know I would not kick it out of my bed for leaking oil on the sheets.
Joe

[HarleyCreation]

Oh oh! You are changin' things. What about the 1979 demise of the '04 bike?

Did I say that?

[HarleyCreation]

I sold Harley the 1990 Fat Boy now in their museum, a bike I purchased new from Cummings Harley Davidson Flint Michigan (Home of the flattrackers) in September 1990. The sale of the Fat Boy back to H.D. came with a tour of the then difficult to enter Archives. While in the Archives the “#1” bike was in pieces being restored and available for my inspection. It did have a very small #1 hand stamp on all the engine parts.
Handling the chassis and all the engine parts was truly a privilege. Too bad I did not have a digital camera, the film that I brought was needed to photo the 09 so I would have details available to me when my 09 was to be built. Whatever that bike is I know I would not kick it out of my bed for leaking oil on the sheets.
Joe

I saw the disassembled SNO motor too. As I understood it, they found "1" on a small number of parts, not that many, but some. Not all engine parts by any means.

You should tell us what you modified on that Fat Boy now in the Museum. Someday those mods will probably be trumpeted as rare experimetal prototype features because everyone knows those collection bikes never left the Factory.

[HarleyCreation]

I found this clip of the # 1 bike in the museum. It's interesting how they present it. I do find that the last sentence is a little odd though...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGzVI...eature=channel

Cory,

What did the last sentence say? I can't view the link with my old Mac...

[HarleyCreation]

The suspense is killing me.......... It's going to be a grand tale when it surfaces!!!

You'll have to suffer thru a c1915-16 racing story about the legendary early Eight Valve Harley first.

In my research I found yet another myth to bust, one that has been repeated endlessly by almost every writer (even the good ones!) but is completely ridiculous and cannot possibly be true.

That baby will be in a separate sidebar article as it is so cool and important as a correction to our long suffering mistake filled motorcycle history as we have known it.

[BEK]

the first

I found this picture in a book titled "Rolling Thunder". I don't think it's been posted before but I could be wrong.

[Slojo]

I saw the disassembled SNO motor too. As I understood it, they found "1" on a small number of parts, not that many, but some. Not all engine parts by any means.

You should tell us what you modified on that Fat Boy now in the Museum. Someday those mods will probably be trumpeted as rare experimetal prototype features because everyone knows those collection bikes never left the Factory.

Sorry I did say all motor parts and perhaps many motor parts would have been appropriate.

The 1990 Fat Boy had about 9985 miles on it when Harley (Martin Jack Rosenbloum) bought it back around 1995 or 1996.
The few modifications made by me were returned back to original with the original parts I took off such as the seat and the fuel tanks. What Harley overlooked when they returned it to original is interesting because the one modification I made that was left alone was latter introduced near identical to what I did. That modification was a lengthening and re-angling of the brake pedal to allow my foot to actually fit on the floor board under the pedal.
Joe

.

[c.o.]

Cory,

What did the last sentence say? I can't view the link with my old Mac...

Herb........

Here's the whole works.......

"The vehicle known as Serial Number One is a bit of a mystery. It's engine is very early but doesn't match what we know about the first engines produced by Harley-Davidson. The frame which dates to 1905 is not original to this motorcycle. These oddities have triggered much debate.

During the 1990's, restorers discovered a number "1" stamped inside various components, inspiring the bike's nickname. Because of the questions surrounding it, Serial Number One has become a legend in Harley culture. Only one thing is for sure: this is the oldest Harley-Davidson in the world."

[c.o.]

You'll have to suffer thru a c1915-16 racing story about the legendary early Eight Valve Harley first.

In my research I found yet another myth to bust, one that has been repeated endlessly by almost every writer (even the good ones!) but is completely ridiculous and cannot possibly be true.

That baby will be in a separate sidebar article as it is so cool and important as a correction to our long suffering mistake filled motorcycle history as we have known it.

Ahh..... man........ when will a fella get the chance to suffer through that tale? It sounds like a good one! Hopefully it shows up in an upcoming issue of the club mag!

[Slojo]

Herb........

Here's the whole works.......

"The vehicle known as Serial Number One is a bit of a mystery. It's engine is very early but doesn't match what we know about the first engines produced by Harley-Davidson. The frame which dates to 1905 is not original to this motorcycle. These oddities have triggered much debate.

During the 1990's, restorers discovered a number "1" stamped inside various components, inspiring the bike's nickname. Because of the questions surrounding it, Serial Number One has become a legend in Harley culture. Only one thing is for sure: "this is the oldest Harley-Davidson in the world."

Corey
The only thing that is for sure in these modern times is that nothing is for sure.
Herb
By the way I forgot to mention the addition of the stainless steel skid I installed on the 90 fat Boy that now resides in the H. D. factory museum. Other modifications might still exist I would need to look it over to see.
Joe

[HarleyCreation]

Corey
The only thing that is for sure in these modern times is that nothing is for sure.
Herb
By the way I forgot to mention the addition of the stainless steel skid I installed on the 90 fat Boy that now resides in the H. D. factory museum. Other modifications might still exist I would need to look it over to see.
Joe

Did they remove the skid pan? (Hope not!) Was that going to be your trail bike or something?

A skid pan and that "proto" brake lever is gonna make one heck-of-a controversial bike in years to come!

Yup, certainty in this game is very difficult to obtain.

[HarleyCreation]

Thanks Cory.

My take:

"The vehicle known as Serial Number One is a bit of a mystery.

True, but so are all the other mysterious early jobs. Look at Lonnie's dad's bike once. That's a strap-tank with a story! (Which eventually we hope to get to).

It's engine is very early but doesn't match what we know about the first engines produced by Harley-Davidson.

Sure it matches what we know about the first engines (1904 "neg 599" proto), but that proves SNO can't be the 1904 prototype, but likely a 1905 motor.

The frame which dates to 1905 is not original to this motorcycle.

With that sidecar lug, it appears to be a 1906 or later frame (not 1905). 1905 frames lack the sidecar lug and had built-up heads. That's easy to prove from early lit & photos.

These oddities have triggered much debate.

Yes and no. They aren't really "oddities" if you accept that it's a 1905 motor and the rest various years, making it a parts bike probably assembled (in whole or part) at a later date for collection purposes. The debate centered on former claims that it was a 1903 model and the first Harley-Davidson ever built.

During the 1990's, restorers discovered a number "1" stamped inside various components, inspiring the bike's nickname.

Nickname is a good way to put it. In fact I might have been the first one to use that word for it. I also suggested "representation" of the first proto Harley (now lost), which it rather looks like (fenderless, etc).

Because of the questions surrounding it, Serial Number One has become a legend in Harley culture.

I'd say "mythical" rather than legend. The only legends surrounding that motorcycle are the ones we surmised from various old photos of the collection bikes and how/when/where it first shows up in the historical record. But myths tossed about in recent years abound.

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

Sez who? And on what proof?