Early shovelhead sidecar

[Grumpa]

A couple of questions:
Anyone know if sidecars were ever titled? Seems like if they had a VIN and the DMV issued license plates they might have been.

Also, did the VIN stamping style on sidecar frames match the factory case VIN stamp style?

I know on my 69 engine the year stamps are straight back but the digits in the production numbers are a slightly different style. Since Harley was going through the trouble of using different stamp sets on the same engine at the factory, I wonder if they may have had the sidecar subcontractor (still Goulding in 69?) use the same type of stamping system. Anyone ever seen factory matched sidecar numbers? How did they compare?

[jim d]

I had a 82 FLH Classic with a factory car that came that way from new. The vin had a letter in each of the serial numbers that showed the car came with a bike when new and the bike came with a car when new. The numbers did not match but did tell you there was a matching car or bike with each of them when new even if they were split up. To the best of my memory there were a little over 100 that year.
Jim D.

[Grumpa]

Thanks Jim
When you say the numbers did not match, do you mean the style of stamp did not match? Did your title reflect that there was a sidecar?

[Chris Haynes]

In CA a sidecar is an accessory. No title or registration. There is a serial number on the frame and a body tag usually found on the hump in the sidecar floor.

[jim d]

The numbers not match as if HD12345 was on the bike it was not the same on the sidecar. I do not recall if the style of stamps were the same. They were made in two different locations. I do not know when they started or stopped the linking of them together by a special code in the VIN. In 79 was when I think they started to have the Classic model and matched the paint on the car and bike. The title did not list a sidecar but if you new the letter to look for you could tell that there was one with it when new. I called the factory to find out how many of mine were made. I only ever saw one other like mine and it came out of the same dealership.
Jim D.

[Grumpa]

Thank you Gentlemen!