the first Harley's

[Chris Haynes]

Photo of Harley's early bike collection taken c1938. Photo appeared in the "Lets Visit the H-D Factory" booklet in c1939. I think it also appears in Enthusiast around 1939. I can visualize the photo in my mind (what's left of it).

I found it in the May 1951 Enthusiast.

[jurassic]

frame

well i got the frame from the florida bike cleaned and finally took a good look at it.it looks like someone added a rear section from a different early motorcycle to it.its not a fabbed up section for sure.the front of the frame looks all original.it has a repair under the neck.although its not straight the repair and the grafted on rear section were done very well. all pinned and sweated together nicely.i've looked at alot of pictures ,but cant tell for sure what the rear section came off of.it must have been a shorter frame in heigth because the rear legs on top had to be bent up a little to fit the harley frame.

[jurassic]

florida frame

[Chris Haynes]

I have fourteen of the photos used in that brochure. But not the one of the bikes.

[HarleyCreation]

I have most of those photos. What are you looking for?

Photo of Harley's early bike collection taken c1938. Photo appeared in the "Lets Visit the H-D Factory" booklet in c1939. I think it also appears in Enthusiast around 1939. I can visualize the photo in my mind (what's left of it).

[Chris Haynes]

Isn't there also a c1938-39 collection photo? You guys know that one. It's in the "Lets Visit the Factory" and in the Enthusiast too I think. What shows up in that photo?

I have most of those photos. What are you looking for?

[HarleyCreation]

nice pic,i haven't seen that one.notice the flat rear fender braces.and the absence of the bottom motor mount cap. also it has the later style belt tensioner.this is an early pic of harleys second 6 bolt bike.their tagged 1905 model.

I have to agree with you guys on this. But in 1926 in "Enthusiast" mag they showed this SAME photo and called it a 1906 model! So only later did it become a 1905 model. Harley has changed the model year designations of these early jobs more often then I change my socks!

Let's fill in a few more details. Notice that two of the photos in this thread are taken in the same corner of the H-D Factory. That's no coincidence. There are others in this same series all taken around 1924 for the Eclipse lawsuit. It's noteworthy that the gray bike (guy kneeling photo/SNO#1?) is NOT among them.

You'd kind of think if they had it c1918 they'd of shot it in 1924 in this photo series, wouldn't they?

So did they really have it between 1918 and when it next appears? And when does it next (first) appear?

Isn't there also a c1938-39 collection photo? You guys know that one. It's in the "Lets Visit the Factory" and in the Enthusiast too I think. What shows up in that photo? The "1905" shown here or the gray/Paint it Black/maybe SNO 1 bike?

Is everyone confused yet? I am....

[HarleyCreation]

No, It is most definately a different bike.
Here is one that I believe it fitted with the optional "LANG" clutch.

In this case I think that's actually a Malon (Mabon?) or Marathon clutch with cog belt. This bike and photo series had something to do with the Eclipse clutch lawsuit. But you're right that there was a Lang clutch plus a Lang 2-speed gear very early on. Did Lang have anything to do with the Malon clutch? Don't know!

[HarleyCreation]

Remember, what do we know for sure?
The picture was taken 1918 or later, and the machine in the picture is gray.

Did it leave the factory gray? We can't say for sure, because this is a 1918 picture.

I've studied this picture and other picture's of the Lobby Bike that I have, and it is my belief, they are the same machine. This machine has a 1905 Model motor, and was morphed into the first Serial Number One bike. There is one thing that I noticed, that appears on both machines. It's a flaw that is identical on both machines.

Contact me off line and we can discuss it.

Okay.

Being the same machine makes total sense if they were looking for early jobs around 1919 and here's one shot at the factory during that same period. Chances are they didn't let that baby get away!

It also makes sense that that they dropped the gray and sang "Paint It Black" in order to better replicate a pre-1906 model. First they called it a 1904, then a 1903/04, then a 1903, and most recently "Serial Number One" (SNO #1), claiming it is the FIRST Harley ever built and that it NEVER left the Factory from Day 1; all totally without supporting evidence of any kind except for some little numeral "1"s stamped on a few parts and lots of imagination.

If this is the Lobby Bike (SNO#1), then Lonnie and Earl are right and it's the earliest known photo of it we have.

Frank Kenzler says hello to everybody and is buying everyone a round!

[jurassic]

lonnie sr. and the florida bike

[jurassic]

5 known to exist

it is true there are 5 real six bolt motors known to still exist .harley has the two bikes ,and one "buckboard" type six bolt ,that is a motor only,it was only recently discovered . bruce linsday has a bike with an original six bolt engine,and lonnie isam sr. has a bike with an original six bolt engine,that was discovered in florida about 30 years ago. so three belong to the factory ,and two are in private hands.

[c.o.]

.........or do they have one '05 and one '06????

[Chris Haynes]

That is good to know that they have two of them. I was only aware of one and wondered what happened to the other.
So if they have two 1905's and Bruce Linsday has one that leaves two unaccounted for?

[jurassic]

2 six bolts

here is a picture taken in the early 60's of both bikes

[jurassic]

Notice anything in this photo?

Look to the far left. See the photos? It is listed as a 1905. It is clearly a different machine that the one in the 1963 photo

uh chris,i think you need to read thru the posts again.the first picture you posted is of harley's SECOND six bolt bike,not the FIRST six bolt bike that is in the 1963 picture. harley has TWO of them.they have only had two 6 bolt bikes in their collection .the bike in the photo you posted is still in their collection.it is not the "lobby bike" or serial number one as they call it now. it is the bike that has had the 1905 number plate on the front fender.it still looks the same as it did in 1998 with one exception ,the fenders have been removed. the lobby bike as we all know was restored {again}a few years back.